The Cracker magazine, March 2009

The Cracker March 2010 v No. 1 The Official Voice of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation for the World Nut and Dried Fruit Trade

Beijing Set to Welcome INC Congress Innovation in World Nut Marketing India Poised to be World-Class Market

CONTENTS March 2010 Edition 49 INTERNATIONAL NUT AND DRIED FRUIT COUNCIL FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jack Mariani – Chairman Mariani Nut Company, USA Giles Hacking – Vice-Chairman CG Hacking & Sons Limited, UK Jordi Martí – Treasurer & General Secretary Borges SAU, Spain Asadollah Asgaroladi Hassas Export Co. Ltd., Iran Pino Calcagni V. Besana SPA, Italy Baljit Chadha Balcorp Limited, Canada Helmut Dankert Max Kiene GmbH, Germany Huo Jianguo China Chamber of Commerce, China Erdinç Kapkaç Aegean Exporters Association, Turkey Barry Kriebel Sun-Maid Growers of California, USA Mark Mariani Mariani Packing Company, USA Chris Nubern Kraft Foods, USA Antonio Pont – Honorary President Borges SAU, Spain Sabit Sabir Sabirlar Findik Ihracat Ltd. Sti., Turkey Berton Steir Paramount – Roll International Corp, USA Frank Vaerewijck Q.M. Frank Vaerewijck BVBA, Belgium Kees van de Sandt C. Van de Sandt BV, Netherlands Dick Walden The Green Valley Pecan Company, USA Michael Waring MWT Foods, Australia Douglas Youngdahl Blue Diamond Growers, USA Cuneyd Zapsu Balsu AS, Turkey Executive Committee Jack Mariani – Chairman Giles Hacking – Vice-Chairman Pino Calcagni Antonio Pont Douglas Youngdahl Cuneyd Zapsu Goretti Guasch – Executive Director Senators Hubert Berrebi, France John Cardassilaris, Greece Raul Gamon, France Chris Hacking, UK Walter F. Payne, USA Abbas Rafii, Luxembourg Don Soetaert, USA James Swink, USA Jack Taillie, Netherlands The Cracker Editorial Committee Jack Mariani – Chairman Susan Brauner, Editor Goretti Guasch, Advertising Sales Steve Wong, Designer

The Cracker

7 World News Discover which five nuts rank as one of major whole foods to watch in 2010; INC mourns the loss of its long-time friend and colleague, Dieter Fels of Germany; nuts in the Mediterranean Diet address myriad health challenges; US pistachio industry expands federal marketing order and more…

18 News From Our Secretariat INC sponsors Nuts and Heart Health Symposium in Barcelona where many research projects were discussed; more information about INCs collaboration with tree nut footprints; more news on the program in Beijing; and plans for a new publication for statistical data.

29 Beijing Beckons You! INC members and friends will gather in Beijing 21-23 May for a full program of statistical, technical, scientific and marketing updates on challenges and opportunities in 2010 and beyond. Learn what a country of 1 billion consumers means to your bottom line.

50 World Marketing Expands Nut Consumption US almond industry unveils plans from 2009 programs into 2010 for how to capture new consumers worldwide; US pistachio industry teams with chef, dieticians on thegreennut.org; Oregon hazelnut growers partner to offer a new milkshake; Walnut industry drives international consumers to want more walnuts!

67 Statistical Outlook March 2010 Global Statistical Review and midway point on tree nuts and dried fruit consumption rates.

84 India Loves Nuts!

A growing middle class makes India a prime target for increasing nut consumption; an inside look at walnut production and almond consumption poised for record increases.

88 News From Nutrition Research and Education Foundation Over 100 million readers learn something new about nuts last year; 30 research studies are unveiled with many more to come; and over 10 million readers learn more about the US health claim or nut research.

Legal Deposit: B-7497-1989 Permanent Secretariat of INC Goretti Guasch, Executive Director Calle Boule 2, 43201 Reus, Spain Tel: +34 977 331 416 Fax: +34 977 315 028 E-mail: inc@nutfruit.org Web: www.nutfruit.org The Cracker is published three times a year by the International Tree Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation (Fundacio Privada International Tree Nut CIF G-43738475). This magazine including all articles and illustrations, is copyright protected. Any utilization beyond the light limits set by the Copyright Act is subject to publisher’s approval.

Index INC Ambassadors........................................ 24 Advertisers................................................... 87 Nutrition Research......................................90

All trademarks, brand identities and graphic images shown in this publication are the property of their respective owners.

While the publishers believe that all information contained in this publication was correct at the time of going to press, they can accept no liability for any inaccuracies that may appear or loss suffered directly or indirectly by any reader as a result of any advertisement, editorial, photographs or other materials published in the Cracker.

March 2010 • The Cracker 3

Chairman’s Commentary Greetings from Winters, California!

By Jack Mariani, INC Chairman

A

s winter turns to spring in many parts of the producing world, another season is here when we can share various ideas about blossom results and tentative crop sets. Happily, most of us can report that demand for many of our products has been at record levels and consumption in emerging countries has led the way. This is despite a dismal world economy where jobs continue to be lost and GDP is less than desirable. Yes, our industry is indeed humbled by the steadfast resolve of our consumers to continue to buy our products!

On this note, we can look forward to celebrating our good fortune at the congress in Beijing this May, INCs first time ever to be hosted by a country in Asia where opportunities abound! This will provide our membership a first-ever opportunity to discover what is driving this all- important market of over 1 billion people.

In addition, you will have a first-hand opportunity to join us for pre and post tours where you can visit unique production areas and processing facilities of nuts and dried fruits. You can also join one of our cultural tours of famous historical spots, some of which are thousands of years old. Check our website for the latest information about the congress featured in this edition of The Cracker.

During the two days of meetings 21-23 May, our working groups will review traditional markets, as well as focus on new and emerging ones. Expert speakers will discuss modern ways of conducting business in China and take an inside look at non-traditional Chinese medicinal practices and culture. In some respects, the Chinese have a medical perspective that dates back to ancient knowledge and practices that could serve us well in this century.

Our annual Scientific Round Table during the congress will feature international experts who will discuss current and expected future challenges to our commodities. The International Dried Fruit Seminar will look at regulatory issues on contaminants, pesticides, and world markets. And for the first time this year, we will host an International Peanut Seminar to review the financial outlook, insurance policies, allergy litigation, health issues and other factors related to the industry.

Between visits to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and the Olympic venues, our spectacular evening events are set to provide not only the glamour of the Chinese culture but a chance to visit with old friends and make new acquaintances with people representing nearly 50 countries! It will be a Congress to record in your travel album! Be sure to remember to check with your local travel experts about whether a Visa is needed to enter China from your country.

Meanwhile, INC continues to invest in projects helpful to the tree nut and dried fruit industries. For example, our Scientific Committee is active in a save-the-forest project in Brazil on behalf of the Brazil nut industry. We are also in discussions with Chinese officials regarding the taste of Chinese Pine kernels, and we are leading the EU Mycored project for member companies to take part in a sampling plan video as part of INCs on- going cooperation with the EU. We participated at the Anuga exhibition with a booth and sponsored a symposium on Nuts and Cardiovascular Health as part of the II International Congress of Nutrition in early March in Barcelona, Spain.

Next month (April) you will be receiving our first Statistics Monitor Book, a comprehensive database of our commodities for easy, ready access to the latest statistical information. If you have other ideas about how to serve you and your customers best, please don’t hesitate to let us or your local INC Ambassador know (check the list of Ambassadors in every issue of The Cracker)---we’re here to help you increase consumption of our products!

Best wishes for a successful season and we hope to see you in May in Beijing!

Jack Mariani Chairman, INC C

4 The Cracker • March 2010

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WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS Life Expectancy in U.S. Hits New High Average life expectancy in the United States has reached almost 78 years, a record high. From birth in 2007, women can expect to live to 80.4 years on average and men to 75.3 years, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But even though Americans can expect to live longer than their parents, life expectancy in the United States is still lower than in many other industrialized countries, including Canada and Japan.

Along with increased life expectancy, the report notes the death rate has dropped to an all-time low of 760.3 deaths per 100,000 people, continuing a long-term trend.

“The risk of dying has dropped to a record low level, and life expectancy has reached a record high,” said report co-author Arialdi M. Minino, a statistician at the CDC’s Center for Health Statistics, Division of Vital Statistics. “Ever since the 1960s, the death rate has been decreasing in the United States,” he said. Fewer deaths from heart disease, stroke and cancer are driving the trend, he said.

The report is based on data from nearly 90 percent of U.S. death certificates.

According to the report, life expectancy in 2007 increased to 77.9 years -- or 77 years and 11 months -- up from 77.7 years in 2006. Since 2000, life expectancy has increased 1.4 years.

The five leading causes of death, accounting for 64 percent of all deaths, are heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases and accidents.

Other findings include: v Death rates in the United States vary by region and state, with the Southeast leading the nation. West Virginia’s death rate is 25 percent higher than average, while Hawaii has the lowest death rate. v White women have the longest life expectancy (80.7 years) followed by black women (77 years). v At age 65, life expectancy was 18.6 years in 2007, an increase of 6 percent since 2000. v Since 1989, the gap in life expectancy between whites and blacks has dropped 35 percent, to 4.6 years.

Economy Still Good for Chocolate While the final numbers for 2009 aren’t in yet, Mintel reports that chocolate sales continued to be strong in the U.S. and worldwide. Even countries not known for candy-bar cravings, including India, China and the Ukraine, made major gains.

In the U.S, people are about evenly divided in their preference for either milk or dark chocolate. In the U.S., Americans purchased 2.6% more chocolate than in 2008. And even as the takeover saga between Kraft and Cadbury Schweppes continues, U.K. chocolate lovers bought 5.9% more chocolate this year. In China, chocolate confectionery sales rose 18%, and in the Ukraine, 12%. Argentineans ate 1.8% more, and in Belgium, which claims it produces some of the world’s finest, sales gained by 3.2%.

On a dollar basis, the Swiss still win -- spending the equivalent of $206 per person each year -- followed by the Brits at $106, and Belgians at $90. Americans spend about $55 per year.

In Memoriam Dieter Fels March 11, 1929 - January 13, 2010 Dieter Fels, Nut Consultant & Public Relations, Hamburg, Germany, passed away last January at the age of 80. Fels, a respected INC Senator, was a colleague and friend in the nut and dried fruit world. He was a member of the INC since 1984, dedicating his energy and perseverance to his work. He served on the INC Board of Directors from 1984 until 1991 when he became INC Senator.

He co-chaired the V World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress held in Hamburg, Germany, 1985, and attended a total of 20 INC Congresses.

He started in the dried fruit business in 1949 when he was 19, as commercial assistant to the dried fruit company Aichmann & Huber in Hamburg where he became purchase and sales expert and undertook numerous business trips. In 1953 he moved to Bari to work for Ladisa (dried fruits). He then moved to Rome to work for Hausmann (dried fruits). In 1957 the company FRÜCO (Früchtehandels Compagnie, Hamburg) convinced him to go back to Germany. He worked in Munich and was responsible for imports of fruits and vegetables from Italy. In 1958 he married Barbara Krefft and had two daughters, Ute and Ulrike. In 1960 he moved to Hamburg to work for the international fruit trade (Internut).

Since the late 1970s, he specialized in the nut business and developed contacts and connections worldwide: in North and Southern America (California, Florida, Virginia, Chile, Brazil), as well as China, and Europe (Italy, Spain), and Turkey.

March 2010 • The Cracker 7

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS Five Nuts to Watch in 2010 Nuts of all types have had their ups and downs as far as the American diet is concerned. They lost ground in low-fat diets of the past millennium, their carbohydrates were scorned by the Atkins diet and nuts were further scarred by the Peanut Corp. of America salmonella contamination early this year.

But they keep bouncing back. Why? Because nuts are excellent sources of protein, minerals, monounsaturated fats and other nutrients, and they’re good for the heart.

And consumers increasingly are getting those messages.

Nuts in 2003 received the FDA’s first qualified health claim for a food: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.” The FDA announcement was in response to a petition from the International Tree Nut Council’s (INC) Nutrition Research & Education Foundation.

“More than 30 studies have shown that including nuts in the diet can reduce the risk of heart disease regardless of the individual nut studied,” said Guy Johnson, at the time nutrition consultant to INC and author of the INC health claim petition.

In addition to being good sources of unsaturated fats, which have been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels, most nuts contain a variety of other potential cardioprotective components such as vitamin E, selenium, magnesium, copper, potassium, betasitosterol and omega-3 fatty acids.

Almonds: Just a quarter cup of almonds contains nearly 25 percent of the recommended dailyvalue of magnesium, plus significant amounts of potassium, manganese, copper, the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium, and calcium. In fact, a quarter cup of almonds has almost as much calcium as a quarter cup of milk. They also make for a healthy colon. A study found that animals (which were exposed to a colon-cancer-causing agent) given whole almonds had fewer signs of colon cancer than animals given almond oil or no almonds. Researchers suspect the benefit may be due to almonds’ high fiber content. And because 70 percent of the fat they contain is the healthy monounsaturated variety, they are believed to believed to lower cholesterol.

Walnuts: Full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found to protect the heart, walnuts may promote better cognitive function and provide antiinflammatory benefits for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema and psoriasis. And their antioxidant compound ellagic acid is known to fight cancer and support the immune system.

Cashews: Not just bar or party food, cashews are gaining formulation respect because they are lower in fat than most nuts, and 65 percent of this fat is unsaturated fatty acids. Of this, 90 percent is oleic acid, the heart-healthy fat found in olive oil.

They’re also good sources of copper, magnesium, zinc, iron and biotin.

Pecans: Another nut with significant proof that it lowers cholesterol. Clinical research studies evaluating the impact of pecans on serum cholesterol have found pecans can significantly help lower blood cholesterol when consumed as part of a heart-healthy diet, according to the National Pecan Shellers Assn. They also an excellent source of 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamins E and A, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, several B vitamins and zinc.

Macadamia Nuts: While having some of the highest levels of calories (200 per serving) and total fat (22g), they’re also the highest in monounsaturated fat.

Macadamias are high in protein, fiber, potassium and magnesium.

8 The Cracker • March 2010

Vitamin E Selenium Magnesium Copper Potassium Betasitosterol and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Australian Macadamias

Short macadamia crop drives strong demand

T

The 2009 Australian macadamia crop yielded 37,500 MT nut in shell (NIS) or 10,500 MT kernel equivalent according to figures provided by the Australian Macadamia Society and based on information provided by handlers that account for some 90% of production. The AMS revised the original 47,600 tonnes forecast downwards due to severe and prolonged adverse weather conditions around harvest.

This second short crop in a row means a continuing tight market and is disappointing in light of the significant new plantings that have taken place over the last decade. These new trees

should be coming into commercial production over the next five years and be reflected in future crop figures.

Unusual severe weather accounts for some of the shortfall between predictions and actual figures and further industry analysis is being conducted on other associated factors.

With predicted long term growth the Australian Macadamia industry continues to invest in market development activities that support the growth in consumption of macadamias nuts in Japan, Europe, USA and Australia in retail and food ingredient applications. The industry also invests in

research programs in Australia to ensure our growers lead the world in growing the best macadamias in the original home of the macadamia where nature intended them to grow.

For more information about Australian Macadamias visit: Australian Macadamia Society Ltd Suite 1/113 Dawson Street LISMORE NSW 2480 Ph: +61 2 6622 4933 Fax: +61 2 6622 4932 www.macadamias.org

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS 2009 Australian Nut Industry Council Conference

Speakers at the ANIC 2009 Conference included: At back - Michael Waring (MWT Foods), Chris Joyce (HMAC), Jolyon Burnet (AMS), Ulash Turkhan (Turkhan Nuts), Chris Devine (Priestley’s Gournet Delights). Front - Brenton Woolston (ANIC Chairman), Julie Haslett (ABA), Carolyn Lange (PepsiCo, Smiths Snack foods), Linda Tapsell (University of Wollongong), Jack Mariani (INC) and Lisa Yates (Nuts for Life) Over 130 delegates attended the Australian Nut Industry Council Conference (ANIC), held at the Langham Hotel in Melbourne last August. Presentations on nut topics ranged from the role of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation, presented by its Chair Jack Mariani, to industry production and market data presented by almond and macadamia industry leaders. INC was the Silver Sponsor of this conference aimed at highlighting key areas affecting Australia’s nut industry, including trade, statistics, health and nutrition.

Speakers from the nut manufacturing sector endorsed the popularity of nuts from a market perspective sharing their enthusiasm about positive consumer trends for nut products. The conference proceedings concluded with presentations on the nutritional benefits of nuts, and the process involved in achieving nut product labeling that promotes positive health news.

According to ANIC, Australian nut production is expected to more than double by 2012 and world demand for tree nuts is growing at about 4 percent a year, well above population growth. In addition, Australian consumption for tree nuts has increased by 50 percent in dollar terms and 39 percent by volume over the past five years.

Not surprisingly, speakers presenting on nut marketing emphasized the importance of both exporters and importers to the future of the Australian nut industry.

10 The Cracker • March 2010

Pistachio Industry Referendum to Expand Federal Marketing Order Passes by Wide Margin The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the results last Fall of a producer referendum to amend the Federal Marketing Order regulating pistachios grown in California. Several amendments were proposed by the Administrative Committee for Pistachios (ACP), which is responsible for local administration of the Order.

The Western Pistachio Association (WPA) has worked with the ACP and other industry entities to expand the current Order to other states outside California that produce pistachios. Brian Blackwell, WPA Governmental Affairs Chair, stated he is very pleased the referendum passed.

“This enables the entire U.S. pistachio industry to move forward collectively and tackle issues that the industry was not able to address previously. The entire industry should be applauded for its support of a program that will accomplish a number of key industry issues, such as food safety, quality regulations and needed research projects.”

All of the amendments passed by at least 94 percent of the producers voting, and by at least 96 percent of the volume represented in the referendum. For the amendments to pass, at least two-thirds of the producers voting in the referendum or producers representing two-thirds of the volume of pistachios voted in the referendum, needed to vote in favor of the amendments.

When implemented, these amendments will: • Expand the production area covered under the Order to include Arizona and New Mexico; • Authorize the ACP to reimburse handlers for a portion of their inspection and certification costs in certain situations; • Authorize the ACP to recommend research projects; • Modify existing Order authorities concerning aflatoxin and quality regulations; • Modify the authority for interhandler transfers of Order obligations; and • Implement other related and administrative changes.

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS Cashew Conference in Vietnam

The Vietnam Cashew Association recently hosted a cashew conference at the largest cashew processing factory in Binh Phuoc Province, 130 kms northwest of HCM City. INC looks forward to welcoming members of the Association to its family!

Microwave Meter for Peanut Testing Quicker and easier analysis of the moisture content and density of in-shell peanuts are benefits claimed for a new microwave meter developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The new equipment will “instantaneously” determine these “important quality indicators” for peanut processors and producers, said the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The microwave meter also measures density and moisture independently, which cuts out the need for an extra testing step. The apparatus is an enhancement of previous technology from the unit that used radio frequencies to gauge moisture content.

The moisture content of peanut kernels, which must be less than 10.5 per cent, is the most important factor in determining quality.

Moisture levels topping this can lead to the growth of fungi that produce aflatoxins, said an ARS statement. The new equipment means peanut graders can find peanut kernel moisture content with a standard error of around 0.5 per cent. “The method is rapid, nondestructive and eliminates the need for shelling the peanut pods”, said Samir Trabelsi and Stuart O. Nelson, who developed the kit at the ARS’s headquarters in Athens, Georgia.

The new process sees in-shell peanuts loaded directly into the microwave meter’s sample holder, after which an antenna transmits low-intensity microwaves into the pods. The microwaves, which travel through the nuts, are received by a second antenna directly opposite.

The pod’s moisture content and bulk density are revealed by a computer that measures alterations in the energy level and speed of the waves as they pass through the peanuts. For moisture content, the new technique also eliminates the need for multiple calibrations and compensates for density and temperature, said the ARS. The meter has been granted a provisional patent and is currently being tested at five peanut stations in the US southern states.

Green Valley Pecan Earns British Retail Consortium (BRC) Certification The Green Valley Pecan Company recently earned the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Certification, reflecting its dedication to provide safe and high-quality pecan products. The BRC Certification is a global standard used to assess food manufacturers and is one of the world’s most prestigious certifications for food safety For more information on practices.

Green Valley Pecans please The Green Valley Pecan Company was evaluated on contact your representative: the receiving, storage, processing and packing of pecan nuts at its facility in Sahuarita, Ariz. All requirements for Keith Roberts this global standard for Partnership food safety were met, making it Kingdom the only pecan companyUnited in the world to hold this level Telephone: 44-1702-589958 of certification. The certification was made official on Fax: 44-1702-587075 Sept. 23, 2009.

Gemperli Zurich, Dick Walden, President of Switzerland the Green Valley Pecan Telephone: Company, said, “The BRC certification is the41-136-19676 benchmark Fax: 41-136-14511 for best practices in theJas food industry and a tremendous Trading The Netherlands honor. This truly validates the dedication of all 250 31-20-643-6412 employees in the Green ValleyTelephone: Pecan Company.

Our Fax: 31-20-643-2127 Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Bruce Caris, Max Kiene deserves special recognition as he guided us through this Germany Telephone: 49-40-309-6550 three-year process.”

Fax: 49-40-309-65520 BRC, based in the United Kingdom, developed the Quality Marketing standards in 1998 to assist retailers and owners to Belgium produce quality food products Telephone: that are consistently 32-3-711-0895 Fax: 32-3-711-0879 safe. The Certification is now considered significant for Voice Vale suppliers not just in Europe but also North America. The France, S.A.R.L. standard is divided into seven Telephone: areas: Senior 33-140502-480 Management Commitment and Continual Improvement; The Food Fax: 33-140502-488 Tanto Corporation Safety Plan; Food Safety and Quality Management Japan System; Site Standards; Product Control; Process Telephone: 81-3-4360-5336 Control; and Personnel. Additional on Fax: information 81-3-4360-5794 Palm Tradingcan be found at www.

BRC and standard requirements brcglobalstandards.com.Denmark Telephone: 45-45-82-1610 The Green Valley Pecan Company is the world’s Fax: 45-45-82-1613 largest grower and processor of quality pecans. Family owned and operated since 1937, the company has 7,000 Telephone: 520-791-2852 acres of orchards in Arizona and Georgia with a modern Fax: 520-791-2853 on-site processing and storage plant in Sahuarita, Ariz.

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12 The Cracker • March 2010 GVPC00209 One Third Ad.indd 1

1/11/10 3:35 PM

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS National Pecan Shellers Association Elects New Officers and Board Members

The New Pragmatic Green Consumer

Helen Watts of Young Pecan Shelling Co. Elected Chair ATLANTA – The National Pecan Shellers Association elected Helen Watts of Young Pecan Shelling Co. to serve as Chair of the Board.

The election took place during the NPSA Annual Meeting held last September in Chicago, IL. Also elected were: Vice Chair Marty Harrell of Harrell Nut Co.,; Secretary Jerry Dowdy of Atwell Pecan Co.; and Treasurer Terri Schuck of Terri Lynn, Inc. Jasper Sanfilippo, Jr. of John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. rounds out the new slate of Officers as Immediate Past Chair of the Board.

Watts, Harrell, Dowdy, Schuck and Sanfilippo will all serve two-year terms on the Executive Committee.

NPSA also reelected three members and elected another to serve on the Board of Directors.

Steve Bergeron of H.J. Bergeron Pecan Shelling Plant, Inc., Bruce Caris of The Green Valley Pecan Company and Bob Whaley of Whaley Pecan Co. were reelected to new two-year terms. Jeff Worn of South Georgia Pecan Company was also elected to a two-year term. Worn and Whaley will represent the Southeastern region of the United States while Bergeron and Caris will represent the Southwest. Rotating off the Board is Jim Worn of South Georgia Pecan Co. The National Pecan Shellers Association is an international trade association dedicated to preserving, representing and promoting the interests of the pecan industry – in a strong, unified voice – to government, media, food industry, health professionals and consumers.

Marketers have heard a lot in the last year about the ways green consumers have scaled back to accommodate tough economic times, but a new study suggests it would be a big mistake to interpret reduced sales as reduced interest.

According to new research from GfK Roper Consulting, there’s been little change in their commitment to the environment -- just a big shift in how they approach it, replacing idealism with hard-boiled pragmatism.

“Consumer commitment to green living is very stable,” Tim Kenyon, senior analyst for GfK’s consumer trends division. “But if products are too expensive, they will find other ways to express that commitment. They may buy fewer green products, but they’ll do things like cut their energy costs or reduce consumption.”

The study finds that 60% of people now believe green products are too costly, a 6-point increase from 2006.

The recession has ushered many of these consumers from environmental altruism to a more practical approach, he says, with green purchases more likely to be driven by the desire to save money, be healthier, or get more value. They’re also measuring the worth of their time differently, with 28% saying they are “too busy” to do what it takes to be green.

