The Cracker magazine, March 2013

Cracker The

March 2013 Edition 58, No. 1

The Official Voice of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation for the World Nut and Dried Fruit Trade

INC CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF HEADQUARTERS

BARCELONA HOSTS 30TH ANNIVERSARY CONGRESS REUS WELCOMES WORLD RESEARCH FORUM www.nutfruit.org

Cracker The

March 2013, Edition 58 INTERNATIONAL NUT AND DRIED FRUIT COUNCIL FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Giles Hacking - Chairman CG Hacking & Sons Limited, UK Pino Calcagni - Vice Chairman V. Besana S.P.A., Italy Mark Mariani - Vice Chairman Mariani Packing Company, USA Jordi Martí - Treasurer and General Secretary Borges S.A.U., Spain Thomas Apfel Max Kiene GmbH, Germany Asadollah Asgaroladi Hassas Export Co. Ltd., Iran Baljit Chadha Balcorp Limited, Canada Cheng Hung Kay CHK Trading Co. Ltd., Hong Kong Mark Jansen Blue Diamond Growers, USA Zhou Jinkui Fenzhou Yuyuan Native Produce, China Barry Kriebel Sun-Maid Growers of California, USA Ashok Krishen Olam International Limited, Singapore Maarten Leerdam Intersnack Group GmbH & Co. KG, Germany Jack Mariani Mariani Nut Company, USA Pratap Nair Vijayalaxmi Cashew Company, India Chris Nubern Snacks Parent Corporation, USA Osman Oz Aegean Exporters Associations, Turkey Antonio Pont - Honorary President Borges S.A.U., Spain Sabit Sabir Sabirlar Findik Ihracat Ltd. Sti., Turkey Berton Steir Paramount - Roll International Corp., USA Dick Walden The Green Valley Pecan Company, USA Michael Waring MWT Foods, Australia Cuneyd Zapsu Balsu A.S., Turkey Bian Zhen-hu China Chamber of Commerce, China EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Giles Hacking – Chairman Pino Calcagni - Vice Chairman Mark Mariani - Vice Chairman Jack Mariani Antonio Pont Berton Steir Cuneyd Zapsu Goretti Guasch - Executive Director SENATORS

Hubert Berrebi, France Helmut Dankert, Germany Raoul Gamon, France Chris Hacking, UK Walter F. Payne, USA Abbas Rafii, Luxembourg Don Soetaert, USA James Swink, USA Jack Taillie, Netherlands Frank Vaerewijck, Belgium Doug Youngdahl, USA THE CRACKER EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

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FEATURED ARTICLES

INDEX

6

WORLD NEWS

18 INC Ambassadors

Besana Group receives UK-Italy Business Award; the Klijn story is retold in a new book available online; new Sunsweet packaging conveys contemporary healthy message; 10 percent of new dairy alternative beverage introductions included almonds for Almond Milk, a category created by Blue Diamond Growers.

49 Statistical Outlook

22 Global Nut/Dried Fruit Trends Snack, nuts and seed product introductions including dried fruit have more soft health claims compared to all snack, nuts and seed product launches tracked. Indulgent and premium positioning are drivers for new product development.

26 Barcelona Hosts 30th

Anniversary INC Congress

85 Advertisers

Cracker The

March 2013 Edition 58, No. 1

The Official Voice of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation for the World Nut and Dried Fruit Trade

BARCELONA HOSTS 30TH ANNIVERSARY CONGRESS

1000 participants representing 50 countries are expected to attend the INC Congress 21-23 May in Barcelona at the renowned Hotel Ritz-Carlton Arts. Social venues include the opening reception on the beach at the Opium Bar and a casual dinner at the Poble Espanyol, a replica of Spanish architecture.

35 Grand Opening of INC

Headquarters in Reus: INC CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF HEADQUARTERS REUS WELCOMESWORLD RESEARCH FORUM

The new world headquarters of the nut and dried fruit industry will host a tour and grand opening ceremony in Reus on Monday 20 May followed by a reception. Donors will be honored at the Reus Palace of Congresses.

66 World Industry News: The U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act will transform best practices from farm to fork; science emerging that caloric values for almonds should be re-evaluated; American Pistachio Growers links activities to Super Bowl; Nucis Italia celebrates successful end-aisle displays; new programs initiated by Nucis Germany; Walnut Commission launches global fitness, health campaign; Pecan industry partners with Tufts University.

86 INC World Research Forum:

www.nutfruit.org

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER:

Emili Argilaguet

PERMANENT SECRETARIAT OF INC

ON the 20-21 May in Reus, world leaders on Mediterranean Food and Health Disease will convene to hear the latest research news on foods in the Mediterranean diet, including nuts.

Goretti Guasch, Executive Director Carrer de la Fruita Seca 4, Polígon Tecnoparc, 43204 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.

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 2013 | The Cracker

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Chairman’s commentary

Greetings from London!

How time flies when you are having fun! It seems that only yesterday I wrote my last Chairman’s Commentary, and yet we have a lot of news to report before we see you in Barcelona for our biggest celebration ever!

Speaking of time flying by, it also seems like only last week that the Executive Committee was locked in negotiations about whether we should proceed with the reconstruction of INC’s new home, the Mas Baruffet. We were challenged to secure adequate financing for the project at the time. Now, just over two years after that meeting took place, and thanks to the incredibly generous support of our membership (our donors), the Mas Baruffet is complete, and the INC Secretariat is now fully installed and operational in our new headquarters .

While I had the great pleasure to attend an ‘open day’ for local officials in January, our significant inaugural ceremony will happen in conjunction with our Barcelona Congress on Monday 20th May 2013 where we will officially thank and recognize our sponsors in our program. We should also be grateful to the Administration of Reus for the 50 year gratis lease that they so gratiously donated to INC. Please note this celebration in your registration materials and in this edition of the Cracker and plan to join us When we last communicated, we were preparing to attend SIAL in Paris at our first INC Pavilion, which I am pleased to report was a huge success. INC met many new members, advertisers and exhibitors by attending this show. The Pavilion itself was fully booked by member companies and located in an enviable position, near the main entrance to the exhibition hall. We plan to repeat this success at Anuga with another INC Pavilion which, I am pleased to report, is already fully booked!

The INC Secretariat is now preparing to attend Gulf Food in Dubai where we will have an exhibit. Gulf Food is the Middle East’s largest and most important exhibition in the food sector with over 4,000 exhibitors, and an expected 55,000 visitors. This is a very exciting and fast growing region in the nuts and dried fruit sector, and INC is rapidly increasing its presence by attending the show to represent our industry interests.

On the nutrition front, the INC World Forum has launched a ‘call for expression of interest’ for INC funding for research projects that will ultimately enhance the understanding of the health benefits of nuts and dried fruits. We very much look forward to being able to provide funding to a chosen project in this field in the near future and you will all be kept closely informed of developments.

Most exciting in the nutritional arena has been the recent publication of the Predimed Study, in the world respected New England Journal of Medicine. This study which involved 7,447 participants, 16 research groups in seven Spanish communities and spanned 8 years of research, proved that the consumption of a Mediterranean diet enriched with tree nuts, definitively decreased the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

As we now approach the early stages in the production cycle of our 2013 crops, it is somewhat gratifying to observe the possibility (at least) that global economic conditions may be slowly starting to move in a more positive direction. Buyers seem to have greater confidence than in the last few years. Hopefully this trend will promote greatly needed stability in the markets for our global nut and dried fruit industry.

Finally, preparations for our Barcelona Congress are well underway and already registrations are at an all time high for this time of year. Inside this edition of The Cracker, you will find additional information about the congress including business opportunities offered in the program, as well as the “glamorous” social program that always comes with the backdrop of beautiful Barcelona!

Please don’t be left out of these opportunities and plan to register as soon as possible. For those who have already secured your registration and hotel, congratulations! We look forward to seeing you at one of our best events yet!

Yours sincerely,

Giles Hacking INC Chairman

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The Cracker | March 2013

world nut & Dried fruit news Keep up with current events from the international nut & Dried fruit industry BESANA GROUP RECOGNIZED

BY UK-ITALY AWARD V.Besana Spa, a food company based in Campania near Naples and leader in the production and distribution of nuts, dried fruit, seeds and chocolate, was honoured in January with the “UK-Italy Business Award”, an award conferred by the British government on Italian companies who have chosen the United Kingdom for their international expansion.

The Group, led by Giuseppe Calcagni, is in European, American, Asian and African markets with various brands, including AlmaverdeBio (specializing in organic products), which has received the “Long Term Investor” award. This accolade is in recognition of its presence in Great Britain since 1989 and to its fruitful business relationships with local institutions.

“We are particularly proud of this award – explains Giuseppe Calcagni – because it highlights our achievements in the United Kingdom. Our group, founded as a family enterprise, is today an international player in the sector. The success attained and our historical presence in Great Britain is the catalyst toward our now investing in further projects to help develop and consolidate our activities on all 5 continents”.

In the medium term, the British site plans to increase employment by 20% and make a further investment of GBP 5 million for a new chemical-free and environment-friendly production and distribution plant, creating a strong commercial bridge towards Central Europe and Africa.

The official ceremony for the UK-ITALY Business Awards was in Milan at the Borsa Italiana (Italian Stock Exchange), in the presence of the British Minister for Business and Innovation Michael Fallon, the Italian Minister of Economic Development Corrado Passera, the British Ambassador in Italy Christopher Prentice and the CEO of Borsa Italiana Raffaele Jerusalmi.

UK Trade & Investment, the British agency promoting international trade development, has recognized the Besana Group for its nearly 25 years of operating a strategic production and logistics site based in Upper Rissington, Gloucestershire, within converted aircraft hangars that formerly housed the Royal Air Force.

Besana created this base to consolidate its business activity within the British and Northern European markets.

Founded in 1921 by the brothers Emilio and Vincenzo Besana the group is today guided by the third and fourth generations, Giuseppe (Pino) Calcagni and his son Riccardo.

Their long term strategies combined with active research & development, capacity for continuous innovation, respect for quality and safety of products has made the company a leader in the sector and an important partner of the principal European supermarket chains, food service companies and major food industries.

The Group has been a pioneer in the application of international food quality regulations and the defence of hygiene and environmental standards for workers in nut and dried fruit production, always basing their own procedures on these international guidelines, the HACCP manual and product certification.

Born in Naples, Calcagni has skilfully led the Besana Group through 50 years of activity. Beyond his own company he has been entrusted with important institutional roles among which are: the Chairmanship of the Advisory Group Fruit & Vegetables at the European Commission (appointment in 2009 and reconfirmed in 2011); the Chairmanship of ‘Confidi Regione Campania’; the Vice Presidency of the I.N.C. (International Nut and Dried Fruit Council), a foundation co-founded in the early 1980’s by Calcagni, which today counts more than 700 associated companies worldwide representing 65% of sector commercial exchanges.

For more information, visit http://www.besanaworld.com.

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The Cracker | March 2013

World nut & dried fruit news

GLOBAL HEALTHY FOODS TO HIT $1 TRILLION IN 2017 The global functional, allergen-free and organic and other healthy foods market will push through the $1 trillion (€770m) mark for the first time in 2017, as consumer interest in preventing illness via foods snowballs, says Euromonitor International. Better tasting foods, recession-driven concerns to avoid public healthcare costs, and increasing knowledge about foodstuffs, was driving the growth, according to the report.

Prevention is driving this new social and business reality which is why the healthy foods industry is outperforming the mainstream food industry. Thirty percent of food companies are currently invested in healthy food, says the report. The figures were buoyed by extraordinary emerging economy growth with China’s healthy foods sector adding €8.5bn in 2011 alone; Brazil’s €3bn.

Health and wellness is going main stream in the global marketplace as these foods appear in more convenient formats. Ready-to-eat drinks and food is driving consumers to these products as they seek more convenient packaging options. Euromonitor data found the health and wellness drinks market world grow at about 7.5% year-on –year until 2016, compared to about 6.75% for normal beverages. Healthy beverages would be worth about $400bn (€308bn) compared to about $500bn (€385bn). Growth rates were similar in packaged foods, although healthy foods only accounted for $550bn (€4242bn) compared to about $2400bn (€1850bn) for regular foods.

Other fast-growing economies included (in order) Russia, the US, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Indonesia, the UK, India, Canada, Germany, Australia, Colombia, South Korea, France, Italy and Saudi Arabia.

SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE SALES DOWN Global launches of low/no/reduced sugar chocolate products fell 19 per cent between 2010 and 2011, and indications of launch activity in the first three quarters of 2012 suggest that the slide is continuing. The US, Belgium, Spain, and Brazil lead other nations in no/low/reduced chocolate launch activity and efforts in these four countries have been mixed: while the US has seen a significant reduction in launches of low/no/reduced sugar chocolate confectionery, efforts to bring more products with this claim to consumers in Spain and Belgium have been more robust.

not tended to gravitate towards these products, and since 2010, only two per cent of all chocolate introduced globally has had a low/no/reduced sugar designation.

Stevia is the newest sweetener being used to replace sugar, accounting for a miniscule number of launches since 2010; since EU legislation permitting stevia is a recent development, it is not surprising that the number of products using stevia has increased over the past year. Nonetheless, the ingredient is present in less than one per cent of new chocolate launches.

Consumer reluctance to buy into the sugar free chocolate category may reflect concern about ‘artificial’ ingredients. In the UK, for example, where sugar free chocolate is a fragment of the market, a third of chocolate consumers “would like to buy chocolate which uses natural sweeteners instead of sugar,” which indicates their desire to find an alternative to sugar, but suggests little interest in products made with artificial sweeteners.

Belgian manufacturers are leading the way in experiments with stevia as a chocolate confectionery sweetener, accounting for 75 per cent of new stevia sweetened chocolate launches since 2010, the majority of which were introduced in 2012. The US, which is the second biggest market for stevia launches, has introduced just five per cent of new stevia-sweetened chocolate confectionery products. Stevia is not the only non-sugar sweetener manufacturers are utilising in chocolate confectionery, but it is gaining headlines because of its position as a ‘natural sweetener,’ as opposed to an ‘artificial’ sugar replacement.

Sugar free chocolate has traditionally been a small market. Consumers have

Sales of sugar free chocolate explain what appears to be manufacturer reluctance to jump into the market, in the US, for example, the small subsegment (comprising less than two per cent of the $18.2 billion (€13.9bn) US chocolate market), saw sales fall every year since 2007 and is forecasted to continue to slide over the next five years.

Until stevia or some other ‘natural’ sweetener can deliver on the taste and mouthfeel that consumers associate with regular chocolate, however, it is likely that the sugar free market will remain a small one. Even with all the attention being paid to healthier eating, and to the importance of modifying diets in order to lose or maintain weight, consumers in general do not seem to want to move to the sugar free chocolate currently on the market. In the UK, more than half of chocolate consumers “would cut back on chocolate as part of a healthy eating regime,” suggesting that there is a greater likelihood to cut back on the product than to switch to a sugar free version.

BUHLER OPTICAL SORTING POWERS MOLDOVAN WALNUT EXPORTS Founded in 1992, Moldova’s Maestro-Nut has grown to become Eastern Europe’s leading exporter, packer and processor of walnut kernels with customers in over 30 countries. Tarek Rahmo, Maestro-Nut’s founder, attributes much of the company’s success to Buhler optical sorting technologies: “In 2008 we bought a SORTEX Z+V monochromatic sorter followed in 2011 by a SORTEX Z+3RBL with Enhanced InGaAs and PROfile (shape) technology. It means that we can remove tiny shell fragments and sort accurately by fine colour gradations and precise size criteria. The sorters perform excellently under a heavy 24 /7 work load and are exceptionally reliable. Importantly, maintenance and technical support services are prompt, efficient and delivered locally by highly skilled engineers.”

March 2013 | The Cracker

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World nut & dried fruit news

NEW PUBLICATION

“NUTS & DRIED FRUITS” BY MR JAN W. KLIJN ‘From generation to generation, a Klijn story’.

Since 1969 his passion for Nuts and Dried Fruits grew and travelling the world to visit suppliers and customers alike, became the standard for my Dad. He would come back with inspiring stories…how pistachio’s are sun dried in Iran, how apricots are pitted by hand, how raisins are dried grapes and that California is going to be a dominant factor in the world of Nuts and Dried Fruits since all ingredients for success are visible.

Passionately my Dad sold the products –and the stories- he imported, to customers in The Netherlands and abroad.

And of course storytelling instilled a hunger in me, and in my brother, to be in this business too.

New countries were visited –and sometimes Dad would take us-, dates from Algeria and Tunisia processed in South of France, Macadamias from Malawi and South Africa, he spent weeks on a boat in the Amazon to see the collection of Brazilnuts. He travelled and wrote, as a hobby writer, the many experiences and some real adventures and in the end put all his knowledge and stories together in a book about Nuts and Dried Fruits. The first edition published in 1983, the second version years later, but now, a whole new book is seeing the light.

Proudly we say : Dad, warm congratulations on your achievement. It was a great privilege to ride, and write !, with you !!! Thanks for inspiring us to work in the world of Nuts and Dried Fruits as well.

Gerard Klijn The book (in English and Dutch) can be ordered at : www.jeweka.nl

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The Cracker | March 2013

World nut & dried fruit news

SUNSWEET INNOVATES NEW PACKAGING Processors can't get enough flexible packaging as light weight and convenience drive innovative structures and graphic treatments for pouches, bags and shrink labels drive the category, according to Food processing magazine. The shift to flexible packaging is occurring among national brand owners and private labelers, and it's happening domestically as well as overseas.

In the U.S., Sunsweet Growers Inc., Yuba City, California, leveraged the visual possibilities of flexible packaging as part of a packaging redesign. The company switched from a paper label to a full-body shrink label for its juice bottles and redesigned the graphics on its full range of packaging, including dried-fruit pouches, to give the Sunsweet brand a more contemporary look.

Like the new label graphics, redesigned graphics on Sunsweet's dried-fruit pouches are nutrition driven with a contemporary look. The pouches are printed via rotogravure, which delivers a high-quality look, and photography on the pouches features the fresh fruits from which the products are made. "If you're selling fresh, healthy and delicious, the quality of the reproduction is everything," McLean says.

The company's goal was to convey "contemporary, healthy relevance for an increasing savvy and health-seeking [consumer] in the healthy snack category," explains Ian McLean, founder and creative director at McLean Design Inc., Walnut Creek, Calif. McLean's firm designed the new Sunsweet package graphics.

The metallized pouch material provides an opaque print surface, obviating the problem of sticky products making splotches on the inner surface of the pouch that can be seen through the printing. The pouch material also has good barrier properties, which protect the products from deterioration and spoilage. And, for convenience, the pouches are resealable.

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March 2013 | The Cracker

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World nut & dried fruit news

OBESITY IN YOUNG FALLING IN U.S. CITIES Jessica Kourkounis for The New York Times

After decades of rising childhood obesity rates, several American cities are reporting their first declines.

The trend has emerged in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as smaller places like Anchorage, Alaska, and Kearney, Neb. The state of Mississippi has also registered a drop, but only among white students.

“It’s been nothing but bad news for 30 years, so the fact that we have any good news is a big story,” said Dr. Thomas Farley, the health commissioner in New York City, which reported a 5.5 percent decline in the number of obese schoolchildren from 2007 to 2011.

The drops are small, just 5 percent here in Philadelphia and 3 percent in Los Angeles. But experts say they are significant because they offer the first indication that the obesity epidemic, one of the nation’s most intractable health problems, may actually be reversing course. Researchers say they are not sure what is behind the declines. They may be an early sign of a national shift that is visible only in cities that routinely measure the height and weight of schoolchildren. The decline in Los Angeles, for instance, was for fifth, seventh and ninth graders — the grades that are measured each year — between 2005 and 2010. Nor is it clear whether the drops have more to do with fewer obese children entering school or currently enrolled children losing weight. But researchers note that declines occurred in cities that have had obesity reduction policies in place for a number of years.

Though obesity is now part of the national conversation, with aggressive advertising campaigns in major cities and a push

by Michelle Obama, many scientists doubt that anti-obesity programs actually work. Individual efforts like one-time exercise programs have rarely produced results. Researchers say that it will take a broad set of policies applied systematically to effectively reverse the trend, a conclusion underscored by an Institute of Medicine report released last May.

