Expo View Issue 04

>> Summer Fancy Food

e u s s i is In th

>> Fos family grows >> Caramel topic becomes sticky‌.

>> Sustainable product strategies A bi - monthly review of news, and key market trends - Issue No 4 July 2012

Expo-view current topics >>> 1st July 2012

Expanding horizons and distribution at Summer Fancy Food Exhibition in Washington D.C. The 2012 Summer Fancy Food Show, North America’s Largest Specialty Food & Beverage Event, was held in D.C. from June 17-19, 2012.

On the first day more than 2,000 exhibitors gathered under the roof of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to show off the latest products coming to market, with no shortage of mouthwatering goods and up-andcoming trends.

The show featured 180,000 products including confections, cheese, coffee, snacks, spices, ethnic, natural, organic and more displayed by 2,400 exhibitors from 80 countries & regions.

Our products were presented for the second time in the event, following the successful show in California at the beginning of 2012.

The overall presentation in Washington was very positive as there was a concise and comprehensive coverage of Greek products under one roof, with olives, balsamic vinegars, condiments, mustards, olive oil, sun dried tomatoes and pure sea salt.

Apart from positive comments related to presentation, labeling and range coverage our product quality made an excellent impact during tastings, and the meetings that followed with distributors and retail buyers provided a good platform to expand the existing distribution base.

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>> Crossroads of Regional Trade Synergies The economic program of cooperation "Go International" was held in Bucharest on 11 and 12 June, at the JW Marriot Hotel. This two-day event aims to become a very powerful platform for creating economic links in the region of Southeastern Europe.

The action was organized by Eurobank EFG, Panhellenic Exporters Association, Association of Exporters of Northern Greece and Crete Export Association, with the support of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Greek embassy in Romania.

The event brought into contact 64 Greek exporters with over 150 Romanian importers. Over 1,200 B2B meetings took place, and there is serious optimism that this meeting will bring positive results in the near future.

Papadimitriou C.C.SA and Expoaid ", attended the "Go International" event for the second time. Karpea s.a. made its participation debut on this event. Both manufacturers had about 25 productive meetings, and they expect the contacts to continue as there is opportunity of quality Greek products in the Romanian market.

>> FOS family grows on the principal of sustainable In the process of selecting products that are unique with a sense of origin we have selected sea salt flakes from Mani Peloponnese.

This product complements the current selection that includes tomatoes dried by geothermal energy, hydroponic cherry tomatoes from the area of Xanthi Northern Greece and the capers from Santorini island. Our aim is to bring the original and true Mediterranean flavors, directly from the local communities who keep their production knowledge for centuries. In this way we provide support and growth to rural communities, preserving tradition, contributing to the overall sustainabil-

ity philosophy of our products. The product is an original non processes sea salt flake, collected from the rocky shores of Mani, when after prolonged windy days the sun scorches the rocks, drying the natural puddles that keep the salt after the sea water evaporates. The elderly scratch this salt layers by hand and collect in this way the finest salt flakes that melt in contact with food. In our second variant we have combined the salt flakes with wild oregano from Taygetous mountain. The taste is stunning as the essential oils of wild oregano provide an unimpaired sensation of breeze, where aromatic “mountain air” combines with a natural sea salt sensation.

The idea of the gift box is not new to us. This is an elegant and simple gift box that provide the basic ingredients rotated around the idea of salad creation… Olive oil in a spray, Kalamata balsamic vinegar, Original Kalamata olives, Sustainable extra sweet Cherry tomatoes and natural sea salt flakes. An excellent gift that goes beyond salad creation as the simplicity and uniqueness of the ingredients provi des a platform for more elaborate recipes.

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>> Caramel subject becomes sticky In June this year campaigners wrote to the UK Department of Health calling for strict limits on levels of 4-MEI caramel coloring compound, used in drinks such as Coke and Pepsi, and in balsamic vinegars. This chemical is linked to cancer in mice, and has caused a fairly recent and controversial proposition from the State of California which as of January this year forces all the foods and beverages containing 4-MEI levels exceeding 29mcg to carry cancer warning labels.

The chemical levels in the soft drinks are not uniform across the world as the producing units obviously use similar but not identical ingredients globally.