For marketers, that means it’s essential to focus on green innovations that consumers will regard as both easy and affordable. And while the report also finds that environmental awareness is becoming more mainstream, there is also a growing cynicism about marketers in general.

And although shoppers are expressing a greater interest in environmental purchases, especially in the CPG category, “consumers are more conscious of picking and choosing, and beginning to make trade-offs.

That’s true on larger purchases as well, like replacing a roof or re-carpeting the home. And that may be the beginning of the next stage of eco-consciousness -- when people begin to think long and hard about the cost and environmental benefits of one solution versus another, and even consider less consumption, overall, as an environmental option.”

FTC: Health Claims Need Back-Up The Federal Trade Commission is keeping a close eye on nutritional claims made by major food marketers, said Leonard Gordon, director of the northeast regional office of the Federal Trade Commission. “More and more products — food products — are making health claims and I think you’re going to see more enforcement there,” said Gordon. “As companies make more and more claims, they’re going to need to have some science behind those or there are going to be some problems.”

Gordon provided as example a case where Kellogg touted a breakfast of Frosted Mini-Wheats as “clinically shown to improve kids’ attentiveness by nearly 20 percent.” An FTC complaint alleged that according to Kellogg’s clinical study the claims were false, and only about half the children who ate Frosted Mini-Wheats showed any improvement in attentiveness, and only about one in nine improved by 20 percent or more. In August, Kellogg settled with the FTC. Since the appointments of Chairman Jon Leibowitz and Bureau of Consumer Protection director David Vladek, the BCP has become more focused on protecting kids, privacy issues, scams that prey on those in poverty and partnerships, according to Gordon.

Marketers can expect to see more joint enforcement between the FTC and the Food and Drug Administration, for instance, he said.

Cases of deceptive “green” marketing are also on its radar.

14 The Cracker • March 2010

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WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS Cash Number One Barrier to Innovation More than one in two food and beverage businesses cite cash as the number one barrier to innovation, finds a survey of decision-makers.

Operating in a tough economic context, financing innovation is the key challenge to new product design for 55 per cent of the 355 global food and beverage firms surveyed for SIAL’s first ‘Barometer Innovation’ study. This challenge weighs against food businesses overwhelming belief that they must innovate today to generate fresh revenue, differentiate and add value.

“Ninety-eight per cent of food and beverage firms believe a company is more successful when it innovates,” claims the Sial report, with 94 per cent of companies questioned – producers, processers and retailers claiming now is the moment to do so.

Their sentiment supports the notion that investment in innovation is crucial to boost margins and beat a challenging economy. And innovation, it seems, is more accessible for some than others. Once a marginal player, since the economic downturn private label has emerged as a major innovative player competing with the brands. In France, for example, while private label injected about 8 per cent of new products onto the marketplace in France several years ago, today this figure stands at 23 per cent.

While cash is the key concern for food firms looking to invest in innovation, a lack of people on the ground rates as the second biggest challenge for businesses in Sial’s survey.

According to the Barometer data, 36 per cent of respondents cited a shortage of human resources as putting a break on innovation.

In third place are technical and technological difficulties, that challenge innovation for 35 per cent of decision-makers questioned in the survey that occured from 10 to 18 september this year.

SIAL’s figures underline the value of exports to food businesses: they found that a considerable 83 per cent of innovations in 2009 were launched onto the international market. Further, in the coming year, 67 per cent of respondents intend to launch their innovations onto the international market . According to the SIAL data, 30 per cent of the annual turnover for the food and drink firms questioned currently hail from exports.

Health and sustainability hold the biggest potential for gains, predict the decision-makers. “For the next five years, industrialists count on developing their sustainability axis as well as new technologies or processes that will allow them to reduce costs,” states the report.

In terms of partnerships in innovation, for nearly a third of respondents - 31 per cent - those between other food makers are the most efficient. In second place (21 per cent) are retail partnerships and finally, for 20 per cent of the survey respondents, link-ups between universities and research institutes.

16 The Cracker • March 2010

France Defines GMO-Free Labelling Threshold The French government’s advisory council on biotechnology has outlined rules for a voluntary GMOfree labelling system in a new report.

Currently, there is no European regulation on what constitutes GMO-free, although products that contain more than 0.9 per cent genetically modified ingredients must indicate GM content. However this does not apply to meat and dairy products, with no requirement that a distinction be made between those that come from animals fed GM or non-GM feed.

The recommendations from the Haut Conseil des Biotechnologies, which are expected to become law in the second half of 2010, include a 0.1 per cent threshold for genetically modified material in plant products and animal feed, and propose that public authorities should set a minimum distance between apiaries and fields where GM crops are grown. Labels could then designate plant products as ‘GMO-free’, animal products as ‘fed on GMO-free feed’ or ‘derived from animals fed without GM feed’, and honey as ‘biotech-free’.

The council said that setting “technically achievable and socially acceptable” thresholds would benefit food manufacturers and producers that take steps to avoid GM ingredients by distinguishing them on the market, while giving consumers the information necessary to choose GMO-free products. The labelling was proposed in response to the difficulties raised through the coexistence of GMO-free, conventional and organic production, the report said.

Commenting on the report, the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service said: “A number of French food companies (for example, companies producing high-quality free-range chickens) are likely to welcome such a regulation with a 0.1 percent threshold, which would allow them to publicize their efforts towards biotech-free products, make it a marketing tool, and thus justifying the higher than average prices of their products.”

French authorities have previously required a threshold of 0.01 per cent for GM material, meaning that labelling was not technically feasible. The council has also suggested an intermediate label for those products in the “grey area” that contain between 0.1 per cent and 0.9 per cent GM ingredients during a phasein period of five years, and it has invited comments to determine how such a label could best be worded to avoid consumer confusion.

18 The Cracker • March 2010

March 2010 • The Cracker 19

International NUT AND DRIED FRUIT Foundation

www.nutfruit.org

RECIPES > Starters

Peanut-coated prawns with Brazil nut sauce Ingredients:

Prawns: 12 raw king prawn tails 200 g fried or roasted peanuts 1 egg olive oil

Sauce: the prawn heads 100 cc olive oil 25 g Brazil nuts

Preparation: Prawns: chop the peanuts fairly finely. Beat the egg and dip the prawn tails in it, roll them in the chopped peanuts, then repeat once again. Fry in plenty of hot oil for a few minutes. When they have turned golden, serve with the sauce. Sauce: cover the prawn heads with oil and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, then strain. Brown the nuts in a frying pan with a splash of oil, stirring constantly, then chop them roughly and mix into the prawn oil.

INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Foundation · Calle Boule 2 · 43201 REUS (Spain) · Tel.: +34 977 331 416 · Fax: +34 977 315 028 · inc@nutfruit.org

BRAZIL NUTS A handful of Brazil nuts gives you all the selenium you need per day

Nutrients in 100 gr of Brazil Nuts Energy Proteins Cholesterol

656 14.32 0

kcal

1917

mcg

g

Selenium Phosphorus

725

mg

mg

Magnesium

376

mg

3

mg

659

mg

Saturated fat

15.14

g

Sodium

Monounsaturated fat

24.55

g

Potassium

Polyunsaturated fat

20.58

g

Vitamin A

0

Carbohydrates

12.27

g

Vitamin E

5.73

mg

7.5

g

Vitamin B6

0.1

mg

Fibers

IU

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22 (2009) IU = International Units

B R A ntioxidants Z I se L enium N U T S

PEANUTS Peanut protein and bioactives may help reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases

Nutrients in 100 gr of Peanuts Energy Proteins Cholesterol Saturated fat

585 23.68 0

kcal

Selenium

7.5

mcg

g

Phosphorus

358

mg

mg

Magnesium

176

mg

6.89

g

Sodium

6

mg

Monounsaturated fat

24.64

g

Potassium

658

mg

Polyunsaturated fat

15.69

g

Vitamin A

0

IU

Carbohydrates

21.51

g

Vitamin E

6.93

mg

8

g

Vitamin B6

0.26

mg

Fibers

P E pl A nt proteins N U folaT e S

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22 (2009) IU = International Units

recipes_darrera v2.indd 3

20 The Cracker • March 2010

19/01/10 11:45

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR A SAMPLE TO BE TESTED, PLEASE CONTACT:

Please visit our website at http:www.satake-usa.com email: vision@satake-usa.com

USA, Latin America Satake USA Inc. 10905 Cash Road Stafford, TX 77477 Tel: 281-276-3600 Fax: 281-494-1460

USA West Coast Satake USA Inc.

3416 Oakdale Road Modesto, CA 95355 Tel: 209-551-3203 Fax: 209-551-0841

Europe, Africa, The Middle East

Asia

ESM (UK) Ltd. P.O. Box 47, Horsfield Way Stockport, Cheshire SK6 2FN(England) Tel: (44) 161-406-3888 Fax: (44) 161-406-3889

Satake Corporation 2-30 Saijo Nishihonmachi Higashi-Hiroshima Japan 739-8602 Tel: +81-824-20-8539 Fax +81-824-20-0865

September 2005 • the CraCker

65

22 The Cracker • March 2010

LOOKING FOR NUTS OR EXOTIC FRUITS? CATZ!

Catz International... Your reliable partner for the next 150 years A long time before globalization became a buzz word, Catz was already a true global player. Building on the foundation of 150 years experience, we bring commodities and ingredients from all parts of the world to our buyers, spread all over the

BLAKEBURG BUILDING Blaak 22, Rotterdam P.O. Box 180 3000 AD Rotterdam Phone: +31-(0)10-4113440 info@catz.nl www.catz.nl

globe. Our mission is simple: ‘Catz is bridging your needs’ by guaranteeing contractual performance , the best quality of our products, financing, storing and distributing of goods. We invite you to visit: www.catz.nl

For more information: www.catz.nl

NEWS FROM THE INC SECRETARIAT

To all INC members, advertisers and subscribers: The next publication schedule for Cracker Magazine in 2010 will be July 2010 v November 2010 Detailed information will be sent and posted on our website: www.nutfruit.org INC AMBASSADORS As an INC member, you have immediate international access to recognized leaders in the industry who volunteer their time and expertise at no expense to INC on matters which benefit the entire industry.

Oscar Vergara, Argentina

Asadollah Asgaroladi, Iran

Ruslan Sokht, Russia

Michael Waring, Australia

Mehrdad M anouchehri, Iran

A ntonio Pont, Jr., Spain

Frank Vaerewijck, Belgium

Remy Berrebi, Israel

Caroline Lindeberg, Sweden

James Beeny, Brazil

Riccardo Calcagni, Italy

Mohsen Boujbel, Tunisia

Stephen Meltzer, Canada

K azuo Julian Tagawa, Japan

Sezmen Alper, Turkey

Siegfried Von Gehr, Chile

Pius M. Ngugi, Kenya

Bilge A nbarlilar, Turkey

Chen Ying, China

Sarkis Hasserjian, Lebanon

Sabit Sabir, Turkey

Saifuddin Abidali, Egypt

Parissa R afii, Luxembourg

Jafar Moallem, U.A.E.

Hubert Berrebi, France

K arim A zzaoui, Morocco

Roby Danon, U.K.

Dieter Scheuer, Germany

Khalid Bennani, Morocco

Thomas Finn, U.S.A.

John Cardassilaris, Greece

Kees van de Sandt, Netherlands

Stephen Sousa, U.S.A.

Cheng Hung K ay, Hong Kong

Erik Harlem, Norway

Dick Walden, U.S.A.

K รกroly Bognar, Hungary

Jorge Carqueja, Portugal

James Warner, U.S.A.

Pratap Nair, India

Kourosh Mojibian, Russia

24 The Cracker โ ข March 2010

Fig. 1. At Borges, we know that no two almonds are the same.

3 mm.

53 mm.

21,5 mm.

61 mm.

ø

54,3 mm.

2,4 mm.

21,5 mm.

42 mm.

ø

42,6 mm.

- Shelled nut weight: 1 to 2 grams.

- Nut weight with shell: 5 to 8 grams.

Weight, diameter, length, thickness, packaging, price … At Borges we seek and select the best option for your Company's needs, taking into account a whole range of criteria. We are backed by 40 years' experience exporting almonds to over 60 countries. Our processes are endorsed by the leading certificates (HACCP, ISO 9002 and ISO 14001). If what you're looking for is expertise and specialisation, if you need an immediate answer to year-round demand with the best value for money, if you're seeking cooperation throughout the whole process, trust in Borges.

BORGES, S.A. - Flix, 29 - 43205 REUS, Spain.

Tel. No. +34 977 30 90 00- info@borges.es - www.borges.es

Why So Ma

By J. Michael Hurley, Lab Director,DFA of California American Council for Food Safety & Quality

With ever increasing media coverage of food safety recalls,

it’s no surprise consumers are beginning to doubt the U.S. food industry. Recent outbreaks in the hazelnut, pistachio and peanut industries generate question with consumers like “Do food plants even care about sanitation?” and “If we have the safest food in the world, why are there so many outbreaks?” Even with questions like these, the good news is that there is light at the end of the recall tunnel.

Thanks to new technologies and in-depth research from scientists, food safety continues to improve. Dr. Linda Harris with the University of California Davis has been studying Salmonella in various commodities for more than a decade. She is currently Associate Director of Research at the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS). Thanks to Dr. Harris’s research, six major misconceptions of Salmonella have been corrected.

Myth 1 Salmonella cannot survive at cold temperature.

Truth Although the Salmonella pathogen is not actively growing in cold temperatures, it can remain alive in a suspended state, waiting for conditions to change. Once the conditions become favorable, bacteria will begin to grow. This suspended state can possibly last for years.

Myth 2 Salmonella needs high water activity to live.

Truth Water activity is a measurement of the amount of moisture required for microorganisms to grow. The dryer the product, the lower the water activity. Like Salmonella at cold temperatures, these pathogens are not actively growing; they are waiting for environmental changes. Depending upon the conditions, Salmonella can linger for long periods of time. Once moisture is added, they will begin to multiple Myth 3 It takes a large dose of Salmonella to make you ill.

Truth Out of all the misconceptions regarding Salmonella, this is possibly the most dangerous. Even very low cell counts can make you ill.

26 The Cracker • March 2010

Myth 4 Salmonella always comes from recent animal/fecal contamination.

Truth Salmonella can linger in food production and processing environments for long periods of time. Many organisms including Salmonella have been associated with daycare facilities according to the CDC. Because of poor hand washing practices, microorganisms can easily be passed from child to child during play.

Myth 5 Salmonella is easy to kill with heat.

Truth The amount of heat and the type of heat are major factors in eliminating Salmonella, but regardless, Salmonella is more tolerant to heat when it is on a dry product and in a suspended state. The amount of moisture, temperature, and time are all factors that need to be considered with pasteurization processes. Overall, steam pasteurization is more efficient in killing pathogens than dry heat.

ny Recalls?

“Another reason we’ve been seeing an increase in food recalls and outbreaks can be directly related to an increase in food system technologies. A laboratory program called PulseNet was developed in 1996 using a new technique known as Pulse-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE).”

Disease Active Surveillance Network (FOODNET). FOODNET is a Myth 6 Sanitizers alone will be enough to kill bacterial pathogens. collaborative project of 10 state public health laboratories, USDA, FDA and CDC. If one of these 10 laboratories confirms foodborne Truth pathogenic bacteria in a stool sample, they inform the other agencies If food processing equipment is not cleaned first (prior to immediately. FDA and USDA also communicate with CDC regarding sanitizing), bacteria may survive. Strong sanitizers like chlorine any foodborne illnesses or positive samples in their routine testing. can be tied up in food residues, which may limit its effectiveness.

When a number of people becoming ill from the same pathogen, However, care must be taken when introducing water into a dry processing facility as any residual moisture may allow Salmonella to CDC investigates the situation and begins to look for a common source. FoodNet has emerged as a powerful tool to watch for trends grow. and patterns in foodborne illness.

Another reason we’ve been seeing an increase in food recalls Any food safety expert will tell you that the biggest challenge to and outbreaks can be directly related to an increase in food a food safety recall or outbreak is tying the pathogen to an isolated system technologies. A laboratory program called PulseNet was incident. In this case, two new changes in food safety procedures – communication and technology – may be the answer to developed in 1996 using a new technique known as Pulse-Field Gel why we have seen an increase in recalls in the Electrophoresis (PFGE). This technology allowed labs to confirm that the Salmonella outbreak in Denver was the same bacteria last decade. strain that caused an outbreak in Seattle. Even though there are

Close to a dozen years ago, thousands of strains of Salmonella, PulseNet looks at the genetic the Center for Disease Control makeup of the pathogenic bacteria and the electrophoresis technique (CDC) and Association for Public Health Laboratories confirms the exact strain. These results are then digitized and shared electronically across the country. This has now grown to PulseNet (APHL) met and International which includes partners around the world. decided to begin What’s impressive about this technology is that its technique sharing data with is not limited to Salmonella, but can be used on all food bacteria each other. This collaboration led pathogens. These analyses are conducted in field labs across the to the Foodborne country, and the decentralized analyses helps to not tie up CDC labs.

CDC epidemiologists evaluate the data which can quickly make the connection between isolated pockets of illnesses. Because pathogens are known to survive for long periods of time (sometimes more than a year), their information is stored in a database and can later be identified and linked to a new source. The CDC manages the electrophoresis data and keeps other agencies aware of positive hits.

PulseNet’s value was dramatically illustrated during a recent peanut butter outbreak in the U.S. Because of the wide distribution and use of peanut butter, the outbreak occurred not only over an extended period of time, but across many states. In the past, this outbreak would not likely have been found, but with the implementation of the PulseNet and increased communications across agencies, the source was identified.

Even as we learn of more food recalls and outbreaks, remember that food processors work hard each and every day to provide the highest quality and safest food possible. As the old saying goes, “Knowledge is Power” and in this case, knowledge means a brighter, safer future for the U.S. Food Industry.

March 2010 • The Cracker 27

26 The Cracker • September 2009

The Possibilities of the Nut and Dried Fruit Industry in the Asian Market XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress

B y G o r e t t i G u a s c h , I N C E x e c u t i v e D i rector

Nuts continue to be one of the markets with the strongest growth thanks to their propertries and consumers’ perception of nuts as a healthy choice. In many developing Asian countries, economic growth has resulted in increased demand for nuts and dried fruits. With a population of 1.2 billion, China is expected to achieve 9.9% real growth in 2010. India, with a population of 1.03 billion, expects a 6.8% growth, according to Informa Economics Inc. Both countries are potential markets with about 3 billion people with new eating habits due to increased spending power. They are also the largest producers of several nuts. It is expected that as purchasing power increases, the same trend in demand will happen, which converts the Asian region in one of the most promising and emerging markets.

Vietnam is the world’s second largest cashew nut growing and processing country. As a former French colony, Vietnamese like bakeries with tree nuts and dried fruits, and raisins in particular. It is also a major Spanish type peanut growing country in Asia, and a major exporter to its neighbouring. The country has recently started to grow macadamias and walnuts in the northern region.

China leads in production of walnuts and peanuts, having a share of 49% and 39% of overall world production respectively. China’s walnut production was estimated at 430,000 MT (in-shell) in 2009, and peanut production was estimated at 13 million MT. The country also ranks among the top countries in production of pine nuts, pistachios, dried apricots, and raisins. Given the big demand for other nuts such as hazelnuts and almonds, strong marketing campaigns are being developed. Despite China is often seen as a difficult market for western companies, Chinese economy has become more open to the global economy.

According to Mintel’s Global New Products Database, Asia Pacific is one of the most prolific regions as regards innovation in nut snacks. Wasabi nuts, peanuts with coconut juice, and horse bean nuts are some examples of new and innovative products launched in recent years.

While cashew nuts are still the number one tree nut consumed in Asia, peanuts, almonds, pistachios, macadamias, walnuts, raisins, dates, and dried apricots are increasing their presence.

In the case of India, it leads in production of cashews with 160,000 MT (kernel basis) estimated in 2009, a 33% share of world production, and follows China as the second largest peanut producer with an estimated production of 7 million MT (21% share). India is also a walnut producer country with an estimated production of 22.000 MT (in-shell basis). It is the largest country growing and processing cashew nuts. In recent years, the local cashew market has grown significantly due to the improvement in the standard of living. Pieces such as LWP, SWP, SP, DP, SSP DSP, and BB are mainly consumed in the country. On the other hand, and thanks to the promotion by California almond processors, India is becoming the number one inshell almond importing country in the world, and since 2008 the country has started to increase consumption of pistachios. With a population of 1.03 billion, India has the potential to become the second biggest tree nut consuming country in Asia.

South East and South Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Pakistan are all potential tree nuts and dried fruits consuming countries.

Indonesia ranks as the third most populated country in Asia, with 240 million inhabitants. It is the third largest cashew growing and processing country in Asia, and the leading Arabian dates importing country.

Thailand is the leading tropical dried fruits producing country in the world (dried mango, papaya, banana, longan, guava, durian, and bread fruit). Due to the influence of American navy and air bases, bakeries and confectionaries were introduced in the country. There are also cashews, macadamias, and walnuts farms throughout the country.

Forms of Consumption Snacking is still the most typical form of consumption in China, as historically Chinese like nuts in-shell, especially in the holiday season. The second major item is confectionery, such as walnut, almond, peanut, and macadamia candies. In recent years there has been a rise of tree nut chips promotion. In third place, nuts are used as food ingredient in Chinese cooking, milky products like almond, walnut, peanut milk, and ice cream topping. Macadamia, almond, hazelnut, and pistachio topping have been introduced recently.

There are now many tree nuts being promoted by Chinese doctors as good and traditional medical foods. This is the case of medicine doctors prescribing walnuts for the brain, almonds for the lung, macadamias for the kidney, and pine nuts for blood pressure. Chinese people are familiar with walnuts, pine nuts, and hazelnuts, which have been consumed for over a thousand years.

Whenever a new nut has been introduced in the country, a new term has been created. For instance, the term “Happy Nuts” for pistachios was introduced in China in 1974, due to the “smiley” shape of the nut in-shell, and “Hawaiian Nuts” for macadamias was introduced one year later. Nowadays the Amazonia (Brazilian) nut is named as “Abalone Nuts” because of its shape.

China is a big grower and producer of dried fruits such as dried apple rings, cubes, peaches, pears, mandarins, Chinese red dates, apricots, green raisins, hawthorn, persimmon, prunes, kiwi fruits, coconuts, etc. They all have existed in China for centuries.

Thanks to the rising recognition of the importance of unsaturated fats in the diet, which nuts provide aplenty, and the ever more popular health attributes of dried fruits, the popularity of nuts and dried fruits continues to grow throughout the world.

MAJOR SPONSOR

OTHER SPONSORS Signed up to Jan. 2010

30 The Cracker • March 2010

ALL-IN-ONE: TREE NUTS, PEANUTS AND DRIED FRUITS

International Nut and Dried Fruit Foundation

XXIX World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress May 21-23, 2010 / Beijing, China

Dear Friends, Consumption of tree nuts, peanuts and dried fruits continues to climb, and the Asian region is one of the most promising and emerging markets. In many developing Asian countries, economic growth has resulted in increased demand for delicious and nutritious nuts and dried fruits. Economic advances in these markets have helped influence a shift in eating habits, and it is expected that as purchasing power increases, the same trend in demand will happen.

And - of course - we couldn’t miss the opportunity to organize the 2010 World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress in Beijing, and offer delegates from nearly 50 countries the chance to gather and discuss the latest issues and developments in the nut-and-dried-fruit world.

The All-in-One Congress will include an International Peanut Seminar, which will review financial facts and insurance policies, allergy litigation and health issues; the traditional Working Groups, one for each Tree Nut, where key players in the industry will examine the latest market developments, consumption trends and new crop estimates; an International Dried Fruit Seminar, which will tackle regulatory issues on contaminants, pesticides, as well as worldwide markets dynamics; a Scientific Roundtable, which will address the current challenges and key issues facing the nut and dried fruit industry; a keynote speaker that will join us to discuss business opportunities in China; and a session on Chinese Medicine Culture.

We also strive to provide an enjoyable atmosphere for networking through social events. From the Forbidden City to the Great Wall, immerse yourself in the magical culture of China and get to know one of the world’s greatest cities. Plan ahead to join us now!

We look forward to seeing you in Beijing.