Philadelphia has undertaken a broad assault on childhood obesity for years. Sugary drinks like sweetened iced tea, fruit punch and sports drinks started to disappear from school vending machines in 2004. A year later, new snack guidelines set calorie and fat limits, which reduced the size of snack foods like potato chips to single servings. By 2009, deep fryers were gone from cafeterias and whole milk had been replaced by one percent and skim.

Nationally, about 17 percent of children under 20 are obese, or about 12.5 million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The C.D.C. defines childhood obesity as a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile in comparison to children of the same age and sex in the center's growth charts, a reference population based on children in the United States primarily from the 1960s and 70s. Obese children are more likely to be obese as adults, creating a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. The American Cancer Society says that being overweight or obese is the culprit in one of seven cancer deaths. Diabetes in children is up by a fifth since 2000, according to federal data.

“This significant transaction will allow us to continue our expansion strategy in all regions and capture additional opportunities through outsourcing and partnership agreements as well as in Gourmet," he said.

March 2013 | The Cracker

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World nut & dried fruit news

U.S. FOOD AGENCY MOVES TO PREVENTIVE MODE The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed the most sweeping food safety rules in decades, requiring farmers and food companies to be more vigilant in the wake of deadly outbreaks in peanuts, cantaloupe and leafy greens. The regulations are aimed at reducing the estimated 3,000 deaths a year from foodborne illness.

Just since last summer, outbreaks of listeria in cheese and salmonella in peanut butter, mangoes and cantaloupe have been linked to more than 400 illnesses and as many as seven deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The actual number of those sickened is likely much higher.

The FDA's proposed rules would require farmers to take new precautions against contamination, to include making sure workers' hands are washed, irrigation water is clean, and that animals stay out of fields. Food manufacturers will have to submit food safety plans to the government to show they are keeping their operations clean.

Many responsible food companies and farmers are already following the steps that the FDA would now require them to take. But officials say the requirements could have saved lives and prevented illnesses in several of the large-scale outbreaks that have hit the country in recent years.

In a 2011 outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe that claimed 33 lives, for example, FDA inspectors found pools of dirty water on the floor and old, dirty processing equipment at Jensen Farms in Colorado where the cantaloupes were grown. In a peanut butter outbreak this year linked to 42 salmonella illnesses, inspectors found samples of salmonella throughout Sunland Inc.'s peanut processing plant in New Mexico and multiple obvious safety problems, such as birds flying over uncovered trailers of peanuts and employees not washing their hands.

Under the new rules, companies would have to lay out plans for preventing those sorts of problems, monitor their own progress on those safety efforts and explain to the FDA how they would correct

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The Cracker | March 2013

them. "The rules go very directly to preventing the types of outbreaks we have seen," said Michael Taylor, FDA's deputy commissioner for foods.

The FDA estimates the new rules could prevent almost 2 million illnesses annually, but it could be several years before the rules are actually preventing outbreaks. Taylor said it could take the agency another year to craft the rules after a four-month comment period, and farms would have at least two years to comply -- meaning the farm rules are at least three years away from taking effect.

Smaller farms would have even longer to comply.

The produce rule would mark the first time the FDA has had real authority to regulate food on farms. In an effort to stave off protests from farmers, the farm rules are tailored to apply only to certain fruits and vegetables that pose the greatest risk, like berries, melons, leafy greens and other foods that are usually eaten raw. A farm that produces green beans that will be canned and cooked, for example, would not be regulated.

Such flexibility, along with the growing realization that outbreaks are bad for business, has brought the produce industry and much of the rest of the food industry on board as Congress and FDA has worked to make food safer. Pamela Bailey, president of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents the country's biggest food companies, said the food safety law "can serve as a role model for what can be achieved when the private and public sectors work together to achieve a common goal."

The farm and manufacturing rules are only one part of the food safety law. The bill also authorized more surprise inspections by the FDA and gave the agency additional powers to shut down food facilities. In addition, the law required stricter standards on imported foods. The agency said it will soon propose other overdue rules to ensure that importers verify overseas food is safe and to improve food safety audits overseas.

World nut & dried fruit news feature story feature story

EC TO STUDY HOW RETAILERS’ BRAND AFFECTS CONSUMER CHOICE

MORE INGREDIENTS ARE BEING USED FOR DAIRY ALTERNATIVES

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Mr. Drescher up byDrescher, Greg Drescher, viceretail president ofinthe division.

Mr. whether concentration of the some areas has Drescher reduced Williams, head of research at Innova. “This trend seems set to continue is responsible for theforcollege's thought leadership, strategic is responsible college's thought leadership, strategic choice, by measuring thethevariety of products available.

In addition, with an increasing variety of products being made available.” partnerships and initiatives, industryindustry conferences, andnumber newand media partnerships and initiatives, conferences, newentirely media the study will examine innovation, measuring the of Almond milks are growing in popularity as they have increased from andnew is the creator of these and ingredients other "think tank" and is the and creator ofprograms these programs andCIA other "think tank" products products with new orCIA characteristics being featured in just 3% of alternative dairy beverages in 2005 to being initiatives.

He assumed his currentcurrent title in title 2011inafter as He assumed 2011serving after serving as that initiatives. have appeared in recenthis years. in 10% of such beverages in 2012. Blends also have become popular executive director of strategic initiatives for the CIA. Mr. Drescher executive director of strategic initiatives for the CIA. Mr. Drescher Successful ranges of own-brand products have given retailers with manufacturers using soy and rice or multi-grain combinations. joined the CIA in 1995, and served nearly 10 years as the first joined the CIA in 1995, and served nearly 10 years as the first “growing bargaining power vis-à-vis suppliers and may result director of education for the college's campus in St. Helena, For example, during the past year Hain Celestial expanded its dairy-free director of education for the college's campus in St. Helena, CA, in where oversaw the development of the CIA at Greystone’s unfair trading practices, individual suppliers forced CA, he where he oversaw thewhere development of the CIA at are Greystone’s brand with Dream Blends, featuring almonds, cashews and hazelnuts. program of continuing education and advanced studies. to accept unfavourable conditions for advanced fear of losing a big – or program of continuing education and studies.

These products often are marketed on a health platform with the most even only –led client,” said.

All sometimes leadership initiatives by the a not-for-profit college,college, are supported by partnerships sponsorships. sponsors have have All leadership initiatives ledtheCIA, byECthe CIA, a not-for-profit are supported by partnerships and sponsorships.

Program popular claims beingand lactose-free, organicProgram ingredients, low sponsors cholesterol opportunities to help make an impact on the future of our industry and receive invaluable exposure of their products and brands to industry opportunities to help make an impact on the future of our industry and receive invaluable exposure of their products and brands industry The Commission has called for tenders from relevant experts by or additive- and preservative-free. Calcium is the ingredientto most decision makers and opinion leaders.

Parties interested in becoming program sponsors may contact Cathy Jörin, Director of Special Projects decision makers and opinion leaders.

Parties interested in becoming program sponsors may contact Cathy Jörin, Director of Special Projects February 14, 2013. A final report from the study is expected by the commonly used for fortification of these products, and heart-health andend Planning, Strategic Initiatives, CIA, at cathyjorin1@aol.com or 707.537.7742. and Planning, Strategic Initiatives, CIA, at cathyjorin1@aol.com or 707.537.7742. of next year, after which time the EC will assess the results and claims have diminished in this category due to concerns about regulatory propose to improve thethe functioning of foodSingapore markets. intervention andwebsites: the validity of the claims.

For may more information about the CIA and ourand new Singapore campus,campus, please visit these www.ciachef.edu, www.ciachef.edu/ For morechanges information about CIA ourEU new please visit these websites: www.ciachef.edu, www.ciachef.edu/ singapore/index.html/ and www.ciaprochef.com. singapore/index.html/ and www.ciaprochef.com.

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March 2012 |2012 The Cracker 211321 March | The Cracker March 2013 | The Cracker

World nut & dried fruit news

POST FOODS LAUNCHES NEW CEREAL LINE WITH NUTS Post Foods, LLC, introduces new Great Grains Protein Blend cereal, which helps support a healthy metabolism. Great Grains Protein Blend cereals add whole grain, natural fiber and protein to the less processed ingredients the brand has been providing breakfast tables across the country for years. Great Grains Protein Blend cereals come in two flavors: Cinnamon Hazelnut and Honey, Oats & Seeds.

New Great Grains Protein Blend - Honey, Oats & Seeds has whole grain flakes made with cracked wheat and whole kernel barley, sweetened with honey and combined with scoops of nutritious pumpkin seeds, almonds and multigrain clusters studded with sunflower seeds.

New Great Grains Protein Blend - Cinnamon Hazelnut is a balance of whole grain wheat, barley and oats, combined with scoops of wholesome hazelnuts, almonds and multigrain clusters with real cinnamon.

FAMILY HABITS DICTATE CHILDHOOD OBESITY A psychologist at the University of Kansas, after researching differing methods of encouraging weight loss in children, says that his work underscores the role that family plays in creating obesity.

hour-long visits with a dietitian. “Both of the groups ended up losing weight from pre-intervention to post-intervention and at one year followup,” said Steele. “That’s particularly true for the pre-adolescents.”

Despite recent data showing that childhood obesity in the U.S. has begun to drop, overweight and obese kids and teens remain a personal and public health hazard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are obese — that’s roughly 12.5 million kids and teens.

The KU researcher said that engaging the family is critical for developing healthier eating and lifestyle habits that lead to a reduction in weight in children and teens. Steele says that there are individual costs as well: “At the individual level, children and adolescents with obesity may not feel as well. They may not sleep as well. And they may actually experience some psychosocial problems like teasing, victimization, depressive symptoms — and just generally don’t feel as good as they could feel if they were in a healthier condition.”

“The data indicate that children with obesity just don’t have as good a quality of life,” said Ric Steele, professor of psychology and applied behavioral science at the University of Kansas. “Risk for Type 2 diabetes is skyrocketing. The CDC predicts that within 20 years half of America will have Type 2 diabetes. We can think about societal costs represented in this figure — that’s a monumental investment in an essentially preventable illness.”

In a paper published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Steele compared Positively Fit, a nutrition, exercise and behavior modification program for children and their families, which featured 90-minute counseling sessions and spanned 10 weeks, with a brief family intervention consisting of three

Eurofins_Anzeige_TheCracker_Trampe_version2.1

Cracker | March 2013 14Dienstag,The 20. April 2010 16:16:32

“Kids don’t do shopping for themselves usually,” Steele said. “For kids, eating decisions and exercise decisions are based in part on what’s considered normal. So for me, as the dad, to say, ‘Go outside and play,’ if I’m not willing to be active, too — that sends a mixed message that doesn’t really work for the kids. We think about a whole family approach. We all want to be healthy. So regardless if I’m personally overweight or not, I need to live a lifestyle that’s healthy and will encourage a healthy lifestyle for all of the members of my family.”

World nut & dried fruit news

EU HEALTH CLAIMS:

FOODDRINKEUROPE APPROVAL The EU’s biggest food industry group – FoodDrinkEurope –backs the article 13 list of 222 approved and 1500+ rejected health claims in the European Union’s 27 member states. The mandating of the EU nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) was, FDE said, “a positive step towards providing more certainty and clarity for consumers while creating a level-playing field for industry.”

“This list means consumers can confidently make use of scientifically-substantiated information about the beneficial properties of food and drink products. Industry is now looking to the European Commission and Member States to agree on outstanding Article 13.1 health claims and to find a solution for claims on botanicals.”

The group however called for improvement in the functioning of the regulation. “Food manufacturers are looking forward to further improvements in the health claims process to direct research and development in the desired direction and strengthen industry innovation in the future.”

Other groups like the European Responsible Nutrition Alliance (ERNA) and the European Federation of Associations of Health Product Manufacturers (EHPM) have been more vocal in their criticism of the NHCR on grounds of disproportionality and misrepresenting nutrition science, among other grounds.

ERNA on Friday issued a free guidance to assist companies operating in the new claims environment. National trade bodies in the UK, the Netherlands and Italy have mounted a joint action to challenge the regulation in European courts.

MERGER TO CREATE THE WORLD’S LARGEST MACADAMIA MARKETING COMPANY Australian nut processor and marketer, Stahmann Farms Enterprises, has joined Green & Gold Macadamias, the global sales and marketing organisation established in 2010 by compatriot Suncoast Gold and Green Farms Nut Co of South Africa. Suncoast and Green & Gold Chairman, Frank Manning, said the initiative had already delivered great benefit in terms of consolidation of resources and creating a much more compelling portfolio offering to macadamia users around the world. With the addition of Stahmann Farms, Green & Gold will represent around one sixth of the world crop, giving manufacturers and retailers the necessary confidence to sustain future investment and growth.

BELGIAN CHOCOLATE:

IS IT STILL LEADING?

Belgium's reputation as the world's chocolate capital could be challenged as emerging markets develop a sweet tooth and the recession continues to affect business. The region became the base for the industry shortly after the Spanish explorer Cortes returned from Mexico with cocoa pods in the 17th century.

Three hundred chocolate companies are based in Belgium, which have a combined turnover of nearly £2bn every year. While the commodities analyst Mintel suggests the global market for chocolate has held steady in 2012 at roughly £52bn, the market in Western Europe shrank by 5%. More worryingly for many of the Belgian craftsman, who buy their chocolate already ground and cooked before adding their own ingredients, processing has shifted away from factories in neighboring Germany and the Netherlands.

Statistics from the European Cocoa Association show that processing in Europe fell by 17% over the summer. It is not just the recession, the economic model is changing: demand for luxury chocolate is growing in emerging

16

The Cracker | March 2013

economies, but slowly shrinking in richer countries. So it makes more economic sense for the larger companies to shift production to new markets where labor costs are low and the beans do not have to be shipped to Europe to be processed.

Since the recession, Belgian artisans have been mostly shielded from a dip in local demand by growing demand in eastern Europe and the so-called BRIC countries. But there could be problems ahead when they have to pay more to buy processed chocolate.

However, the creative artisans continue to build enormous sculpted chocolate objects in "quality street" where most of the famous chocolate houses have a flagship shop. There was also the unveiling of the world's longest ever structure built purely from chocolate.

The tourism minister believes Belgium will keep its chocolate crown because of its quality.

But can the country continue to maintain its reputation as a marque of quality and fight off the impending foreign competition?

World nut & dried fruit news

Sorting Reduces Aflatoxin in Brazil Nuts Brazil nuts contain a range of fungi, including those from Aspergillus section Flavi which are a major concern because some have the potential for producing aflatoxin. A major challenge for brazil nut production is the control of contamination by aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxins which resulted in a study recently printed in the International Journal of Food Microbiology and available online. A summary of the results is outlined here:.

A total of 288 Brazil nut samples shelled and inshell from the Amazon rainforest and São Paulo region in Brazil were collected at different stages of production to analyze percentages of aflatoxigenic fungal species and potential for aflatoxins available in the samples. Aspergillus nomius was the most common species found which amounted to 30 percent of the total species with potential to produce aflatoxins. This species are of concern since all of the isolates produced aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2.

Aspergillus flavus was almost equally common although only 46 percent produced aflatoxins under laboratory conditions, and only aflatoxins B1 and B2.

A low number of other species with the potential to produce aflatoxins was isolated: Aspergillus arachidicola and Aspergillus bombycis produced B and G aflatoxins while Aspergillus pseudotamarii produced only aflatoxin B1. The total aflatoxin levels found in samples taken from the rainforests was 0.7 μg/kg, from processing plants

before and after sorting 8.0 and 0.1 μg/kg respectively, from street markets in the Amazon region 6.3 μg/kg and from supermarkets in São Paulo State 0.2 μg/kg. Manual or mechanical sorting and drying at 60 °C for 30 to 36 h eliminated, on average, more than 98 percent of total aflatoxins. These results showed that sorting is a very effective way to decrease aflatoxin content in brazil nuts.

Aflatoxins are widespread in nuts and some cereals. They are carcinogenic and may cause other human health problems, so many countries have imposed regulations to minimize human exposure to them. This has resulted in rejection of products, including brazil nuts, causing great economic losses for producers, processors and marketers. The International Agency for Research on Cancer recognizes mixtures of aflatoxins as Group 1 carcinogens. The recommended maximum level for aflatoxins in brazil nuts for further processing is 15 μg/kg and for ready to eat, 10 μg/kg.

Global economy to improve in 2013, Europe to struggle The global economy is set to improve in 2013 – but Europe will continue to struggle, according to analysis from Euromonitor International. Real GDP (gross domestic product) will remain poor across the globe, it said, but will improve compared to 2012 levels, with particular bright spots in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa as incomes are expected to rise.

“The eurozone crisis provides the largest risk to global growth in 2013, with the Mediterranean economies expected to contract in 2013, though these downturns will be milder than 2012,” Euromonitor said.

March 2013 | The Cracker

17

World nut & dried fruit news

NEW EFSA HEALTH CLAIMS CHIEF OFFERS 2013 HOPE As the formlisation of the main organ (article 13.1 list) of the nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) kicks in, Professor Ambroise Martin, the new chair of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claims panel, reveals why the EU’s health claims future may be more promising than its recent past.

The University of Lyon professor, who has stated that probiotic claims can win claims in 1-2 years, said the agency’s approach to nutrition science was becoming easier to understand by commercial and academic players as guidance in various areas has been circulated.

But communication with industry remains problematic.

“The contact with applicants is a delicate issue – it has to be solved to be solved by politicians and risk managers,” Martin said. “The problem now is that there are so many accusations about the contact between experts and the industry that we have to be very careful about private discussions.”

“I have no problems with general symposiums but to have a specific counsel for a specific dossier for a specific claim, it’s very difficult for us. I prefer pedagogic behavior. For the moment it is not possible but in the future pre- clinical discussions could be possible. Why not? It works in the drug area.”

"Dossiers will improve in the future.”

“The problem is that there are not so many industry groups and enterprises in the drug area as in food. It would be very time and human resource consuming.”

Martin said the percentage of positive opinions stemming from his panel was indeed very low – around 10% - but he warned this figure should be put into the context of the many hundreds or thousands of article 13.1 dossiers that are now known to have been poorly constructed.

He said antioxidants, which had not fared very well so far, could win claims. “There is no controversy.

From our guidance we accept that antioxidants can be beneficial but the effect should be demonstrated not just in vitro but by the fact that important molecules in the body are effectively

protected. So it is very precise and we have been very precise on the markers we are accepting in DNA, lipid and protein damage.”

Botanicals For about 1500 botanical applications that are on hold as the European Commission and member states try to determine if tradition of use data should be acceptable or not, the professor suggested it should not.

“There is nothing in the regulation to have a specific approach for botanicals because tradition of use data is not mentioned. When we are assessing the effect of cherries for example – why should they be different to green tea extracts?”

INC AMBASSADORS

18

• Michael Waring, Australia - Chairman

• Mehrdad Manouchehri, Iran

• Duncan MacGregor, South Africa

• Oscar E. Vergara, Argentina

• Remy Berrebi, Israel

• Antonio Pont Jr., Spain

• Christopher Joyce, Australia

• Riccardo Calcagni, Italy

• Caroline Rönnberg, Sweden

• Frank Vaerewijck, Belgium

• Kazuo Julian Tagawa, Japan

• Varee Phonphaison, Thailand

• Eduardo Mendes, Brazil

• Pius M. Ngugi, Kenya

• Mohsen Boujbel, Tunisia

• Stephen Meltzer, Canada

• Hani Akzam, Lebanon

• Sezmen Alper, Turkey

• Siegfried Von Gehr, Chile

• Parissa Rafii, Luxembourg

• Bilge Anbarlilar, Turkey

• Chen Ying, China

• Karim Azzaoui, Morocco

• Sabit Sabir, Turkey

• Hubert Berrebi, France

• Khalid Bennani, Morocco

• Jafar Moallem, UAE

• Richard Monnier, France

• Kees Van de Sandt, Netherlands

• Roby Danon, UK

• Thomas Apfel, Germany

• Christopher Harlem, Norway

• Cheng Hung Kay, Hong Kong

• Jorge Carqueja, Portugal

• Stephen Sousa, USA

• Károly Bognar, Hungary

• Kourosh Mojibian, Russia

• Pratap Nair, India

• Ruslan Sokht, Russia

• Asadollah Asgaroladi, Iran

• Amit Khirbat, Singapore

The Cracker | March 2013

• Jim Warner, USA • Helen Watts, USA

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March 2013 | The Cracker

19

Feature Story

Nuts & Dried Fruit:

Power Foods for Athletes

By Sergio J. Lou MercadĂŠ

Personal Trainer Nuts and dried fruit are usually suggested by nutritionists and personal trainers who want to maximize athletic training results. Throughout my professional career as sportsmen, proper rest and nutrition have developed a key role in my work, in addition to dedication and thoroughness.