There has been a lot of pressure on caramel suppliers to find alternative roots and deliver ingredients that do not pose the potential threat but at the same time do not impair with the taste of the final product.

The controversial element 4-MEI is accepted as safe by the EFSA ( European Food Safety Authority) who along with other industry members directly related to the wide use of this chemical such as

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the British soft Drinks Association, claim that the use of 4-MEI poses no health risks, at the level found in foods and drinks. Apparently, to get into the danger the mice got into the experiment, we would have to drink 2900 cans of cola daily for 71 years….

4-MEI is found in trace amounts in foods and beverages that have been commonly consumed for decades, including baked goods, coffee, breads, molasses, soy sauce, gravies and some beers. It also forms in foods, such as caramel, during the heating, roasting and cooking process. How much is then consumed by one from all these sources? And more importantly, is there a valid reason to burden our organism beyond the purely natural and random intake? For us the answer is simple – if you know it is harmful, avoid it as much as you can, bake your cake, caramelize your carrots, but don’t eat and drink things that use this additive hiding under the random assumption of safety due to low dosage, which most of the time is poorly or not at all substantiated by valid scientific research…….

>> Hi—tech tale…. The funky code hype QR codes are awesome. It may sound geeky but hey it is true… Clearly we’re not the only ones who think so, we can prove this by claiming the recent and explosive 1200% increase in the use of QR codes in North America.

QR codes are really cool because there is literally no end to how they can be used. It can be as creative as creating a scannable and edible waffle that leads to a specific URL, or as useful as appearing in campaign signs. It can even be used in architecture, as is being done in Dubai although we still don’t know if the final structure will actually be scannable….

QR codes have been put to use by the Vancouver Police in their efforts to catch sex offenders. They are placed on wanted posters linking to additional information about the criminal including composite sketches and a description of the offender.

Virtual subway Tesco Store as viewed on youtube.

The posters have been placed in restaurants and bars around Vancouver.

In Korea, Tesco has created virtual supermarkets using QR Codes. Virtual displays have been placed in subway stations where shoppers can scan the QR codes of products, and the item is automatically added to their shopping cart. The online purchase is then delivered to their home.

QR codes are slowly making their way it into pop culture. Los Angeles based Korean MC, Shin -b takes interaction to a new level with her latQR waffle read or eat me!! est music video where you can get all sorts of information about the artist… QR appear as a tool for hidden messages, in art, in restaurant menus, on DVD covers, product catalogues and more. There are endless uses to this creative – instant way of communication. Keep your eyes open and your mobile phone with you!

First QR eshibition

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>> Naturally confused….

"All natural claim has been dragging to court on weekly basis companies as well established as Ben& Jerry’s ice cream, Sun Chips, Snapple and dozen more, to justify the use of the word natural in court.

The question now is whether the term is worth it, or whether its popularity will slowly loose edge.

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leading manner. Usage on ingredient lists is not permitted with the exception of the phrase “natural flavorings”. In the EU the term is not clear, especially when additives and colorants come into the picture. The debate over what is and is not natural goes into all lengths and depths…. The recent debate about Stevia extract proves the difficulty to establish whether a product is natural or simply originates from a natural source…

So why use a claim that is not well defined, used by many and a source of potential court ordeal? Well the natural claim has gone main-stream and the very successful association of all natural and healthy eating agenda indicates that shoppers now equate “healthy” with “natural” and “minimally processed” Shelf withdrawal for very food. That is worth a lot to many… popular products, followed by court action, over the use of natural claims for products containing GM ingredients, proves that the claim itself needs further substantiation.

According to Mintel’s Global New products Database, about 13% of new food and beverage products launched in 2011 claimed to be “all natural” on the pack. But what does that mean? For sure natural is not related to GM ingredients, and if the Californian public passes their final vote against it, a legal precedent will act as a springboard on many cases.

FDA has not established a definition for the term “natural” but it has no objection to its use, provided it is not used in a mis-

>> How do consumers evaluate brands In the overall climate of recession, Greek and European producers of quality products aim to expand their distribution at international level. The perspective of international supply is attractive due to its diversity, size, and overall spread risk. There are inherent difficulties that are not easily explained to producers proud of their produce. Markets are demanding and have different tastes, marketing needs and expectations. It is not enough to have “the best product” to perform.