Bian Zhenhu CFNA Vice-President

Jack Mariani INC Chairman

International Nut and Dried Fruit Foundation March 2010 • The Cracker 31

XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress

CONGRESS PROGRAM BEIJING (CHINA), 21-23 MAY 2010 WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY, 19-20 MAY 2010 9.00 am Registration at China World Hotel, Shangri-La, at China

World Trade Center. Until 5.00 pm FRIDAY, 21 MAY 2010 6.45 am Bus departs for Golf Tournament at Beijing CBD International Golf Club. Sponsored by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, USA // Golf lunch sponsored by Amy & Sons Ltd., Hong Kong 9.00 am INC Tennis Tournament at the China World Hotel, Shangri-La 9.00 am Registration at China World Hotel, Shangri-La, at China World Trade Center. Until 5.00 pm 9.00 am INC Scientific Committee Meeting. Until 1.00 pm 1.00 pm Booth exhibiton. Until 5.00 pm 1.30 pm Speakers meeting at the Conference Hall of the China World Hotel, Shangri-la. Until 3.00 pm 3.00 pm Coffee break. Sponsored by Wells Fargo & Co., USA 3.30 pm Congress Welcome by Pino Calcagni, Chairman Scientific & Government Affairs Co. DRIED FRUIT Seminar and Working Groups Session, Chaired by Mr. Barry Kriebel, Sun-Maid Growers of California, USA. Until 5.30 pm 7.00 pm Welcome Cocktail party at the China World Hotel, Shangri-La. Sponsored by Hing Lee Hong Enterprise Limited, Hong Kong.

SPEAKERS Mr. Jan Borgonjon President of InterChina Consulting and Founder of the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai.

Jan Borgonjon has been living and working in China for over 25 years. He has been the Director of the China Europe Management Institute (CEMI, Beijing), and later was one of the founders of the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai, of which he is now a board member. From 2002 to 2006, he was first Vice President and later a member of the executive committee of European Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC).

Jan Borgonjon is the founder and current President of InterChina Consulting, a boutique consulting company which has been advising Western companies on investment and acquisitions in China since 1994. The company employs 60 people and has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and outside China in Madrid, Milan and Washington DC.

SATURDAY, 22 MAY 2010 9.00 am Spouses Tour. Visit to Forbidden City and Hutong tour to visit the traditional courtyard residences. Lunch and return to the hotel. Until 3.00 pm 9.00 am Booth exhibition. Until 4.00 pm 9.00 am Congress Officially opens at China World Hotel by the Ministry of Commerce. Welcome: CFNA President and Congress Chairman; Jack Mariani, INC Chairman 9.20 am PINE NUTS Working Group, chaired by Cheng Hung Kay, CHK Trading Co. Ltd., Hong Kong 9.40 am WALNUTS Working Group, co-chaired by Jack Mariani, Mariani Nut Company, USA and Bao Gang, Yunnan Sunway Food Company, China 10.00 am PECANS Working Group, chaired by James Swink, Young Pecan Company, USA 10.15 am Coffee break. Don’t miss to visit the exhibition area.

Sponsored by Leading Star Foods Ltd, China 10.45 am HAZELNUTS Working Group, chaired by Bilge Anbarlilar, Hazelnut Promotion Group, Turkey 11.15 am Keynote Speaker: Business Opportunities in China, Mr. Jan Borgonjon, President of InterChina Consulting and Founder of the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai 11.45 am SCIENTIFIC ROUND TABLE, Chaired by Pino Calcagni, Chairman of the Scientific & Government Affairs Committee. Members of the Scientific Co. Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó, New Facts on the Cardioprotective Role of Nuts

Prof. Zuguang Ye Chairman of the Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Drug Delivery System Committee, World Federation of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Prof. Zuguang Ye, Chairman of tne Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Drug Delivery System Committee, World Federation of TCM, Chairman of the Committee of Drug Regulation and Intellectual Right Protection of TCM, Editor-in-Chief of the journal Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vice-Editor in Chief of the Journal TCM Modernization.

Zuguang Ye, Professor in pharmacology and toxicology of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, is an awarded expert with more than 80 papers published, and 30 key research projects. He’s been recognized with various grade’s Prize of Scientific and Technological Achievements, and the Second Grade National Invention Prize for his research on Qinghaosu (artemisinin), Sececio plants, and new antimalarial, pharmacological and toxicological studies on TCM toxic drugs. He has been recently appointed Chief Scientist in Toxicology of TCM.

Giuseppe Calcagni Past President of the INC. Chairman of the INC Scientific and Government Affairs Committee.

Chairman of Besana Group.

The purpose of the Scientific Round Table is for the industry players to address the current challenges and key issues affecting the nut and dried fruit sector, with particular focus on the rules and applications at international and European level, regulatory matters, and scientific aspects. This session will present the most recent rules and regulations with regard to contaminants (aflatoxins, ochratoxin A), and key issues such as salmonella, matters discussed at Codex Alimentarius meetings, EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, EU controls on “high risk products”, pesticide residues, health claims, organic products, agricultural quality standards, and market statistics.

1.15 pm 2.00 pm 3.00 pm 5.30 pm

SUNDAY, 23 MAY 2010 9.00 am 9.00 am 9.00 am

10.00 am

Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó Chair of Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rovira i Virgili University (Spain), and Member of the INC Scientific and Government Affairs Committee.

Several prospective epidemiological studies have demonstrated a cardio-protective effect of nut consumption. In addition, a considerable number of clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate its beneficial effect on blood lipid profile. Recent studies have demonstrated that nuts have favourable effects on cardiovascular diseases probably via several mechanisms, such us decreasing susceptibility of LDL to oxidation, reducing inflammation and improving endothelial function or improving insulin sensitivity. In this round table, the latest results on the effect of nut consumption on metabolic syndrome will be reviewed, including the results obtained in the PREDIMED study (effects of the Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts on the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases).

Buffet Working Lunch, Sponsored by Rajkumar Impex Ltd, India Pistachio Health and Safety Seminar, Sponsored by Paramount Farms, USA. Until 4.00 pm Ambassadors meeting at China World Hotel. Until 5.00 pm Busses leave for the Casual Dinner at the Bai Jia Da Yuan Palace, Sponsored by Yunnan Sunway Food Co. Ltd., China

10.15 am 10.45 am 11.10 am 11.40 am 12.30 pm 12.50 pm 1.10 pm 1.30 pm 3.00 pm

7.00 pm 8.00 pm

Spouses Tour: Visit to the Temple of Heaven and shopping to the Liulichang Cultural Street. Lunch and return to the hotel.

Booth exhibition. Until 2.00 pm INC General Assembly at China World Hotel, Shangri-La: 1. Call to order and acceptance of the agenda by the Chairman 2. Report of the Advisory Committee by past Presidents/Chairmen 3. Report of the activities of the INC Foundation by the Executive Director 4. Financial status report of the Council by the Treasurer 5. Approval of the 2009 accounts of the Council 6. Approval of the 2010 Budget of the Council 7. Endorsement of Ambassadors proposed by the Board of Directors 8. Report of the INC Ambassadors 9. Announcement of the 2012 Congress site 10. Other Business 2011 Budapest, Hungary. Presentation of the XXX World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress Congress Co-chaired by Karoly Bognar and Pino Calcagni ALMONDS Working Group, chaired by Doug Youngdahl, Blue Diamond Growers, USA Coffee break. Don’t miss to visit the exhibition area.

Sponsored by Almond Board of California, USA PISTACHIOS Working Group, chaired by Helmut Dankert, Max Kiene GmbH, Germany Keynote Speaker: The Chinese Medicine Culture, Prof.

Zuguang Ye, TCM Drug Delivery System Committee CASHEWS Working Group, chaired by Chris Nubern, Kraft Foods, USA MACADAMIAS Working Group, chaired by Duncan McGregor, Golden Macadamias, South Africa BRAZIL NUTS Working Group, chaired by Riccardo Calcagni, V. Besana Spa, Italy Buffet Working Lunch, Sponsored by Sun-Maid Growers of California, USA PEANUTS Seminar & Working Group Session. Co-Chaired

by Pino Calcagni, Chairman Scientific Co. and Li Ning, COFCO Shandong Peanut Imp & Exp. Co. Ltd., China. Until 5.00 pm Gala Cocktail, at the China World Hotel, Foyer.

Gala Dinner and Ball, at the China World Hotel. Sponsored by Blue Diamond Growers, USA

XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress XXIX World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress

SCIENTIFIC SEMINAR

SPOUSE TOURS, GOLF & TENNIS XXIX W O R L D N U T & D R I E D F R U I T C O N G R E S S

SPOUSE TOURS

GOLF TOURNAMENT

SATURDAY, 22 MAY 2010 9.00 am - 3.00 pm

SUNDAY, 23 MAY 2010 9.00 am - 3.00 pm

Forbidden City and Hutong tour to visit the traditional courtyard residences. Lunch included

Temple of Heaven and shopping to the Liulichang Cultural Street.

Lunch included

Forbidden City also known as the Imperial Palace (Gugong) is the largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China. It was built during 1406 and 1420 and served as the imperial residence of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The palace covers an area of 72 hectares with the width of 750m and the length of 960m.

Temple Heaven (Tiantan) was completed in 1420 and was originally a platform for the Son of Heaven (the emperor) to perform sacrifices and solemn rites.

Offering sacrifices was a serious task, as was atoning the sins of the people. The entire empire relied on the emperor for good fortune and abundant harvests so he had quite a responsibility!

The gate of Celestial Purity divided the palace into two parts. The Outer Court is made up of three main halls, Hall of Supreme Harmony, Midway Hall of Harmony, Hall of Preserved Harmony, which are the office building for emperor to deal with state affairs. The inner court was where the emperor, his concubines and Eunuchs lived.

Liulichang cultural street is lined by shops including Rongbaozhai Studio, Cultural Relics Shop, Yanjing Calligraphic Work and Painting Studio, Zhenyun Building for selling jewelry, Yide Building for selling ink sticks and red ink paste used for seals, Four Treasures of the Study for selling writing brushes, Jigu Building for duplicating cultural relics and Cuiwen Building for selling seals. In addition, it deals pottery and porcelain from different historical periods, ancient coins, bamboo, wood and ivory carvings, hard wood furniture, etc.

Hutong is a kind of ancient city alley or lane typical in Beijing, where the number of hutongs may run into several thousand.

They are around the Forbidden city. The main buildings in the hutong were almost all “quadrangles”—a kind of enclosure of building complex formed by four houses standing on the four sides. Visitors are taking man-powered tricycle along Shichahai to explore the ancient city proper, including Bell Tower, vegetable and fruit market, tea house, Yinding Bridge, a civilian’s residence, residentials’ committe and kindergarten

34 The Cracker • March 2010

Friday 21 May 2010: BEIJING CBD INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB It covers an area of 135 hectares with a 18-hole international standard course, a clubhouse, a driving range and a number of high-end residences. It was designed by US master BritStenson in accordance with the World Championship Level and TPC style.

TPC golf course has a large area of water and long tortuous sandpits which creates challenge and fun.

TENNIS TOURNAMENT Friday 21 May 2010 Tennis tournament will be organized at the congress hotel, China World Hotel, Shangrila, being its indoor tennis court one of the finest in Beijing.

CULTURAL TOURS 2010

PRE TOURS

XXIX WORLD NUT&DRIED FRUIT CONGRESS

WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY, 19 or 20 MAY 2010

16-19 MAY 2010

One day to visit the Ming tombs (Dingling & Sacred Way), lunch, Great wall Badaling.

Back to the hotel

One day to visit the Summer Palace, Lunch, Olympic Park visiting the National Stadium or “Bird’s Nest”

Shanghai World Expo

8:30 Departure. 10:30-12:00 Ming tombs (Dingling & Sacred Way). 12:20- 13:30 Lunch. 14:00-16:00 Great Wall Badaling.

18:30 Back to the hotel (you may visit a cloisonne factory)

8:30 Departure. 9:30-11:30 Summer Palace. 12:00-13:00 Lunch.

13:30-16:00 Olympic Park, visit of the The National Stadium or “Bird’s Nest”. 17:00 Back to the hotel (you may buy some souvenirs of silk or pearl, etc.)

Individual arrivals to Shanghai on Sun 16. Shanghai city tour in the afternoon. Overnight. Guided VIP tour to the Expo with visit to the most exiting pavilions and welcome by authorities on Mon and Tues 17-18. On Wed 19 morning city tour to Shanghai. Flight to Beijing on Wed 19 afternoon.

This is the package price including 5 star hotel (Crowne Plaza Century Park www. crowneplaza.cn) accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, Englishspeaking guide, bus, entrance fee, tax and insurance.

Flight Beijing/Shanghai by economical class.

CULTURAL TOURS (1DAY) Optional Tours

Ming Tombs 50 kilometers northwest from Beijing City lies the Ming Tombs - the general name given to the mausoleums of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 1644). The mausoleums have been perfectly preserved, as has the necropolis of each of the many emperors. Because of its long history, palatial and integrated architecture, the site has a high cultural and historic value. The layout and arrangement of all thirteen mausoleums are very similar but vary in size as well as in the complexity of their structures.

The Great Wall (Changcheng), totaling more than 12,000 kilometers. It is the only man made object visible from the moon, and as one of the Eight Wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China lives up to its reputation. The Great Wall is a symbol of Chinese traditional culture and the pride of the Chinese nation. It’s worth taking a hike and reflecting on this incredible feat of mankind.

The tour cost includes the entrance fee, tour guide, transportation and local restaurant lunch with soft drink.

CULTURAL TOURS (4 Days / 3 nights)

Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) is a magnificent imperial garden located 12 km west of Beijing City. This is the largest ancient preserved garden in China and a former summer retreat for Emperors. The site includes more than 100 ancient style pavilions, mansions, towers, halls, temples, bridges and an enormous clear water lake.

The National Stadium or “Bird’s Nest” The National Stadium is dubbed the “bird’s nest” because of its innovative grid formation. The twig-like structural elements and the bowl-shaped roof are the masterpiece of the project, yet they pose great challenges for technicians and workers to make the building stand on its own feet. This futuristic stadium hosted track and field events during the 2008 Summer Olympics. It is especially beautiful at night when the stadium’s lighting system is activated.

The tour cost includes the entrance fee, tour guide, transportation and local restaurant lunch with soft drink.

POST TOURS

24-27 MAY 2010

24-27 MAY 2010

Day 1. Transfer to station, express train to Taiyuan at 8.40am.

Walnut plant visit to Frn Yang Yu Yuan Local Products Trading Co., Ltd in Feng Yang, Shanxi Province.

Day 2. Visit Jinci Temple, Courtyard of Family Qiao. Overnight at Jinci Hotel Garden 5 star.

Day 3. Flight to Xi’an. Visit to Terra-cotta soldiers, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Mosque and the old town. Dinner at Tang Dynasty show.

Day 4. Visit to the Historical Museum and Tomb Yangling of Han Dinasty. Flight to Beijing and transfer to hotel.

This is the package price including four star hotel accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, English-speaking guide, bus, entrance fee, tax and insurance, train Beijing/Taiyuan, flights Taiyuan/Xian/Beijing by economical class.

Day 1. Flight to Lijiang . Visit Black Dragon Pond, Dongba Museum. Traditional music of Naxi in the evening.

Day 2. Morning flight to Kunming. Walnut plant visit to Kunming Xin Wei Food Co, Ltd. , Kunming, Yunnan Province. Lunch offered by Kunming company. Visit to the city of Kunming, Temple of Yuantong and West Mountain.

Day 3. Morning flight to Gulin. City tour to the unique scenery.

Day 4. Boat excursion on Lijiang River to enjoy the sight of Guilin, buffet lunch.

Free walk in the little town Yangshuo. Transfer back to Gulin and flight to Hong Kong. It is recommended to fly back from Hong Kong directly to the home country.

This is the package price including five star hotel accommodation with breakfast (Lijiang Crowne Plaza, Kunming Kai Wah Plaza, Guilin Sheraton), lunch and dinner daily, English-speaking guide, bus, entrance fee, tax and insurance, flights Beijing/ Lijiang/Kunming/Guilin/Hong Kong by economical class.

CULTURAL TOURS (4 DAYS 3 NIGHTS) Beijing, Taiyuan, Xi’an, Beijing

CULTURAL TOURS (4 DAYS 3 NIGHTS) Beijing - Lijiang - Kunming - Guilin - Hong Kong

TECHNICAL TOURS 2010 XXIX WORLD NUT&DRIED FRUIT CONGRESS

PRE TOUR

WEDNESDAY, 19 MAY 2010

TECHNICAL TOURS (1 Day) Shoei Qingdao Plant tour (Dried Fruits), Sponsored by Shoei Foods.

Tour Qingdao: One day trip to Shoei Qingdao leaving Beijing with a flight at 8:50am. Arriving at Shoei Qingdao Plant by 10.40am. Plant tour and lunch offered by Shoei. Sightseeing of Qingdao City, Qingdao Beer Museum. Depart Qingdao with a flight at 6.40, arriving Beijing at 8.00pm. This package price includes flights Beijing/Qingdao/Beijing by economical class, transfers hotel/ariport/hotel in Beijing. Visits and lunch at Qingdao are offered by Shoei.

POST TOUR

MONDAY, 24 TUESDAY, 25 MAY 2010

TECHNICAL TOURS (2 Days / 1 night) Shoei Yanji Plant tour (Pinenuts, Walnuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds), Sponsored by Shoei Foods.

Tour Yanji: Flight at 8:00pm to Yanji. Overnight. Morning visit to Shoei Yanji Plant with a tour and lunch offered by Shoei. Afternoon tour to North Korean Border. Return to Beijing at 6.00pm. This is the package price including 5 star Yanbian Hotel and breakfast, flights Beijing/Yanji/Beijing by economical class, transfers hotel/ariport/hotel in Beijing. Visits and meals at Yanji are offered by Shoei.

March 2010 • The Cracker 35

ALL-IN-ONE CONGRESS: TREE NUTS PEANUTS DRIED FRUITS

www.nutfruit.org

XXIX World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress May 21-23, 2010 / Beijing, China

The All-in-One Congress will include an International Peanut Seminar, which will review financial facts and insurance policies, allergy litigation and health issues; the traditional Working Groups, one for each Tree Nut, where key players in the industry will examine the latest market developments, consumption trends and new crop estimates; an International Dried Fruit Seminar, which will tackle regulatory issues on contaminants, pesticides, as well as worldwide markets dynamics; a Scientific Roundtable, which will address the current challenges and key issues facing the nut and dried fruit industry; a keynote speaker that will join us to discuss how to do business in China; and a session on Chinese Medicine Culture.

Mark your calendar for this unique opportunity to meet with key suppliers, dealers, brokers, and manufacturers from around the world.

See you in Beijing!

an_xina2.indd 1

11/12/09 14:59

March 2010 • The Cracker 37

MATH AROUND TREE NUTS B y P i n o C a l c a g n i , y o u r “ N u t ” Aw a r d e e Keeping in my memories Antonio Pont’s dream at 1982 INC Congress in Sorrento/Italy about each Chinese eating 1 almond per day, during my last trip to Far East countries I took this little note.

“Today the population in the below selected countries is: China______________________________ 1,335,850,000 India________________________________ 1,177,086,000 Indonesia_____________________________ 231,369,500 Pakistan______________________________ 168,738,500 Vietnam_______________________________85,789,500 Thailand______________________________ 63,390,000 South Korea____________________________49,773,000 Malaysia______________________________ 28,307,000 Sri Lanka_ ____________________________ 20,238,000 Singapore_______________________________4,987,500 TOTAL:______________________________ 3,165,529,000 which is equivalent to 48% of the 2010 world population!”.

Let us consider, “in a nutshell”, the key facts of the tree nut kernel production where we have the following well founded numbers (all expressed in Metric Tons): Almonds_ _____________________________ 1,000,000 Cashew nuts_ ___________________________ 500,000 Pistachios (inshell)________________________ 500,000 Walnuts________________________________ 450,000 Hazelnuts_______________________________ 400,000 Pecan nuts_______________________________ 120,000 Macadamia nuts_ __________________________35,000 Brazil nuts_ _______________________________22,500 Pine nuts_ _______________________________ 20,000 TOTAL:_______________________3,047,500 Metric Tons We could speak also about peanuts and dried fruit but this will be part of our next Maths.

In consideration of the increasing interest for tree nuts which is actually going back by only 4,000 years (!) according to the ancient Chinese and oriental medicine, we have a potential consumption shown in the following tables and graphs.

far east Consumption pro capita per day Product Number of pieces Grams inshell Almonds 5 9 Pistachios 5 5 Cashews 5 18 Walnuts 2 22 Hazelnuts 3 5 Pine nuts 3 2 Pecans/Macadamias/Brazils 3 6 Total potential consumers Hypothesis 50% of population consuming nuts Hypothesis 33% of population consuming nuts

Grams kernels 4 3 6 7 3 1 4 A 28 ≈ 1oz B 15 C 10

Frequency of consumption IN FAR EAST - in kg per year Consumption

Hypothesis A

Hypothesis B

Hypothesis C

365 days / year = total consumption/year

1.058 3,332,700

0.529 1,666,350

0.365 1,144,000

5 days / week = total consumption/year

0.725 2,283,750

0.363 1,143,450

0.250 787,500

2 days / week = total consumption/year

0.312 982,800

0.156 441,400

0.104 327,600

Once a week = total consumption/year

0.156 491,400

0.078 245,000

0.052 163,800

38 The Cracker • March 2010

In view of the fact that these countries enjoy tree nuts because 1) “they are good for my health” 2) they enjoy 4 main festivity times during the year I consider that option C is today consolidated and partially covered by local production which is difficult to gather in our global statistics.

Therefore we have the below scenario

3.500.000 3.332.700

3.250.000 3.150.000

3.000.000

2.950.000

Option A 28 g/day

WORLD PRODUCTION Average 3.047.500 Mtons

2.750.000 2.500.000 2.250.000

NORTH AMERICA Pop. 451 millions 1.046.000 Mtons

2.000.000 1.666.350

1.750.000 1.500.000 1.250.000

Option B 15 g/day

EUROPEAN UNION Pop. 495 millions 928.000 Mtons

1.144.000 Option C 10 g/day

1.000.000 750.000 500.000 250.000

SOUTH AMERICA. JAPAN. AUSTRALIA. TURKEY. RUSSIA. AFRICA. MIDDLE-EAST 494.000 Mtons

BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR FAR-EAST COUNTRIES

0 Once a week

2 days /week

5 days /week

365 days /year

This is the miracle of the decade 2010-2020 with a dynamic consumption and an unbalanced supply-demand situation.

Pino Calcagni INC Golden Nut Awardee E-mail: giuseppe.calcagni@besanagroup.com

What should we suggest? Eat more nuts? Meantime let’s increase production considering that option B (15 g/day) is the current parameter of consumption within the EU. But only time will tell!

This article presents the personal view of the author. Its content does not reflect the thoughts or opinions of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation (INC).

The above seems to be only a joke but I am very curious about the comments from our qualified INC members.

Let’s discuss the matter in Beijing.

March 2010 • The Cracker 39

The Mediterranean Diet The Mediterranean Diet: What It Is Some experts consider the “Mediterranean diet” -- rich in plant foods and monounsaturated fats -- to be one of the healthiest in the world. The Mediterranean diet has long been associated with heart health and longevity.

Beyond that, it can also be an excellent weight loss plan, as long as you eat in moderation.

The Mediterranean coastal region stretches across Europe from Spain to the Middle East.

Fifty years ago, scientists noticed that people living in this region tended to be healthy and live long lives, primarily because of their diet and lifestyle.

Mediterranean cuisine varies by region, but is largely based on vegetables, fruits, olives, beans, whole grains, olive oil, and fish, along with a little dairy and wine. Additionally, the Mediterranean lifestyle includes leisurely dining and regular physical activity.

Studies show that caloriecontrolled diets rich in plant foods, healthy fats, and lean protein -- like the Mediterranean diet -- are a nutritious formula for weight loss. A study in

the New England Journal of Medicine found that a Mediterranean diet was as effective as a low-fat diet for losing weight and also offered some metabolic benefits.

“Research continues to demonstrate that being physically active and eating a nutritious diet of primarily whole foods that are filling and satisfying can enable people to control weight,” says cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, creator of the South Beach Diet, which is based on the Mediterranean diet model.

Some other perks of living the Mediterranean lifestyle include a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease, says cardiologist Robert Eckel, MD, past president of the American Heart Association.

Mediterranean Diet: What You Can Eat There is not a single “Mediterranean diet.” Instead, it’s a dietary pattern of plant foods, monounsaturated fats (mainly olive oil), fish, and limited amounts of animal products.

The Basic Mediterranean Diet Pattern is as Follows: vLegumes: Eat daily. vFruit: 2.5 cups daily. vVegetables: 2 cups daily. vFish: More than twice weekly. vNuts: A handful daily. vMeat/poultry: Less than 4 ounces daily. vDairy products: 2 cups of a low-fat variety daily. vWine: 1 daily serving for women, two for men. vFats: Use primarily monounsaturated fats. vEggs: Less than 4 per week.

Some Tips for Embracing the Mediterranean Style of Eating: vSelect whole grains for your breads, cereals, and other starches. vChoose nuts, seeds, legumes, fish, low-fat dairy, and poultry to satisfy your protein needs (you can include lean meat on occasion as well). vMost importantly, reduce the amount of saturated and trans fats in your diet. Use olive or canola oil instead of butter or margarine. vIf you choose to drink alcohol, enjoy it as a glass of wine with lunch and/or dinner.