As Dr. Alfonso Blanco from the Faculty of Sciences of Physical Activity and Sport of Lleida (Spain) wisely pointed out during my university years: “Diet and rest are the most important parts of a training program.�

When you are a professional sportsman, or training hard for a marathon, for instance, it is crucial to follow a proper meal plan to guarantee that you are fueling the muscles, and renovating them after intense workouts.

In recent times, an increasing number of scientific studies have examined nuts and dried fruit for its antioxidant benefits. For example, the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition revealed that raisins are a natural source that provides an alternative to energy bars, according to a research from California-Davis University.

Nuts are packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in addition to fiber, vitamin E, L-arginine, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, manganese, and zinc among many other nutrients. Because of these vitamins and nutritional facts, nuts are one of the most suitable foods for fitness and athletes, as they fuel your body for the workouts, and help you to recover after exercising thanks to their high protein content.

According to CBS News’ Article “How to eat like a U.S. Olympian� (August 10, 2012) two-time Olympic medalist and beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings, and Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau fuel their workouts with almonds and peanut butter.

Are you working out? Nuts and dried fruits are not exclusive for professional sportsmen, but also for amateurs. Once I quit sport competitions, I started to work as personal trainer. My car became my “office� and I loaded it with bars, gums, fit balls, mats, weights and bicycles -my tools, along with proper food and beverages.

Depending on the intensity, I recommend that all my clients eat 50-70 minutes before long-term workouts, whether competitive or recreational. This practice helps you recharge your body and prevents low blood glucose levels -fainting.

I usually load my car with healthy sandwiches, cookies, mixes, and fruits, but what I never forget is what I call the emergency and super food: nuts. I keep them in a drawer, like a treasure, as they bring the energy we need when we cannot stop to eat during a workout. In fact, nuts are more digestible than other snacks or supplements.

I am a non-processed products fan; because of this I always refuse promoting or consuming nutrition brands that sell different products and accessories, in gel or powder. Take a few minutes

to eat nuts and dried fruits before, during and after workouts and competitions instead of processed foods. I rather get energy and flavor from the nutritional quality of tree nuts.

Tree nuts are specially indicated for activities that do not demand a lot of intensity, because the energy that nuts provide only lasts a few hours.

Nuts are packed with protein, fats and carbs that give a long term sensation of satiety. They are especially appropriate when you need an extra boost of energy. For instance, hiking for several hours, a round of golf with 18 holes, cycling more than two hours a day, or running a marathon are good examples of activities that require tree nuts.

That is the reason why organizers of marathons, triathlons and cycling competitions strategically include tree nuts in the provisioning points: almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts are often placed to fuel up athletes and sportsmen. On the other hand, cashews are a good option as a post-work out snack thanks to their magnesium content -it has the ability to relax our muscles.

Improve your results! A handful of nuts and dried fruits is always a good option, and you can also eat them in bars or try to pair them with your favorite food.

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March 2013 | The Cracker

21

feature Story

Global Nut and Dried Fruit Trends

by Innova Marketing Insights

market category research • Product launches tracked by only nuts are mainly used in chocolate (accounting for 35.5% of all product launches tracked by nuts).

Global Product Launches Tracked By Nuts & Dried fruit (2012)

• Product launches tracked by nuts and dried fruits in 2012 are mainly used in snack, nuts & seeds (accounting for 44% of all product launches tracked by nuts and dried fruits)

Snack Nuts & Seeds

Cereal & Energy bars

Breakfast Cereals

Chocolate

• Most of the product launches tracked by nuts and dried fruit in the last past years are breakfast cereals and/or cereal & energy bars. Product launch activity of snack, nuts & seeds for nuts and dried fruit has grown significantly from 2011 to 2012. snack, nuts & seeds have become the number one market category of product launches tracked by dried fruit and nuts in 2012.

Sugar Confectionery

* Note dried fruits is only tracked when it was communicated on the packaging

Key positioning types Snack, nuts and seed product introductions tracked with inclusion of dried fruits have more soft health claims compared to all snack, nuts and seed product launches tracked.

•

•

•

Natural, and no additives/ preservatives claims are more used on snack, nut and seed introductions tracked by nuts & dried fruits compared to all snack, nuts and seed introduction.

No additives/ preservatives is a prominent positioning in all markets; the demand for no additives/ preservatives is still growing.

Snack, nuts, and seed introductions have also more often a low cholesterol and a low sodium claim on the packaging

Indulgent & premium positioning are important drivers for new product development of snack, nuts & seeds.

Positioning

Product share of snack,

Product share of snack,

Subcategories

nuts and seeds launches

nuts & seeds tracked

tracked (2012) - %

by nuts and dried fruit (2012) - %

Natural

8.7%

10.9%

No additives preservatives

7.5%

8.6%

Organic

5.9%

3.9%

Low sodium

3.6%

8.6%

Low cholesterol

5.8%

7.7%

Indulgent & premium

5.6%

7.8%

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Forty-five years experience as International Brokers and Agents Consultants Almonds, Hazelnuts, Pistachios, Cashews, Walnuts, Peanuts, Pinenuts, Olive Oil, Seed Oils and Other Products Exclusive Agents of:

BDG Blue Diamond Growers Sacramento (Californie USA)

22

The Cracker | March 2013

Diamond Foods, Inc. Stockton (Californie USA)

Agreed Agents of:

FKB Fiskobirlik Giresun (Turquie)

ONH Tunis (Tunisie)

Feature Story Product share of snack, nuts,

Top fruit ingredients

Product share of all snack, nuts

and seed product introductions and seed product introductions tracked with nuts and dried

tracked (2012) - %

fruit (2012)- % Raisin

57.8%

7.8%

Cranberry

35.2%

4.6%

Pineapple

26.6%

2.0%

Papaya

16.4%

1.2%

Apricot

14.8%

1.0%

S AIN SB U RYS TASTE THE DIFFERENCE: SWISS CHOCOLATE, CHERRIES & VANILLA FLAVORED ALMOND MIX

Nuts are often combined with raisins, but cranberries with nuts is also a great combination in snacks.

Ja m ba Fruit-i-licious Probiotic Power:

N utricious Super Snacks from Nature: for Focus

Fruit and Nut Mix

Company

SAINSBURYS

Company

JOHNVINCE

Company

nice & Natural

Country

United Kingdom

Country

United States

Country

New Zealand

Category

Snack Nuts & Seeds

Category

Snack Nuts & Seeds

Category

Snack Nuts & Seeds

Event Date

DEC 2012

Event Date

DEC 2012

Event Date

NOV 2012

Price

US EURO

4.85 3.41

Description: A rich, sophisticated selection including tangy, juice-infused Bing cherries, creamy Swiss white chocolate shells and a mix of buttery Marcona and jumbo almonds, expertly roasted in aromatic vanilla seasoning for a perfectly crisp casing.

Price

US

2.45

EURO

1.89

Description: Fruit and Nut Mix containing cranberries, mango, papaya, yogurt raisins, milk chocolate, peanuts, roasted almonds, walnuts and roasted soy nuts.

Price

US

3.99

EURO

3.07

Description: Snack mix of walnuts, almonds, blueberries, and kiwifruit, in a plastic bag.

March 2013 | The Cracker

23

special report

Consumers Snacking More Consumers are snacking much more frequently according to Technomic Inc.’s 2012 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report. About half (48%) of the population snacks at least twice a day, double the 2010 level of 25%.

Seven in 10 snacks are eaten in the home, reports Technomic. Fresh fruit, crackers/cookies, cereal, potato chips/pretzels, ice cream, and cheese are the most popular at-home snacks. Workplace snacking is also on the rise along with brown-bagging snacks to work.

With those ages 18–34 driving the net gain in snacking behavior, the snack market will continue to grow. Packaged Fact’s Snack Foods in the U.S. report projects that U.S. retail sales of packaged snacks will top $76.8 billion by 2015. Drug and convenience stores posted volume gains in snack sales in 2011, according to SymphonyIRI data.

Three-quarters of consumers snack in the midafternoon, Technomic reports.

Four in 10 snack in the midmorning, mid-evening, and late at night; a.m. snacking rose 9% since 2010, according to Technomic. Indulgent snacks (e.g., ice cream, salty snacks, chocolate, snack nuts, and cookies) are most prevalent in the evening; fruit, baked goods, and coffee/tea are common midmorning.

Flavor/taste, cited by 83% of those polled, trumps all other factors in the snack purchase; 39% are motivated by new or unique flavors, explains Technomic. IRI reports that 34% of consumers are willing to pay more for gourmet snacks, up from 18% in 2009. According to a 2012 report from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, gourmet chips, pretzels, and snacks were the third-largest specialty food category with sales of $1.8 billion in 2011. With 75% of adults considering snacks as an important part of social occasions and 37% entertaining family/friends at home vs going out in 2012, gourmet snacks and appetizers will continue to be in high demand, IRI data suggests.

Sales volume for healthy snacks continued to outpace indulgent snacks in 2011, but by a smaller margin than in the past five years.

Just under half of consumers are snacking on healthier items in 2012, according to Technomic. The nutritional snacks/trail mix category was the top sales volume gainer among healthy snacks in 2011, up 11.1%, reports IRI. Hummus was also hot, according to IRI, with sales up 10.5%.

Consumer Trend Report. Vegetarian items, ethnic street-foodinspired appetizers, charcuterie, and bite-sized hors d’oeuvres are the top trendy appetizers for 2012, per the NRA survey.

The types of foods Americans are eating as snacks have broadened. In 2011, sales of refrigerated appetizers/snack rolls were up 5.9%, handheld breakfast entrees +3.6, and frozen appetizers/snack rolls +3.3%, according to IRI. These categories were right behind chocolatecovered salted snacks, with sales up 8.6%, and dried meat snacks, +6.0%, as the top volume gainers among indulgent snacks in 2011, per IRI.

While two-thirds (67%) of consumers eat granola, cereal, or breakfast bars, only 28% are users of energy bars, a statistic that is virtually unchanged since 2007–2008. Half (56%) of consumers look for snacks that offer an energy boost; 78% seek products that are filling.

Sales volume of snacks carrying a high protein tag jumped 28% in 2011, according to IRI.

Three in 10 snacks consumed in 2012 were beverages, according to Technomic. Restaurant/beverage bar coffee sales are projected to reach $20.7 billion by 2017, tea $9.7 billion, according to Packaged Fact’s Coffee and Tea Foodservice Trends in the U.S. report.

More than half (55%) of consumers eat restaurant French fries/onion rings, 54% single hamburgers/small sandwiches, and 49% a slice of restaurant pizza as away-from-home snacks, reports Technomic.

Expect mini ethnic morsels (e.g., empanadas, pupusas, etc.) to become a strong snack sector.

No trans fat and “beyond basic nutrition” (e.g., antioxidants) are the most desired healthy snack product attributes, cited by 60% of consumers; fresh/not processed, whole grain, low fat, high fiber, all natural, low calorie, no preservatives/additives, low sugar, low cholesterol, and vitamins/minerals were cited by more than 50% of consumers, according to IRI.

Mini desserts/bites rank ninth on the list of hot menu items in fast food in 2012; snack-sized items are 15th, according to the National Restaurant Assn.’s (NRA)What’s Hot? survey. Egg rolls, nachos, quesadillas, spring rolls, and hummus are among the most-ordered restaurant appetizers, according to Technomic’s 2010 Appetizer

IRI reports that 78% of parents want snacks with added nutrients for their kids; 59% seek fresh/not processed, 56% lower fat, and 43% lower calorie—all up significantly in the past two years. Lastly, portion size is emerging as a snack concern for women; two-thirds (67%) of women say it is important that the portion size is not too large, Technomic reports.

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The Cracker | March 2013

Key Trends for Premium Candy By emphasizing quality — from ingredients through processing — candy makers maximize affordable indulgences.

At the core, sustainable and successful premium products must create a greater value for the consumer than other products. For chocolate, this means creating a premium experience driven by quality of taste and texture, packaging, image and perception and communication. For many high-end chocolate makers, this means the premium difference includes every step of the chocolate-making process. Premium chocolate is an experience to be savored and appreciated.

Unlike mass-produced chocolate, premium chocolate undergoes an intensive and complex refinement process that takes hours and hours to ensure a smooth, luxurious texture. Premium chocolate uses only the finest ingredients, including rare cocoa beans and superior-grade cream/milk and sugar, to create the ultimate chocolate tasting experience.

The American palate is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and consumers are consistently demonstrating their appreciation for premium chocolate connoisseurship. Nearly 20percent of Americans – primarily Baby Boomers, ethnic consumers, higher education, higher income, and younger consumers – seek out gourmet and premium products. This increased demand leaves a gap to be satiated by the true premium brands and products in the premium chocolate category. American consumers are continuing to develop a preference for premium products. True premium brands and products have continued to grow in the last year while “premium pretenders” first rose, then declined or dropped out of the market.

During an economic downturn, there is a “less is more” trend, as long as the product is high quality. In difficult times when people feel the need to cut back on big purchases, many are still looking to indulge in simple luxuries, including premium chocolate. For this reason, the premium industry has remained strong. Consumers are looking for simple luxuries and are willing to pay more for quality products. Still, the premium chocolate segment in the United States remains underdeveloped. While the premium category represents 20-30 percent of sales in Europe, U.S. premium chocolate currently represents approximately 10percent of sales. The segment seems to be moving into a new cycle of major growth.

There is currently an underlying trend of “trading up” in many areas of public consumption, including chocolate. In particular, the underdeveloped premium chocolate segment in the United States will benefit from this trend substantially, due to significant opportunities driven by demand from consumers with significant growth and development potential over the next few years to come. The premium chocolate category is expected to evolve and grow with the help of various trends, including craft chocolate making, savory-inspired flavors, exotic flavors, and high cocoa content products.

For many premium confectioners excellence accompanied by fair pricing — is what separates premium candy makers from an entire range of everyday candy makers. And since 2008’s recession, value has given these confectioners a means to stay afloat in turbulent economic times — and cash-strapped consumers the ability to make worthwhile indulgences. According to the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade’s 2012 report, the specialty candy sector grew 15.5 percent from 2009 to 2011. Additionally, the sector currently holds 10.6 percent of the market share with $1.1 billion in sales.

Sales aside, what exactly makes these confections “high quality?” For many chocolate makers it’s a personally designed and hand-printed Belgian chocolate product that is delicious and aesthetically pleasing with lots of

human attention in a process where everything is done by hand, by human beings who tend to be craft people. Packaging that houses the products is crucial to achieving “premium” status because it showcases the product and is a luxury addition to it.

But to be complete, the product and packaging have to translate to a price that customers can accept, and at $18 for a set of six decorated pieces of chocolate, for example, the end- product must be an affordable luxury or indulgence that can take the place of bigger investments for the home--- a smaller luxury in difficult financial times! Something, perhaps handmade and all-natural with a sense of freshness and flavor innovation.

It may be a matter of using real cream and butter and all-natural flavorings to create a new variety of flavor like butterscotch, apple or espresso and chipotle! To maintain freshness, some gourmet candy stores keep only a week’s supply of products in stock. But, some of them are sold in gourmet grocery stores in a section where customers specifically look for convenient, low-cost luxuries — the checkout line.

Sourcing the beans is integral to many boutique store owners. Some spend months researching the ingredients used and the cocoa beans that will match them. It may mean using criollo cocoa beans from Venezuela and Ecuador to complement a light lemon flavor or require stronger cacao to balance a cinnamon flavor. The understanding that each chocolate has a different personality, a different realization — separates a premium or luxury company from an everyday chocolatier. For these specialists, intense research and attention to flavor mean premium prices: a half-pound box of either dark or mixed chocolates could cost $57 or for those looking for a little pampering, a visit to a store once or twice a week just to buy one chocolate could mean paying $2.25!

Via Fonzaso, 6 - 20148 Milano Tel. +39 0240090088 - Fax +39 0240091744 e-mail: connectsrl@connect-milano.it

International brokers and agents for DRIED FRUITS - TREENUTS GROUNDNUTS: Conventional & Organic Your best connection in the italian market March 2013 | The Cracker

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Barcelona-Reus, 21-23 May 2013

Dear friends, It is a great pleasure to invite you to celebrate the 30th Anniversary World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress and the Grand Opening of the New INC Home.

We are ready to greet you in this doubly happy celebration. On Monday 20 May, the city of Reus will embrace the World Forum for Nutrition Research Conference and the inauguration of the new INC headquarters. Under the theme “Mediterranean Food on Health and Disease�, the conference includes afternoon sessions exclusively dedicated to nuts and their effects on diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and antioxidant components. INC Members can take advantage of preferential rates as members of one of the organizing societies. You can sign up at www.worldnutrition2013.com.

The Palace of Congresses of Reus will host the World Forum for Nutrition Research Conference and the grand ceremony recognition for the Donors of the New INC Home. The new headquarters is closed to the Palace of Congresses and will celebrate the grand opening with an evening rich in activities and entertainment, including open doors, the welcome by the INC Founders and a cocktail reception.

Barcelona will host the traditional technical sessions, meetings and exhibition from 21st to 23rd May 2013, at the fabulous Hotel Ritz-Carlton Arts. The program covers the most relevant industryrelated topics, from market dynamics to innovation, food safety, gastronomy, health and nutrition, as well as an exhibition area.

The INC Congress is the whole nut and dried fruit industry under one roof, as it is the only international trade event devoted exclusively to this sector. Almost one thousand participants from

SPONSORS

more than fifty countries will find fresh new ideas, inspirational speakers, networking events and first-class hospitality.

Since this event is gaining popularity and attracting more and more participants, we launched the Congress micro-site early this year for INC Members to connect and network with other attendees. INC Members attending the Congress will also have the opportunity to participate in the Innovation Awards and get enriched with new products, services and ideas.

Barcelona will also host an outstanding program of social events: The Welcome Cocktail at the Opium Bar, an exclusive lounge on the beach; the Casual Dinner at the charming Poble Espanyol, a replica of Spanish architecture from different regions, and the traditional Gala Dinner and Ball at the superb Hotel Arts.

In addition, we have designed a selected program of post tours with destinations of great interest: Santiago de Compostela, destination of a thousand-year-old pilgrim route; Mallorca, the pearl of the Mediterranean Sea; a wine tour to the most important wineries in El Priorat, and a cultural tour to the neighboring cities of Figueres and Girona. Visit the INC Website: www.nutfruit.org for more detailed information.

We have much to celebrate this year. Join your friends at the INC Congress for a celebration of strength, growth and a brilliant future.

The Organizing Committee Antonio Pont Jr., Congress Chairman Giles Hacking, INC Chairman Goretti Guasch, INC Executive Director

The place to conduct your nut and dried fruit business and to exhibit +1,000 PARTICIPANTS +50 COUNTRIES

“Register now”

Networking

Congress Information

Congress Meeting Point

Congress Registration

PRELIMINARY

21-23

PROGRAM 2013 May

SUNDAY, 19th MAY 2013 9:00 am 5:00 pm

Congress Registration

Congress Officially opens

Hotel Arts

9:30 am 10:00 am

ALMONDS Round Table

Hotel Arts

10:00 am 10:30 am

HAZeLNutS Round Table

Hotel Arts

10:30 am 11:00 am

Coffee Break Sponsored by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc.