And even if it was, what does “the best” mean? Is it evaluated and supported by independent research or focus groups? In reality, shoppers vote at supermarkets every day on the "best brands" with their purchases. Product superiority statements achieve more credibility when validated by professional research . Here are some factors on which consumers base their evalueation.

1. Taste/Performance- based on the expectation of the con-

sumer based on his origin, cultural background and education.

2. Smell –is it attractive? Does it combine with the other food products we cook and buy?

3. Appearance— is the final product visible? Is it attractive in its original format?

4.Ingredients— consumers spend more time reading the labels, they are more educated and know what they want.

5. Health— healthy eating is a demanding controversial field, consumers demand healthy but don’t want to compromise on taste, smell and appearance.

6. Packaging—it has to be attractive, convenient and clear on the message it conveys.

7.Price/Value— perceived value has to be high, whether it is cost of premium you need to “sell” them a value benefit.

8. Presence— a combination factor, do you stand out of the crowd? Do you create a crowd of your products to stand out anyway?

9. Sustainability—more than a buzz, consumers care about the environment they live in and they feel good to contribute positively.

10. Competition—you should look at your brand as a buyer does—check yourself in a set of competing brands to decide on all the above.

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>> Three steps to a sustainable product portfolio Companies must create sustainable supply chains, encourage sustainable product use and work toward market transformation and the creation of new product lines, these are the three steps that according to an article published in Guardian Sustainable Business Section.

Consumers have to be involved in sustainable living, and this is the only way to keep ahead, driving the curve, instead of lagging always behind. But what are the true risks and challenges along with possible opportunities of sustainable living? The idea is well described in the next three steps.

The first step is to create a sustainable supply chain. The challenge is a sustainable product life cycle from sourcing materials through design, manufacture, distribution and sale is largely controlled by the companies as it directly relates to their production process..

The second step in a sustainable product portfolio is sustainable product use. This to a large extent means- how do consumers use the company's products. This is the step that companies do not fully control. To influence it they have to focus on sustainable behavior change.

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Sounds complicated ?

Well it is because you will not only sell products but preferred behavior an integral part of product lifecycle. A major chunk of the product's impact is around how customers use, re-use and dispose of products.

But there is a third step – a step that is full of opportunity, new revenue streams and innovation.

This step is about market transformation and the creation of sustainable new product lines. Businesses have to do more than just responding to consumer needs. They have to understand their lifestyles and predict/ create needs.

Identify the opportunity is one step to get ahead in the game, but if you are transforming a marketplace the marketing strategies also need to be transformed. Creating a product is not enough to create its sale. Sustainable products do not stand alone from sustainable marketing strategies. In today's world, sustainability is aligned to creating sustainable marketplaces. Real change has become a marketing imperative.

>>Producers of olive oil suffocated by low prices and high olive oil deposits.

Such implications have a multiple impact on the producers’ income, as they are struggling against the plunging of olive oil prices due to reduced consumption in Greece and Spain, and high olive oil reserves due to bumper crop in Spain during 2011.

Αccording to recent announcement there is an expectation of 50% reduction in the next oil production compared to that of 2011/12 in the province of Jaen in Andalusia which is the main oil producing in Spain, producing over 70% of its total production.

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Prices for extra virgin olive oil have dropped by 12 per cent year-on-year in Spain, five per cent in Greece and 38 per cent in Italy, data from the International Olive Council shows.

The EU has been forced to intervene to reduce the surplus by paying companies to stockpile oil. It is thought the move has regulated the level to which prices can drop, but this remains yet to be seen and verified by the market forces.

>>Greek olive oil crop 2012/13 Greece is the third largest olive oil producer in the world behind Spain and Italy. According to industry contacts, MY 2012/13 (November/ October) Greek olive oil production is forecast to remain steady if weather remains stable. Greece’s olive oil production capacity is estimated at 400000 MT per year. However, during the last three crop- years, Greece has registered a considerable drop in the annual production at around 30000 MT , due mainly to adverse weather.

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