(–Continued on page 42)

WebMD

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD WebMD Expert Column

40 The Cracker • March 2010

(–Continued from page 40)

“It’s almost too good to be true -- a steaming pasta dish with tomato sauce and herbs, or a grilled piece of snapper drizzled with olive oil and fresh cracked pepper, or a great salad of greens, tomatoes, a crumble of Parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon,” says K. Dun Gifford, Oldways Preservation Trust president.

“Scientists report these dishes are as healthy as it gets.”

And the wide variety of delicious foods makes it easier to stick to the Mediterranean diet for the long term. But even on a diet full of healthy foods, it’s important to watch portions – especially for higher-calorie foods like nuts and olive oil.

“Calories and portions still count, even when they are healthy,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “For example, olive The Mediterranean Diet: and canola are good for the How It Works heart but hard on the waistlines The Mediterranean diet mainly because all oils contain 120 emphasizes foods that are calories per tablespoon.” low-fat, low-cholesterol, and It’s important to remember high-fiber. Reducing total fat is that the Mediterranean diet is one of the easiest ways to trim not a quick weight loss diet, calories, because fat is more than twice as caloric as carbs or but a way of life. Almost as important as the food is regular protein. Further, foods rich in lean protein and fiber (like beans physical activity and leisurely dining -- taking pleasure and and legumes) are filling and time to savor meals with friends make meals more satisfying. and family. The multiple factors Nuts, fish, and olive at work in the Mediterranean oil provide healthy monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), lifestyle, Agatston says, provide health benefits that which also contribute to “work together and cannot be satisfaction and don’t raise replaced.” cholesterol levels the way Depending on your calorie saturated fat does. level, following a Mediterranean Most foods included in the diet plan with controlled Mediterranean diet are fresh portions could result in slow and and seasonal rather than highly processed. Preparation methods lasting weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week. tend to be simple; foods are rarely deep-fried.

42 The Cracker • March 2010

Mediterranean Diet: What the Experts Say The Mediterranean diet comes highly recommended by nutrition experts.

“We are all advocating for a high-quality diet rich in nutrients,” Eckel says. “The only gray area is how much healthy unsaturated fat and my recommendation is to stick with the guideline of 30%-35% of calories and make most of those monounsaturated fats.”

The Mediterranean style of eating is also enjoyable, says Columbia University nutrition researcher Wahida Karmally, DrPH, RD. “The Mediterranean diet is a healthful and delicious way of promoting weight loss,” she says.

Family practice physician Rod Ono, MD, says he uses the Mediterranean diet as a template to help his patients move away from the typical American diet toward a healthier one. He notes that even a partial switch to a Mediterranean style of eating can be beneficial.

“You can still gain the health benefits if you incorporate more of the foods on the Mediterranean diet into your weekly planning,” he says.

Eckel notes that exercise is an important part of the equation.

He suggests following federal guidelines that call for exercising at least 30 minutes five times

a week (or daily), including resistance training twice a week.

“Physical activity is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle but during weight loss, focus more on reducing the amount of food consumed and once you reach your goal weight, fire up the exercise portion,” he says.

Mediterranean Diet: Food for Thought There are many health benefits of following a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains -- and weight loss is just one of them.

The Mediterranean diet is free of gimmicks. It has clearly been shown to be a healthy, sustainable diet that can help you trim your waistline in addition to a preventing a host of chronic diseases.

Enjoying the bounty of delicious foods on a Mediterranean-style diet should take feelings of deprivation out of the equation, and make losing weight easier and more sustainable.

A cranberry-colored cell phone A cranberry-colored MP3 player Cranberry-colored curtains A cranberry-colored bed spread A cranberry-colored sportscar A cranberry-colored towel Cranberry-colored running shoes A cranberry-colored T-shirt A cranberry-colored handbag A cranberry-colored living room wall A cranberry-colored baseball cap Cranberry-colored skis A cranberry-colored tie A cranberry-colored sofa A cranberry-colored windbreaker A cranberry-colored rug A cranberry-colored umbrella

Cranberries. Colored by nature.

www.atoka.qc.ca

PEST CONTROL IN A LIFE AFTER METHYL BROMIDE

By Dr. Cameon Ivarsson Director of NAPASOL AG Member of the INC Scientific and Government Affairs Committee

Methyl Bromide along with chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) is designated as a major contributor to the depletion of the ozone layer. Chlorine and Bromine released by these substances deplete ozone in the stratosphere, contributing to the thinning of the ozone layer and allowing increased UV radiation to reach the earth’s surface. This increase in harmful radiation has a potential impact not only to human health (skin cancer), but also on crop yields and sea life.

A global strategy to cut back on the use of Ozone Depleting Substances was implemented under the Montreal Protocol in 1987. Methyl Bromide which is estimated to be approximately 60 times as effective as chlorine in ozone depletion was added to the list in 1991. Developed nations have applied an accelerated reduction schedule thus reaching target goals ahead of schedule.

On September 16, 2009 the Montreal Protocol scored a first in the history of international environmental agreements reaching universal adhesion by all 196 United Nations member states.

The Montreal Protocol is widely recognized as a success story which has put the ozone layer on the road to recovery. http:// www.undp.org/chemicals/documents/MontrealProtocol_WEB. pdf.

In addition to the regeneration of the ozone layer, the reduction of these substances which are also powerful greenhouse gases, has made the Montreal protocol a key contributor to the fight against climate change. http://www.uneptie.org/ozonaction/information/ mmcfiles/3139-e-OASI09_2010andThen.pdf.

“The success of the Montreal Protocol shows us that there are global instruments that can help curb the impact of human activities on the global environment. We should draw lessons from this experience, and strive to replicate it”.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Methyl bromide is a broad spectrum pesticide used in the control of pest insects, nematodes, weeds, pathogens, and rodents. It is used primarily for soil fumigation, as well as for commodity and quarantine treatment, and structural fumigation. The Montreal Protocol has severely restricted the use of methyl bromide internationally, but the United States has successfully lobbied for critical-use exemptions. http://www.epa.gov/EPA-AIR/2009/ April/Day-30/a9966.htm

44 The Cracker • March 2010

(–Continued on page 46)

“

(–Continued from page 44) Major exemptions include soil fumigation in the production of strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and cut flowers.

Another critical use exemption includes the treatment of

A global strategy to cut back on the use of Ozone Depleting Substances was implemented under the Montreal Protocol in 1987. Methyl Bromide which is estimated to be approximately 60 times as effective as chlorine in ozone depletion was added to the list in 1991.

Developed nations have applied an accelerated reduction schedule thus reaching target goals ahead of schedule. On September 16, 2009 the Montreal Protocol scored a first in the history of international environmental agreements reaching universal adhesion by all 196 United Nations member states.

commodities as part of a post-harvest pest control regime in grapes, raisins, cherries, nuts, and imported materials. Some commodities are treated multiple times during both storage and shipment and may be treated with Methyl Bromide as part of a quarantine or phytosanitary requirement of an importing country.

Finally as a structural pest control treatment methyl bromide gas involves the fumigation of buildings for termites, warehouses and food processing facilities for insects and rodents, and ships and other transportation vehicles for various pests. (List of critical uses exemptions http://www.epa.gov/ozone/mbr/cueuses.html).

Methyl Bromide is a toxic material and based on its harmful effects on human health the European Union has now withdrawn authorization for plant protection products containing Methyl Bromide. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri= OJ:L:2008:258:0068:0068:EN:PDF A great deal of research is ongoing to identify and validate alternatives to Methyl Bromide in the nut and dry fruit industry. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ozone/conference/lisboa/ quarantine/3.pdf Alternatives include Phosphine, Magnesium Phosphide, Sulfuryl fluoride, CO2, controlled atmosphere, irradiation, integrated pest management and integrated stored product protection, cold, heat, steam and vacuum pasteurization and radio frequencies.

The most important obstacle to a broad, quick, smooth implementation of alternatives is one of attitude toward suitability and cost compared to Methyl Bromide. Under pressure to reach reduction goals, alternative methods for pest control are being tested and successfully applied in programs worldwide. http://www.undp.org/chemicals/documents/MontrealProtocol_ WEB.pdf However use of methyl bromide for quarantine and pre-shipment, increasing in response to International Phytosanitary Standards, may be offsetting some of the gains made by reductions in other uses. Controls on exempted methyl bromide use should include economic incentives that encourage minimal use, containment, recovery, and recycling; as well as alternatives and substitutes.

“

Creative solutions are brought about by this challenge, giving whole industry sectors in countries around the globe the competitive advantage of moving to safer alternatives for pest control.

46 The Cracker • March 2010

I

Building Global Markets

t is human nature during times of crisis either to hunker down until the storm has passed, or to lash out and grab at short-term opportunities. The California Almond industry’s decision to stay focused on its global marketing strategy, even during a worldwide recession, continues to pay off with record-breaking shipments. Now in its third year of execution, this strategy was created to help the industry weather the ups and downs of world markets and almond supply.

While the depth of the last year’s economic crisis could not have been predicted, the advantage of a long-term strategy is that over time, programs result in a greater cumulative effect than can be achieved through short-term activities. And, research has shown that organizations that continue to invest in marketing during recessionary periods emerge stronger and better positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities.

The California Almond global marketing strategic approach, built using research, industry input and market exploration, is summarized here: California Almond Global Strategic Approach Begins with a foundation of market, nutrition and technical research to provide the basis of messages for consumer and professional audiences.

Market research also provides measurement of long-term program impact.

Focuses on the geographies of highest potential for California Almonds, using multiple measures of market receptivity, consumer preference and historical experience with almonds.

48 The Cracker • March 2010

Mega Markets: North America and European Union – together they currently consume more than 70% of total shipments.

Developing Markets: China and India – these two countries currently consume approximately 9% of total shipments.

Regional Drivers: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan – in addition to having strong bases of affluent consumers who are interested in high-quality foods and well being, these countries also drive trends in food, health, entertainment and manufacturing throughout Asia.

Elevates the focus on the largest categories of usage of California Almonds – chocolate, snacking and bakery/patisserie - to global programs with global impact.

Prioritizes management of the reputation of the California Almond industry and its product to build consistently positive perceptions that are based on the actions of the industry.

New Image to Launch in Coming Months Key to success of this global marketing strategy is the ongoing effort to build a single global image for California Almonds. When consumers in China, Europe, Japan, India, the U.S. and other world markets think of California Almonds, what images come to mind? When global food manufacturers, regulators in Sacramento or residents of the Central Valley think of the California Almond industry, what perceptions and beliefs result in decisions that benefit California Almond businesses? To ensure that global consumers and customers, and neighbors, of the California Almond industry are associating almonds with positive and nutritious lifestyle attributes, in November, 2008 the Almond Board of California Board of Directors approved a new global image for California Almonds.

This image will help solidify the strong positive feelings about California Almonds and the industry that exist with many audiences around the world today.

A year-long research project gathered input from the Almond Board of California members, committee members, staff and global marketing partners to define the attributes the industry wishes to stand for, and to understand the qualities that resonate with the California Almond industry’s many stakeholder audiences. What quickly emerged was a trend of complimentary but different attributes that are associated with California Almonds. These attributes, though expressed using different words in different cultures, were consistent in meaning: North Americans views almonds as simple, but premium; Europeans see almonds as a smart choice, but satisfying to the senses; in Japan, almonds are simple, but precious; and in China, almonds are seen as natural, but sensual. In all markets, California evoked strong images of nature, health, beauty, aspiration, innovation, and excitement. All of these attributes of the product and its source, California, played to the innovative and progressive yet richly traditional, multi-generational California Almond industry members.

The global theme that emerged rises above regional and audiencespecific differences to build upon the universal appeal of California Almonds with one image that can be easily adapted to local needs. The new image will be brought to life through the style and tone of all the work of the Almond Board. One of the first expressions of this powerful global image is a new mark for California Almonds. The Golden Almond mark, shown here, embodies the positive attributes which the industry wants to solidify consistently around the world.

The new image will bring more efficient and effective means to

for California Almonds

communicate the positive attributes of California Almonds as a product and an industry, along with a new level of sophistication and consistency to the Almond Board of California’s programs.

Moving Forward In the coming months, consumers, customers and industry members will begin to see the new global image of California Almonds brought to life.

Here are just some of the ways that this will be happening: Revitalized and refreshed website: by early summer, a new centralized website will be launched for all of the North American and industry audiences of the Almond Board. This new website will feature the most frequently sought-after information in a more user-friendly, easy to navigate format, including a single click to the monthly position report.

European and Asian websites will follow in time to build consistency.

Evolving consumer advertising: the new image doesn’t just mean a new logo on the consumer ads which feature the benefits of California Almonds, shown here. It also means that an evolution in messaging and tone to add more emphasis on the sensory aspects that consumers associate with almond taste and texture, as well as to create a stronger emotional connection with the solutions almonds bring to everyday life.

New California Almond industry materials: from the position report to the monthly California Almonds Newsletter, a transformation of style and tone will focus on more relevant and readable information.

Looking Forward Progress against the global marketing strategies will be measured in many ways, not the least of which is strengthening the industry’s sense of pride and ownership of the new global image and the marketing strategies.

California Almond industry members can take tremendous credit for the quality product they produce, which is associated with such positive attributes as premium, precious and aspirational, while at the same time is seen as simple and natural. Combined, these attributes offer consumers and customers around the global something unique when they choose California Almonds. Capitalizing on that equity will help the almond industry take advantage the tremendous opportunities for building global markets for California Almonds.

March 2010 • The Cracker 49

Tree Nuts and Weight Control

By Mark Dreher, PhD, International Tree Nut Council Consultant

T

he calorie density of nuts has traditionally caused dieters concern that eating nuts would promote weight gain. However, new research shows that tree nuts, when added in moderation to the diet, can aid in weight control and help enhance the effectiveness of a weight loss diet.

The following review is a summary of the key facts about nuts and weight control.

I. Current State of Dieting Science There has been an ongoing debate about which diets are most effective in helping promote weight loss and weight control.

Traditional weight loss diets tend to recommend small portion sizes, and low caloric intake with an emphasis on low fat foods.

The conventional thinking has been that since nuts contain fat they should be restricted or avoided during dieting. However, popular weight loss diets are very hard to maintain and many are based on no clinical evidence to back their effectiveness. One of the biggest problems with weight loss diets is called the “yo-yo effect” * resulting in a recycle back to weight gain, because of difficulty staying on the diet plan. Generally, diet advice has been based on either short-term weight loss clinical evidence or hypothetical guesses that did not adequately consider taste and long-term weight loss.

In the last few years new long-term research (two years) has found that reduced-calorie diets result in meaningful weight loss regardless of the proportion of fat, protein or carbohydrate consumed. Two randomized clinical studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2009 and the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2005 determined that all calorie-controlled low-fat, moderate-fat, or high-protein diets resulted in similar weight loss, if people adhered to the diet.

Further, another study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008 found that a moderate-fat Mediterranean-diet including nuts can result in as much or more weight loss than a

low fat diet plan. These findings confirm that an important key to weight loss is the ability to stay with the diet over time regardless of diet composition. This is where moderate nut consumption in a dieting plan may help.

• The yo-yo effect or weight cycling is the repeated loss and regain of body weight as a result of poor dietary adherence. A weight cycle can range from small weight losses and gains (5-10 lbs. per cycle) to large changes in weight (50 lbs. or more per cycle).

II. What is the Scientific Evidence for Nut Consumption and Weight Control?

Over the past several decades, tree nuts (i.e., almonds, Brazils, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts) have been among the most widely researched foods for weight management. The following Q&A summarizes this research and addresses some of the typical questions asked about nuts and weight control:

Question #1: Does frequent moderate tree nut consumption lead to weight gain? No, eating nuts in place of other foods that are equivalent in calories will not cause weight gain. A published review article in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007 assessed seven major epidemiological studies concluding that frequent nut consumers weighed the same or less than infrequent nut eaters.

A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009 found that higher nut consumption was not associated with greater weight gain during an eight year followup in healthy middle-aged women. A clinical study published in the International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders in 2003 observed that adding almonds to the existing diet, without adjusting calorie intake or physical activity levels, resulted in lower body weight than would be expected from theoretical predictions.

(–Continued on page 52)

50 The Cracker • March 2010

(–Continued from page 50)

Question #2: Can tree nuts contribute to weight loss? Yes, research shows that including tree nuts as part of a calorie-controlled weight loss plan can contribute to weight loss by providing diet satisfaction over a longer time to help maintain a weight loss diet and through a variety of mechanisms (discussed in the next section of this article) as described in a prospective study published in American journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009.

Question #3: Can tree nuts help reduce abdominal obesity (waist circumference)? Yes, this may be possible. Preliminary clinical research published in Archives of Internal Medicine in 2008 suggests that the addition of moderate amounts of tree nuts to the diet can help people reduce abdominal obesity compared to low fat diets.

Question #4: In addition to weight control, what other health benefits are associated with tree nut intake? A review of numerous clinical studies published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2006 finds that tree nuts included in the diet can reduce LDL cholesterol by 3-19% compared to Western or low fat diets. A review article published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2006 suggests that tree nuts can enhance glycemic control and reduce type 2 diabetes risk.

III. Nuts’ Unique Weight Control Mechanisms Tree nuts have wide ranging and unique nutritional profiles that can help in weight control. Here are five key reasons: 1. Clinical research published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2008

52 The Cracker • March 2010

determined that tree nuts can help satisfy hunger longer, resulting in spontaneous reduction of food intake at other times of the day to off-set a portion of the calories provided by nuts.

This may be associated with the levels of protein and / or dietary/fiber in nuts.

2. A published literature review published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2006 found that tree nuts help lower the glycemic response to meals (rate of blood glucose rise), which appears to promote weight control or loss in overweight people.

3. A recent published clinical trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009 observed that tree nuts may be relatively inaccessible to digestion, which appears to result in lower calorie absorption, as demonstrated in recent almond research. This may in part be associated with greater dietary fat excretion in the feces of frequent nut consumers.

4. A published literature review in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008 concluded that tree nuts may increase energy expenditure to dissipate a portion of the calories from nuts.

5. A clinical study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2008 suggests that tree nuts can help dieters enjoy their food more than traditional low fat diets to help them to stay on their weight control diets longer.

In summary, daily moderate tree nut consumption (up to about 1 ½ ounces or 45 grams) may assist dieters in healthy, weight control strategies. The clinical evidence supports a positive role for nuts in weight management and chronic disease risk reduction, including cardiovascular disease

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Studies Show Tree Nut Phytochemicals

By Mark Dreher, PhD Chief Science Officer and President Nutrition Science Solutions

C

omprehensive biomedical review articles published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007 and the British Journal of Nutrition in 2006 suggest that routine consumption of tree nuts (i.e., almonds, Brazils, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts) is associated with a longer healthspan, a period of a person’s life during which they are generally healthy and free of serious illness. Human studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009 and the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2008 suggest that nut intake is inversely associated with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and excessive weight gain. This is because tree nuts are rich in nutrients and phytochemicals (health promoting bioactive constituents in plants), which may work synergistically to improve one’s healthspan.

Early humans evolved with nuts as a part of their diet and benefited from the phytochemicals and nutrients, which still help modern humans to reduce oxidative and inflammatory stress, stimulate satiety and more. Thus, daily nut consumption, in moderation, is an important traditional component of a healthy diet.

This article reviews the latest science on tree nut phytochemical and nutrient constituents and their effects on chronic disease and weight control with suggestions on how to incorporate nuts into various food products.

54 The Cracker • March 2010

I. Nut Phytochemical and Nutrient Profiles Tables 1-3 provide a comprehensive summary of all major tree nut phytochemicals and macro- and micronutrients.

Phytochemicals Key tree nut phytochemicals are summarized in Table 1. While many of these components remain to be fully identified and characterized, broad categories include carotenoids, phenolics, and phytosterols as summarized in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008.

Carotenoids consist of a polyisoprenoid structure with different degrees of conjugated double bonds. There are over 600 plant carotenoids, such as beta carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin, found mostly in colorful fruits and vegetables. They have been associated with reducing the risk of age-related cataract and macular degeneration, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Pistachios are the richest nut source of carotenoids, mainly in the form of lutein and zeaxanthin.

The chemical structure of phenolics is derived from hydroxyl groups conjugated to an aromatic hydrocarbon ring. There are many types of phenolics including resveratrol (stilbenes), flavonoids, anthocyanin and ellagitannins. They may reduce the risk of several chronic diseases due to the following bio-mechanisms; anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and anti-carcinogen cell signaling. Phenolics are common to nuts but the total level among tree nuts varies, with almonds, hazel nuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts being the richest sources.

Phytosterols, with chemical structures similar to cholesterol, are found in the oil fraction of nuts. They are known to inhibit the absorption of dietary cholesterol and lower plasma cholesterol. Phytosterols are common in most tree nuts with the highest amounts found in almonds, cashews, pine nuts and pistachios.

Nutrients Tree nut nutrients (Tables 2 and 3) combine with phytochemicals to help promote an improved healthspan, as illustrated in the examples below.

Cardiovascular health and diabetes: Tree nuts contain mainly unsaturated fats (monoand polyunsaturated fatty acids) with low levels of saturated fat and no cholesterol, which help maintain normal blood cholesterol levels as reviewed in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2007.

Weight Management: Clinical research published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2007 suggests that tree nuts can promote satiety to help dieters feel fuller longer after a meal and control overall food intake. This may be attributed in part to the protein and dietary fiber content of nuts.

and Nutrients Improved Healthspan II. Nut Healthspan Benefits A significant body of biomedical studies consistently found that nuts can promote an enhanced healthspan by helping to lower the risk of chronic diseases and weight gain.

Cardiovascular health: A published epidemiological study in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1992 showed that eating a small handful (28 grams) of nuts five or more times per week could reduce the risk of heart attacks and death from cardiovascular disease by as much as half.

Collectively, a review of clinical studies published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2006 found a 3-19% reduction in LDL cholesterol in tree nut supplemented diets compared to Western or lower fat diets.

Emerging research suggests that tree nuts help protect against inflammation and promote improved arterial function to slow the development of atherosclerosis.

Recently, a study published in Clinical Nutrition in 2009 observed a potential benefit of nut consumption in lowering the risk of hypertension in males. Because of their heart healthy effects, tree nuts have been included in multi-national dietary guidelines and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a nut and nut-containing products health claim for cardiovascular disease.

Type 2 Diabetes: A prospective study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002 found that tree nut intake was inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes in women. There was an increasing level of protection with up to 4 or more servings of nuts per week. Another study in the Journal of Nutrition in 2009 reported that frequent nut consumption was associated with lower CHD risk in women with type 2 diabetes. Recent, clinical studies have shown that nuts enhance glycemic control, improve cholesterol profile and help stabilize body weight to reduce diabetes risk and help improve diabetes outcomes.

Nut Food Product Recommendations Tree nuts are an important component of a healthy diet. Nuts have a wide range of food applications. They can be consumed as snacks or as part of a meal, eaten whole, chopped or slivered; fresh, roasted or flavored; in spreads, butter or paste, used in coating of protein bars, or hidden in commercial products, mixed dishes, sauces or baked goods. Food processors should consider tree nuts in new products. A few examples of scenarios where tree nuts might help are as follows:

Weight Gain/Obesity: A published review of biomedical studies in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007 determined that moderate nut consumption can help people to control weight. A recent prospective study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009 concludes that a moderate level of nuts as part of a weight loss plan has been shown to prevent weight gain and may contribute to weight loss. In studies adding nuts to diets without adjusting for calorie intake or physical activity, the resulting body weight was less than expected from the theoretical prediction. Clinical trials contrasting weight loss diets that include or exclude nuts have shown improved diet compliance and greater weight loss with added nuts. Overall, the research finds that

2. Nut purees are a healthy low saturated fat or trans fat free alternative to butter or margarine.

1. Nuts are naturally rich in healthy oils, protein, dietary fiber and other nutrients and phytochemicals for a cleaner and healthier label.

3. Nuts are an alternative protein source to animal protein.

4. Nuts provide a variety of unique flavor and texture options to all types of foods In review, moderate tree nut consumption (most days of the week) can help lengthen one’s healthspan by adding the right combination of phytochemicals and nutrients to the diet to help control chronic disease risk and manage weight.

diets with tree nuts, in moderation, do not cause weight gain. These weight control benefits are due to nuts’ effects on satiety, blood glucose control, inefficient caloric absorption, and the dieter’s ability to stay with the diet longer.

March 2010 • The Cracker 55

Chef, Dieticians Join TheGreenNut. Getting healthy can seem like a daunting task,

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especially when you don’t know where to begin.

Chef Kathleen Daelemans and registered dietitians Keri Glassman and Alyse Levine have teamed up with TheGreenNut.org to create quick tips on three of the country’s biggest health issues – diabetes, heart health and weight control – to encourage healthy living in 2010. v Dietitian Alyse Levine recommends eating CLEAN – Choose a variety of healthy foods, Limit portions, Eat slowly, Assess your hunger, No deprivation. v Have a “survival kit” of snacks on hand. Going long periods of time without eating can lead to binging.