Hotel Arts

11:00 am 11:30 am

PiStACHiOS Round Table

Hotel Arts

11:30 am 12:15 pm

Keynote Speaker

Hotel Arts

12:15 pm 1:00 pm

PiNe NutS , BrAZiL NutS and MACADAMiAS Round Tables

Hotel Arts

Barcelona Congress (7 pages) Hotel Arts

MONDAY, 20th MAY 2013 9:00 am 5:00 pm

9:00 am 9:30 am

Congress Registration

Hotel Arts

7:30 am

Buses depart from Hotel Arts to World Forum for Nutrition Research in Reus

Congress Palace, Reus

4:00 pm

Buses depart from Hotel Arts to the Inauguration of the New INC Home in Reus

Congress Palace, Reus

1:00 pm 2:00 pm

Buffet Working Lunch Sponsored by Sun-Maid Growers of California

Hotel Arts

6:00 pm 7:30 pm

Delivery of Awards to the New INC Home Donors

Congress Palace, Reus

2:15 pm 3:45 pm

Satellite Meeting on ALMONDS and MACADAMiAS

Hotel Arts

7:30 pm 9:30 pm

Inauguration of the New INC Home and Cocktail Dinner

New INC Home, Reus

4:00 pm 5:30 pm

Satellite Meeting on HAZeLNutS and CASHeWS

Hotel Arts

9:30 pm

Buses depart from Reus to Hotel Arts Barcelona

6:15 pm 10:00 pm

Buffet Casual Dinner Sponsored by Paramount Farms Int.

Poble Espanyol

THURSDAY, 23rd MAY 2013

TUESDAY, 21st MAY 2013 9:00 am 5:00 pm

Congress Registration

Hotel Arts

1:00 pm 5:30 pm

Booth Exhibition

Hotel Arts

1:30 pm 3:00 pm

Congress Welcome DrieD Fruit Seminar

Hotel Arts

2:30 pm 3:00 pm

PeANutS Round Table

Hotel Arts

3:00 pm 3:30 pm

Coffee Break

Hotel Arts

3:30 pm 5:00 pm

INC Scientific Seminar and Nutrition Research Update

Hotel Arts

3:30 pm 5:00 pm

Ambassadors Meeting

Hotel Arts

7:00 pm 9:00 pm

Welcome Cocktail Sponsored by V. Besana S.p.A.

Opium Mar

WEDNESDAY, 22nd MAY 2013

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9:00 am 5:00 pm

Congress Registration

9:00 am 5:00 pm

Booth Exhibition

9:00 am 2:00 pm

Spouses Tour: Contemporary Architecture of Barcelona

The Cracker | March 2013

Hotel Arts Hotel Arts

9:00 am

Congress Registration

Hotel Arts

9:00 am 2:00 pm

Booth Exhibition

Hotel Arts

9:00 am 2:00 pm

Spouses Tour: Montju誰c: History, Culture and Emotion

9:00 am 10:00 am

iNC General Assembly

Hotel Arts

10:00 am 10:15 am

2014 Melbourne, Australia.

Presentation of the XXXIII World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress

Hotel Arts

10:15 am 10:45 am

CASHeWS Round Table

Hotel Arts

10:45 am 11:15 am

Coffee Break Sponsored by Sunsweet

Hotel Arts

11:20 am 11:50 am

WALNutS Round Table

Hotel Arts

11:50 am 12:30 pm

Keynote Speaker

Hotel Arts

12:30 pm 13:00 pm

PeCANS Round Table

Hotel Arts

13:00 pm 14:00 pm

Buffet Working Lunch Sponsored by Rajkumar Impex Pvt Ltd.

Hotel Arts

7:00 pm 10:00 pm

Cocktail, Gala Dinner and Ball Sponsored by Incus Technology S.L & Campos Brothers Farms

Hotel Arts

ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATION MONDAY, 20th MAY 2013 7:30am

Buses depart from Hotel Arts to the First World Forum for Nutrition Research Conference in Reus

Congress Palace, Reus

9:30 am

First World Forum for Nutrition research Conference Inauguration

Congress Palace, Reus

9:45 am 10:30 am

Opening Conference Chair: Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó Mediterranean diet: Health and science Mariette Gerber, MD, PhD. Past-President of the French Nutrition Society, Expert at the National Food Council in France and French food Safety Agency. France

Congress Palace, Reus

Session 1 Chair: Lluís Serra-Majem Mediterranean diet and “morbid” tissues: history counts, future counts Iris Shai, RD, PhD. S. Daniel Abraham Center for Health and Nutrition, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva. Israel.

11:00 am 11:30 am

15:30 pm 16:00 pm

Coffee Break

Congress Palace, Reus

16:00 pm 16:30 pm

Session 6 Chair: Rosa Lamuela Nut antioxidant components and health Cesarettin Alasalvar. TUBITAK Marmara Research Center, Food Institute, Gebze-Kocaeli, Turkey

Congress Palace, Reus

Session 7

Chair: Maureen Ternus Barcelona Congress (7 pages) Nuts and cardiovascular disease 16:30 pm 17:00 pm

Emilio Ros. Lipids Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Congress Palace, Reus

17:00 pm 17:30 pm

Session 8 Chair TBC Fermented dairy food and cardiovascular risk Linda Tapsell. Nutrition Research, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Australia

Congress Palace, Reus

Congress Palace, Reus

18:00 pm 19:30 pm

Welcome by the INC Founders: Antonio Pont, Pino Calcagni, Hubert Berrebi and Chris Hacking.

Delivery of Awards to the New INC Home Donors

Congress Palace, Reus

Coffee Break

Congress Palace, Reus

19:30 pm 21:30 pm

Inauguration of the New INC Home and Cocktail Dinner

New INC Home, Reus

11:30 am 12:00 pm

Session 2 Chair: Ibrahim Elmadfa Fruits, vegetables and cancer Carlo La Vecchia. Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy

Congress Palace, Reus

21:30 pm

Buses depart from Reus to Hotel Arts, Barcelona

12:00 pm 12:30 pm

Session 3 Chair: Antonia Trichopoulos Bread and overweight Lluís Serra-Majem. Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Congress Palace, Reus

12:30 pm 13:00 pm

Session 4 Chair: Linda Tapsell Glycemic index, glycemic load and Mediterranean Diet David Jenkins. University of Toronto, Canada

Congress Palace, Reus

13:00 pm

Lunch

Congress Palace, Reus

14:00 pm 15:00 pm

Debate Session 1: Frying for cooking: pros and cons Chair: Mariette Gerber Possible adverse effects of cooking with vegetable oils Carmen Dobarganes García. Instituto de la Grasa y sus derivados, Sevilla, Spain Cooking with vegetable oils do not increase the risk of disease Miguel Ángel Martínez-González. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

10:30 am 11:00 am

15:00 pm 15:30 pm

Session 5 Chair: Emilio Ros effects of nuts on cardiovascular responses to stress in type 2 diabetes Penny Kris-Etherton. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, USA

Congress Palace, Reus

The INC will celebrate the Grand Opening of the New Headquarters on Monday, 20th May 2013, with an open doors day, and an evening rich in activities and entertainment, including the welcome by the INC Founders and a cocktail dinner.

The INC will honor the Donors who made the new headquarters possible with a recognition ceremony and the delivery of a plaque.

Congress Palace, Reus

In addition, delegates will have the opportunity to visit the facilities at Carrer de la Fruita Seca (Tree Nuts Street) and the 2,500 sq m Arboretum, a living collection of a large variety of worldwide nut and dried fruit trees.

We look forward to seeing you!

March 2013 | The Cracker

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SPOUSE TOURS CONTEMPORARy ARCHITECTURE OF BARCELONA Wednesday, 22nd May 2013

MONTJUïC TOUR: HISTORy, CULTURE AND EMOTION Thursday, 23rd May 2013

Discover Barcelona’s recent architectural heritage.Barcelona From the Hotel Arts, Congress (7 pages) in front of Frank Gehry’s sculpture “The Fish”, we will visit the Gas Natural Building, La Fàbrica del Sol, the Litoral Park, the Biomedical Research Park and the Forum. At the maritime façade, you The tour will start at Plaça d’Espanya, with Neptune´s monwill admire the World ument and Maria Cristina´s Avenue, which is dominated Trade Centre and the W by two Venetians towers that lead the way to the Catalan Hotel. you will visit the OlNational Art Museum. you will visit the Olympic Ring, the ympic Village, the Agbar nerve center of the 1992 Olympic Games, with the Olympic Tower and the new techStadium, Palau Sant Jordi, Picornell swimming arena, the nological district Diagonal Mar and 22@, Can Framis, the National Physical Education Institute and Santiago CalatNational Theater of Catalonia and the Park of l’Estació del rava’s telecommunications tower. The tour will take you to Nord. We will then go to the Sagrada Família. After the tour Joan Miró Foundation and the Castle of Montjuïc. you will enjoy a magnificent paella at El Cangrejo Loco.

Do not miss Gaudi’s masterpieces of Modernist architecture.

SOCIAL EVENTS We plan a social program to enjoy a relaxing environment and experience exceptional food, art and music.

WEDNESDAY, 22ND MAY Buffet Casual Dinner at El Poble Espanyol

TUESDAY, 21ST MAY Welcome Cocktail at Opium Mar A band of jugglers will cheer you while you meet fellow attendees in a welcoming atmosphere while enjoying the views of the Mediterranean Sea. Opium Mar has a wonderful location on the beach, close to Hotel Arts. It is one of the biggest clubs in Barcelona and best know for its beautiful seaside terrace.

© J. P. Escobar

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The Cracker | March 2013

© Poble Espanyol

One of the most interesting places in Barcelona is the Poble Espanyol -the Spanish Village. This space creates an ideal model for a village which would represent popular Spanish architecture. For this soiree we will have a festive Catalan folklore night, with genuine-catchy Catalan rumba music and inspiring human towers, the castells -recently declared an Intangible UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity.

THURSDAY, 23RD MAY Cocktail, Gala Dinner and Ball at Hotel Arts Café Veranda’s Garden Terrace at Hotel Arts will host the cocktail reception prior to the traditional Gala Dinner and Ball. It is the best place to start off the Gala Dinner with a glass of cava, the Catalan champagne. The Gala Dinner will be held at Saló Gaudí where delegates will enjoy a creative menu to conclude the night with a ball with orchestra.

© Hotel Arts

Barcelona Congress (7 pages) Highlighting the Best of the Industry INC Members attending the Congress have the opportunity to participate in the Innovation Awards contest and get enriched with new ideas. These awards will select the top best new product and best new service.

Open only to INC members attending Barcelona, this contest is a unique opportunity to: • Reach over 900 attendees at the World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress.

• Highlight your new products and/or services.

• Enhance your company’s reputation for innovation.

Eligible products must be newly launched. This includes: • Products that have been introduced to the market since 2012.

• A completely new product, product line or service offered by the participating company.

• A product with a significant modification to the original offering. For example, the addition/deletion of an ingredient, or a significant modification to equipment functionality, or innovation in packaging.

Winners will be presented during the Gala Dinner on Thursday, May 23rd and featured in the Exhibition Area and The Cracker magazine.

For more information and application procedures, please visit http://barcelona2013.nutfruit.org or contact us at inc@nutfruit.org, +34 977 331 416.

MEETING POINT Again this year, we launch the online Meeting Point, a social networking tool to enhance your experience and expand your networking connections. The Meeting Point enables INC members to maximize their time on-site by providing an easy way to connect with other attendees and exhibitors before and during the event.

Exclusive for INC Members!

Filter by product and activity

INC Members can use the Meeting Point to: • Connect: Network with other attendees and INC members prior to the event.

• Meet: Contact attendees and exhibitors with shared interests and setup on-site meetings • Plan: Create a personalized schedule including conference sessions and meetings.

Set Up a Meeting List of participants

March 2013 | The Cracker

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POST TOURS SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA 4 Days and 3 Nights. From Friday, 24th to Monday, 27th May 2013

One of the most important places of pilgrimage in the world, Santiago de Compostela has been declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO thanks to its multicultural nature. This city is the final destination of a thousandyear-old pilgrim route: the Way of Saint James, which has transformed the city into a meeting place of Western faith and thinking.

MALLORCA, EXPERIENCE THE MEDITERRANEAN

4 Days and 3 Nights. From Friday, 24th to Monday, 27th May 2013

The Pearl of the Mediterranean has the honor of being the happy protagonist of the most pleasant memories of millions of tourists. Mallorca, with its majestic mountains, lush pine forests and unique landscapes, keeps the peace that earned him the nickname “island of calm”. Thanks to its small size, you can easily visit the most beautiful of its geography, like the Caves of Drach, the Formentor headland or the unbeatable Valldemossa.

ONE DAY POST TOURS FIGUERES AND SALVADOR DALí & MONUMENTS OF GIRONA

PRIORAT WINE TOUR Friday, 24th May 2013

Friday, 24th May 2013

This tour combines the work of Salvador Dalí with a heritage tour around Girona. you will visit the Dalí Museum in Figueres, which features masterpieces such as Galarina, the Spectre of Sex Appeal or Atomic Leda, and surrealist installations such as the Rainy Taxi or the Mae West room. The tour of Girona includes the Jewish Quarter, the Cathedral of Girona -which has the widest Gothic nave in the world, the houses and bridges of the River Onyar and other emblematic monuments.

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The Cracker | March 2013

Our one day Wine Tour from Barcelona to Priorat combines great wine, beautiful nature and local gastronomy.

We will visit two of the most important wineries in the appellation and enjoy a wonderful lunch in the small village of Gratallops. El Priorat is widely considered the Spanish wine region that has most intelligently transformed itself to focus on offering only top-quality wines. The strategy has paid off, and today the region boasts the highest quality designation awarded in Spain, DOQ Priorat (Qualified Designation of Origin).

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The Cracker | March 2013

NeWs froM The iNC seCreTariaT The World headquarTers of The NuT aNd dried fruiT iNdusTry 275 days after construction works began, the INC presents the new world headquarters of the nut and dried fruit industry at the cutting edge of innovation. The INC conceived its new world headquarters site as a rich environment of architecture and nature, designed to inspire cooperation, commitment, innovation and sustainability.

After almost one year of building works, the INC inaugurates a building which has undergone substantial internal and external refurbishment. Even though, much of the facade and interior remain true to the original designs. The art-nouveau architectural elements in the windows, doors, frameworks and molding indoors provide the emblematic and historical character of the building. Architects and construction team faced an important challenge, as the building was hardly deteriorated.

To this should be added the inclusion of 182 square meters of new spaces and services, distributed in three floors, which further enrich the building facilities, such as lifts, staircases and service areas. In addition, the Arboretum will offer an educational experience to learn about almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, cashews, peanuts, raisins, prunes, pistachios, pine nuts, figs, dates, apricots and Brazil nuts. This green zone covering some 2500 square meters will bring together fifteen varieties of nut and dried fruit trees.

The New INC Home now covers more than 466 square meters, in a total area of 2,500 square meters.

Special thanks go to to the 72 donors, among members and institutions, and all those who have made it possible

The INC will celebrate the Grand Opening celebration on Monday, 20th May 2013, with an open doors day, and an evening rich in activities and entertainment, including the welcome by the INC Founders and a cocktail reception.

In addition, the INC will honor the Donors with a grand recognition ceremony at the Palace of Congresses of Reus.

March 2013 | The Cracker

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NeWs froM The iNC seCreTariaT

sTep by sTep: The CoNsTruCTioN proCess PRE-CONSTRUCTION PHASE: COMMITMENT, NETWORKING 1. COMMITMENT TO THE INC GROWTH • 20th May 2010: Under the chairmanship of Jack Mariani, the INC Board of Directors approves the project to refurbish and host the New INC Headquarters in the XIX century building of Mas Barrufet, Reus (Spain).

2. NETWORKING AND COOPERATION • Winter 2010: The INC Executive Committee visits the old building of Mas Barrufet and meets with local authorities to cement on-going cooperation with the New INC Home Project.

• January – February 2011: Request for Budget construction proposals.

• January 2011: INC launches the “Buy a Brick” Campaign to fund the New INC Home Project • March 2011: Selection of the company to conduct the construction work.

• Spring 2011: Creation of the Ad Hoc Committee of the New INC Home • June 2011: “Nuts and Dried Fruit Street” becomes a reality • May 2011: INC unveils the New INC Home Project design during the World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress Budapest, Hungary.

CONSTRUCTION PHASE: DESIGN BECOMES REALITY

The Ad-hoc Committee of the New INC Home signed the contract to refurbish the old modernist building of Mas Barrufet in Reus on September 14th 2011

36

First Stone Laying Ceremony, which allowed the start of the reconstruction of the building that will accomodate INC’s future headquarters, September 14th 2011

The City Council of Reus and the INC held a press conference to announce the laying of the foundation stone, September 14th 2011

Stairs and interior structural work, December 2011

Façade and art noveau elements refurbished, end of December 2011

Construction floor levels work, end of December 2011

Annexed building work finished. Brick work on schedule, February 2012

Facade completed, October 2012

Driveway and paths around the building completed, October 2012

Arboretum excavation and basement level work began on October 2012

Interior work completed, October 2012

The Cracker | March 2013

NeWs froM The iNC seCreTariaT

INC Representatives visiting the New INC Home area

Do not miss the Grand Opening Celebration on Monday, 20th May 2013!

Beijing 2010 Mas Barrufet Agreement

Fist foundation work.

Technicians and architects during inspection tours, November 2011

Excavation and removal work finished, November 2011

Reinforcing work, November 2011

Annexed Building work, early December 2011

Roof installation of the electrical and plumbing distribution systems begun, February 2012

Installation of the metal studs for the interior drywall partitions started, February 2012

Installation of the metal roof and insulation completed, February 2012

Roof framing, covering and insulation completed, October 2012

Elevator and facilities completed, October 2012.

Interior Art Nouveau elements refurbished, October 2012

Board Meeting Room completed, November 2012

INC Secretariat moves to the New INC Home, December 2012

March 2013 | The Cracker

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NeWs froM The iNC seCreTariaT

opeN house day aT The NeW iNC hoMe

An Open House Day was held in the New INC Home on February 1st, 2013 for the local government authorities that have collaborated in the construction of the new INC headquarters. Officials and special guests in attendance for the event included INC Chairman, Giles Hacking; INC Vice Chairman, Pino Calcagni; Honorary President, Antonio Pont, and Reus Mayor, Carles Pellicer, as well as local members, stakeholders, media, government and business organizations from the area.

The ceremony was introduced by INC Honorary President, A. Pont who welcomed about 150 attendants and recalled the first international events for the tree nuts industry in Reus, in 1979 and the important milestones that INC has achieved over the last thirty years.

150 guests visit the New INC Home INC Chairman, G. Hacking and Vice Chairman, P. Calcagni thanked the support of the donors, both institutions and INC members who have contributed to refurbish and rebuild the modernist house “Mas Barrufet�.

Visitors had the chance to view the Donors Wall that has been placed in the reception hall. It is a 5x3 m board made of wood with ceramic plaques that commemorates the 72 donors, among members

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The Cracker | March 2013

Mayor of Reus Carles Pellicer, sitting, signs in the Visitors Book

Join us for the Grand Opening Celebration on Monday, 20th May! and institutions that have supported the project. The reception hall also features some modernist ceramics, tools and decorative elements that were found in the old building. The group visited the facilities, including working and meeting areas, and one of the most emblematic dependencies: the Hazelnut Promotion Group Board Meeting Room.

NeWs froM The iNC seCreTariaT

CoMMeMoraTive book CelebraTes

In the frame of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of its foundation, the INC will publish the commemorative book “How the INC Changed the World. Celebrating 30 Years of the INC“.

The book features INC’s distinguished founders, stakeholders and members, as well as the most interesting milestones and significant events over the last thirty years. The publication also highlights the presidents and chairmen who guided the INC during the industry expansion.

Over the last three decades, the INC has made a remarkable contribution to the empowerment of the sector, through networking, promotion, research and dissemination worldwide. The most emblematic projects, new initiatives and INC Congresses find their places in the precious pages of this special book. In addition, it features essays exploring the INC origins, core objectives and evolution, as well as exceptional personal anecdotes of veteran members.

The book is handsomely illustrated with numerous photographs and never published before photos. A digital version will be published online and 1,500 copies will be printed and distributed in May 2013.

The 30th Anniversary Book is INC’s modest way of saying “thank you” to all members for all their support, to the founders and leaders in recognition of their leadership over the past 30 years, and to all those sponsors and contributors who have generously supported us throughout the years.

The perfect publication for your coffee table. The book features more than 150 photos and a historical timeline since its foundation in 1983.

March 2013 | The Cracker

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NeWs froM The iNC seCreTariaT

aNuGa 2013: iNC pavilioN

After the success of the first iNc Nuts ANd dried fruit PAvilioN iN siAl PAris 2012, more thAN 70% of siAl co-exhibitors rebooked for ANuGA, which Proves the Need of the iNdustry to be orGANized iN A Product-orieNted hAll.

With this success, the Nuts and Dried Fruit Pavilion will take the spotlight in Hall 10 FINE FOODS, from 5 to 9 October 2013.

ANUGA International Fair is the sector’s largest food and beverage exhibition in the world and attracts a great number of foreign exhibitors and visitors. In 2011, it was occupied by 6,596 companies from 100 countries, in a gross exhibition space of 284,000 sq m, and it was attended by more than 155,000 trade visitors from 180 countries. With ten specialized trade shows in eleven halls, and an extended conference and events program, ANUGA has the greatest impact in the food and beverage industry worldwide as the most recognizable event of the sector.

Co-exhibitors at the INC Pavilion include a wide range of sector activities: Machinery, Laboratory, Brokers, Processors, Producers, Importers, Exporters and Brokers, which offer the hottest trend products and services in the nuts and dried fruit industry.

“We appreciate the support we have received from the members after the SIAL experience” said Ms. Goretti Guasch, INC Executive Director.

“We want to be the MUST-VISIT Pavilion of the sector, and provide visitors with the whole industry under one roof.”

If you wish to participate, please contact marketing@nutfruit.org.

More exhibitors, more products, and more countries.

Co-eXhibiTors: cAP iNdustries, france

bAlsu, turkey

moNNier & PArtNers, france

shoei foods, Japan

eurofiNs ANAlytik Gmbh, Germany

toximet ltd., united kingdom

besANA GrouP, italy GreeN ANd Gold mAcAdAmiAs, Australia/south Africa doGAcAN GidA, turkey

40

The Cracker | March 2013

suN–mAid Growers, usA boudJebel, tunisia QiNGdAo foodliNk co., ltd, china

NoberAsco, italy feN zhou yu yuAN NAtive Produce, china

NeWs froM The iNC seCreTariaT

iNC iN Gulfood dubai The INC exhibited at Gulfood Dubai for the third consecutive year.

Gulfood is Middle East’s Number 1 trade event for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With 4,200 exhibitors and over 55,000 visitors from more than 150 countries, Gulfood is one of the most important food, drink and hospitality markets events, and provides industry suppliers with the region’s largest business hub.

This year’s edition was held from 25th to 28th February, with the presence of more than 4,000 brands and 110 international pavilions. This was an excellent opportunity to further promote INC in the Middle East and neighboring African and Asian countries. INC’s booth was very well attended and provided a great window display to reach new business contacts, conduct face-to-face meetings, increase brand awareness, and promote participation to the World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress.

Gulfood 2013 witnesses significant 13% growth

2007-2012 Global sTaTisTiCal revieW Earlier this year the INC released the book “2007-2012 Nuts and Dried Fruits, Global Statistical Review”. This is the third issue of a collection of world statistics exclusively dedicated to nuts and dried fruits as regards production, imports, exports and consumption.

This publication gathers a broad range of statistical information: production volume values from 2007 to 2012, trade volume values for nuts and dried fruits from 2007 to 2011, and consumption estimates. Statistics are classified by product, year, country, production, exports and imports.

March 2013 | The Cracker

41

NeWs froM The iNC seCreTariaT

eu-rasff NoTifiCaTioNs for NuTs drop by 37% in 2012, the number of notifications for nuts issued by the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) reached 241, down 37% from 2011. This significant drop is directly connected to the decrease of aflatoxin notifications, from 294 to 188. Peanuts (141 notifications) and pistachios (32) were the most notified products. The strongest reduction was observed in Iranian pistachios and Argentine peanuts.

On the other hand, dried fruit notifications considerably increased from 2011, from 121 to 178. The main reasons for notifying dried fruits were aflatoxins (131 notifications). Dried figs were the most

notified products with 134 notifications (129 concerning aflatoxins), a 51% increase over 2011.

The INC monitors food safety alerts in Europe, USA, Australia, and Japan, analyzing the trend and monitoring the causes and origins. In the framework of the EU-project MycoRed, the INC publishes an annual report of alerts, with information classified by product, country of origin, notifying country, and reason for notifying.

If you wish to receive the report, please let us know at inc@nutfruit. org or Tel +34 977 331 416.

2012 RASFF FOR EDIBLE NUTS 2012NOTIFICATIONS RASFF NOTIFICATIONS

2008-2012 RASFF NOTIFICATIONS FOR EDIBLE NUTS

FOR EDIBLE NUTS

PEANUTS 14%

PEANUTS (China) 28%

HAZELNUTS (Turkey) 7%

PISTACHIOS (Iran) PISTACHIOS 9%

PISTACHIOS (Turkey) PISTACHIOS 4%

(Iran) 9%

(Turkey) 4%

PEANUTS (China) 28%

PEANUTS (India) PEANUTS 10% (India) 10%

2008

2009

2010

2011

241

PEANUT BUTTER HAZELNUTS (Turkey) 5% 7%

383

OTHERS 9%

PEANUTS 14%

453

PEANUT PINE BUTTER NUTS 5% 4%

OTHERS 9%

ALMONDS 4%

555

PINE NUTS 4%

NOTIFICATIONS FOR EDIBLE NUTS

726

ALMONDS 2012 RASFF 4%

2012

PEANUTS (Argentina) PEANUTS 6% (Argentina) 6%

2012 FORDRIED DRIED FRUITS 2012NOTIFICATIONS RASFF NOTIFICATIONS 2012RASFF RASFF NOTIFICATIONS FOR FRUITS

2008-2012 RASFF NOTIFICATIONS FOR DRIED FRUITS

FOR DRIED FRUITS

179

PRUNES DATES PRUNES DATES 2% 2% 2% 2%

DRIED FIGS (Turkey) DRIED 75% FIGS

(Turkey) 75%

42

The Cracker | March 2013

2008

2009

2010

121

110

RAISINS

10% RAISINS 10%

103

RAISINS (Turkey) RAISINS (Turkey) 4% 4% MIXTURES MIXTURES 4% 4%

155

DRIED APRICOTS DRIED APRICOTS 3% 3%

2011

2012

Optical sorting solutions for nuts from the world’s leading manufacturer. The high resolution SORTEX Z+R is the most efficient sorter for all types of natural, blanched nuts including almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, pine kernels, pecans, walnuts and pistachios (kernel and in-shell). Visible bichromatic cameras, combined with InGaAs and PROfile technology, deliver outstanding performance in the removal of colour defects and contaminants such as dark, rotten and shrivelled nuts, and all FM including sticks, light stones, shells and hulls. www.buhlergroup.com

SORTEX Z+R Maximum product safety by removal of challenging foreign material (FM) Highest efficiency, maximum yield increases profitability The user-interface is simple, easy to set up and operate The climate control system allows consistant performance in harsh ambient temperatures of 0°C (32°F) to 50°C (122°F) Protects brand reputation with consistent quality Increases productivity with maximum uptime Over 20,000 SORTEX installations in 140 countries Offers highest quality, after sales service with SORTEX Total Care

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March 2013 | The Cracker

43

NeWs FrOM tHe iNC seCretariat

Nuts aNd dried Fruit iN

HAUTE CUISINE

By Michel Roux Jr., Chef Owner of the 2 Michelin Star Restaurant Le Gavroche.

Le Gavroche opened in 1967 in Chelsea. It was the creation of Albert and Michel Roux, and rapidly established itself as the best, setting the standards of cooking and service by which other places were judged. In 1981 as a result of their continued success the restaurant moved to its present premises in Mayfair and in 1982 the Michelin Guide awarded it 3 rosettes- the first restaurant in the UK to be so honoured.

Gavroche maintains the highest of reputation among both diners and critics.

The fact that the reputation of Le Gavroche continues to ride high in the eyes of critics and customers now firmly rests on the food being prepared by Michel Roux Jr who took over day to day running of the kitchen from his father in 1991. As his father’s son, Michel could only have a deep respect for classical foundations of French cooking.

Michel continues the traditions set by his father, offering a seasonal menu with classic and modern French dishes, given the Gavroche touch.

In a quiet and unobtrusive way, Le Gavroche has always followed its own instincts. In doing so it has set fashion, never followed.

It is a place for those who wish to dispense with the necessities of life and indulge in its luxuries.

‘’Michel Roux has recently published his sixth book ‘’Cooking with the Master Chef’’ which, through a range of existing recipes, explores his influence and style of cooking.’’ Michel’s other books include, “A Life in the Kitchen” and “The Marathon Chef”, a book created for the ever increasing number of people who want to keep fit but still enjoy eating well. Michel developed the recipes to complement his own training regimes for the marathons he himself runs each year. The “Le Gavroche Cookbook” contains over two hundred recipes from the restaurant’s history, from the classic French haut cuisine through to Michel’s “modern French” style using a lighter and slightly less rich approach. Part cookbook, part culinary history, it is designed for those people seeking to enjoy the very best of French recipes in their own kitchen.

March 2013 | The Cracker

45

NeWs FrOM tHe iNC seCretariat

Hot Cherries with Chocolate Brownie and Pistachio ice Cream taken from Le Gavroche cookbook

iNGredieNts (10 serves): • 300 ml red wine • 120 g caster sugar • 800 g cherries, stoned • 275 g extra bitter chocolate, chopped • 225 g unsalted butter • 400 g caster sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 5 eggs • 200 g plain flour • Pistachio ice cream • 100 g chopped pistachio nuts

MetHOd: • Heat the oven to 150 °C/ 300 °F/ gas mark 2 • In a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together and then whisk the sugar, vanilla and salt • Beat in the eggs two at a time

For the cherry sauce bring the wine and sugar to the boil, add the cherries and boil for 20 seconds, then remove the cherries. Boil the liquid to reduce until syrupy. Return the cherries to the syrup and keep warm.

• Fold in the sifted flour • Pour into individual buttered rings (7 cm diameter and 2 cm deep), and cook for 12 minutes, until set on the outside but undercooked in the middle.

tO serVe: Decorate the plates with a little melted chocolate in a piping bag. Place a warm brownie in the middle of each plate and arrange the hot cherries with the wine syrup around. Finish with a big scoop of pistachio ice cream and a few chopped pistachio nuts.

46

The Cracker | March 2013

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It provides continuous food inspection, ensuring food safety and customer satisfaction by removing discolorations or foreign material, and is able to sort based on biological characteristics, such as chlorophyll, mycotoxins and water, with maximum yield!

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w w w. t o m r a s o r t i n g . c o m

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Whatever your defect, Visys sorts any product Whatever your defect, Visys sorts any product on differences in color, structure, shape, on differences in color, structure, shape, density, bioprint, or any combination thereof. density, bioprint, or any combination thereof.

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WORLD CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION TRENDS M A R C H 2 0 1 3 | G L O B A L S TAT I S T I C A L R E V I E W

«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

BRAZIL NUTS

CASHEWS

HAZELNUTS

MACADAMIAS

PECANS

PINE NUTS

PISTACHIOS

USA Spain Syria Italy Iran Australia Chile Morocco Tunisia Greece Turkey

Bolivia Brazil Peru

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

Turkey Italy USA Spain Azerbaijan Georgia France China Iran Russia

Australia USA South Africa Malawi Brazil Guatemala Costa Rica Kenya Zimbabwe

USA Mexico South Africa Australia

China Russia Afghanistan Pakistan Mongolia Spain Portugal Italy DPRK Turkey

Iran USA Syria Turkey Greece Afghanistan Italy China

WALNUTS

PEANUTS

DATES

DRIED APRICOTS

DRIED FIGS

PRUNES

RAISINS/SULTANAS/CURRANTS

China USA Iran Turkey Ukraine Italy Chile France India Romania Moldova Greece

China India Nigeria USA Indonesia Argentina Vietnam

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

Turkey Australia Iran USA South Africa China

Turkey Egypt Iran Greece Italy USA Spain

USA Chile France Argentina Serbia Australia South Africa Italy

Turkey USA Iran Greece Chile Uzbekistan South Africa Australia Argentina China

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

March 2013 | The Cracker

49

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Almond · Almendra · Amande · Mandorle · Mandel · Badem USA

SPAIN

According to the January 2013 Almond Position Report, total shipments for January broke overall shipments for the month of January at 71,000 MT (156.5 million pounds). Six months into the crop year, year to date shipments of California Almonds are down 0.5% over last year during the same period. Export shipments were down 3% at 332,000 MT (732 million pounds) while domestic shipments rose 7% to 129,300 MT (285 million pounds) over last year, breaking a new overall record for January domestic shipments.

Total receipts indicated a further reduction on crop sizes by mid-January 2012. The Spanish crop estimate was reduced to 40,000 MT, from 45,000 MT previously forecast. This drop is mainly due to the lower yield, as a consequence of the drought in summer.

Spain will arrive at the end of the season with practically no carry over, and no supply of selected qualities like Larguetas and Marconas, which have a robust demand from quality manufacturers in spite of high prices.

Crop receipts of 834,400 MT (1.84 billion pounds) are down 4% compared to last year at this time and 12% below the USDA NASS estimate of 952,500 MT (2.10 billion pounds) year to date. The 2013 USDA NASS crop subjective estimate is scheduled for May 2nd. The Objective 2013 crop estimate is set for July 1st.

Estimated World Almonds Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

254

2.020

2.274

335

335

1.839

2.174

282

USA*

115.195

916.266

1.031.461

151.955

151.955

834.411

986.366

127.914

SPAIN

0

50.000

50.000

5.000

5.000

40.000

45.000

1.000

AUSTRALIA

0

50.000

50.000

0

0

70.000

70.000

0

TURKEY

0

16.000

16.000

0

0

16.000

16.000

0

TUNISIA

1.600

12.000

13.600

1.600

1.600

12.500

14.100

1.600

ITALY

500

12.000

12.500

500

500

12.000

12.500

500

IRAN

0

12.000

12.000

0

0

12.000

12.000

0

CHILE

0

10.000

10.000

500

500

12.000

12.500

500

MOROCCO

0

9.000

9.000

0

0

9.000

9.000

0

500

8.000

8.500

0

0

8.000

8.000

0

SYRIA

0

5.000

5.000

0

0

5.000

5.000

0

OTHERS

0

30.000

30.000

0

0

30.000

30.000

0

117.795

1.130.266

1.248.061

159.555

159.555

1.060.911

1.220.466

131.514

USA MM lbs*

GREECE

WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

ENDING STOCK

1.088.506

1.088.952

* USA Crop accounts for 2.0% inedible & process loss.

OTHERS: Egypt, Algeria, Afghanistan, Portugal, Israel and China.

Source: Almond Board of California and other INC sources.

California Almond Exports. Aug-Jan 2012/2013 Western Europe Spain Germany Italy Netherlands France UK Belguim Central/E. Europe Russia Asia-Pacific China India South Korea Japan Vietnam Middle East/Africa UAE Turkey TOTAL EXPORTS

MT

% Change from last year

102.109 31.009 27.909 8.193 8.802 5.551 6.271 4.225 15.904 11.410 153.718 74.406 38.158 10.839 14.731 5.252 42.155 20.201 11.629 331.742

-5% -13% 10% -21% -7% -6% 33% -24% 14% 30% 4% -2% 13% 22% 13% -20% -25% -20% -19% -3%

Source: ABC.

50

The Cracker | March 2013

Cal. Almond Exports by Region. Aug-Jan 2012/2013.

Asia-Pacific, 46% Western Europe, 31% Middle East/Africa, 13% Central/E. Europe, 5% Others, 5%

Source: ABC.

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Brazil Nuts · Coquito de Brazil · Noix de Vresil · Noce del Brasile · Paranuss · Brezilya Fingigi The crop prospects for the 2013/14 season looked grim by mid February-both due to climatic and financial reasons. World production expects a fall of 18%, to 74,000 MT (in shell basis) compared to 90,500 MT in the previous season, resulting in at least a 10% reduction in total availability.

According to the National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia, the country exported 21,391 MT of Amazonia nuts in 2012, up 15% over 2011. The United States continued as the leading export market with 5,442 MT shipped in 2012, which account for 25% of total export shipments.

Estimated World Amazonia (Brazil) Nuts Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

2013/2014

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BOLIVIA

1.097

32.130

33.227

3.570

3.570

26.010

29.580

765

BRAZIL

0

10.200

10.200

306

306

8.670

8.976

306

PERU WORLD TOTAL

0

3.825

3.825

459

459

3.060

3.519

230

1.097

46.155

47.252

4.335

4.335

37.740

42.075

1.301

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

42.917

40.775

Estimated World Amazonia (Brazil) Nuts Production. In Shell Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2012/2013

2013/2014

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BOLIVIA

2.150

63.000

65.150

7.000

7.000

51.000

58.000

1.500

BRAZIL

0

20.000

20.000

600

600

17.000

17.600

600

PERU WORLD TOTAL

0

7.500

7.500

900

900

6.000

6.900

450

2.150

90.500

92.650

8.500

8.500

74.000

82.500

2.550

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

84.150

79.950

Source: INC

Bolivian Exports. Metric Tons

2012 Bolivian Exports

Main Destinations

2012

% Change from 2011

USA UK Germany Netherlands Australia Colombia Italy Russia Israel Spain Canada New Zealand South Africa China France Lithuania Norway Others

5.442 4.851 2.731 2.148 1.187 733 535 464 392 378 305 176 160 145 94 80 80 1.489

24% -17% 22% 11% 17% 22% 19% 81% 80% -2% 91% -15% 25% -24% -24% 400% -44% 289%

21.391

15%

TOTAL EXPORTS

Western Europe, 51% North America, 27% South America, 8% Australia/Oceania, 6% Eastern Europe, 4% Middle East & Africa, 3% Asia, 1%

Source: Bolivian National Institute of Statistics.

March 2013 | The Cracker

51

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Cashew · Anacardo · Noix de Cajou · Anacardio · Cashewkerne · Cashew Cevizi World production has been estimated at 543,192 MT for the 2012/2013 season, 6% down from the previous season. The cashew market was marginally more active in the second half of 2012 than in the first half. Prices moved up marginally, but business had been sporadic, so that business volume for 2012 will be marginally lower than in 2011. The Indian domestic demand for the festival season in OctoberNovember 2012 was marginally below par.

From January to December 2012, Vietnam exported 221,483 MT of cashews, valued at USD 1,470 million, against 177,587 MT at USD 1,473 million in the previous year, recording an increase by 24.7% in quantity and a fall by 0.2% in value. The United States, China and the Netherlands were the main destinations absorbing 59% of total shipments (USA 27%; China 21% and Netherlands 11%).

BRAZIL

Earlier this year, there were some quality problems in raw seeds from some West African origins due to rain water damage.

VIETNAM According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in 2012 Vietnam imported 332,576 MT of raw cashew nuts for processing. Re-exports were valued at USD 334 million.

Compared to 2011, imports of RCN rose 15.8%, while the value dropped 41.3%.

The crop forecast in Brazil has been drastically reduced to 16,500 MT (80,000 MT in shell basis), not more than a quarter of a normal crop. The crop was affected by a severe drought in all production areas. In previous severe-drought years (199394 and 1998-99) there were some areas less affected than others, but this time the damage was everywhere. This comes after two successive years of poor crops, and is radically changing the face of the Brazilian industry.