Snacks should include some lean protein to help control blood sugar swings – important in preventing diabetes. v Dietitian Keri Glassman says to stay heart-healthy.

On days that you can’t exercise, make sure you MOVE! Follow your kids around the playground instead of watching from the bench. v Make the fats you eat healthy fat – like those found in nuts. A study from Penn State showed that pistachios, eaten with a hearthealthy diet, may decrease a person’s cardiovascular disease risk profile. v Chef Kathleen Daelemans recommends losing weight and keeping it off by limiting empty calorie foods. If you’re going to eat, make it count with nutrient-rich foods.

Pistachio Fast Facts v A one-ounce serving of pistachios equals 49 nuts – more per serving than any other snack nut. v Pistachios are a naturally cholesterol-free snack that contains 1.5g of saturated fat – the least amount of fat per serving of any nut. v In July 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that eating most nuts, such as pistachios, may help reduce the risk of heart disease when incorporated into a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. v One serving of pistachios has as much potassium (300mg, 8%) as an orange (250mg, 7%). v Pistachios contain more than 10% of the Daily Value of dietary fiber and essential vitamins and minerals like B6, thiamin, copper and phosphorus. v You can obtain about as much dietary fiber from a serving of pistachios (2.9g, 12%) as from a 1/2 cup cooked broccoli (2.5g, 10%). v Pistachios, with 6g of protein can serve as a great alternative to meat, poultry or beans, according to the USDA MyPyramid. v Pistachios, like olive oil, primarily contain monounsaturated fat. The Dietary Guidelines recommend you get most of your fats from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.

56 The Cracker • March 2010

org to Promote California Pistachios v Antioxidants in the form of vitamins and phytochemicals are found in pistachios.

In a USDA analysis, the pistachio is placed in the highest group of nuts for antioxidants.

Meet the Experts Some of the nation’s leading nutrition experts are “going green” to share the great news about the many nutritional benefits of pistachios. v Chef Kathleen Daelemans, author of “Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen,” personally lost 75 pounds while creating a new regional cuisine for a five-star resort and spa in Maui. v Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN is the author of “The O2 Diet,” creator of Nutritious Life, and a regular contributor to the CBS Early Show. v Alyse Levine, MS, RD is the founder of

NutritionBite, LLC, a wellness advisor for ABC’s Good Morning America, and the nutrition advisor for Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong.com.

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March 2010 • The Cracker 57

ATLANTA – Representatives from 24 pecan shelling companies, including most of the largest companies in the industry, attended the 2009 National Pecan Shellers Association Annual Meeting, held last September in Chicago, IL. Attendees were buzzing about the program, which included several experts in the area of food safety.

“The schedule of speakers at the Annual Meeting was the best we ever had,” said Marty Harrell, President of Harrell Nut Company, based in Camilla, GA. “Every speaker was very educational and informative.

The program could not have been more timely, as we are at a turning point in the nut industry from increased scrutiny of food safety requirements by the government and customers.”

Other NPSA Members Agreed.

“The three speakers during the General Session paid for the entire trip itself,” said Bruce Caris, Vice President of The Green Valley Pecan Company, based in Sahuarita, AZ. “It’s invaluable to hear experts from government and industry speak on today’s hot topics, including their predictions for what the future holds for us as food companies.”

58 The Cracker • March 2010

Pecan Experts Share Insights on Food Safety at NPSA Annual Meeting During the Annual Meeting, attendees heard from the following speakers:

• Patrick Archer, president of

the American Peanut Council, shared a first-hand • Dr. David Acheson, managing account of how his organization managed director of food and import communications during the safety practice with Leavitt Partners and former director peanut recall earlier this year.

Mr. Archer also discussed of the U.S. Food and Drug how the peanut industry is Administration’s Center for working to ensure quality Food Safety and Nutrition and customer confidence (FDA CFSAN), provided going forward. attendees with information on how to meet the growing • Dr. Michael Doyle, director demand for even safer food. of the Center for Food Safety Dr. Acheson also shared his at the University of Georgia, views on what companies in explained how lessons the food industry may expect learned during the peanut in terms of new regulations in recall are impacting major the future. changes to that industry’s

Good Manufacturing Practices.

• Attendees were briefed on the progress of NPSA’s Marketing, Promotion and Research Program (MPRP), including two medical studies being conducted at the University of Massachusetts and Loma Linda University; as well as plans to investigate a new health study next year, possibly at Tufts University.

• Bruce Caris of Green Valley Pecan Co. shared trends and analysis related to the pecan market and David Norris of Jessup, Norris and Trunick provided an overview of the entire nut market. Jasper Sanfilippo, Jr. facilitated the NPSA crop forecast.

The National Pecan Shellers Association is an international trade association dedicated to preserving, representing and promoting the interests of the pecan industry – in a strong, unified voice – to government, media, food industry, health professionals and consumers.

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OREGON HAZELNUT GROWERS DEBUT NEW MILKSHAKE! The Oregon hazelnut industry

Waking up today is like waking up to find the world outside blanketed with freshly

has received a big nod of

fallen snow, unmarred by my

approval from Burgerville,

own missteps and tire spinning

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from the past 364 days. I

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wisdom an Oregon

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hazelnut grower shared

In its recent Sustainable-Business blog entry, Director of

with me on a visit this fall:

Supply Chain Alison Dennis encourages readers to “think like

“Cared for sustainably, a

an Oregon hazelnut grower,” who “tend to make decisions from a 100-year perspective.” Dennis, who stewards Burgerville’s sustainable values from farm to table, of course is referring to the long productive life of a typical hazelnut tree. As Burgerville envisions a future where the most profitable organizations take the best care of people and the planet, the Oregon hazelnut industry is honored to be recognized for its own long-term approach to caring for the land and protecting limited resources for generations to come.

Below is the blog entry from Dec. 31, 2009, reprinted with permission from Burgerville.

New Year’s Resolution: Think Like a Hazelnut Grower December 31st just might be my favorite day of the year.

60 The Cracker • March 2010

hazelnut tree can be productive for as long as a hundred years, so hazelnut growers tend to make decisions from a hundred year perspective.”

Imagine the future that is possible when we all made decisions in our work and lives from a hundred year perspective, like the 650 hazelnut farming families in Oregon.

Hazelnut trees bloom in the middle of winter and the wind carries their pollen from yellow catkins to tiny red flowers.

The nuts don’t begin forming until June but, like New Year’s resolutions, the promises that produce the harvest ahead are made today.

So here is my first New Year’s resolution for 2010: Think like an Oregon hazelnut grower.

Wishing peace and happiness to us all in 2010, and for the next hundred years.

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CALIFORNIA WALNUT COMMIS JAPAN CWC commemorates 20 years of New Products in Japan.

The CWC has the distinction of being SOUTH KOREA the longest running and highly regarded TV Publicity commodity competition recognizing new Health focused television programs continue products in the bakery and confectionary to influence consumer purchase behavior. sector. Over the past 20 years more than Leading programs Vitamin and Secret 4,200 products have been submitted to of Human Health on KBS both featured the competition with over 154 awards walnuts on their programs earlier this year, presented over that span of time. A total of leading to sharp increases in home shopping 17 entries are still available for purchase in and retail level purchases in the days and the stores. weeks that followed.

The 2009 competition drew 292 Product of the Year Award entries with six finalists selected in each The CWC was host to the third annual of the Bread, Pastry, Confectionery, and “The Product of the Year Award”, Japanese-Style Confectionery categories. recognizing new non-bakery products A special commerative prize was awarded using California walnuts. The winners in addition to the Grand, Gold, Silver and were announced at ceremonies held on Bronze Prizes from each category. “Kuru November 19, 2009. Prizes were awarded Kuru Savory” in Bread Category, created to “Walnut Cheese-stick” by Dongwon

by Mr. Kojima of Lupin Bakers, won the Dairy Food, “Walnut & Tofu Salad” by Paris Grand Prize, and “VOLCANO – Aroma and Baguette, “Walnutccino” by Tom & Toms, Texture” in Confectionery category, created “Gelato Brownie with Walnut” by Holly’s

by Mr. Ohishi of Hotel New Otani Osaka, Coffee. The consumer pick among the best won the Special Prize. products was the “Walnut Adlay Hot Tea Bakery Sector Promotions powder type drink mix” by Damtuh.

The bakery sector continues to account for Upon the receipt of this award, Damtuh more than 70% of the walnut consumption recently increased the walnut content from in Japan. Throughout 2009 the CWC 1.3 percent to 3 percent, and added 4 worked with major retail and wholesale more new tea products using 2~4 percent bakery chains to promote walnut based of walnut content ( Ginger Tea with Nuts, products. One to one promotions were Ssanghwa Tea with Nuts, Walnut & Almond held throughout the year along with Tea, and Hot Chocolate with Nuts ), an umbrella campaign during the fall. products launched in January 2010.

Participating companies included Little Mermaid, Aeon Bread Factory, Fujipan, Mont-Thabor, Doughnut Plant, Takaki Wholesale, Andersen, Pompadour and Yamazaki wholesale. Promotions lead to sales increases that generated 100% to 250% increases vs .the year prior and 32 new product introductions.

By Michelle McNeil Senior Marketing Director, International

62 The Cracker • March 2010

GERMANY Foodservice Promotion The CWC recently cooperated with foodservice company L & D to organize three corporate cafeteria promotions in October. L & D is a foodservice operator supplying most of the high-end cafeterias in the Rhine region and Berlin. Participating were three cafeterias, including the T-Mobile headquarters as well as the Telekom and T-Home, Germany’s largest telephone company (approximately 90 % market share), in Bonn.

California walnuts were integrated into the cafeteria menus for one week during the promotion. More than 3,000 dishes with walnuts, such as “Venison with Salad and Walnut Dressing” and “Steak with Walnut-Cranberry-Sauce” were sold during the promotion week. AdScreens advertised the dishes as menus of the day. The CWC, along with other MAP cooperators (the Cranberry Marketing Committee and the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission), were present with an information booth greeting 3,500 to 5,000 visitors daily. An online contest and special promotional brochure were created for the cooperation showing the versatility of walnuts in home cooking, discussing the health benefits and origin of California walnuts.

According to the purchasing manager of L & D, it was the most successful promotion in the history of L & D and calls for a repetition.

Advertising Campaign Year round print and online advertising demonstrates the versatility and taste of California walnuts in motifs featuring “Genuss mit Aromaplus” (the aroma of walnuts). Eighty eight ads were featured in women’s cooking and lifestyle publications such as Essen and Trinken and Brigette with a reach of over 22 million. Four pilot campaigns were conducted with online women’s /cooking publications with a reach of 3 million. Point of sale materials supplemented advertising at the point of purchase in leading retailers Aldi and Rewe during the pre-Christmas season.

SION PROMOTES WORLDWIDE SPAIN The CWC uses an integrated campaign to drive consumer awareness through online, print and in store advertising.

The campaign creative is centered on Twiggy, a water skiing squirrel, who advises consumers to “eat walnuts and improve your life”. A landing page created for the campaign directs consumers to YouTube videos of the water skiing squirrel, health quizzes, recipes on www. nuecesdecalifornia.com and Facebook fan page. The landing page received over 300,000 visits in November and December with over 20,000 views of the YouTube videos. Twiggy was featured by influential health, wellness and recipe bloggers.

Print ads in leading women’s and cooking publications, as well as Sunday newspaper supplements featured Twiggy’s health message. In-store advertising reinforced the message at the point of purchase in Cabrabo, Carrefour, El Corte Ingles and Carrefour express stores throughout Spain.

Food Industry Technical Seminar California Walnuts held its third technical seminar, “California Walnuts, a functional, healthy and versatile ingredient”, to educate Research & Development Directors and Marketing Managers to the benefits using California walnuts. The seminar was held at restaurant La Terraza del Casino in Madrid, owned by award-winning chef Paco Roncero. Chef Paco Roncero, recently

awarded with a second Michelin Star, delighted the audience with a delicious and original menu made up of various dishes prepared specially for the event. The twenty one attendees, representing the bakery, snack, sauce, cheese, fish and catering industries, listened to presentations by Martina Miserachs of the Spanish Dietitians and Nutritionists Association discussing the health benefits of walnuts and CWC consultant Manel Estany explained the added value of incorporating walnuts into new products.

Menus con Corazon (Menus with Heart) The Spanish Heart Foundation, Professional Chef Societies and the CWC collaborated to bring cardio-healthy recipes to Spanish consumers through the Menus with heart Campaign. To kick off the program press conferences were held in the leading cities of Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Seville and Bilbao to invite media to speak directly with the chefs and leading cardiologists about how eating a heart healthy diet can taste good and be good for you. Recipes developed by the chefs were compiled into a recipe booklet for the media and consumers. To date, coverage has been generated through print, online and television with coverage reaching 36.5 million in audience coverage.

CHINA Bakery Promotions Retail bakery promotions were conducted with Marco Polo stores in Shanghai and Tous Lesjours Shops in Beijing. Tous Lesjours is a Korean bakery located in shopping malls and high-end communities who offerings are popular with high-income Chinese and expatriates. Six promotional CA Walnut products including: “California Walnut Homemade Cookies”; “California Walnut Pound Cake”; “California Walnut Pie”; “California Walnut Baguette”; “California Walnut Bean Bread”; “Chocolate Pound Cake w/California Walnuts” were offering during the promotion. Point of sale materials were heavily displayed, as well as, a special free calendar offer for multiple purchases. As a result of the strong sales the November month long promotion was extended through December.

(–Continued on page 64)

March 2010 • The Cracker 63

(–Continued from page 63) CANADA Brain Food In order to reach our customers of tomorrow, the CWC conducted a pilot program to reach University students. The “Brain Food” Campaign sought to educate students about the positive cognitive effects of consuming walnuts on nine college campuses over a three day period prior to mid-term exams this fall. Study tip cards and samples we’re distributed on campuses, while students could also register to win a Nintendo DS with the Brain game on the CWC’s Canadian website. The campaign was accompanied by a viral video (featuring Canadian celebrities study tips) distributed to Canadian news outlets, as well as, a Facebook fan page. To continue campaign momentum the CWC conducted a radio drop during final exams in December, further reinforcing the ‘brain food’ message.

To date, the campaign has an audience reach of over five million. The hope is to continue to outreach to this demographic, so that students will equate “exam time” with “brain food/walnut time.”

64 The Cracker • March 2010

UNITED STATES Consumer Attitudes & Usage The California Walnut Board conducted an Attitude and Usage Study on over 1000 consumers who are primary shoppers last fall. The results in comparison to the previous year were extremely positive.

As a result of the strong health research program, 87% of consumers believe that walnuts are healthy. Awareness of omega-3 and antioxidant content as well as the heart health benefits all increased significantly.

The CWB also found that there was a 12.6% increase in purchase frequency, and more frequent purchasers were aware of the omega-3 content in walnuts. Compared with five years ago, 55% of consumers surveyed were purchasing more walnuts.

Importantly, with the economic conditions present over the past year, 63% of consumers believe that walnuts are “a good value for the money.”

The New Walnuts.org California Walnuts recently launched a new U.S. website that is more dynamic and engaging, providing specific content to consumers, health professionals, foodservice professionals and members of the industry.

Visitors can rate and review recipes, create their own recipe boxes and browse specific recipe collections. The Smart Living section has content specific to families, foodies, athletes, seniors and health professionals.

This section includes lightened up recipes, nutrition and fitness tips to provide consumers with easy ways to include walnuts in a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, a more robust industry section gives walnut growers and handlers quick access to reports, meetings and events, regulatory information, and relevant industry news.

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XXIX WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT CONGRESS

WORLD CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION TRENDS M A R C H 2 0 1 0 | G L O B A L S TAT I S T I C A L R E V I E W PIN

PIN

WA HA PR PI WA DA AL RA

PR

HA DFAL

HA AL

DAT

PEA PE MA

PE

PR HA DF PI HA RA DAT DA WA PI WA DA PI AL AL PI PIN DF RA RA DAT DAT DF DF

DAT

WA PEA PIN

PEA CA CA

CA PEA PEA

BR

CA MA BR BR

MA CA PE

RA PR

DA PE MA

MA

PR DA

«Statistics

are also available at our website

www.nutfruit.org»

Map shows 5 top producing countries. Other major producers listed below.

MAIN PRODUCING COUNTRIES ALMONDS USA Spain Syria Italy Iran Australia Chile Morocco Tunisia Greece Turkey

(AL) WALNUTS China USA Iran Turkey Ukraine Italy Chile France India Romania Moldova Greece

(WA)

BRAZIL NUTS Bolivia Brazil Peru

(BR) PEANUTS

China India Nigeria USA Indonesia Argentina Vietnam

(PEA)

CASHEWS

India Brazil Vietnam Mozambique Nigeria Indonesia Tanzania Côte d’Ivoire Guinea-Bissau Kenya

(CA) DATES

Egypt Saudi Arabia Iran Iraq Tunisia USA Israel Algeria United Arab Emirates Pakistan Morocco

(DAT)

HAZELNUTS

MACADAMIAS

(HA)

(MA)

Turkey Italy USA Spain Azerbaijan Georgia France China Iran Russia

DRIED APRICOTS Turkey Australia Iran USA South Africa China

(DA)

Australia USA South Africa Malawi Brazil Guatemala Costa Rica Kenya Zimbabwe

DRIED FIGS Turkey Egypt Iran Greece Italy USA Spain

(DF)

PECANS

USA Mexico South Africa Australia

(PE) PRUNES

USA Chile France Argentina Serbia Australia South Africa Italy

(PR)

PINE NUTS

China Russia Afghanistan Pakistan Mongolia Spain Portugal Italy DPRK Turkey

PISTACHIOS Iran USA Syria Turkey Greece Afghanistan Italy China

(PIN)

(PI)

RAISINS/SULTANAS/CURRANTS Turkey USA Iran Greece Chile Uzbekistan South Africa Australia Argentina China

(RA)

Listed by global production as per FAO but not necessarily meaning quantities going through commercial channels.

September March 2010 2009 • The Cracker 67

ALMOND ALMENDRA AMANDE MANDORLE MANDEL BADEM AMETLLA

USA December 2009 proved to be yet another stellar month for California Almonds, with monthly shipments increasing 58% over December 2008.

Total worldwide shipments from August to December 2009 exceeded 326,000 MT (719 million pounds), rising 19% over the same five-month period in 2008. Export shipments

rose 23% to reach 241,190 MT (532 million pounds), while domestic shipments also rose 9% to 84,700 MT (187 million pounds), according to the Almond Board of California Position Report.

the entire twelve month shipment volume of FY 2008/09.

The subjective crop estimate for the 2010/2011 crop year will be announced on May 6, 2010 at noon at the Almond Board of California.

Exports to China, the largest shipment destination, reached 48,431 MT (106.8 million pounds) YTD as of December 2009. This exceeds

SPAIN Spain is enjoying one of the best crops in recent years. The market

is following the firmness trend of California with still a good supply level for the rest of the season.

End January blooming has not started yet, but all looked positive, and the winter was giving a good chilly hours ratio. Many areas have received a good rain and snow, which guarantees a much better water supply this coming season.

Estimated World Almonds Production. Kernel basis. Metric Tons 2008 / 2009

2009 / 2010

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

USA MM lbs (*)

231

1.614

1.845

414

414

1.350

1.764

248

USA (*)

104.780

732.377

837.157

187.789

187.789

612.355

800.144

112.492

Spain

0

35.000

35.000

0

0

69.000

69.000

10.000

Australia

0

37.000

37.000

0

0

46.100

46.100

0

Turkey

0

9.500

9.500

0

0

13.750

13.750

0

Tunisia

0

10.000

10.000

0

0

12.000

12.000

0

Iran

0

10.000

10.000

0

0

10.000

10.000

0

Morocco

0

8.000

8.000

0

0

9.000

9.000

0

Greece

0

12.000

12.000

0

0

8.000

8.000

0

Chile

100

9.000

9.100

0

0

8.000

8.000

0

Italy

0

10.500

10.500

0

0

6.000

6.000

0

Syria

0

7.000

7.000

0

0

5.000

5.000

0

Others

0

30.000

30.000

0

0

30.000

30.000

0

TOTAL

104.880

910.377

1.015.257

187.789

187.789

829.205

1.016.994

122.492

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

827.468

ENDING STOCK

894.502

* USA crop is based on 3% inedible and process loss.

Source: ABC, and other INC sources.

Top Export Markets for California Almonds. Aug-Dec 2009 DESTINATION COUNTRY China Spain Germany India UAE Japan Netherlands Italy Turkey France Korea UK Russia Others TOTAL Source: ABC

68 The Cracker • March 2010

MT 48.431 33.060 23.346 19.727 14.841 9.683 7.922 7.746 7.663 5.959 5.138 4.868 4.583 12.243 241.190

% Change from last year 111% 9% 7% -16% 39% 6% 31% 2% 37% 17% 71% -26% 39% 23%

California Almond Exports by Region Aug-Dec 2009 Middle East/Africa 14% Central/E. Europe 4 %

Others 5 %

Asia Pacific 37% Western Europe 40%

AMAZONIA (BRAZIL) NUT COQUITO DE BRAZIL NOIX DE VRESIL NOCE DEL BRASILE PARANÜSSE BREZILYA FINDIGI NOU DE BRASIL

Last year we saw a price increase of 90%. Beginning January 2010, no spot was available in producing countries. Collection of pods started in Bolivia but kernels will be available only on April/May.

UK imported 6,428 MT of Amazonia nuts from Bolivia (down 5% compared to the previous year), followed by USA (6,094 MT, up 5%), and Germany (1,814 MT, up 79%).

followed by Brazil (4,000 MT) and Peru (2,465 MT).

The volume of Bolivian exports in 2009 totaled 21,353 MT, up 7% from 2008. UK and USA remained by far the top destinations. The

World production of Amazonia (Brazil) nuts in 2009 has been estimated at 22,530 MT (kernel basis), a decrease of 16% from the previous season, being Bolivia the main producer with 16,065 MT,

Estimated World Amazonia (Brazil) Nuts Production. Kernel basis. Metric Tons 2008/2009

2009/2010

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

Bolivia (*)

0

18.900

18.900

0

0

Brazil (**)

0

5.000

5.000

0

Peru

0

2.900

2.900

TOTAL

0

26.800

26.800

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

16.065

16.065

0

0

4.000

4.000

0

0

0

2.465

2.465

0

0

0

22.530

22.530

0

26.800

22.530

Estimated World Amazonia (Brazil) Nuts Production. In shell basis. Metric Tons 2008/2009

2009/2010

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

Bolivia (*)

0

24.000

24.000

200

200

Brazil (**)

0

29.000

29.000

500

Peru

0

6.000

6.000

TOTAL

0

59.000

59.000

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

20.000

20.200

0

500

22.000

22.500

0

0

0

6.000

6.000

0

700

700

48.000

48.700

0 48.700

58.300

(*) Expected reduction of green nuts imported from Brazil. (**) Brazil reports large domestic consumption for kernel material. Very important in-shell exports to Far East as well as USA. Source: INC.

Top 10 Export Markets for Bolivian Brazil Nuts. Metric Tons

6.781

2008

6.428

2009

6.094

5.282

1.814 1.757

1.708 1.321 1.016

1.304

1.170 1.171 762

UK

USA

Germany

Netherlands

Australia

750

Italy

537

726

Colombia

522

626

Spain

422

464

Belgium-Lux

297

268

Canada

Others

Source: National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia.

March 2010 • The Cracker 69

CASHEW ANACARDO NOIX DE CAJOU ANACARDIO CASHEW CEVIZI ANACARD

INDIA The market declined in the first quarter of 2009 due to the fear that consumption could fall led by the economic recession. Even though there was slight decline in rawnut prices initially, resistance from farmers and traders was stiff. Soon demand started picking up and prices improved.

Contrary to expectation, demand was reasonably good which

stabilized the prices, and kernel prices improved in all consuming markets the second half of the year. Demand for brokens was especially good in India during the festival season in fourth quarter.

The prospects for the new crop in India appear to be normal.

Markets are expected to be steady on the longer run as most of the major buyers have not covered forward positions.

BRAZIL

and the Northern States it stopped suddenly and swiftly, early rather than late. The immediate reaction was for the seed price to shoot up, and point to a difficult 2010 for the factories.

Brazil’s 2009/2010 crop has been estimated at 52,000 MT, down from the 62,000 MT estimated previously. Due to the continuation of the 2009 rainy season well beyond normal, way into July, the harvest was over a month late. As the trees looked healthy enough many people thought that it would extend longer, and thus recover, but in fact in Ceara

Final export figures for the calendar year 2009 were of 47,760 MT. North America and the EU remained the main destinations with shares of 72% and 17.5% respectively.