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

COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

INDIA

nil

164.762

164.762

COTE D'IVOIRE

nil

91.667

91.667

VIETNAM

nil

71.429

71.429

BRAZIL

nil

50.000

GUINEA-BISSAU

nil

TANZANIA

nil

NIGERIA

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

nil

nil

160.476

160.476

nil

4.762

4.762

109.523

114.285

nil

nil

nil

63.050

63.050

nil

50.000

nil

nil

16.500

16.500

nil

38.095

38.095

7.143

7.143

42.000

49.143

nil

38.095

38.095

nil

nil

30.952

30.952

nil

nil

20.238

20.238

238

238

19.048

19.286

nil

BENIN

nil

20.238

20.238

1.905

1.905

19.048

20.953

nil

INDONESIA

nil

16.667

16.667

nil

nil

16.667

16.667

nil

MOZAMBIQUE

nil

16.667

16.667

nil

nil

14.500

14.500

nil

CAMBODIA

nil

11.905

11.905

nil

nil

11.905

11.905

nil

BURKINA FASO

nil

7.143

7.143

0

0

8.333

8.333

nil

SENEGAL

nil

7.143

7.143

nil

nil

7.142

7.142

nil

GHANA

nil

4.762

4.762

nil

nil

5.476

5.476

nil

KENYA

nil

2.381

2.381

nil

nil

2.857

2.857

nil

GAMBIA

nil

1.429

1.429

nil

nil

1.905

1.905

nil

OTHERS

nil

13.810

13.810

nil

nil

13.810

13.810

nil

WORLD TOTAL

nil

576.431

576.431

14.048

14.048

543.192

557.240

nil

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

ENDING STOCK

562.383

557.240

Source: Global Cashew Council and INC.

Indian Data Exports (kernels)

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Quantity (MT)

118.805

117.325

115.265

110.949

107.496

95.583

111.093

81.690

604

541

547

667

593

589

725

597

Value (Milion US$) Major Destinations Kernel Exports (%)

2005

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2011

2012 Jan-Nov

2012 Jan-Nov

USA

40,60

39,64

36,70

37,50

32,00

31,00

32,00

33,85

Netherlands

14,31

16,25

11,99

13,00

10,00

10,00

8,90

8,39

UK

5,41

4,20

3,49

3,50

4,75

2,40

3,20

2,70

UAE

5,90

7,76

10,90

9,25

12,50

13,50

8,90

12,02

Japan

4,89

3,60

4,61

4,75

5,00

5,40

6,20

6,20

Source: CEPCI.

52

2006

2010

The Cracker | March 2013

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Hazelnut · Avellana · Noisette · Nocciola · Haselnuss · Findik TURKEY

ITALY

The winter conditions on the hazelnut growing regions were very The Italian estimate has been reduced from 110,000 MT (in shell mild. Temperatures in late January, early February ranged from basis) to 85,000 MT. Merchantable kernels were estimated at 12 to 17 degrees Celsius, warmer than average. This may cause 36,000 MT, as of early February 2013. an early awakening of the trees, which are more open for any future risks of seasonal frosts.

SPAIN In terms of export performance, from 1st September 2012 to 31st January 2013, exports reached 166.516 MT of hazelnut kernels In Spain, the crop estimate has been slightly reduced to 16,000 ($939,785,239), an increase by 46% on the same period the pre- MT (in shell basis) 27% down from the previous season, but vious year when exports totaled 113,934 MT ($897,061,146). inline with the average seen over the last years.

Prices remained stable at around USD 5,400/MT - FOB/FOT for Class 1, 11/13-13/15 mm, gross for net jute bags packing (plus 30,- for net weight, better grading).

New markets in developing Asia and healthy consumption trends in Americas are especially encouraging.

Estimated World Hazelnuts Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

TURKEY

35.000

245.000

280.000

10.000

10.000

362.500

372.500

22.500

ITALY

15.000

70.000

85.000

5.000

5.000

42.500*

47.500

5.000

AZERBAIJAN

1.720

23.650

25.370

1.288

1.288

19.397

20.684

2.146

GEORGIA

1.400

12.000

13.400

800

800

16.000

16.800

2.000

500

14.000

14.500

600

600

14.400

15.000

600

0

11.000

11.000

1.000

1.000

8.000

9.000

0

900

12.150

13.050

900

900

12.150

13.050

0

54.520

387.800

442.320

19.588

19.588

474.947

494.534

32.246

USA SPAIN OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

422.732

462.288

Estimated World Hazelnuts Production. In Shell Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

TURKEY

70.000

490.000

560.000

20.000

20.000

725.000

745.000

45.000

ITALY

30.000

140.000

170.000

10.000

10.000

85.000

95.000

10.000

AZERBAIJAN

4.000

55.000

59.000

3.000

3.000

45.000

48.000

5.000

GEORGIA

3.500

30.000

33.500

2.000

2.000

40.000

42.000

5.000

USA

1.250

35.000

36.250

1.500

1.500

36.000

37.500

1.500 0

SPAIN OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

ENDING STOCK

0

22.000

22.000

2.000

2.000

16.000

18.000

2.000

27.000

29.000

2.000

2.000

27.000

29.000

0

110.750

799.000

909.750

40.500

40.500

974.000

1.014.500

66.500

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

869.250

948.000

* 36,000 MT merchantable kernels.

Source: INC.

March 2013 | The Cracker

53

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Macadamia 路 Macadamia 路 Macadamianuss 路 Makedemia 路 Cevizi AUSTRALIA

SOUTH AFRICA

By the time of writing this report, the official forecast for the Australian macadamia crop was not available yet. The preliminary estimate was around 40,000 MT nut in shell (12,000 MT kernel based) given the favorable weather conditions, including dry conditions during flowering and adequate rain and warm temperatures during peak nut development. However growing areas in south east Queensland were experiencing a sustained period of hot dry weather by mid January, and yields from that region could be down.

The 2012 crop has been set at 34,946 MT of nut in shell farmers -a significant increase against the 31,500 MT harvested in 2011. Early indications suggest that 2013 is set be another productive year for South Africa.

Demand for Australian macadamia kernel remained firm during 2012, especially in the Asia Pacific region, and this is expected to continue in 2013.

Estimated World Macadamias Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY AUSTRALIA* SOUTH AFRICA USA KENYA GUATEMALA MALAWI BRAZIL CHINA COSTA RICA COLOMBIA ZIMBABWE NEW ZEALAND ECUADOR OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.730

CROP 12.090 9.680 6.898 6.123 2.260 1.619 1.370 930 419 394 279 39 23 186 42.308

TOTAL SUPPLY 12.090 9.680 6.898 6.123 2.260 1.619 1.370 930 419 394 279 39 23 186 42.308

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

2013/2014

ENDING STOCK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

BEGINNING STOCK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

CROP 12.400 10.241 6.900 6.665 2.300 2.213 1.426 900 400 403 279 39 23 186 44.375

TOTAL SUPPLY 12.400 10.241 6.900 6.665 2.300 2.213 1.426 900 400 403 279 39 23 186 44.375

42.308

ENDING STOCK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 44.375

In Shell Basis - Metric Tons

Estimated World Macadamias Production. In Shell Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY AUSTRALIA* SOUTH AFRICA USA KENYA GUATEMALA MALAWI BRAZIL CHINA COSTA RICA COLOMBIA ZIMBABWE NEW ZEALAND ECUADOR OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

CROP 39.000 34.946 22.250 19.750 7.290 5.222 4.420 3.000 1.350 1.270 900 125 74 600 140.197

TOTAL SUPPLY 39.000 34.946 22.250 19.750 7.290 5.222 4.420 3.000 1.350 1.270 900 125 74 600 140.197

2013/2014

ENDING STOCK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 140.197

*Australian figures for 2013 are preliminary figures and do not constitute an official crop forecast.

Source: Australian Macadamia Society, Subtrop South Africa, TNGA of Malawi and other INC sources.

54

The Cracker | March 2013

BEGINNING STOCK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

CROP 40.000 36.973 22.300 21.500 7.300 7.140 4.600 3.000 1.300 1.300 900 125 74 600 147.112

TOTAL SUPPLY 40.000 36.973 22.300 21.500 7.300 7.140 4.600 3.000 1.300 1.300 900 125 74 600 147.112

ENDING STOCK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 147.112

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Pecan · Pecana · Noix de Pecan · Noce Pecan · Pecanuss · Pekan Cevizi January 2013, prices on halves were 25% lower than the previous year, and pieces were off by as much as 45%. After an early start, U.S. Southeast pecan crop, from Georgia to Texas, was essentially complete. There were some thrashings of native and seedling varieties, but everything else was either on the water, being shelled, or put into cold storage. China proved to maintain and even grow imports from the Georgia crop.

Mexico produced its usual crop, with some areas producing great quality. Most of the quality crop, 70% or so, was sold by mid-January.

China appeared here as well, again, importing the larger nuts.

New Mexico’s crop was 99% completely harvested. The early estimate of 25,000 MT (55 million pounds) was revised downwards by 10%.

Drought continued and didn’t look like it would let up, as snowpack was already well below average.

Elsewhere, mostly in the middle states and down into Mexico, the native and seedling crop continued to trickle. The Oklahoma crop was Due to warmer than usual weather, Arizona did not get the cold spell unknown, with estimates ranging from 11,000 to 32,000 MT (25-70 needed until later than usual. With the late start, it was about 20% million pounds). into harvest. Thus far the crop seemed to be coming in as expected.

Estimated World Pecans Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

18.973

54.167

73.140

26.345

26.345

61.591

87.936

23.152

1.320

32.943

34.263

1.996

1.996

35.526

37.522

2.195

53

2.592

2.645

58

58

4.080

4.138

252

534

649

1.183

567

567

1.403

1.970

440

0

864

864

0

0

720

720

0

20.880

91.215

112.095

28.966

28.966

103.320

132.286

26.039

USA MEXICO SOUTH AFRICA AUSTRALIA* OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

83.129

106.247

In Shell Basis - Metric Tons

Estimated World Pecans Production. In Shell Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

43.120

123.106

166.226

55.753

55.753

139.980

195.733

52.617

3.000

74.870

77.870

4.536

4.536

80.740

85.276

4.990

SOUTH AFRICA

110

5.400

5.510

120

120

8.500

8.620

525

AUSTRALIA

970

1.180

2.150

1.030

1.030

2.550

3.580

800

0

1.800

1.800

0

0

1.500

1.500

0

47.200

206.356

253.556

61.439

61.439

233.270

294.709

58.932

USA MEXICO

OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

192.117

235.777

* Australian crop reported on a US crop year basis (Oct-Sep).

Source: INC.

March 2013 | The Cracker

55

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Pine Nut · Piñón · Pignon · Pinoli · Pinienkerne · Çam Fistigi

According to the China Tree Nuts Association, the 2012/2013 pine nut crop has been revised from 7,000 MT to 2,000 MT, with total supply at 7,000 MT instead of 12,000 MT previously forecast. The Chinese crop (Pinus koraiensis) is very small with almost zero production in Jilin and Helongjiang provinces and very little in Liaoning. In January, most of the exports were with 2011’s crop. Current Production was tight and price was firm due to the Chinese New Year season. According to the 5-years growing circulation of Chinese pine nuts (P. koraiensis) the crop will only pick up in 2014.

As for the Mediterranean, the estimates have been reduced dramatically. Pine nut production in the Mediterranean basin has experienced a strong reduction, in both the number of pinecones and in the yield (kernels per pinecone). Although its cause is not certain, such drop can be attributed to the exotic pathogen Leptoglossus occidentalis and climate -global warming. What is certain is that the crop decreases to the point that to the point that the sector may well be irreparably damaged

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

2011/2012

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

2012/2013

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

FAR EAST (Pinus Chinensis): RUSSIA

200

5.000

5.200

2.000

2.000

10.000

12.000

2.000

CHINA

500

20.000

20.500

5.000

5.000

2.000

7.000

800

PAKISTAN

1.000

4.000

5.000

2.000

2.000

3.000

5.000

0

DPR KOREA

100

3.000

3.100

1.000

1.000

2.500

3.500

500

1.800

32.000

33.800

10.000

10.000

17.500

27.500

3.300

TOTAL FAR EAST MEDITERRANEAN (Pinus Pinea): TURKEY

0

650

650

0

0

350

350

0

SPAIN

0

845

845

0

0

280

280

100

PORTUGAL

0

650

650

0

0

125

125

100

ITALY

0

200

200

500

500

150

650

100

OTHERS

0

100

100

0

0

0

0

0

TOTAL MED. WORLD TOTAL

0

2.445

2.445

500

500

905

1.405

300

1.800

34.445

36.245

10.500

10.500

18.405

28.905

3.600

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock) Source: China Tree Nuts Association, and other INC sources.

56

The Cracker | March 2013

25.745

25.305

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Pistachio

· Pistacho · Pistache · Pistacchio · Pistazie · Antep Fistigi

USA

IRAN

The 2012/2013 California crop came in at the low end of expectations at The Iranian 2012/2013 crop has been revised downwards, from 200,000 MT 250,400 MT, down from the previous forecast of 272,700 MT. Domestic ship- to 170,000 MT, of which 85,000 MT had been exported by the end of January, ments remain strong driven by the increased promotion in the United States. and 30,000 MT were destined for domestic consumption.

Estimated World Pistachios Production. In Shell Basis. Metric Tons 2011/2012

COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

62.800

203.600

266.400

34.100

34.100

250.400

284.500

35.500

USA IRAN

0

160.000

160.000

5.000

5.000

170.000

175.000

0

TURKEY

21.440

57.600

79.040

9.280

9.280

112.000

121.280

16.640

SYRIA

10.000

25.000

35.000

5.000

5.000

52.000

57.000

n/a

0

15.000

15.000

0

0

15.000

15.000

n/a

1.000

5.000

6.000

200

200

7.000

7.200

n/a

AFGHANISTAN GREECE CHINA

0

6.000

6.000

0

0

6.500

6.500

n/a

ITALY

0

2.500

2.500

0

0

2.000

2.000

n/a

AUSTRALIA TOTAL

0

1.000

1.000

0

0

550

550

n/a

95.240

475.700

570.940

53.580

53.580

615.450

669.030

52.140

CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

517.360

616.890

Source: INC

U.S. Pistachio: Industry Shipments. Metric Tons Export

Domestic

123.000 91.200 53.500

102.100

102.200

54.000

25.900

33.100

29.000

38.100

51.700

50.800

51.300

59.400

57.200

44.900

47.600

62.600

45.400

59.000

63.500

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

18.600

136.100

94.000

34.400

43.000

136.100

80.000 2011 E

79.400

81.600

st 2012

Est 2013

Source: ACP.

U.S. Exports by Region. 2011/2012

Asia, 48% Western Europe, 30% North America, 8% Middle East & Africa, 7% Australia/Oceania, 3% Others, 4%

Source: ACP.

March 2013 | The Cracker

57

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Walnut · Nuez · Noix · Noce · Walnuss · Ceviz USA

CHINA

The crop acquisition as reported by handlers indicates that the U.S. 2012 walnut production reached 449,755 MT (495,773 short tons) exceeding the USDA NASS California Field Office estimate of 426,375 MT (470,000 short tons). Market demand for walnuts remained strong with shipments through December 31, 2012 reporting inshell volumes up 5% from the prior year with gains in China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Shelled export volumes were 8% ahead of the prior year with the Asia and the Pacific Rim contributing to the increase.

The 2012 crop estimate has been adjusted downwards to 480,000 MT, in shell basis. The final receipt of walnuts in China was not as good as firstly expected and price remained firmer even after holiday.

From September 1st to November 30, 2012 China (including Hong Kong) imported 42,068 MT of in shell and 911 MT of shelled walnuts from California, an increase of 45% and 165% respectively compared to the same time the previous season.

The market was moving slowly at the beginning of the year. The trend will be marked by the peak holidays -the Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Estimated World Walnuts Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY USA CHINA TURKEY UKRAINE CHILE MOLDOVA FRANCE INDIA ROMANIA HUNGARY ITALY GEORGIA TOTAL

2011/2012

BEGINNING STOCK 15.910 1.000 410 0 410 0 410 0 0 0 0 0 18.140

CROP 178.450 176.000 28.085 24.600 15.170 18.450 12.300 10.250 12.300 8.200 5.330 4.100 493.235

TOTAL SUPPLY 194.360 177.000 28.495 24.600 15.580 18.450 12.710 10.250 12.300 8.200 5.330 4.100 511.375

CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

2012/2013

ENDING STOCK 21.498 1.000 820 0 410 0 410 0 0 0 0 0 24.138

BEGINNING STOCK 21.498 1.000 820 0 410 0 410 0 0 0 0 0 24.138

CROP 193.395 192.000 28.700 20.500 16.400 14.350 10.250 9.430 8.200 6.150 6.300 2.460 508.135

TOTAL SUPPLY 214.893 193.000 29.520 20.500 16.810 14.350 10.660 9.430 8.200 6.150 6.300 2.460 532.273

487.237

ENDING STOCK 24.183 1.000 1.640 0 410 0 410 0 0 0 0 0 27.643 504.630

Estimated World Walnuts Production. In Shell Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY USA CHINA TURKEY UKRAINE CHILE MOLDOVA FRANCE INDIA ROMANIA HUNGARY ITALY GEORGIA TOTAL

2011/2012

BEGINNING STOCK 37.000 2.500 1.000 0 1.000 0 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 42.500

CROP 415.000 440.000 68.500 60.000 37.000 45.000 30.000 25.000 30.000 20.000 13.000 10.000 1.193.500

CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

TOTAL SUPPLY 452.000 442.500 69.500 60.000 38.000 45.000 31.000 25.000 30.000 20.000 13.000 10.000 1.236.000

2012/2013

ENDING STOCK 49.996 2.500 2.000 0 1.000 0 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 56.496

BEGINNING STOCK 49.996 2.500 2.000 0 1.000 0 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 56.496

1.179.504

Source: China Tree Nuts Association, California Walnut Commission, Chilean Walnut Commission and other INC sources.

58

The Cracker | March 2013

CROP 449.755 480.000 70.000 50.000 40.000 35.000 25.000 23.000 20.000 15.000 15.500 6.000 1.229.255

TOTAL SUPPLY 499.751 482.500 72.000 50.000 41.000 35.000 26.000 23.000 20.000 15.000 15.500 6.000 1.285.751

ENDING STOCK 56.240 2.500 4.000 0 1.000 0 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 64.740 1.221.011

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Peanut · Cacahuete · Cacahuète · Arachide · Erdnuss · Yer Fistigi CHINA

USA

According to the China National Grain Oilseed Information Center, the 2012/2013 forecast for peanut production is 16.2 million MT, slightly up from 2011/2012 due to expected higher yields under favorable weather conditions. Overseas demand and domestic consumption have been reported to remain stable.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the peanut final crop estimate has been set at a record high 3 million MT (6.74 billion pounds), up 84% from the previous season. Planted area has been estimated at 1.64 million acres, up 44% from 2011, and area harvested, at 1.61 million acres, is up 49% from the previous crop year. Average yield has been estimated at 1.9 MT per acre (4,192 pounds/acre), up 366 kg (806 pounds) from 2011 –a record high yield.

Estimated World Peanuts Production. In Shell Basis. Metric Tons 2011/2012

COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

CHINA

0

16.000.000

16.000.000

INDIA

58.000

6.015.000

6.073.000

USA

687.600

1.659.500

2.347.100

455.000

NIGERIA

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

0

0

16.200.000

16.200.000

0

33.000

33.000

4.950.000

4.983.000

n/a

455.000

3.061.000

3.516.000

977.000

0

1.550.000

1.550.000

0

0

1.550.000

1.550.000

0

INDONESIA

54.000

1.250.000

1.304.000

57.000

57.000

1.250.000

1.307.000

55.000

ARGENTINA

13.000

1.033.000

1.046.000

88.000

88.000

941.000

1.029.000

13.000

VIETNAM

30.000

441.000

471.000

52.000

52.000

530.000

582.000

40.000

BRAZIL

55.000

227.000

282.000

2.000

2.000

295.000

297.000

25.000

9.000

87.000

96.000

1.000

1.000

120.000

121.000

5.000

2.000

120.000

122.000

2.000

2.000

108.000

110.000

4.000

24.000

70.000

94.000

21.000

21.000

70.000

91.000

20.000

SOUTH AFRICA NICARAGUA MEXICO OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

461.000

7.354.000

7.815.000

248.000

248.000

7.648.000

7.896.000

220.000

1.393.600

35.806.500

37.200.100

959.000

959.000

36.723.000

37.682.000

1.359.000

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

36.241.100

36.323.000

Source: USDA, Argentine Chamber of Commerce and other INC sources.

OTHERS: Sudan, Senegal, Myanmar, Chad, Burkina Faso, etc.

US Peanut Supply and Disappearance . Metric Tons SUPPLY

YEAR BEGIN. AUG. 1

BEGINNING STOCKS 830.000 688.000 455.000

2010/11 2011/12 (*) 2012/13 (**)

Production

2.582 1.571 2006/07

DISAPPEARANCE

PRODUCTION

TOTAL

1.885.600 1.660.000 3.058.000

2.715.200 2.463.000 3.545.000

DOMESTIC FOOD 1.288.200 1.272.000 1.338.000

SEED & RESIDUAL 227.700 214.000 275.000

CRUSH 266.300 274.000 337.000

EXPORTS

TOTAL

ENDING STOCKS

274.900 247.000 544.000

2.057.100 2.007.000 2.494.000

688.000 455.000 1.051.000

3.545

Total Supply

2.848 2.388

2.715

2.341 1.675

1.666 2007/08

2.673

2008/09

2009/10

1.886

2010/11

3.058 2.463 1.660 2011/12 (*)

2012/13 (**)

(*) Estimated. (**) Forecast. Source: USDA, February 18, 2013.

March 2013 | The Cracker

59

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Date · Dátil · Datte · Dattero · Dattel · Hurma The estimated world production of table dates has been revised down to 7.6 million MT, from 7.8 million MT reported in November 2012. This latest estimate means that the growth of global production in 2012 over 2011 amounts to about 1 million MT (15 per cent). This increase is particularly due to the start up of new

date palm plantations in large producing countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt.

The particularity of the production of dates is the small quantity being exported, which does not exceed 10%.

Estimated World Table Dates Production. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

125.000

990.000

1.115.000

100.000

100.000

1.350.000

1.450.000

130.000

SAUDI ARABIA

80.000

1.100.000

1.180.000

120.000

120.000

1.175.000

1.295.000

120.000

IRAN

45.000

1.085.000

1.130.000

80.000

80.000

1.095.000

1.175.000

70.000

UAE

35.000

820.000

855.000

35.000

35.000

785.000

820.000

50.000

PAKISTAN

8.000

440.000

448.000

10.000

10.000

520.000

530.000

8.000

ALGERIA

10.000

600.000

610.000

6.000

6.000

720.000

726.000

10.000

IRAQ

16.000

305.000

321.000

15.000

15.000

560.000

575.000

15.000

SUDAN

14.000

320.000

334.000

15.000

15.000

380.000

395.000

20.000

OMAN

12.000

240.000

252.000

11.000

11.000

270.000

281.000

10.000

TUNISIA

5.500

194.000

199.500

8.000

8.000

175.000

183.000

6.000

CHINA

7.000

125.000

132.000

6.000

6.000

147.000

153.000

7.000

MOROCCO

4.000

82.000

86.000

4.000

4.000

120.000

124.000

4.500

LIBYA

8.000

95.000

103.000

2.500

2.500

100.000

102.500

5.000

USA

600

13.000

13.600

700

700

21.000

21.700

800

ISRAEL

200

19.000

19.200

180

180

22.300

22.480

200

25.000

170.000

195.000

24.000

24.000

180.000

204.000

25.000

395.300

6.598.000

6.993.300

437.380

437.380

7.620.300

8.057.680

EGYPT

OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

6.555.920

481.500 7.576.180

Source: INC.

Dried Apricot · Orejón · Abricot Sec · Albicocca Secca · Getrocknete Aprikose · Kuru Kayisi By the time of writing this report, Industry sources reported availability problems on big sizes which were causing price increments up to 500 USD/MT. Exports have been reported to be consistent, at an average of 10,000 MT/month.

Estimated World Dried Apricots Production. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

0

136.917

136.917

20.000

20.000

176.718

196.718

n/a

IRAN

n/a

23.500

23.500

n/a

n/a

24.000

24.000

n/a

CHINA

n/a

5.700

5.700

n/a

n/a

6.000

6.000

n/a

TURKEY

SOUTH AFRICA

n/a

1.550

1.550

n/a

n/a

1.600

1.600

n/a

USA

n/a

2.600

2.600

n/a

n/a

1.500

1.500

n/a

AUSTRALIA

n/a

650

650

n/a

n/a

700

700

n/a

OTHERS

n/a

28.000

28.000

n/a

n/a

28.500

28.500

n/a

0

198.917

198.917

20.000

20.000

239.018

259.018

n/a

WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock) Source: Aegean Exporters Association and other INC sources.

OTHERS: Uzbekistan, Pakistan, etc.

60

2012/2013

The Cracker | March 2013

178.917

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Dried Fig · Higo Seco · Figue Sec · Fico Secco · Getrocknete Feige · Kuru Incir The highlight of the season is the new EU regulation on aflatoxin sumption with the ones set for almonds, apricot kernels, Brazil limits in dried figs, from 4 ppb to 10 ppb in ready-to-eat dried nuts, hazelnuts and pistachios. As for the market, industry sourcfigs, which applies from December 3, 2012. This new regulation es report prices and exports in line with last season’s. aligns maximum total aflatoxin levels in dried figs for direct con-

Estimated World Dried Figs Production. Metric Tons 2011/2012

COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

TURKEY

n/a

55.500

55.500

IRAN

n/a

22.500

22.500

USA

n/a

9.500

9.500

GREECE

n/a

7.800

7.800

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

0

0

56.900

56.900

n/a

n/a

n/a

22.000

22.000

n/a

n/a

n/a

9.250

9.250

n/a

n/a

n/a

7.600

7.600

n/a

SPAIN

n/a

5.800

5.800

n/a

n/a

6.000

6.000

n/a

ITALY

n/a

3.800

3.800

n/a

n/a

3.900

3.900

n/a

OTHERS

n/a

2.100

2.100

n/a

n/a

2.000

2.000

n/a

0

107.000

107.000

0

0

107.650

107.650

0

WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

107.000

Source: Aegean Exporters Association and other INC sources.

OTHERS: Afghanistan, Morocco, Syria, PRC, etc.

Prune

· Ciruela Seca · Pruneau · Prugna Secca · Backpflaume · Kuru Erik · Pruna Seca USA

ARGENTINA

Industry sources report no changes in the U.S. 2012/2013 forecast The Argentine production estimate has been corrected to 35,000 for prune production, which is estimated at 109,000 MT (120,000 MT, in line with the average production, and up 192% from the short tons). previous season, the crop of which suffered some heavy frost and hail damage.

CHILE In Chile, the 2013/2014 crop is expected to be shorter than in 2012/2013 (about 15% less) but still a very good volume considering that last year’s crop broke the record. The size of the fruit was coming very good by mid-February.

Estimated World Prunes Production. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

USA

59.000

119.700

178.700

51.000

51.000

109.000

160.000

n/a

CHILE

6.000

65.000

71.000

8.000

8.000

72.000

80.000

1.500

FRANCE

33.738

27.000

60.738

8.000

8.000

40.000

48.000

n/a

ARGENTINA

10.000

12.000

22.000

500

500

35.000

35.500

n/a

AUSTRALIA

2.150

1.652

3.802

600

600

2.700

3.300

n/a

0

3.000

3.000

0

0

3.000

3.000

n/a

SERBIA ITALY

ENDING STOCK

200

1.121

1.321

250

250

1.500

1.750

n/a

SOUTH AFRICA

0

1.230

1.230

0

0

1.100

1.100

n/a

WORLD TOTAL

111.088

230.703

341.791

68.350

68.350

264.300

332.650

n/a

CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

273.441

Source: USDA, Chile Prunes Association, International Prune Association and other INC sources.

March 2013 | The Cracker

61

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Raisins, Sultanas & Currants · Uva Pasa · Raisin Sec · Uvetta · Rosine · Kuzu Üzüm USA

TURKEY

According to the Raisin Administrative Committee, domestic shipments (including Canada) of Natural Seedless were 94,010 packed tons from 1st August 2012 to 31st January 2013, a decrease of 2%.

Exports were 57,199 packed tons, compared to 63,893 packed tons a year ago (-10%).

As for sultanas, in January prices had fallen 25% from June 2012. The last time the industry saw these price levels in raw material was in early August 2010 (almost 2.5 years ago).

SOUTH HEMISPHERE Early this year, the first offers of raisins were coming in from the Southern hemisphere (Chile, Argentina, and South Africa) where the crop seems to be a regular one.

Estimated World Raisins, Sultanas & Currants Production. Metric Tons 2011/2012

COUNTRY USA TURKEY IRAN CHINA INDIA CHILE SOUTH AFRICA GREECE UZBEKISTAN ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

BEGINNING STOCK 102.000 12.500 5.000 5.000 0 7.000 8.000 2.000 1.000 2.000 500 1.000 146.000

PRODUCTION 320.000 268.949 155.000 120.000 153.000 60.000 28.650 27.000 25.000 23.000 6.400 20.000 1.206.999

2012/2013

TOTAL SUPPLY 422.000 281.449 160.000 125.000 153.000 67.000 36.650 29.000 26.000 25.000 6.900 21.000 1.352.999

ENDING STOCK 120.000 3.500 5.000 0 0 5.000 1.500 5.000 1.000 0 500 1.000 142.500

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

BEGINNING STOCK 120.000 3.500 5.000 0 0 5.000 1.500 5.000 1.000 0 500 1.000 142.500

PRODUCTION* 260.000 286.575 150.000 165.000 144.000 75.000 35.000 26.000 25.000 27.000 16.000 20.000 1.229.575

TOTAL SUPPLY 380.000 290.075 155.000 165.000 144.000 80.000 36.500 31.000 26.000 27.000 16.500 21.000 1.372.075

1.210.499

ENDING STOCK 100.000 n/a 5.000 0 0 5.000 5.000 3.500 1.000 n/a 500 1.000 121.000 1.251.075

Source: Aegean Exporters Association and other INC sources.

US Natural Seedless Raisins. Top 20 Destinations for Crop Year 2011-2012. Packed Tons YTD Rank

Destination

YTD Tonnage 8/1/12-1/31/13

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Japan UK China Germany Canada Sweden South Korea Taiwan Malaysia Norway Netherlands Mexico Denmark Thailand Philippines Australia New Zealand Hong Kong Finland Singapore Others Total

9.205 5.730 5.407 5.310 4.906 4.024 2.792 2.615 2.570 1.761 1.665 1.654 1.414 1.358 1.336 1.234 897 848 835 624 5.920 62.105

Previous YTD Tonnage 8/1/11-1/31/12 9.578 6.649 6.011 5.824 5.178 4.118 1.759 2.298 2.084 1.610 2.067 2.314 2.052 1.003 1.084 5.543 883 726 870 715 6.705 69.071

Source: RAC.

62

The Cracker | March 2013

US Exports. Natural Seedless Raisins. 8/1/2012-1/31/2013

Percent Gain/Loss -4% -14% -10% -9% -5% -2% 59% 14% 23% 9% -19% -29% -31% 35% 23% -78% 2% 17% -4% -13% -12% -10%

Europe 35% Japan 15% China & Hong Kong 10% Canada 8% Latin America 6% Australia/Oceania 3% Others 23%

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Special Report: Spain: Imports and Exports Spain, Imports and Exports Source: Spanish Almond Board -Almendrave, Foreign Trade, and UN COMTRADE.

Almonds Imports and Exports of Almonds, Shelled. Metric Tons Imports

80.000

Exports

70.000 60.000 50.000 40.000 30.000 20.000 10.000

2007

2008

2009

2010

Exports of Almonds, Shelled. Jan-Oct 2012

2011

2012, 1-10

Imports of Almonds, Shelled. Jan-Oct 2012

Germany 29% Italy 17% France 16% Netherlands 6% UK 4% Belgium 4% USA 3% Greece 3% Poland 3% Others 15%

Destination Germany Italy France Netherlands UK Belgium USA Greece Poland Switzerland Portugal Sweden Czech Rep. Austria Russian Fed. Others Total

2007 MT 14.349,18 7.067,13 7.929,69 4.010,50 2.381,55 2.718,59 275,44 1.451,63 1.792,47 1.589,18 678,30 461,39 361,05 335,00 2,49 2.435,49 47.839,08

Origin Germany Italy France Netherlands Total

2007 MT 14.349,18 7.067,13 7.929,69 4.010,50 60.706,41

Exports of Almonds, Shelled

2008 MT 15.757,31 6.798,04 8.193,77 3.831,80 2.162,79 2.435,74 191,00 1.262,81 1.482,52 1.619,02 606,53 448,35 285,16 555,48 75,77 2.313,08 48.019,17

2009 MT 15.450,68 8.789,89 8.264,00 4.068,83 2.905,94 2.228,76 194,88 2.017,26 2.051,25 1.395,73 682,43 447,21 242,46 549,20 312,76 2.728,68 52.329,96

2010 MT 16.945,50 10.981,55 9.800,18 3.776,78 2.502,68 2.629,40 514,60 1.838,61 1.469,20 1.468,39 795,02 809,72 253,20 548,04 853,85 4.193,36 59.380,08

2011 MT 17.559,83 11.382,87 8.793,50 3.635,18 2.098,65 2.524,19 1.147,86 2.172,74 1.627,85 1.642,37 837,76 674,11 238,75 507,79 797,37 4.233,37 59.874,19

Imports of Almonds, Shelled

2008 MT 15.757,31 6.798,04 8.193,77 3.831,80 69.106,46

2009 MT 15.450,68 8.789,89 8.264,00 4.068,83 80.189,51

2010 MT 16.945,50 10.981,55 9.800,18 3.776,78 65.614,98

2011 MT 17.559,83 11.382,87 8.793,50 3.635,18 74.329,31

USA 92% Australia 3% Portugal 2% Others 3%

Exports of Almonds, In Shell

2012, 1-10 MT 13.803,16 8.084,91 7.599,87 2.765,87 2.051,82 1.856,11 1.485,56 1.232,39 1.179,68 1.146,43 919,64 650,68 573,07 543,60 433,89 3.031,57 47.358,25

Value (1000 €) 61.616,03 38.482,21 35.309,58 12.133,81 9.687,14 8.629,90 10.671,20 5.702,58 5.790,55 5.604,52 4.049,64 2.904,06 2.706,90 2.657,66 2.007,32 14.554,71 222.507,81

2012, 1-10 MT 13.803,16 8.084,91 7.599,87 2.765,87 65.380,72

Value (1000 €) 61.616,03 38.482,21 35.309,58 12.133,81 235.716,46

2011

2012, 1-10

Destination

MT

MT

France Italy Portugal Denmark Netherlands Algeria Others Total

41,95 36,30 24,47 33,17 15,00 15,20 37,09 203,18

73,48 67,04 41,52 24,02 22,00 16,49 27,14 271,69

Value (1000 €) 289,08 142,36 111,10 117,01 104,50 91,48 128,69 984,22

Imports of Almonds, In Shell Origin Portugal USA Chile Others Total

2011

2012, 1-10

MT

MT

627,94 1.011,79 64,00 44,27 1.748,00

2.115,38 1.249,97 70,80 27,17 3.463,32

Value (1000 €) 1.661,82 4.405,00 243,19 77,89 6.387,90

March 2013 | The Cracker

63

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Hazelnuts Imports and Exports of Hazelnuts, Shelled. Metric Tons Imports

6.000 5.000 4.000 3.000 2.000 1.000

2007

2008

2009

2010

Exports of Hazelnuts, Shelled. Jan-Oct 2012

Destination Germany Venezuela Brazil France Poland Italy Others Total

Origin Turkey Italy France Others Total

2007 MT 3.623,26 353,48 156,68 205,45 4.338,87

2009 MT 1.492,48 300,00 88,00 470,46 284,00 322,38 291,42 3.248,74

Destination Brazil Algeria Italy Others Total

64

2010 MT 582,16 200,00 188,04 221,63 204,65 430,95 268,85 2.096,28

2011 MT 1.359,42 240,00 314,96 308,47 209,00 218,55 316,15 2.966,55

Imports of Hazelnuts, Shelled

2008 MT 3.162,30 536,12 112,52 141,46 3.952,40

2009 MT 2.714,85 549,40 230,79 1.699,11 5.194,15

Exports of Hazelnuts, In Shell 2011

Turkey 68 % Italy 10% France 1% Others 21%

Exports of Hazelnuts, Shelled

2008 MT 720,19 434,00 69,75 155,85 233,20 79,30 248,90 1.941,19

2012, 1-10

MT

MT

159,70 0,00 46,85 52,99 259,54

113,50 18,00 5,05 7,02 143,57

Value (1000 €) 268,71 41,82 17,14 26,68 354,35

The Cracker | March 2013

2010 MT 4.056,80 456,17 334,73 799,17 5.646,87

2012, 1-10

Imports of Hazelnuts, Shelled. Jan-Oct 2012

Germany 23% Venezuela 16% Brazil 15% France 14% Poland 10% Italy 6% Others 16%

2007 MT 794,11 102,40 58,00 540,29 348,24 737,90 330,69 2.911,63

2011

2011 MT 2.895,42 718,82 165,00 902,32 4.681,56

2012, 1-10 MT 405,05 286,00 258,61 245,00 187,03 102,17 284,74 1.768,60

Value (1000 €) 2.200,29 1.874,34 1.457,95 1.462,71 1.060,65 423,64 1.494,71 9.974,29

2012, 1-10 MT 2.571,71 370,26 56,35 801,06 3.799,38

Value (1000 €) 13.663,95 2.113,47 245,35 3.941,24 19.964,01

Imports of Hazelnuts, In Shell 2011

2012, 1-10

Origin

MT

MT

France USA Italy Chile Others Total

255,63 150,50 33,88 0,00 243,58 683,59

178,53 n/a 24,00 20,00 173,23 395,76

Value (1000 €) 515,08 n/a 127,20 64,87 453,00 1.160,15

Exports

World Industry News

Game Changer

By Tom Vogel & Lori Carlson, DFA of California

Food Safety Modernization Act: Proposed Rules Change the Playing Field from Farm to Fork. Are you ready?

Two of the five legislative requirements linked to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) were released on January 4, 2013. The two recently proposed rules include: Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption (i.e., Produce Safety rule) and Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food (i.e., Preventive Controls rule).

Is the proposed legislation a game changer to an already shifting food safety landscape or is this business as usual within regulatory framework? This article provides an overview of key provisions currently proposed in the Produce Safety and Preventive Controls rules and highlights why U.S. Congress and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believe the provisions are necessary to protect public health.

Why a new food safety paradigm?

Consumption patterns of Americans increased the demand for fresh food and ingredients resulting in globally sourced produce. Coinciding with this trend are numerous foodborne illness outbreaks, which grabbed the attention of consumers and the U.S. government over the past decade. Epidemiological investigations for each outbreak clearly identified pathogen intrusion into the food chain at the farm level or a lack of preventive controls at the processing facility resulting in severe illness and even death.

As a result of epidemiological investigations and public awareness, President Obama signed into law the Food Safety Modernization Act on January 4, 2011 to regulate food safety and security to protect U.S. consumers. The Produce Safety rule and Preventive Controls rule are the first two proposals aimed at food safety regulation for on-farm and food facility activities for domestic and U.S. import food products.

66

The Cracker | March 2013

The Proposed Rules – Overview of Key Provisions Produce Safety The Produce Safety rule requires all farms growing, harvesting, packing, and holding raw agricultural commodities (RAC’s) for domestic use and U.S. import to implement provisions in five major areas. The rule targets all fruits and vegetables consumed raw including mushrooms, sprouts, herbs, and tree nuts. Compliance dates for all farms are 2 years from publication of the final rule with staggered compliance for small and very small farms at 3 and 4 years respectively.

The provisions are focused on the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and preventing microorganisms of public health significance from entering produce supply at the farm level. Provisions are focused in the areas of agricultural water supply, soil amendments of animal origin, domesticated and wild animals, buildings, equipment, and tools, and worker health and hygiene.

The rule builds flexibility into the regulatory framework where states and foreign governments may petition the FDA for variances to certain provisions. In similar suit, alternative provisions are permitted that provide the same level of public health protection as the final provisions. Moreover, recordkeeping requirement for other programs (e.g., National Organic Program) need not be duplicated.

Organic produce is not exempt under the Produce Safety rule. All produce within the scope of the produce definition produced on foreign farms and imported for U.S. consumption must comply with the rule.

World Industry News Preventive Controls The Preventive Controls rule requires all food facilities (domestic and foreign) required to register under FSMA to prepare and implement a written food safety plan. All facilities must comply with the rule within 12 months following publication of the final rule. Small businesses and very small businesses must be in compliance within two and three years respectively.