Estimated World Cashews Production. Kernel basis. Metric Tons Brazil converted basis: 4,8 kg RCN = 1 kg kernel, all others: 4,2 kg RCN = 1 kg kernel

2008/2009

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

0 2006176.000 India BEGINNING CROP 0 TOTAL

71.400 Côte d’Ivoire STOCK 1ST SEP SUPPLY Vietnam

0 75.000

64.696 158.273 Brazil 93.577 0 66.500 Indonesia

0 Guinea-Bissau

Tanzania

Nigeria

0

0 46.650

0

2009/2010

TOTAL SUPPLY 176.000 ENDING 71.400 STOCK 75.000 34.150 66.500

ENDING BEGINNING CROP STOCK STOCK 0 0 2007160.000 BEGINNING CROP TOTAL 0 0 69.000 STOCK 1ST SEP SUPPLY 0 0 55.000 34.150 158.376 192.526 0 0 52.000

29.500 46.650 23.800

29.500 0 23.800

0

0 3.500 0

23.800 3.500 19.000

23.800 0 19.000

0

4.956 0

0 148.683

0

15.500 4.956 9.000 213.379 12.000

15.500 1.210 9.000 35.360 12.000

TOTAL SUPPLY 160.000 ENDING 69.000 STOCK 55.000 60.980 52.000

ENDING STOCK 0 0 0 0

0

0 68.000 0

24.000 68.000 23.500

24.000 0 23.500

0

0

0 4.050 0

19.000 4.050 18.000

19.000 0 18.000

0

0 1.210* 0 35.360 0

0 1.700 0 232.126 0

15.500 2.910 11.000 267.486 10.000

15.500 545 11.000 61.525 10.000

0

0 0

0 0

Mozambique

0 Benin 64.696 Cambodia

Ghana

0

3.500

3.500

0

0

5.000

5.000

0

Senegal

0

4.200

4.200

0

0

4.500

4.500

0

Others

0

13.200

178.019 13.200

0

0

13.900

205.961 13.900

0

TOTAL

0

542.400

542.400

0

0

480.400

480.400

0 0

0

542.400

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

480.400

Source: Cashew Export Promotion Council of India, Sindicaju Brazil, and other INC sources.

Indian Data

2004 Exports (kernels) Quantity (MT)

121.574

542,59 Value (US$ In Millions)

2004 Imports (rawnuts)

567.532 Quantity (MT)

449,30 Value (US$ in Millions) % 2004 Major Destinations Kernel Exports

48,00 USA

12,00 Netherlands

6,20 UAE

5,50 Japan

5,30 UK Source: Cashew Export Promotion Council of India.

70 The Cracker • March 2010

2005

2006

2007

2008

118.805 603,82

117.325 541

115.265 547

110.949 667

2005

2006

2007

2008

565.645 451

571.474 398

592.896 382

648.789 632

2005

2006

2007

2008

40,60 14,31 5,90 4,89 5,41

39,64 16,25 7,76 3,60 4,20

36,70 11,99 10,90 4,61 3,49

37,50 13,00 9,25 4,75 3,50

2009(Jan-Nov)

97.360 535 2009(Jan-Nov)

682.849 550 2009(Jan-Nov)

31 10 13 5 5

HAZELNUT AVELLANA NOISETTE NOCCIOLA HAZELNUB FINDIK AVELLANA

TURKEY Turkish hazelnut exports reached 103,000 MT (kernel basis) from September 1st, 2009 until December 31st, 2009, down 20% from the same

period last year. As of December 31st, 2009, the price was US$ 570./580. per 100 kg gross/net, packing 80 kg jute sacks, FOB/ FOT Blacksea, for new crop 1113 – 13-15 mm size hazelnut kernels, class I.

On January 7th, 2010, the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) had 452,000 MT (in shell) in storage, 56,000/80,000/316,000 MT from the 2006/2007/2008 crops respectively. TMO did not sell any hazelnut after 2009

crop arrival, except for 6,000 MT (shelled and roasted) that were sold in small packs to retail outlets. TMO’s plans for 2007 and/or 2008 crops are still unknown.

Estimated World Hazelnuts Production. Kernel basis. Metric Tons 2008

COUNTRY

2009

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

Turkey 180.000 2006450.000

BEGINNING CROP TOTAL

8.000 59.000 Italy STOCK 1ST SEP SUPPLY

218 14.512 USA

630.000 ENDING 67.000 STOCK 14.730

Azerbaijan

Georgia Spain

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

25.000 (*) 25.000 (*) 2007 280.000 (**) BEGINNING CROP TOTAL 11.700 11.700 40.000 STOCK 1ST SEP SUPPLY 218 218 12.700

305.000 ENDING 51.700 STOCK 12.918

35.000 n/a n/a

n/a

16.000

16.000

1.200

1.200

12.000

13.200

n/a

n/a

14.000

14.000

1.200

1.200

10.800

12.000

n/a

450

11.700

12.150

900

900

9.000

9.900

n/a

Others

n/a

6.750

6.750

n/a

n/a

8.000

TOTAL

188.668

571.962

760.630

40.218

40.218

372.500

Approx.

332.000

ESTIMATED WORLD CONSUMPTION

8.000

5.000

205.961 412.718

40.000

Estimated World Hazelnuts Production. In shell basis. Metric Tons 2008

COUNTRY

2009

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

Turkey 360.000 2006900.000

BEGINNING CROP TOTAL 17.000 125.000 Italy STOCK 1ST SEP SUPPLY

544 36.280 USA

1.260.000 ENDING 142.000 STOCK 36.824

Azerbaijan

Georgia Spain

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

50.000 (*) 50.000 (*) 2007 560.000 (**) BEGINNING CROP TOTAL 25.000 25.000 85.000 STOCK 1ST SEP SUPPLY 544 544 32.000

610.000 ENDING 110.000 STOCK 32.544

70.000 n/a n/a

n/a

40.000

40.000

3.000

3.000

30.000

33.000

n/a

n/a

35.000

35.000

3.000

3.000

27.000

30.000

n/a

1.000

26.000

27.000

2.000

2.000

18.000

20.000

n/a

20.000

10.000

Others

n/a

15.000

15.000

n/a

n/a

20.000

TOTAL

378.544

1.177.280

1.555.824

83.544

83.544

772.000

Approx.

850.000

ESTIMATED WORLD CONSUMPTION

205.961 855.544

80.000

(*) As of January 7th, 2010, TMO had 452,000 MT in shell in storage. (**) 2009 crop (500,000 MT) plus 60,000 MT that TMO sells as roasted kernels and hazelnut oil in retail for domestic consumption.

Source: Istanbul Hazelnut and Products Exports Union, Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board and other INC sources.

March 2010 • The Cracker 71

MACADAMIA MACADAMIA MACADAMIANUb MAKEDEMIA CEVIZI MACADÀMIA

AUSTRALIA The 2009 Australian macadamia crop has officially been put at 37,500 MT (in shell), 10,500 MT kernel equivalent, according to the Australian Macadamia Handlers Group who represents over

Australia Annual Production of Macadamia nut-in-shell

90% of processed macadamias in shell, and adjusted by the Australian Macadamia Society. The final estimate has been revised downward to 37,500 MT from a previous estimate of 39,000 MT due to continued adverse weather conditions around harvest.

YEAR

PRODUCTION MT (*)

2003

29.700

2004

43.700

2005

35.500

2006

43.900

2007

41.800

2008

36.000

2009

37.500

(*) at 10% moisture content (MC) Source: AMS

Estimated World Macadamias Production. Kernel basis. Metric Tons 2008/2009

2009/2010

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

Australia

5.872

10.282

16.154

3.001

3.001

South Africa

250

6.146

6.396

620

USA

300

4.650

4.950

0

Kenya

300

2.000

2.300

Malawi

228

1.709

1.937

Guatemala

20

1.250

1.270

Brazil

120

515

635

Costa Rica

0

200

200

Zimbabwe

0

100

100

Others

0

450

450

0

0

450

450

n/a

TOTAL

7.090

27.302

34.392

4.259

4.259

29.277

33.536

2.903

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

10.500

13.501

2.903

620

6.850

7.470

n/a

0

5.500

5.500

n/a

300

300

2.000

2.300

n/a

218

218

1.837

2.055

n/a

0

0

1.440

1.440

n/a

120

120

500

620

0

0

0

200

200

n/a

0

0

n/a

n/a

n/a

30.133

30.633

Estimated World Macadamias Production. In shell basis. Metric Tons 2008/2009

2009/2010

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

Australia

19.988

35.000

54.988

10.215

10.215

South Africa

n/a

22.350

22.350

n/a

USA

n/a

18.600

18.600

n/a

Kenya

n/a

11.000

11.000

Malawi

n/a

5.890

5.890

Guatemala

n/a

6.250

6.250

Brazil

536

2.300

2.836

Costa Rica

n/a

1.000

1.000

Zimbabwe

400

400

800

Others

n/a

2.500

2.500

n/a

n/a

2.500

2.500

n/a

TOTAL

20.924

105.290

126.214

10.751

10.751

115.380

126.091

9.881

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK) Source: AMS, SAMAC, USDA and other INC sources.

72 The Cracker • March 2010

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

37.500

47.715

9.881

n/a

24.500

24.460

n/a

n/a

22.680

22.680

n/a

n/a

n/a

11.000

11.000

n/a

n/a

n/a

6.100

6.100

n/a

n/a

n/a

8.000

8.000

n/a

536

536

2.100

2.636

0

n/a

n/a

1.000

1.000

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

115.463

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

116.210

PECAN PECANA NOIX DE PECAN NOCE PECAN PECANNUb PEKAN CEVIZI PACANA

The consumption of in shell pecans by the Chinese market has experienced tremendous growth for five consecutive years. This year it is estimated that China

available in shell pecans. South Africa and Australia anticipate good quality from their crops which will be harvested over the summer months.

levels close to $5.00 per pound FOB sellers plant. The crop in both Mexico and the USA came in a bit shorter than anticipated putting additional pressure on pricing for

will purchase as much as 30% of the entire USA crop and at least 20% of the Mexican crop. Prices increased dramatically (October 2009 – January 2010) reaching

Estimated World Pecans Production. Kernel basis. Metric Tons 2008/2009

2009/2010

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

USA

38.108

38.587

76.695

19.402

19.402

Mexico

0

18.374

18.374

450

450

South Africa

0

2.601

2.601

58

Australia

225

1.080

1.305

TOTAL

38.333

60.642

98.975

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

60.215

79.617

30.618

35.721

36.171

1.350

58

1.020

1.078

0

0

0

1.350

1.350

225

19.910

19.910

98.306

118.216

32.193

79.065

86.023

Estimated World Pecans Production. In shell basis. Metric Tons 2008/2009

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

USA

84.685

Mexico

South Africa

Australia TOTAL

2009/2010

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

85.748

170.433

43.115

43.115

0

40.830

40.830

1.000

0

5.100

5.100

140

545

2.400

2.945

85.230

134.078

219.308

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

133.811

176.926

54.885

1.000

79.379

80.379

3.200

140

2.267

2.407

0

0

0

3.000

3.000

500

44.255

44.255

218.457

262.712

175.053

58.585 204.127

Source: USDA, INC.

US Exports of Pecans. Shelled. Metric Tons 14.000

13.523

12.000 10.000

10.195

9.538

8.000

12.732

10.625 9.575

6.000 4.000 2.000 2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009 (*)

(*) Jan - Nov 2009 Source: USDA, FAS.

US Exports of Pecans. Shelled. Metric Tons Canada Netherlands UK Israel China (*) Mexico France Others TOTAL

2004 4.513 1.131 1.402 666 58 148 660 960 9.538

2005 4.296 1.329 1.713 426 102 776 636 917 10.195

2006 3.751 1.777 1.269 673 505 416 459 725 9.575

2007 3.987 2.120 1.199 795 163 699 869 793 10.625

2008 4.299 2.427 1.616 1.352 962 933 931 1.003 13.523

Jan-Nov 2008 3.997 2.241 1.579 1.319 735 846 855 890 12.462

Jan-Nov 2009 3.237 1.741 1.191 841 3.601 511 605 1.005 12.732

% Change -19% -22% -25% -36% 390% -40% -29% 13% 2%

(*) Incl: Hong Kong/Taiwan.

Source: USDA, FAS.

March 2010 • The Cracker 73

PINE NUT PIÑÓN PIGNON PINOLI PINIENKERNE ÇAM FISTIGI PINYÓ

Prices have increased dramatically due to the shortness of crops. While Chinese consumption dominates, manufacturers and connoisseurs do not stop sourcing pine nuts for pesto sauce recipes and other gourmet uses.

November 2009, where Hong Kong traders, pine kernel processors, exporters, and buyers, met to address the issue of bitter taste of Huashan kernels. Participants also discussed about the pine kernel stock situation, and market trend.

The China Chamber of Commerce (CFNA) hosted a Pine Kernels meeting in Dandong, Liaoning,

Due to the short supply of Chinese/Russian Koraiensis in recent years, Chinese exporters and

although it has been proven that there is no pesticide or metallic pollution for sure. On September 2009, the UK Food Standards Agency reported that no adverse health effects have been associated with this symptom. CFNA is working on the subject, gathering specialists to analyze all the elements in Huashan and find the cause of the bitter taste.

overseas importers started to use Huashan kernels for mixing. Some years ago, Huashan kernel was only destined for industrial use, such as paste. Because of the bitter taste and decreased demand in overseas market, prices for Huashan have come down.

So far, the Chinese industry is still investigating this issue,

Estimated World Pine Nuts Production. Kernel basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2008/2009

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

2009/2010

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

Far East (Pinus Chinensis): Pakistan

0

4.000

4.000

0

0

6.000

6.000

0

China

500

8.100

8.600

150

150

4.500

4.650

160

Russia

0

880

880

0

0

2.660

2.660

0

DPR Korea

0

1.300

1.300

0

0

2.120

2.120

0

Total Far East

500

14.280

14.780

150

150

15.280

15.430

160

Mediterranean (Pinus Pinea): Turkey

0

1.500

1.500

0

0

1.200

1.200

n/a

Portugal

0

600

600

0

0

1.200

1.200

n/a

Spain

0

750

750

0

0

900

900

n/a

Italy

0

200

200

0

0

250

250

n/a

Total Mediterranean TOTAL

0

3.050

3.050

0

0

3.550

3.550

n/a

500

17.330

17.830

150

150

18.830

18.980

WORLD CONSUMPTION (TOTAL SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

17.680

Source: China Tree Nuts Association, and other INC sources.

2008 Chinese Pine Nuts Export Destination; Metric Tons; % Australia; 166; 4% Russia; 171; 4% Netherlands; 219; 5%

Italy; 162; 4% Others; 599; 14%

France; 238; 6% UK; 249; 6%

Korea; 312; 7%

Source: China Tree Nuts Association

74 The Cracker • March 2010

160 18.820

USA; 1.453; 35%

Germany; 625; 15%

PISTACHIO PISTACHO PISTACHE PISTACCHIO PISTAZIE ANTEP FISTIGI FESTUC

USA CY09 will continue to be a great year for California pistachios. The industry plan for the crop year is to ship 145,000 MT (320 million pounds), 60,000 MT (130 million pounds) domestically and 85,000 (190 million pounds) internatio-

nally. At the time of this writing shipments were 16,600 MT (30 million pounds) ahead of the best start ever and the industry will have to decelerate shipments to stay within the plan. The year is expected to close with a nominal carryout of 18-23,000 MT (40 to 50 million pounds).

IRAN The Iranian pistachio crop has been slighlty revised to 170,000 MT, and carry-over was found to be 2,000 MT by September 15, 2009. Exports increased since the second half of September 2009, totallying 54,500 MT by

December. Pricewise, the market was silent from October until mid November, when the market improved 5 to 10 percent in several sizes, especially on round 28-30 and 30-32.

Estimated World Pistachios Production. In shell basis. Metric Tons 2008/2009

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

USA

55.000

Iran

Syria

2009/2010

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

125.000

180.000

31.092

31.092

160.909

192.001

23.000

25.000

85.000

110.000

2.000

2.000

170.000

172.000

0

14.000

55.000

69.000

Turkey

3.300

47.300

50.600

5.000

5.000

50.000

55.000

n/a

23.300

23.300

40.000

63.300

n/a

Afghanistan

1.000

15.000

16.000

1.000

1.000

15.000

16.000

n/a

Greece

500

12.000

12.500

500

500

9.000

9.500

n/a

China

0

5.000

5.000

0

0

5.000

5.000

n/a

Italy

Australia

100

4.500

4.600

100

100

4.000

4.100

n/a

0

1.500

1.500

0

0

2.000

2.000

n/a

Others

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

TOTAL

98.900

350.300

449.200

62.992

62.992

455.909

518.901

n/a

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

386.208

Source: INC

California Pistachios: Industry Shipments. Metric Tons

Export

Domestic

86.200 29.000

91.200

53.500

74.800

25.900

33.100

34.500

38.100

51.700

50.800

51.300

59.400

57.200

44.900

47.600

62.600

45.400

59.000

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

43.000

54.000

93.200

18.600

59.000

Est 2010

Source: APC

March 2010 • The Cracker 75

Walnut NUEZ NOIX NOCE WALUNB CEVIZ NOU

CHINA The 2009 Chinese walnut crop has been estimated at 430,000 MT, down from the previous forecast of 490,000 MT. The receipt was finally found short in some major origins such as Shaanxi, Gansu and Shanxi, although good harvest was simultaneously reported in the origins of Xinjiang and Yunnan.

Overseas shipments for shelled walnuts showed a sharp decline from February to December 2009, down 64% from the previous season.

Local consumption resulted in a very firm market with over 40% price jump at the beginning of the season. Beginning January 2010, supply was running short and limited production was under way in most factories.

However, imports are getting strong year by year due to the evergrowing demand. China imported 13,100 MT (in shell) and 8,327 MT (shelled) walnuts from Feb to Dec 2009, a 100% and 500% gain respectively, from the same period last year.

USA In January the 2009 walnut crop report indicated orchard run production was 395, 544 MT (436,013 short tons), exceeding the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Services estimate of 376,481 MT (415,000 short tons). 2009 is now the largest crop on record exceeding the 2008 crop of 393,991 MT (434,301 short tons).

Export shipments through December 2009 increased 84% vs. 2008 to 132,788 MT on an

inshell equivalent basis with growth in China/Hong Kong, Turkey, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. Inshell exports, up 75% vs. 08, are driving the increases. Domestic shipments increased 35% vs.

2008 to reach 89,192 MT with shelled volume increasing 33% to 72,261 MT. Asia, the Middle East and Europe remain the leading export regions as global demand and respective consumption for California walnuts remain strong.

Estimated World Walnuts Production. Kernel basis. Metric Tons 2008/2009

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

China

0

USA (*)

Turkey France

2009/2010

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

180.000

180.000

0

0

172.000

172.000

0

8.590

169.095

177.685

22.465

22.465

169.761

192.227

28.755

3.200

26.000

29.200

0

12.000

12.000

1.600

1.600

24.800

26.400

1.600

0

0

13.200

13.200

0

Chile

252

10.920

11.172

252

252

10.500

10.752

210

India

800

9.200

10.000

800

800

8.800

9.600

800

Italy

420

5.460

5.880

420

420

5.460

5.880

420

Others

n/a

30.900

30.900

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

WORLD TOTAL

13.262

443.575

456.837

25.538

25.538

404.521

430.059

31.786

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

431.299

398.273

Estimated World Walnuts Production. In shell basis. Metric Tons 2008/2009

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

China

0

USA (*)

Turkey France

2009/2010

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

450.000

450.000

0

0

430.000

430.000

0

20.014

393.991

414.005

52.344

52.344

395.544

447.888

67.000

8.000

65.000

73.000

0

30.000

30.000

4.000

4.000

62.000

66.000

4.000

0

0

33.000

33.000

0

Chile

600

26.000

26.600

600

600

25.000

25.600

500

India

2.000

Italy

1.000

23.000

25.000

2.000

2.000

22.000

24.000

2.000

13.000

14.000

1.000

1.000

13.000

14.000

1.000

Others

n/a

77.200

77.200

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

WORLD TOTAL

31.614

1.078.191

1.109.805

59.944

59.944

980.544

1.040.488

74.500

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

1.049.861

(*) CWC/CWB changed its crop year in 2008, and it’s been adjusted 2008/2009 and 2009/2010.

Source: Chinese Chamber of Commerce for I/E, California Walnut Board/California Walnut Commission and other INC sources.

76 The Cracker • March 2010

965.988

PEANUT CACAHUETE CACAHUÈTE ARACHIDE ERDNUSS YER FISTIGI CACAUET

CHINA

forecast to increase as planted area will expand in the coming years, partly due to this subsidy. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, total peanut production is expected to reach 19 MM MT by 2015.

According to the USDA, China’s Ministry of Agriculture reported during the China’s National Peanut Production Technology Exchange Conference held on September 2009, that it is advocating for seed subsidy to peanut producers beginning 2010. Peanut production is

are expected to reach 27,200 MT (60 million pounds), compared with 39,900 MT (86 million pounds) for 2008/09. Domestic food use is expected to climb 3% in 2009 to a record 1,200,000 MT (2.65 billion pounds).

been revised at 1,673,000 MT (3.69 billion pounds), down 29% from the record 2008 crop of 2,341,000 MT due to lower planted/harvested area throughout the country, according to the USDA. The estimated US 2008/09 peanut exports were cut by 30,000 MT (65 million pounds), to 330,000 MT (727 million pounds). Imports

USA US 2009 peanut production has

Estimated World Peanuts Production. Farmers stock. Metric Tons 2008/2009

COUNTRY

BEGINNING CROP

STOCK

China

380.000

India

USA

2009/2010

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

15.000.000

15.380.000

450.000

450.000

13.000.000

13.450.000

0

104.000

6.600.000

6.704.000

124.000

124.000

7.000.000

7.124.000

0

468.000

2.341.000

2.809.000

966.151

966.151

1.673.000

2.639.151

724.800

Nigeria

0

1.550.000

Nicaragua

0

1.550.000

1.550.000

0

0

1.550.000

1.550.000

0

1.550.000

0

0

1.550.000

1.550.000

0

Indonesia

24.000

1.150.000

1.174.000

40.000

40.000

1.250.000

1.290.000

0

Argentina

62.000

720.000

782.000

57.000

57.000

740.000

797.000

0

Vietnam Mexico

30.000

450.000

480.000

0

0

510.000

510.000

0

South Africa

17.000

232.000

249.000

13.000

13.000

228.000

241.000

0

0

55.000

55.000

0

0

55.000

55.000

0

Others

0

6.000.000

6.000.000

0

TOTAL

1.085.000

35.648.000

36.733.000

1.650.151

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING CROP STOCK

0 1.650.151

6.000.000

6.000.000

0

33.556.000

35.206.151

724.800

35.082.849

34.481.351

Source: China Chamber of Commerce for I/E, USDA, and other INC sources.

US Peanut Supply and Disappearance. Metric Tons SUPPLY

Year beg. Aug. 1

BEGINNING IMPORTS PRODUCTION TOTAL STOCKS

DOMESTIC CRUSH FOOD

2007/08

689.460

33.112

1.665.590

2.388.162

1.141.691

2008/09 (*)

467.653

39.009

2.341.442

2.848.104

2009/10 (**)

966.151

27.216

1.672.847

2.666.214

DISAPPEARANCE

SEED & EXPORTS TOTAL RESIDUAL

ENDING STOCKS

224.982

213.642

340.194

1.920.509

467.653

1.166.185

201.848

184.612

329.761

1.882.407

966.151

1.203.833

206.838

190.509

340.194

1.941.374

724.840

(*) Estimated. (**) Forecast. Source: USDA. Last update: January 13, 2010

US Peanut Production and Supply. Metric Tons 2.848.104

3.000.000 2.500.000 2.000.000 1.500.000 1.000.000

2.666.214

2.388.162 2.341.442 1.665.590 2007/2008

1.672.847 Production

2008/2009 (*)

Total Supply 2009/2010 (**)

(*) Estimated. (**) Forecast. Source: USDA. Last update: January 13, 2010.

March 2010 • The Cracker 77

DRIED FRUITS

DATES three countries represent 56% of worlwide production. The UAE has recently entered the Guinness Book

season. Headed by Egypt with 1.1 million MT, and followed by Saudi Arabia, Iran and UAE, together, the

World production of dates in 2009 has been estimated at 5.7 MM, up 5.6% from the previous

of World Records as the world’s leading cultivator of date palms, with more than 180,000 hectares.

Estimated World Dates Production. Metric Tons 2008/2009

COUNTRY

BEGINNING PRODUCTION

STOCK

Egypt

145.000

Saudi Arabia

Iran

UAE

2009/2010

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

1.120.000

1.265.000

170.000

170.000

1.100.000

1.270.000

150.000

80.000

1.050.000

1.130.000

120.000

40.000

1.000.000

1.040.000

35.000

120.000

1.070.000

1.190.000

70.000

35.000

1.030.000

1.065.000

40.000

760.000

800.000

40.000

38.000

38.000

750.000

788.000

Algeria

40.000

35.000

550.000

Pakistan

15.000

450.000

585.000

40.000

40.000

600.000

640.000

30.000

465.000

15.000

15.000

440.000

455.000

Iraq

18.000

16.000

300.000

318.000

20.000

20.000

310.000

330.000

17.000

Tunisia

Morocco

1.500

130.000

131.500

1.800

1.800

140.000

141.800

1.200

5.000

65.000

70.000

10.000

10.000

68.000

78.000

Israel

6.000

USA

300

18.000

18.300

250

250

19.000

19.250

300

500

16.000

16.500

600

600

15.000

15.600

500

Others

25.000

161.000

186.000

20.000

20.000

148.000

168.000

22.000

TOTAL

405.300

5.620.000

6.025.300

470.650

470.650

5.690.000

6.160.650

393.000

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING PRODUCTION STOCK

5.554.650

5.767.650

Source: INC.

DRIED APRICOTS TURKEY In April 2009 local slight frost damage was observed in a limited production area of Malatya region, thus the crop estimate has been

declared as 100,000 tons for the 2009/10 season. Under normal conditions, Turkey’s 2010 crop would reach around 140,000 MT. Turkey exported 50,000 tons of dried apricots from August 1st

to December 31st, 2009, showing a slight increase compared to the previous export season. This was due to the good quality and health benefits of the dried apricot, and the increasing demand for natural

and organic apricots. Major export markets of Turkish dried apricots are the USA, Russia, Germany, France and the UK. The average price level was at 3.200-3.400 USD/tons on January 2010.

Estimated World Dried Apricots Production. Metric Tons 2008/2009

COUNTRY

BEGINNING PRODUCTION

STOCK

Turkey

0

Iran

China USA South Africa Australia TOTAL

ENDING STOCK

120.000

120.000

17.500

17.500

n/a

18.000

18.000

n/a

n/a

4.500

4.500

n/a

2.600

n/a

n/a 0

CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

100.000

117.500

0

n/a

25.000

25.000

n/a

n/a

n/a

5.000

5.000

n/a

2.600

n/a

n/a

2.500

2.500

n/a

1.400

1.400

n/a

n/a

1.400

1.400

n/a

450 146.950

450 146.950

n/a 17.500

n/a 17.500

450 134.350

450 151.850

0 n/a

Source: Aegean Exporters’ Association and other INC sources.

78 The Cracker • March 2010

2009/2010

TOTAL SUPPLY

129.450

BEGINNING PRODUCTION STOCK

DRIED FRUITS

DRIED FIGS TURKEY

tions, carried out surveys in dried fig production areas between August 13 and 23, 2009. This expert group concluded that due to favorable weather conditions the estimated 2009 dried fig crop will be around 56,590 MT. But heavy rainfalls during the first half of September 2009 reduced the estimate to 50,000 MT. Under normal

Beginning August 2008, the crop was estimated at 50,256 MT, however due to extreme heat at the second half of August and inadequate caprification, the estimate was revised to 42,500 tons. A Turkish delegation, composed of fig-related institutions and associa-

circumstances, Turkey’s production volume for the 2010/11 season would be around 60,000 MT. Excess heat and drought in 2007 and 2008 facilitated the infection of dried figs by aflatoxins, which could not be determined under UV light.

In 2009, almost no mould has been observed. Increased buying prices

and increased production costs led to 5-10% increase in export prices in the beginning of 2008/09 season, compared to the previous season. After October 2008, as a result of global economic crisis, a limited decrease in the export prices occurred. Beginning 2010, prices were firm around USD 4000/tons.

Estimated World Dried Figs Production. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2008/2009

Turkey

TOTAL SUPPLY 42.500

Iran

n/a

22.000

22.000

0

0

USA

0

11.000

11.000

n/a

n/a

Greece

0

8.000

8.000

n/a

Spain

n/a

4.500

4.500

n/a

Italy TOTAL

0

4.000

4.000

n/a

n/a

4.000

4.000

n/a

92.000

92.000

0

0

103.000

103.000

n/a

0 CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

ENDING STOCK 0

2009/2010

BEGINNING PRODUCTION

STOCK

0 42.500

BEGINNING PRODUCTION STOCK 0 50.000

TOTAL SUPPLY 50.000

ENDING STOCK 0

23.000

23.000

n/a

12.000

12.000

n/a

n/a

9.000

9.000

n/a

n/a

5.000

5.000

n/a

92.000

Source: Aegean Exporters’ Association, USDA and other INC sources.

PRUNES USA According to the US Department of Agriculture, prune exports during August-October 2009 totalled 14,298 MT, down 12% from the same period in 2008. The top five markets were Japan (2,377 MT), Germany (2,205 MT), Australia (1,085 MT), Canada

(1,047 MT) and Italy (1,005 MT), with shares of 17%, 15%, 8%, 7% and 7% respectively.

CHILE According to APECS (the Chilean Association of Prune Exporters and Processors), the 2009 crop was esti-

mated at 55,000 tons. There was a good blossom last spring, sufficient number of cold hours, and water supply was superior to historical records. The 2009 planted area is estimated at about 15,000 hectares, of which 8,900 are considered as bearing.

ARGENTINA Due to adverse weather conditions, this year production is expected to reach 15-20,000 MT, showing a 50% reduction if compared to those of last year. Such quantities entail largely sized fruits.

Estimated World Prunes Production. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2008/2009

USA

BEGINNING PRODUCTION

STOCK

31.000 114.000

Chile

Argentina France

TOTAL SUPPLY 145.000

ENDING STOCK 32.000 8.300

5.300

52.000

57.300

800

25.000

25.800

28.000

30.000

58.000

Italy

0

1.500

1.500

Australia

0

3.400

3.400

South Africa TOTAL

200 65.300

1.400 227.300

1.600 292.600

CONSUMPTION (TOTAL SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

2009/2010

BEGINNING PRODUCTION STOCK 32.000 154.200

TOTAL SUPPLY 186.200

ENDING STOCK n/a

8.300

55.000

63.300

n/a

5.000

5.000

45.000

50.000

15.000

20.000

20.000

45.000

65.000

n/a

0

0

1.600

1.600

n/a

0

0

1.500

1.500

n/a

0 65.300

0 65.300

n/a 302.300

n/a 367.600

n/a 15.000

227.300

Source: USDA, IPA, APECS, and other INC sources.

March 2010 • The Cracker 79

DRIED FRUITS

RAISINS/ SULTANAS/ CURRANTS The 2009 International Seedless Dried Grape Producing Countries Conference was held in Hamburg, Germany, 15-16 October 2009, following the conclusion of the northern hemisphere harvest. The meeting brought delegations from the USA, Turkey, Iran, Chile, South Africa and Australia, and trade orga-

to meet market requirements.

World currants production was estimated at 30,200 MT, compared to 34,000 MT last year. It was noted a recent trend of smaller Greek crops.

USA, South Africa and Australia reported slightly increased levels for 2009.

increased slightly but still remained at historically low levels and major Northern Hemisphere countries (except Iran) reported reduced production levels. The Iranian crop had returned to normal levels following the small crop of 2008.

The Conference concluded that the world supply position was adequate

nizations from the UK and Germany to exchange information on world production and marketing.

The analysis of production estimates showed that the total availability of Thompson Seedless Raisins (TSR) and Sultanas had increased by 8% as world stocks carried into the new season

Estimated World Raisins, Sultanas & Currants Production. Metric Tons 2008/2009

COUNTRY

BEGINNING PRODUCTION

STOCK

USA

98.000

Turkey

China

2009/2010

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

325.000

423.000

102.000

102.000

261.000

363.000

43.350

7.000

310.000

317.000

28.000

28.000

270.000

298.000

3.000

n/a

155.000

155.000

n/a

n/a

150.000

150.000

n/a

Iran

5.000

60.000

65.000

8.000

8.000

125.000

133.000

n/a

Chile

0

55.000

55.000

0

0

70.000

70.000

0

South Africa

6.800

42.350

49.150

5.600

5.600

32.600

38.200

2.000

Greece

0

25.000

25.000

2.000

2.000

28.000

30.000

n/a

Argentina

2.000

30.100

32.100

1.800

1.800

28.000

29.800

0

Australia

500

10.000

10.500

500

500

16.500

17.000

500

Uzbekistan TOTAL

n/a

119.300 CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

BEGINNING PRODUCTION STOCK

30.000

30.000

n/a

n/a

35.000

35.000

n/a

1.042.450

1.161.750

147.900 1.013.850

147.900

1.016.100

1.164.000

48.850 1.115.150

Source: International Dried Grape Conference, USDA, Aegean Exporters’ Association and other INC sources.

Estimated World Raisins, Sultanas & Currants Production. Metric Tons COUNTRY

SULTANAS/ RAISINS

CROP PLUS CARRY FORWARD SULTANA / TSR STOCKS

GOLDEN SEEDLESS

CURRANTS

CROP PLUS CARRY FORWARD CURRANT STOKS

USA

242.500

340.000

16.000

2.500

3.300

Turkey

270.000

298.000

0

0

0

Iran

100.000

105.000

25.000

0

0

Chile

64.000

64.000

6.000

0

0

Argentina

28.000

28.000

0

0

0

South Africa

17.100

22.000

12.800

2.700

2.700

Australia

14.500

15.000

0

2.000

2.000

Greece

TOTAL Packed MT

5.000

5.000

0

23.000

25.000

741.100

877.000

59.800

30.200

33.000

Source: 2009 International Dried Grape Conference.

80 The Cracker • March 2010

JAPAN Special Report

Import Statistics Source: Customs and Tariff Bureau, Ministry of Finance Japan

Almonds. Kernel. Metric Tons

USA

Spain Italy

Australia

Others

TOTAL

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009(*) 23.671 27.407 28.260 25.775 24.612 20.402 22.833 23.226 20.851 111 156 212 165 184 222 229 227 179 48 110 111 118 87 117 106 85 83 102 152 57 51 344 366 136 213 26 13 6 61 9 4 7 9 44 3 23.945 27.831 28.701 26.118 25.231 21.114 23.313 23.795 21.142

30.000 20.000 10.000 0

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 (*)

Walnuts. Kernel. Metric Tons

USA China

France

Others

TOTAL

2001 7.269 1.560 17 0 8.846

2002 8.447 1.461 21 5 9.934

2003 2004 8.315 9.286 1.267 1.308 20 23 4 3 9.606 10.620

2005 2006 8.571 9.613 1.345 1.238 28 28 5 16 9.949 10.895

2007 7.873 902 30 16 8.821

2008 6.686 934 30 1 7.651

2009(*) 7.470 400 24 5 7.899

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

12.000 10.000 8.000 6.000 4.000 2.000 0

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009 (*)

Macadamias. Raw/Roasted. Metric Tons

Australia Africa South

Malawi

Guatemala USA

Kenya

Others TOTAL

2006 Raw Roasted 1.383 138 325 0 309 0 54 0 1 101 87 0,3 0 3 2.159 242

Raw 912 341 366 0 1 0 0 1.620

2007 Roasted 183 0 0 0 92 3 1 279

Raw 1.307 378 345 105 0 0 0 2.135

2008 Roasted 274 0 0 0 127 0,6 1 403

2009 (*) Raw Roasted 1.354 212 516 0 226 0 145 0 0 112 0 0 41 3 2.282 327

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

4.000 3.000 2.000 1.000 0

2006

2007

2008

2009 (*)

Pistachios. Raw. Metric Tons

USA

Iran

Italy

China Australia

Others

TOTAL

2001 2.458 934 32 0 40 1 3.465

2002 2.086 528 39 0 42 1 2.696

2003 1.977 175 36 13 29 0 2.230

2004 2.019 244 39 0 45 0 2.347

2005 2.009 187 37 0 5 0 2.238

2006 1.848 228 40 0 0 0 2.116

2007 1.795 222 35 0 0 1 2.053

2008 2.061 323 33 0 0 1 2.418

2009(*) 1.615 132 23 0 0 1 1.771

4.000 3.000 2.000 1.000 0

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009 (*)

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009 (*)

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

Hazelnuts. Kernel. Metric Tons

Turkey

Italy

USA

Spain China

France

TOTAL

2001 495 9 5 1 0 0 510

2002 708 14 1 1 2 0 726

2003 486 17 3 0 0 0 506

2004 689 15 1 1 0 0 706

2005 577 16 1 2 0 0 596

2006 560 12 5 2 0 0 579

2007 646 14 7 2 0 1 670

2008 462 12 7 1 0 0 482

2009(*) 519 11 14 3 0 0 547

800 600 400 200 0

2001

2002

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

Pecans. Kernel. Metric Tons

USA

Australia China

TOTAL

2001 244 34 0 278

2002 174 46 3 223

2003 195 41 5 241

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

2004 234 21 3 258

2005 211 24 3 237

2006 231 18 0 249

2007 181 11 3 195

2008 214 11 0 225

2009(*) 132 9 0 141

300 200 100 0

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 (*)

March 2010 • The Cracker 81

JAPAN Special Report

Raisins. Metric Tons 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009(*) 24.533 27.510 26.636 29.895 25.912 23.914 26.222 25.891 22.040 USA

990 876 679 1.251 2.112 3.319 3.622 2.889 1.807 Turkey

327 418 538 876 1.076 845 832 682 597 Chile Africa 1.508 1.313 780 728 551 489 858 591 373 South China

115 166 131 300 218 313 220 166 295 Australia

421 487 533 581 429 315 250 245 222 Greece

14 0 0 101 40 5 3 0 2 Iran

19 0 2 5 8 15 0 29 1 Vietnam

158 99 114 4 1 13 0 0 0 Others

59 44 324 240 12 21 32 32 20

28.144 30.913 29.737 33.981 30.359 29.249 32.039 30.525 25.357 TOTAL

40.000 30.000 20.000 10.000 0

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 (*)

Prunes. Metric Tons 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 16.585 16.013 16.836 17.512 9.058 113 196 280 420 598 18 30 46 219 1.176 25 5 163 171 72 16.741 16.244 17.325 18.322 10.904

USA

Chile France

Others

TOTAL

2006 2007 8.838 10.348 542 403 316 114 52 84 9.748 10.949

2008 9.004 285 31 31 9.351

2009(*) 8.075 260 28 39 8.402

25.000 20.000 15.000 10.000 5.000 0

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 (*)

Dried Figs. Metric Tons 2001 594 697 365 48 17 33 1.754

USA

Turkey

Iran

China France

Others

TOTAL

2002 477 399 347 13 13 17 1.266

2003 415 435 277 9 21 6 1.163

2004 538 498 219 28 17 27 1.327

2005 505 650 210 5 3 10 1.383

2006 445 716 351 8 0 16 1.536

2007 417 763 276 22 0 16 1.494

2008 452 407 339 0 0 10 1.208

2009(*) 260 382 99 1 0 2 744

2.000 1.500 1.000 500 0

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 (*)

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

Dried Apricots. Metric Tons

USA

Turkey Africa South China

Australia

France

Others

TOTAL

2001 277 779 122 179 24 11 6 1.398

2002 197 574 85 145 23 11 2 1.037

2003 235 595 79 93 15 14 2 1.033

2004 195 522 144 150 28 9 2 1.050

2005 190 329 90 162 8 1 0 780

2006 215 552 99 101 0 0 2 969

2007 215 488 89 86 0 0 4 882

2008 174 315 94 87 0 1 5 676

2009(*) 112 387 97 122 0 0 0 718

1.500 1.000 500 0

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009 (*)

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

2009(*) TREE NUT IMPORTS TO JAPAN. Metric Tons Almonds K Walnuts K Macadamias Raw Pistachios Hazelnuts K Pecans K

21.142 7.899 2.282 1.771 547 141

K: Kernel Walnuts K 23,4%

2009(*) DRIED FRUIT IMPORTS TO JAPAN. Metric Tons Raisins Prunes Dried Figs Dried Apricots

Macadamias Raw 6,8% Pistachios 5,2% Hazelnuts K 1,6%

25.357 8.402 744 718 Dried Figs 2% Prunes 24% Dried Apricots 2%

Pecans K 0,4%

Raisins 72%

Almonds K 62,6%

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

82 The Cracker • March 2010

(*) January 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009

Š"DŠ(!533-!..Š Š Š0!2)3Š Š4mL Š Š Š Š Š Š Š Š&AX Š Š Š Š Š Š % MAIL ŠEURO EUROBROKER FR WWWŠEUROBROKER FRŠŠ

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TURKEY HOSTS II INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS 321 .0& 38 3-% 0.$*&-'03$(2 ,# .

ON FOOD AND NUTRITION The II International Congress on Food and Nutrition was held last October in Istanbul, Turkey, which featured “Food for Future�. Over 600 participants from 20 different countries attended the congress to review recent research and key topics for the future.

Throughout the 3-day congress, there were 140 oral and 332 poster presentations, covering topics such as Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, Control of Micronutrients Deficiencies, Food Fortification, Obesity, Food Safety, Organic Foods, Innovation and New Trends.

Subscribe!

Mr. Pino Calcagni, on behalf of the INC Scientific and Government Affairs Committee, was Chairman of the Symposium “Hazelnut: !.30 )-* 2. 2(& &0,"- -%31206 &2")+ the Nut of Choice for Health� and gave a presentation on the “Past, Present and Future Aspects of Hazelnut-Worldwide.� Mr. Calcagni )-%&-120"8&

including 9 3$((.+7 &0,"-6 reviewed INC activities, an overview of the9 hazelnut &+

industry, including

worldwide statistics and "5

technical and scientific ,")+ /"+, -321"-%,.0& %& 444 /"+, -321"-%,.0& %& issues.

The conference was organized by TUBITAK and supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, EC Joint Research Centre, European Technology Platform Food for Life and the Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association.

The Cracker

March 2010 • The Cracker 83

INDIA’S NEED FOR NUTS

A Recent Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) Report Provides an Overview of India’s Almond and Walnut Markets.

India’s almond imports for marketing year

(MY) 2009/10 (September/August) is forecast at a record 53,000 tons (inshell basis), which is nearly 8% higher than last year’s imports.

India’s walnut production for MY 2009/10 (October/September) is forecast at 35,000 tons (kernel weight basis), down 5% over last year due to the downswing in the production cycle of the crop.

Walnut exports during MY 2009/10 are forecast at 15,500 tons, down 6% from an earlier forecast of 16,500 tons, but up 2,100 tons over last year due to good domestic supply conditions and competitive pricing of Indian walnuts in international markets.

Australian Almonds Appeal to India

Assuming normal weather, India’s MY 2009/10 (September/August) almond production is estimated at 1,100 tons (kernel weight basis), while MY 2010/11 almond production is forecast higher at 1,200 tons due to an upswing in the production cycle. Yields of almonds in India are low, ranging from 1,000-1,500 nuts/ tree/year. Shelling rates vary from 20-30% for hard shell varieties and 40% for thinshelled varieties.

Almond consumption in MY 2009/10 is revised higher to 53,000 tons from an earlier estimate of 45,000 tons due to large supply and expected lower prices of almonds vis-à-vis other competing nuts.

Assuming steady growth in domestic demand, brisk trade activity and a normal US almond crop, consumption in MY 2010/2011 is forecast at 58,000 tons, up 9% over the previous year. The MY 2008/09 consumption estimate is also revised up to 49,000 tons as market sources reported higher off-take of almonds vis-à-vis other competing nuts.

India’s almond consumption has grown steadily over the last few years due to their competitive prices (as compared to other nuts), growing demand across

84 The Cracker • March 2010

confectionery, cosmetic, snack, and healthcare products, as well as a rise in nutritional and health awareness about almonds among the 300 million plus middle-class population in the country. However, higher prices for essential commodities and lack luster trade activity during the festive season may temper consumption prospects.

Popular Varieties

Almonds are one of the most preferred nuts in India, traditionally considered to be ‘high in energy’ and recommended for children, recuperating patients and physically active people.

The Californian non pareil almond variety is the most price competitive almond in the Indian market. Consumers have a preference for this variety on account of its bigger size, uniform ‘eye’ shape and sweetness.

Non-pareil and carmel varieties from Australia are also growing in popularity due to their quality, taste and competitive prices.

Other varieties such as Mamra and Qumi (Iranian varieties) are traditionally preferred in Rajasthan and Gujarat and enjoy a high price premium over other varieties. Most almonds are sold to consumers in ‘loose’ form by weight. About 5% of all almonds sold are processed and sold in consumer packs at the retail level.

India’s Growing Almond Imports

Despite the forecast for lower US almond crop this year, India’s almond imports for MY 2009/10 are forecast at 53,000 tons (shelled basis), up 8% over last year. This is due to an estimated increase in global exports of almonds and high beginning stocks of US almonds coming into the new season.

Assuming a normal US almond crop and a stable Indian rupee visà-vis the US dollar, imports in MY 2010/2011 are forecast to grow by 4,000 tons to 57,000 tons.

Based on information from market sources, Post’s MY 2008/09 import estimate has been raised to 49,630 tons from an earlier

estimate of 41,500 tons. This is largely due to relatively lower prices resulting in strong consumer off-take of almonds vis-àvis competing nuts.

India’s market demand for almonds is almost met through imports.

During MY 2008/09, the share of US almonds in the total import market dropped by 4-80% due to increases in imports from Australia, Afghanistan, and Iran. Imports from the US and Australia are mostly in-shell non-pareil and carmel almonds, while imports from other origins are mostly shelled almonds.

Opportunities Lie in India’s Middle-Class Population

India is the fourth largest export market for California almonds after Spain, Germany and China. Marketing opportunities exists in the southern and eastern states of India.

With increased health awareness among the expanding middle-class population, almonds are finding a place in daily diet as a healthy snack.

However, with the Indian economy expected to grow at 6% per year in fiscal 2009-10 (as compared to 6.5-7% in fiscal year 2008-09), the demand for Californian almonds is likely to be moderate (assuming prices for essential commodities stay relatively stable for the rest of the year).

Walnut Production in India

Post forecasts India’s walnut production for MY 2009/10 (October/September) at 35,000 tons (in shell basis), down 5% over last year due to a downswing in the production cycle. The walnut crop has cyclical production with year to year fluctuations ranging between 5-20% depending on the weather.

Assuming normal weather and growing conditions, MY 2010/11 walnut production is revised up to 38,000 tons due to the expected upswing in the production cycle. Post continues to forecast walnut production for MY 2008/09 at 37,000 tons.

Indian walnuts have a strong market in the EU and Middle East countries due to flavor, quality and natural production processes.

are consumed raw as a snack. According to industry sources, better consumer packaging (vacuum packs) has contributed to the growth of year round snack consumption of walnuts.

Market sources report that the growing awareness about the health benefits of walnuts is also encouraging year round consumption. About 10% of domestic consumption goes to the bakery, Walnut production in India is mostly confectionery and ice-cream industries. confined to Jammu and Kashmir, although Around 2-3% of walnuts (normally rancid Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have nuts) are used for oil extractions by soap and small share in total production. Poor cosmetic manufacturers. orchard management, uneven produce, Domestic prices of walnuts during the first lower yields and long waits for trees four months of MY 2008/09 were relatively to mature have kept walnut area and firm compared to the corresponding period production almost stagnant. Lower yields last year. are compared to other horticultural crops However, lower export demand and grown in the region. Walnut yields are low strong supplies have depressed domestic ranging from 18-50 kg/tree/year with the prices since December 2008 (Chart 2). nut size varying from 24-32 mm).

Anticipating healthy demand this festive Market sources state that nut size this season, walnut prices in MY 2009/10 are year is up by more than 5% this season over likely to remain stable. last year. Indian walnuts are classified as India’s walnut exports to rise Walnut hard, medium or thin shell (Kaghazi) is the exports during MY 2009/10 are forecast typical harvest season with market arrivals at 15,500 tons, down 6% from an earlier peaking in late October. forecast of 16,500 tons. This is up 2,100 tons over last year due to good domestic supply conditions and competitive pricing of Walnut consumption in MY 2009/10 is Indian walnuts in international markets. forecast at 21,000 tons as compared to Furthermore, the depreciating value of 20,200 tons in MY 2008/09, mostly due to the Indian rupee vis-à-vis the US dollar is large carry forward stocks and anticipated also likely to support exports. During MY lower market prices vis-à-vis other dry fruit 2010/11, walnut exports are forecast higher and nuts. at 17,000 tons largely due to an expected Anticipating good supply conditions and increase in domestic production and a likely stable prices for walnuts, MY 2010/11 revival in overseas demand. consumption is forecast at 21,500 tons.

Market sources say MY 2008/09 exports Normally 45-50% of the production is have been revised down by 4,100 tons consumed domestically and the remainder to 13,400 tons, on account of increased is exported. Nearly half of domestic competition from overseas suppliers and an consumption occurs during the festive overall slowdown in the global economy. season (September-January).

The major export destinations in MY Major processing facilities, mostly shelling 2008/09 were Egypt, Spain, Netherland, and peeling, for walnuts are available in Germany, France and the US. Jammu and Kashmir. Typically, most walnuts Traditionally, Indian walnuts have a strong market in the EU and Middle East countries due to flavor, quality and natural production

Yields

According to industry sources, better consumer packaging (vacuum packs) has contributed to the growth of yearround snack consumption of walnuts.

– Indian walnuts are typically grown in rocky terrains under rainfed conditions and not as contiguous plantations, and cultivated with very limited use of fertilizers/pesticides.

More than 95% of the walnuts are exported as kernels (40% light halves; 40% amber halves/light broken; and the balance as amber halves) in vacuum packs. Market sources report that the US (California), Mexico, Ukraine, Chile and China are major competitors in the EU market.

Walnuts, like most other dried fruit and nuts, are imported to India without restrictions under the Open General License (OGL), subject to an effective import duty of 30.9%. Notable exceptions to this rule are imports originating in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries and Afghanistan.

Given strong domestic production and high tariffs, opportunities for imports are negligible. There are no restrictions on walnut exports. Most of the walnuts are shelled or vacuum packed, transported inland via rail and road and shipped in containers overseas.

National Snack

March 2010 • The Cracker 85

Fresh from Our Farm to Your Table

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Green Valley Pecan Company is the largest supplier to Europe and the first pecan processor in the world certified by the BRC. Each pecan passes the industry’s strictest quality control standards, kept frozen in the shell until state-of-the-art pasteurization, electronic shelling and sorting process. Your specifications are carefully monitored, from continuous online inspections to use of modern storage facilities, and we ensure efficient delivery through unitized bulk package shipping and container-sized export quantities.

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AUSTRALIA

Page

Catz International B.V.. ................................23

BELGIUM

SPAIN

Best N.V...........................................................65

Almandras Llopis S.A.....................................45

Visys NV Sorting Systems...............................53

Agroserc, S. A. . ..............................................47

Atoka Cranberries, Inc. . ...............................43 ChilE Exportadora Anakena . .................................98

41-136-19676 41-136-14511

ChiNA Jilin Zhongxing Foodstuff Holding...............83 Sunshine Produce Limited . .........................28

31-20-643-6412 31-20-643-2127

32-3-711-0895 32-3-711-0879

45-45-82-1610 45-45-82-1613

Switzerland Café Gourmet Ltd./Swiss Gourmey................52 turkey Antep Pistachio Promotion............................36 Hazelnut Promotion Group..............................6 UK

Eurobroker.....................................................83

Kenkko............................................................37 USA

Germany

Blue Diamond Growers................................... 5

Eurofins.........................................................94

Campos Brothers............................................ 15

Palm Nuts & More KG...................................98

Chico Nut Company.......................................17

ITALY Gelfruit Italia S.R.L.......................................95

81-3-4360-5336 81-3-4360-5794

Jose Borrell............................Front Inside Cover

Bühler Sortex Ltd............................................61

Connect..........................................................98 33-140502-480 33-140502-488

Borges..............................................................25

FRANCE Somercom......................................................96

49-40-309-6550 49-40-309-65520

Page

Horticulture Australia Ltd................................9

CANADA 44-1702-589958 44-1702-587075

NETHERLANDS

V. Besana S.P.A................................................66

Crain Walnut Shelling, Inc. ..........................92 Fisher Nut Company.......................................11 Golden Gate Nuts............................................51 Green Valley Pecans.................................. 86-87 Hilltop Ranch, Inc..........................................13

JAPAN

Hughson Nut...................................................41

Tanto Corporation.........................................97

Primex...................................Back Inside Cover Satake USA, Inc...............................................21

MOROCCO

Setton International Foods.Back Outside Cover

Santis S.A.R.L. . .............................................97

Vicam..............................................................92 Young Pecan Company..................................59

Telephone: 520-791-2852 Fax: 520-791-2853 P.O. Box 7 Sahuarita, Arizona 85629 U.S.A. www.greenvalleypecan.com e-mail: sales@greenvalleypecan.com

March 2010 • The Cracker 87

NEWS FROM THE INC NUTRITION RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION (INC NREF)

By Maureen Ternus, M.S., R.D. INC NREF Executive Director

Over 30 studies have been published to date in 2009/2010 and there are many more in the pipeline.

And, with new research comes positive media coverage as well. In fact, in 2009 positive nut stories were in print publications reaching well over 100 million in total circulation. Stories highlighting INC NREF projects, including the health claim, reached over 10 million. You’ll find below an update on nut research as well as some of the positive articles that have been published in consumer publications over the last year.

88 The Cracker • March 2010

Diabetes Study The INC NREF-funded nuts and diabetes study will be submitted for publication this month. Meanwhile, as reported in this column last year, Dr. Cyril Kendall has been presenting preliminary data at a number of U.S. and international meetings. Once the paper is published we’ll have it on the INC NREF website and reprints will be available as well.

PROJECT UPDATES Nut Pooled-Analysis Another study about to be published is the pooled-analysis on nuts and heart disease.

Dr. Joan Sabaté, at Loma Linda University, analyzed over 20 studies, many of which were used in the petition for the nut health claim. The manuscript was recently accepted for publication in the Archives of Internal Medicine, part of the Journal of the American Medical Association publications. The paper is expected to come out in late March or early April.

Nut Consumption The INC NREF-funded research on nut consumption in the U.S. is complete and Victor Fulgoni, Ph.D., the lead researcher, is planning to submit the manuscript for publication in the next month or so. Last October he presented preliminary data at the American Dietetic Association annual meeting in Denver, CO. The attendees were very interested in the information and a press release was distributed during the meeting (see side bar).

Just last month, Dr. Fulgoni’s co-author on the study, Theresa Nicklas, DrPH and Professor at Children’s Nutrition Research

Center, Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, presented the data at Food 3000 in Florence, Italy. This meeting is organized every year by the U.S. public relations agency, Porter Novelli. The purpose is to bring together American Dietetic Association (ADA) spokespeople and other leaders in the food industry to update them on a number of important nutrition and health issues. Dr. Nicklas’ presentation was very timely since the new USDA Dietary Guidelines will be coming out later this year and she updated the attendees on the important role of nuts in a healthy diet.

TREE NUT CONSUMPTION ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER DIET, LOWER BODY WEIGHT MEASURES AND LOWER PREVALENCE OF HEALTH RISKS New Findings on Nut Consumption in the U.S. presented at the American Dietetic Association’s Annual Meeting in Denver, CO

and effect. However, one of the more interesting findings was the fact that tree nut consumers had lower body weights, body mass index and waist circumference compared to non-consumers.” The actual amounts were -4.19 pounds, -0.9kg/m2 and -0.83 inches respectively.

The study looked at 13,292 men and women (19+ years) participating in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Intake was from 24-hour recall data and tree nut consumers were defined as those who consumed ≥ ¼ ounce/day. The results showed that in addition to lower body weights, tree nut consumers had higher intakes of calories and total fat but less saturated fat than non-consumers. Tree nut consumers also consumed more fiber, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and potassium (key shortfall nutrients in U.S. adults) compared to non-consumers, but consumed less sodium.

While LDL cholesterol was similar in both groups, the tree nut consumers had higher HDL cholesterol and lower In a study presented at the American levels of C-reactive protein, a marker Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition of inflammation which can lead to a Conference and Exposition (FNCE) in variety of chronic diseases including heart Denver, CO, researchers looked at the disease. Consumption of tree nuts was association of tree nut (almonds, Brazil also associated with a lower prevalence nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, of metabolic syndrome, which, on a pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts) population basis, could lead to better health consumption with nutrient intake, dietary and lower long-term healthcare costs. adequacy, health parameters and the Moreover, though tree nut consumption prevalence of risk factors for metabolic in the U.S. population is relatively low syndrome. Tree nut consumption was (mean intake of 1.19 ounces/day for nut associated with a higher overall diet quality consumers) nutrient intakes and diet quality score, improved nutrient intakes, lower were significantly improved when tree body weight measures and lower prevalence nuts were consumed. The latter appear of health risks. to be associated with a greater intake of “We know nuts can help reduce the whole grains, fruits, and less saturated risk of heart disease and other chronic fat, sodium and calories from solid fats, illnesses, but no recent studies using a alcohol and added sugars. As a result, Dr. nationally representative U.S. population Fulgoni recommends, “Tree nuts should have examined the prevalence of tree nut be an integral part of a healthy diet and consumption with diet and health risk encouraged by health professionals— factors,” stated Victor Fulgoni, Ph.D., lead especially registered dietitians.” researcher on the study. “Because of the nature of this study we cannot infer cause

Maureen Ternus, M.S., R.D., Executive Director of the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation (INC NREF), adds, “In light of this new data and the fact that the FDA has issued a qualified health claim for nuts and heart disease with a recommended intake of 1.5 ounces of nuts per day, we need to educate people about the importance of including nuts in the diet.”

2009 Nuts & Health Session at the International Congress of Nutrition Tree nuts were also promoted at the INC-funded Nut & Health Session at the International Congress of Nutrition (ICN) in Bangkok, Thailand last October. The speakers did a great job in highlighting the health befits of nuts. The proceedings were recently published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition (APJCN) and will be available on the INC NREF website.

Reprints will be distributed at the INC meeting in Beijing.

2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines INC NREF recently submitted a fourth set of comments to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). Included in this submission was an updated research reference list with 16 new tree nut studies published in the past year.

To access all of the INC NREF comments to the DGAC please go to: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/ DGAs2010CommentSummaries-Mtg2. htm and look in the “food groups” section under “International Tree Nut Council” or “Ternus.”

Finally, the INC NREF website is about to undergo a transformation. The site will be redesigned to be more user-friendly and to be the main site for mixed tree nut nutrition research and information.

For more information on any INC NREF project please contact Maureen Ternus at mternus@pacbell.net.

March 2010 • The Cracker 89

Nut Fat in Diet Won’t Affect Weight Gain Over Time

rition Research Update

People who want to maintain a healthy weight over time shouldn’t obsess about their fat intake, new research shows. The percentage of calories that a person got from fat, as opposed to protein or carbohydrates, had nothing to do with how much weight they gained in the coming years, the research team found. The kinds of fat they ate didn’t matter either, Dr. Nita Forouhi of the Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK and her colleagues found. The findings, Forouhi noted in an email to Reuters Health, show that “it is more important to aim for a healthy lifestyle including a balanced healthy diet and regular physical activity, than to focus on fat intake alone as a factor for weight gain.”

The role of dietary fat content in obesity and weight gain is still controversial, Forouhi and her team note. To investigate, they looked at data on nearly 90,000 men and women from six different countries participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study. Participants were followed for up to 10 years. Average fat intake ranged from 31.5 percent to 36.5 percent of total calories.

On average, people gained about a quarter of a pound every year. But analyses that accounted for several factors found no relationship between how much weight people gained and how much fat they ate, or their intake of polyunsaturated fats versus saturated fats.

The findings shouldn’t be seen as showing that people can eat as much fat as they want, Forouhi said.

“That would be absurd, given so much evidence that already exists on the potential harms of diets high in saturated or trans-fats for heart health for instance,” the researcher said.

In the US, she added, dietary recommendations state that people should maintain a fat intake that is 20 percent to 35 percent of total calories, and eat “healthy” fats from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils instead of “unhealthy” saturated and trans fats.

She added: “The healthiest way to avoid weight gain is to make sure that, when appropriate, total calorie intake is limited by reducing one’s intake of added sugars, fats, and alcohol, which all provide calories but few or no essential nutrients, to watch portion sizes of food (so food portions consumed do not increase in size over time), and at the same time take regular physical activity.”

Walnut-Rich Diet May Boost Diabetic Heart Health

90 The Cracker • March 2010

Daily consumption of walnuts, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, may improve the health of blood vessels, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease, says a new study from Yale.

Supplementing the diet of middle aged diabetics with 56 grams of walnuts led to significant improvements in the function of the blood vessel lining (endothelium), and there was also a trend towards improved cholesterol levels, according to findings published in Diabetes Care.

The study adds to a growing body of science supporting the health benefits, and the heart benefits in particular, of increased consumption of nuts. Previous studies have reported benefits for almonds, macadamia, and pistachios. Indeed, a recent study funded by the California Walnut Commission found that the fatty acids present in walnuts and fish oil may work in different ways to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

According to findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a diet supplemented with walnuts led to reductions in cholesterol levels, while a fish diet led to reductions in blood levels of triglycerides. For the new study, David Katz and his co-workers from the Yale University School of Medicine recruited 24 type-2 diabetics with an average age of 5, and randomly assigned them to an ad libitum diet with or without 56 grams of walnuts for eight weeks. At the end of the intervention period, blood flow was measured using flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and found to have “significantly improved” by 2.2 per cent in the walnut group, compared to 1.2 per cent in the non-supplemented group.

Pistachios and Diabetes

“Almost 24 million people in the United States, or 8% of the population, have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Alexandria, Va. (phone 800-342-2383, www.diabetes.org).

The prevalence of diabetes has increased 13.5% from 2005 to 2007. If current trends continue, one out of every three children born today will face a future with diabetes.

Nutrition plays an important role in managing diabetes. ADA’s Web site lists the top 10 foods to include in the diet—all of which have a low glycemic index (GI) and provide key nutrients that are lacking in the typical Western diet such as calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and E. They include beans, dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruit, sweet potatoes, berries, tomatoes, salmon, whole grains, nuts, and fat-free milk and yogurt.

Packaged foods and beverages are increasingly targeting diabetics. Many of these products are formulated with low GI sweeteners, whole grains, and fiber. Here is a look at some potential nutraceutical ingredients that reportedly can help manage or prevent the risk of diabetes.

Pistachios Earlier this year, the University of Toronto unveiled research that showed incorporating pistachios into daily meals resulted in delayed emptying of the stomach and blunting of the blood sugar curve, which may lead to long-term blood sugar control (WPA, 2009). Fifteen men and women fasted and then consumed three similar types of test meals in random order. The meals consisted of white bread plus 2 oz of pistachios, white bread plus butter and cheese, and white bread (control). The results showed that the subjects who ate the pistachios meal had reduced peak blood sugar levels relative to those who ate the white bread plus butter and cheese meal. At 3 hr, serum grehlin levels in the subjects who ate the pistachio and control meals were significantly lower than in those who ate the white bread meal. The researchers concluded that pistachios consumed with carbohydrate-rich meals may blunt/moderate the blood sugar response after a meal or postprandial GI and thus may be of benefit in improving long-term glycemic control.”

Mediterranean Diet Protects Against Stomach Cancer

Eating the Mediterranean way can help reduce your risk of stomach cancer, a large study from Europe shows. The results add to the evidence for the role of the Mediterranean diet in reducing cancer risk and add further support for the need to continue to promote the Mediterranean diet in areas where it is disappearing,” Dr. Carlos A. Gonzalez of the Catalan Institute for Oncology in Barcelona and his colleagues say.

The traditional diets of Greece, Italy and other Mediterranean countries have many health benefits, they point out in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, including protection against cancer. But there is less information on how eating this way might influence risk of specific cancer types. Gonzalez and his team looked at gastric cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer death worldwide.

To investigate whether diet might be protective against the disease, the researchers analyzed data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study on 485,044 men and women 35 to 70 years old from 10 European countries. All had been given a score on an 18-point scale based on how closely their diet adhered to the Mediterranean ideal of being rich in fruit, nuts, vegetables, legumes, fish, cereals and olive oil, with a relatively low intake of red meat and dairy products.

During nine years of follow-up, 449 of the study participants developed gastric cancer. People with the highest relative Mediterranean diet scores were 33 percent less likely to develop the disease than people whose eating patterns were furthest from the Mediterranean ideal. Gastric cancer risk fell 5 percent for every one-point increase in a person’s Mediterranean diet score.

Just 23 percent of people diagnosed with gastric cancer will survive for five years, the researchers note. “Therefore, identifying dietary recommendations that can help reduce incidence is important for the effective management of this cancer,” they conclude.

March 2010 • The Cracker 91

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Nutrition and the Eye

The topic of nutrition and the eye has garnered a lot of attention during the last five to 10 years.

Several groundbreaking studies, including the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and the Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial (LAST), demonstrated mixed results and suggested that certain supplements can effectively protect against many ocular diseases, while other supplements offer no protection at all. This paper provides an overview of specific micronutrients and their role in the prevention and/or treatment of age-related macular degeneration, cataract and glaucoma.

Food provides the energy and nutrients needed for human growth and survival. Macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) together contribute to the human body’s total energy pool. Frequently, patients will meet daily macronutrient requirements, but fall well short of daily micronutrient requirements.1 This scenario is fairly problematic; adequate micronutrient intake is critical to overall systemic health and longevity. Additionally, excessive macronutrient intake can directly contribute to obesity and a host of potentially life-threatening conditions.

Vitamin E. Fat-soluble vitamin E is comprised of several antioxidants (tocopherols and tocotrienols). Alpha-tocopherol is the most bioavailable antioxidant, and is the only form of vitamin E found in large quantities in the blood and tissues. Good sources of vitamin E include raisin bran, almonds, sunflower oil, mixed nuts, canola oil, asparagus, corn oil and olive oil. Because it is a fat-soluble vitamin, excessive intake of vitamin E could cause gastrointestinal distress, including nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Additionally, high levels of vitamin E intake could make patients on blood thinners more susceptible to bleeding. Because retinal tissue is especially sensitive to changes in vitamin E levels, several studies have suggested that vitamin E intake may have a direct influence in combating AMD.710 Researchers from the Vitamin E, Cataract and Age-Related Maculopathy Trial compared randomized participants into either a 500IU q.d. vitamin E group or a placebo group.11 At four years, researchers found no reduction in incidence or progression of early or late AMD in either group. However, a relatively small number of patients with AMD at baseline (102 participants) and a short follow-up period could explain the lack of statistical significance found in the study.

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March 2010 • The Cracker 93

Nuts and Glycemic Index Education Leads to Better Diabetes Control

Nine weeks of education about the glycemic index in foods is enough to encourage adults with type 2 diabetes to adopt better dietary habits that result in improvements to their health, recent research suggests according to the Ohio State University. Participants in a clinical trial attended weekly sessions to learn about the potential benefits of low-glycemic-index foods – carbohydrates that are digested slowly and are less likely to spike blood-sugar levels than are carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index.

After nine weeks, the participants had adopted a lower glycemic-index diet and recorded lower weight, smaller waists and improved blood sugar levels. And when they were tested again another nine weeks later – during which they received no additional education – the participants had maintained most of those benefits.

The research addresses a controversy in the nutrition community, where some practitioners believe the principles behind maintaining a low-glycemic-index diet are too complicated for average consumers. “We found that with education, people with diabetes were able to adopt a lower glycemic-index diet. And it had a significant improvement in their weight control and glucose control,” said Carla Miller, senior author of the study and an associate professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University.

“A vast majority of people with diabetes don’t get sufficient education about their condition when they are diagnosed. And yet for many patients, that’s the only time they receive nutrition education. What they really need is continued education and support to help them maintain good control.”

The research is published in a recent issue of the journal Public Health Nutrition. In the study, people with diabetes were randomized into one of two groups. One group participated in the nineweek intervention immediately, and the other group waited for nine weeks before undergoing the same intervention.

The 103 participants who completed the study were between the ages of 40 and 70 years, had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for at least one year, and did not require insulin therapy for diabetes management. For the most part, participants were already doing a good job of controlling their blood glucose levels.

Each group education session lasted between 90 minutes and two hours. Session topics included self-monitoring food intake and portion sizes, carbohydrate counting and maintaining behavioral change.

Overall, the intervention emphasized selecting lower-glycemic-index foods instead of restricting overall carbohydrate intake.

The glycemic index is represented by a scale from 1 to 100. Foods that tend to slow the speed of digestion and prevent rapid increases in blood sugar include many vegetables, whole grains, dairy foods, nuts and seeds, beans and fruits. They are considered low-glycemic-index foods if they have an index of 55 or fewer points. Foods with a point value of 100 are the equivalent of pure glucose.

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Mediterranean Diet May Help Depression

A study published in Archives of General Psychiatry shows that people who followed the Mediterranean diet, an eating regimen that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and nuts, were less likely to develop depression. The Mediterranean diet usually is recommended to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems. This study is one of only a few to assess its effect on mental function.

The Spanish researchers followed more than 10,000 healthy adults who filled out questionnaires between 1999 and 2005. All were free of depression when the trial started.

Their adherence to the Mediterranean diet was measured by looking at nine components, such as low intake of meat, moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products, and high intake of fruits, nuts, cereals, vegetables, and fish.

After an average follow-up of 4.4 years, the overall incidence of depression for those who most followed the diet was 30% lower than for those who most ignored the dietary rules. Even lower rates of depression were associated with intake of specific elements of the Mediterranean diet, such as fruits, vegetables, and olive oil.

Nuts Help Fight Flu

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7 aprile +chiaro.pdf

Scientists in the growing field of nutritional immunology are unveiling new evidence of the complex role that nutrition plays in fighting off infectious diseases like influenza , according to the Wall Street Journal. A diet rich in nutrients such as vitamin A, found in colorful fruits and vegetables, and zinc, found in seafood, nuts and whole grains, can provide the critical fuel the body needs to fight off disease, heal injuries, and survive illness when it does strike, experts say.

Scientists are still studying all the complex ways in which nutrients interact with the immune system.

There is still much that they don’t know about minerals such as zinc, for instance, including how they are absorbed and all the roles they play in the body. But scientists do know that certain vitamins and minerals can improve the body’s ability to fight off infection: Studies in healthy elderly adults, for example, have shown an improved immune response to vaccination and fewer infections after receiving extra doses of vitamin E. To create immune cells to fight off a specific infection, the body has to rapidly draw nutrients from the bloodstream, says Anuraj Shankar, a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health. “If you don’t have an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals, you won’t be able to produce the number of immune cells you need, and the immune cells you do produce may be compromised,” Dr. Shankar says. That makes it impossible to mount an effective response to infection, he says.

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The Mediterranean diet, long touted as a healthy eating plan, may help people with type 2 diabetes stay off blood sugar-lowering medications, as well as help them lose weight and lower cardiovascular risk factors.

Those are the major findings from Italian researchers who found that while 70 percent of people with type 2 diabetes following a low-fat diet eventually needed diabetes medications, just 44 percent of those following the Mediterranean diet needed such drugs.

“Eating Mediterranean prevented anti-hyperglycemic drug therapy in about one-third of patients,” said study author Dr. Dario Giugliano, a professor of endocrinology and metabolic diseases at the Second University of Naples in Italy. He called the diet, “a safe and tasty means to delay the introduction of antidiabetic drug therapy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic people.”

Beyond its ability to help control blood sugar, “the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a number of healthful outcomes, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality,” Giugliano added. “Given that patients with type 2 diabetes still have a twofold risk of death as compared to the non-diabetic population, these potential benefits are intriguing,” he noted. Results of the study are published in the September issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Type 2 diabetes is fast becoming a pandemic, with as many as 380 million cases estimated by 2025, according to background information in the study. However, lifestyle changes can help prevent the disease and possibly reverse its course when instigated soon after diagnosis. Regular exercise and changes in diet are among the most important lifestyle changes that can help manage type 2 diabetes.

Although dietary modification is recommended, little research has compared low-fat diets to lowcarbohydrate diets in the management of type 2 diabetes, according to the study. To assess which type of diet might help people with type 2 diabetes better manage their condition, Giugliano and his colleagues compared 107 people on a low-fat diet to 108 who were eating a Mediterranean diet.

“The Mediterranean-type diet is a diet high in plant foods, such as fruits, nuts, legumes and cereals, and fish, with olive oils as the primary source of monounsaturated fat and low to moderate intake of wine, as well as low intake of red meat and poultry,” he said.

Nut Butters Good for Diet

96 The Cracker • March 2010

Studies show that diets high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids (abundant in peanut butter and nuts) prevent accumulation of fat around the midsection, boost calorie burn, and promote weight loss. In fact, women who eat one serving of nuts or peanut butter 2 or more times a week gain fewer pounds than women who rarely eat them, according to recent research from the Harvard School of Public Health. One reason: A snack that includes peanut butter helps you stay full for up to 2 ½ hours, compared with 30 minutes for a carb-only snack such as a rice cake, finds research from Purdue University. (Carbohydrates satisfy a craving, while nuts keep you feeling full.)

Go a Little Nuts: A Handful a Day Boosts Heart Health

Walnuts, almonds, pistachios -- almost any kind of nut -- pack a lot of nutrition into a small shell. The November 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource covers why nuts are a good addition to a heart-healthy diet: “Most nuts contain some nutrients that can benefit heart health and help with cholesterol control. They include unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, 1-arginine and plant sterols. Nuts have been shown to reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol) levels in the blood. Eating nuts also can reduce the risk of developing blood clots and improve the health of the lining of the arteries. These benefits suggest that eating nuts, in limited amounts, may reduce the risk of heart disease, though studies haven’t yet proved this conclusively.

Almost any type of nut is nutritious -- and high in calories. It’s best to eat nuts in moderation, no more than a handful a day. Consider that 1 ounce of almonds contains 169 calories and 15 grams of fat. Calorie and fat content for other nuts is similar. Also, choose unsalted or low-salt versions and use nuts as a substitute for saturated fats, such as those found in meats, eggs and dairy products “

March 2010 • The Cracker 97

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