Seven fundamental provisions of the food safety plan—with oversight by a qualified individual—are defined in the proposed rule and include: hazard analysis, preventive controls, monitoring, corrective action, verification, record keeping, and a recall plan.

Scientific validation for implemented preventive controls is an umbrella provision to the food safety plan. End product testing and pathogen environmental monitoring are proposed as validation for preventive controls and surveillance tools to identify potential routes/ sources of contamination. Additionally, the rule proposes to reduce the risk of cross-contamination with an emphasis on allergen control and updates current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP’s).

What’s Next?

The first two proposed rules of FSMA are a combined 1,227 pages long. The FDA requests that comments from the public on the proposed regulations be submitted by May 16, 2013. Industry groups such as the Almond Board of California and DFA of California formed working groups to collectively review the rules and assemble resources for comment submissions. The final rules will likely be published 12 -18 months after the close of the comment period. By 2015, the rules are expected to be in effect (2016-2017 for smaller businesses).

As this process moves forward, it is incumbent upon farms and facilities to identify gaps in their food safety programs through the provisions of the applicable rule. Training classes in GAP, GMP, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards, such as those offered by DFA, serve as good starting points for many firms.

GFSI standards include programs such as HACCP, incident management and recall, and allergen control—all key elements of FSMA compliance. If a facility is already certified to a GFSI standard such as BRC or SQF, it provides a head start in the compliance process.

Michael Taylor, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods, states “The global food safety initiative is a critically important leader on food safety for over a decade. GFSI has been advancing food safety by acting on one key idea, which is that the fundamental basis for food safety in today’s global food system is active food safety and supply chain management the food industry.”1 Many key provisions of FSMA, such as the programs for Foreign Supplier Verification and the Food Laboratory Accreditation, have yet to be released. Staying informed and engaged in the rule-making process is the best strategy for ensuring that you know the rules of the food safety game and have the tools to win!

1 Michael R. Taylor Deputy Commissioner for Foods U.S. FDA. Remarks at the Global Food Safety Conference Orlando, FL February 16, 2012

March 2013 | The Cracker

67

World Industry News

Why snacking on almonds makes business and scientific sense!!

Consumer Trends

Over the past year the Almond Board of California (ABC) programs in the US, Canada, Western Europe and China have continued to make great strides toward positioning almonds as a delicious, nutritious and essential food, especially at snack time. Both the US and UK have seen growth in almond usage; the US continues to see strong growth in demand, growing +11% in 2011/2012, and in the UK snacking sales alone growing +18% while total nut sales declined 2.4%. Overall, consumer demand for healthier snacking products is growing as global almond snacking introductions have more than doubled in the last four years, from 398 new items to almost 900 in 2011.

Consumers are continually looking for convenience and almonds are very convenient.

ABC promotes the idea of placing a handful of almonds in your handbag, desk drawer or even your gym bag for a quick and delicious snack that is good for you.

Health is the key almond message, especially for snack products that leverage natural, no cholesterol, and high protein for satiety.

Global Almond Snacking Introductions Tracked with Health Claims 2007 - 2011

1,000 900

814

800

717

700 500

661 398

524

400 300

821 749

571

600

872

358

200

195

100

146

235

Health (total) Health (passive) Health (ac ve)

267

158

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Innova, 2012

Emerging Science that the caloric values for almonds should be re-evaluated 2012 ended with global public relations efforts to health and food professionals surrounding the USDA research showing that when measuring digestibility, whole roasted almonds provide about 20% fewer calories than currently stated on the FDA nutrition facts panel (Novotny et al., Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2012, 92(2):296-301). After the first round of outreach, the study had garnered more than 135 million impressions, with placements in major newspapers, magazines and online health and food industry outlets. The ABC is now planning to fund another study with the USDA researchers using the same methodology to evaluate and compare the bioavailability of calories from whole natural, whole roasted and diced almonds as well as almond butter.

This will build the body of science and help dispel the idea that nuts are a calorific food, hence a potential barrier for additional consumption.

Scientists have always known that caloric values for foods are just estimates. It has been 125 years since Wilbur Atwater, a USDA chemist, published his findings from more than 500 very small (less than 6 subjects), short term (1–3 days) human clinical tests that attempted to understand the energy or caloric value of foods. The intent of these

68

The Cracker | March 2013

studies was to define economical diets that could satisfy the nutritional needs of people with various occupations and in different social classes. Nut eaters were studied in the early 1900s and nut digestibility was estimated to be in the 70% range, with wide variability among nuts.

After World War I, the new calorie information was used to optimize food rations for use in schools, armies and factories in all climates.

By the mid-1950s the USDA had developed a handbook for the Energy Values of Foods and acknowledged that “nuts presented problems regarding digestibility and composition, and that it was difficult for them to evaluate the few results that had been published.” Advances in analytical chemistry applied to foods and new approaches to clinical studies suggest that not all foods have the same digestibility because (1) chewing will affect nutrient availability, (2) cellular structure and dietary fiber content affect food particle breakdown and (3) more accurate clinical trial designs can now be used. Despite these advances, Atwater factors are still applied to individual foods and food ingredients to determine their caloric content by using compositional data for protein, fat and carbohydrate and then correcting for digestibility. The belief that for most applications the Atwater factors “are

World Industry News

good enough� has hindered major revisions of energy values. While health experts are recommending greater consumption of plant-based foods, many of these foods may have overestimated caloric values. Improved knowledge on the effect of food structure on digestibility and compositional analyses, especially for carbohydrates, indicate that some energy values should be revised.

Latest research from the US and UK shows that almond snacking keeps you feeling full longer Drs Mattes and Tan at Purdue University studied 140 adults, 18–60 years, for a four-week randomized, controlled study with 5 groups who either ate no almonds (control) or 1.5 oz (43 g) of almonds with their daily breakfast, as a morning snack, with lunch or as an afternoon snack. This is the first study of its kind to focus on the impact of almonds consumed as a snack on blood glucose levels, weight and measures of hunger and appetite. Overall the findings demonstrated that consuming almonds as part of a meal improved glucose levels after the meal and that consuming almonds between meals as a snack also had a favorable effect on blood glucose and hunger ratings. Also, it appears that eating almonds as a snack reduced hunger and desire-to-eat levels. In addition to these measurements, there was no weight gain over the four weeks of this study. It appears that the participants naturally compensated for the additional daily calories provided by the almonds.

In the UK, nutritionists at Leatherhead Food Research studied 32 healthy women who consumed three different doses of almonds (0 g, 28 g or 42 g) as a mid-morning snack on three occasions, each separated by two weeks, to determine the impact of consuming different portions of almonds (0 vs. 1 serving vs. 1.5 servings) on satiety and calorie intake. Satiety was measured by subjective feelings of appetite using visual analogue scales (VAS) that allowed participants to rate feelings of hunger, fullness and desire to eat. Calorie intake was measured by assessing the effect of two different doses of almonds (28 g or 42 g), again compared with a negative control (0 g), on food intake at two ad libitum meals (lunch and dinner). The study demonstrated that consuming almonds as a mid-morning snack, 1.5 hours before lunch, can have an effect on satiety and calorie intake at the next meal, and with a 42-g portion, this effect may continue throughout the day.

Both of these studies will be presented at scientific and food industry conferences in the US and UK in 2013, and will hopefully be published shortly.

March 2013 | The Cracker

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World Industry News

APG Adds Pistachio Pizzazz to the Big Game Day APG teamed up with Executive Chef Tory McPhail of the iconic Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, and APG’s Sport Nutrition Ambassador Becci Twombley, to showcase the “Power of Pistachios.”

Via a live satellite media tour (SMT), they showed consumers how to put some pistachio pizzazz into their football gathering.

On January 22 American Pistachio Growers conducted a SMT at the iconic Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, home to the 2013 Super Bowl. Since then, people from all over the country have watched Executive Chef Tory McPhail and Becci Twombley talk about how to make New Orleans-style snacks for the big game, and how pistachios have great health benefits for athletes including “sofa athletes.” To date more than 30 television and radio station interviews have been booked—some airing live and others being taped to air closer to February 3, for the big game.

APG is also issuing a syndicated news release that will go to hundreds of newspapers and websites across the country. The news release will drive people to www.AmericanPistachio.org where they can view even more game-day inspiring pistachio recipes. On average, these news releases generally have pickup that results in 2,000 to 3,000 news articles.

About Satellite Media Tours: Satellite media tours consist of a sequence of one-on-one live television interviews.

They generally originate from a remote location and may be aired live by a series of television stations or recorded for a later airing.

APG Reaches 9,000 Food Professionals APG invited 9,000 foodservice professionals to create culinary dishes using our amazing American pistachios.

The banner advertisement was featured in Foods Arts e-newsletter, Dish & Dishes.

More than 9,000 restaurant and hotel professionals subscribe to this popular bi-weekly newsletter Food Arts is known for keeping its readers on the cutting edge with authoritative coverage of trends, news, and inspiration from across the globe. With the latest and hottest restaurant openings, business-building tips from colleagues, menu and food innovations, how-to culinary demos, tabletop fashions, state-of-the-art equipment, marketing ideas, and recipes galore, Food Arts serves the informational needs of the entire fullservice segment of the restaurant/hotel industry.

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American Pistachio Growers Website is International For easy access around the world, American Pistachio Growers website has been translated into seven languages including Mandarin, French, German, Japanese, Spanish (Spain), Italian and the Queen’s English. Take a tour of these online destinations by visiting AmericanPistachios.org and clicking on the country’s flag located in the top left corner of the home page.

Olympic gold medalists, scrumptious pistachio cake and pistachio gelato, plus the chance to win 50 pounds of pistachios proved to be show-stoppers at the Winter Fancy Food show, January 20 – 22, 2013.

Winter Fancy Food Tradeshows Another Show Stopper

American Pistachio Growers defied expectations at the renowned tradeshow held in San Francisco. Buyers, traders, chefs, retailers, and caterers representing the foodservice industry were awestruck by the gold medals worn by members of the USA Water Polo women’s team.

World Industry News

They crowded the aisles to get autographs and photographs taken with the APG’s health and fitness ambassadors. Booth visitors also indulged in Williams-Sonoma’s Pistachio Lemon Spice Cake, created by APG Chef Ambassador Jean-Yves Charon of Galaxy Desserts, and four irresistible flavors of Fiorello’s pistachio gelato.

To help show attendees get the most out of the Fancy Food show APG developed an APG Fancy Food App. The app provided a quick look at the pistachio events happening in APG’s booth, news about APG, how to find APG at the show, and a photo gallery of APG’s favorite booths at the show.

Show attendees who downloaded APG’s app could enter to win 50 pounds of pistachios with one winner announced after each day of the show.

APG Sample Program In France, APG spread the powerful pistachio health message to nearly 8,300 runners during the Marathon of La Rochelle held in November 2012. APG sample packs were included in the race goodie bags along with other nutritional snacks such as bananas, apples, water and juice. Since APG’s sample pack program was launched, more than a million health minded consumers have learned about the nutritional benefits of pistachios.

In Spain, 8,000 runners received an APG sample pack in their race goodie bag after crossing the finish line of the Ponle Freno 10K race. Pre-race promotional materials also included the American Pistachio Growers logo. At the San Silvestre run in Madrid 40,000 runners refueled on American Pistachio Growers 100-calorie sample packs.

An APG Christmas Story Just in time for Christmas, APG released an American pistachios Christmas story to the German media. It included holiday gift ideas using healthy pistachios and Christmas spices. More than 35,000 online and print publications representing sports, health and fitness published the story spreading the cheer to thousands of German consumers.

2013 Bavarian Alps “Power of Pistachios” Promotion Kicks Off For the second year in a row, the “Power of Pistachios“ will help kick off the winter sport season in Bischofsmais, Germany’s popular skiing, hiking and mountain biking getaway. The “Power of Pistachios” message will be displayed on postcards, banners and table tents. Resort visitors will choose from a menu of pistachio dishes by Chef Roland Hollenrieder. More than 25,000 APG sample packs are planned for distribution to skiers, hikers and mountain bikers during the promotion, which runs from December 2012 through September 2013.

The “Power of Pistachios” Powers the Deggendorf Fire Junior Ice Hockey Team The “Deggendorf Fire” is an elite ice hockey club in Bavaria. Known for its competitive athletes, the club’s team enjoy a high degree of success in German ice hockey leagues. APG fuels the junior team with pistachios during their training and competitions. The young ice hockey stars, big fans of America’s powerful pistachios, love to re-energize on the nutritional and delicious green nuts. Five-hundred APG sample packs are planned for distribution to the ice hockey club this year. This partnership is part of the 2013 “Power of Pistachios” Bischofsmais (Bavaria) promotion.

Hotel Berlin Berlin Celebrates International Green Week with America’s Green Nut Again Once again Berlin’s four-star luxury hotel, Hotel Berlin, is celebrating International Green Week with American pistachios. APG’s powerful green nuts will be featured in their quick-lunch menu and in Happy Hour aperitifs (recipes provided by APG’s Chef Ambassador Grant MacPherson). Fivethousand APG sample packs are planned for delivery to hotel guests as bedtime snacks, and the “Power of Pistachios” message will be displayed on table tents throughout the hotel’s restaurants and lounges.

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World Industry News Story Continued from Page 71

International Green Week is the world’s largest food, agriculture and horticulture fair. Hotel Berlin, Berlin averages 1,000 guests per night during the popular event. Coinciding with the fair, the Berlin Marathon is also being held.

APG Display Bin Campaign in China New display bins and point-of-purchase materials were unveiled in China. The bins featured APG brand ambassadors Miss California (2012) and the USA Water Polo teams. Thirty-five retail outlets participated with the in-store activities including: Wangfujing, ParknShop Megastore, Tianful Plaza Parkson Huayang, Shuangquiaozi, Tianfu Plaza, Qunguang Department Store, Far East Department Store Lusxehills, Ito Yokado and Isetan

U.S. Pistachio Shipments and Outlook United States pistachio growers produced their largest crop in history in 2012, with just over 555,400,000 pounds (252,455 metric tons) produced. The overall quality of the nuts were excellent, with open inshell percentage the second highest amount in 12 years (84.1%). Pistachio shipments continue to be robust for the U.S. pistachio industry. Year-to-date shipments numbers indicate a total

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of 237,751,468 pounds (108,069 metric tons) have been shipped from the beginning of the new crop marketing year, which began in September 2012, through the end of January 2013. This is compared to 202,193,940 pounds (91,906 metric tons) shipped during the same time period last year. This is an increase of 17.6 percent compared to last year during the same time period.

Overall, Export shipments are up 30.3 percent compared with the same time last year. Within that export total, shipments are up 70 to Eastern Europe, up 43.3 percent to Asia, and up 28.6 percent to Western Europe. Within the total shipments to Asia, direct shipments to mainland China have increased by 72.8 percent over last year.

Year-to-date Domestic shipments are slightly below last year; however, the 81,496,196 pounds (37,044 metric tons) shipped thus far is 11.6 percent above the two-year average of 73,385,849 pounds (33,357 metric tons).

With 2013 predicted to be an “off” year of production, supplies will remain tight for the remainder of 2013 and until the 2014 crop is produced. The 2013 crop, based on projected models, is estimated to be in the range of 475,000,000 pounds (215,909 metric tons). Thus far, cold chilling hours are adequate for the trees for the bloom period this spring, and while winter rainfall amounts have not been large in the various growing regions, it appears that winter snow levels in the high mountains are at normal levels, indicating an adequate supply of water will be available during the growing season to produce a bountiful pistachio crop.

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The Dried Fruit “Revenge” Once considered food for the poor, dried fruit and nuts are now enjoying great popularity among health fans: the metamorphosis experienced by dried fruit and nuts in Italy within the last few years is due to nutrition research revealing that oily seeds (such as walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pine seeds & Co.) are full of nourishing health benefits.

Behind the revenge of walnuts and pistachios, almonds and cashews, are the results of numerous studies which have connected consumption to an improvement of the lipid profile and the glycemic response, thus discovering the effective power of dried fruit and nuts to fight cholesterol, prevent diabetes, reduce inflammation and much more.

Nucis Press Event November 6 Grand Hotel et de Milan

Nucis Italia’s communication campaign has contributed in bringing these results to consumers, translating them into simple concepts easy to understand for everybody. And with great results! In 2012, the Christmas season in Italy was a festival of dried fruit and nuts at points of sale, but the difference from the past has really been in the message.

Nucis Information Materials

Several supermarkets and hypermarkets (over 1.600 between November and December 2012) have seen their dried fruit departments decorated with Nucis Italia’s informative materials, which constituted an educational activity for consumers. The idea of “daily portion” recommended by medical studies was emphasized through the exact number of different fruits that compose it to provide information that is correct, simple and immediate to all consumers who love dried fruit and nuts and want to enjoy the benefits they give at all times, not just at Christmas.

“Fan page Nucis Dried Fruit is wellbeing”

“Preparation of the Dried Fruit Department with Nucis materials”

Nucis Italia end-aisle displays appeared in some supermarkets with qualified personnel on weekends who offered a taste of the different fruits and distributed further informative materials and dried fruit-based recipes. The activities were appreciated by consumers who quickly grabbed the information!

The Christmas season, due to the great attention reserved by the media for dried fruit and nuts, has allowed Nucis Italia to distribute information about the healthy aspects of dried fruit and nuts among a large audience.

Interviews with Bessana President Riccardo Calcagni, television programs and insights were broadcast between November and December by the most important television channels, the crowning achievement of the activities---a press conferencet in Milan on November 6, during a very successful cooking-show.

In November Nucis Italia also went “social.”

The fan page “Dried Fruit is Wellbeing” was created at the end of October, and since then has received over 5.300 “likes”, proof of the

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The Cracker | March 2013

“Nucis game on Facebook”

great interest towards these fruits. The fanpage is an excellent dialogue tool with dried fruit and nuts fans: through conversations, comments to our posts, messages and questions, one gets an idea of what the kind of information consumers want about the products. We have also discovered that consumers are curious and hungry for news about a healthy diet and what ingredients to choose for themselves and their families, but above all we discovered that dried fruit and nuts... are loved by everyone!

To support the concept of “daily portion”,

 Nucis Tin_box

Nucis has also created a game / competition where one can participate until March 31st 2013 by going online on www.nucisitalia. it or by becoming a fan of the FB page Dried Fruit is wellbeing. The game is simple: choose your own favorite mix of dried fruit and nuts and fill a box until you reach the exact quantity of 30 gs. Every day you can win 2 tin boxes with the portion of dried fruit and nuts, a nice and useful object you can bring along and fill every day with different fruits. A tasty snack you can eat at the office, at school but also during your workout at the gym. The game was successful among Internet users: 50.500 games in the first 2 months and a half and over 16.000 different users who tried to guess the correct daily portion! At the end of the contest every participant will have the chance to win one of the 5 Wellbeing Smart-boxes: one weekend of your choice to enjoy a relaxing break in the company of dried fruit and nuts!

Nucis Italia is already programming the initiatives and the activities to be developed during 2013, which will start with the involvement of physicians and health operators who are targeted to give testimonials about healthy messages to reassure consumers about the healthy facts. They will continue with the creation of new informative materials for points of sale and with the expansion in social media. In this way, all dried fruit and nuts lovers can stay in touch with the project Dried Fruit is Wellbeing through our website, www.nucisitalia.it and the project’s fan page.

March 2013 | The Cracker

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World Industry News

NUCIS GERMANY CONTINUES TO SPREAD NUT NUTRITION NEWS 2013 will be packed with events and activities for Nucis Germany. At the annual Managing Board and Members’ Meeting of Nucis Germany last November a full slate of activities were determined by the twelfth Managing Board of the Association Nucis e.V. Deutschland.

The Nucis Board members are: Mr. Helmut Dankert – Chairman Mr. Thomas Apfel – 2nd Vice-chairman and Auditor Mr. Guido Wolf – 1st Vice-chairman In the photo (left to right): Thomas Apfel, Stephanie Wetzel, Helmut Dankert, Gabriele Kirchberg, Guido Wolf

2012 was a successful year, but 2013 will go even further. Nucis spread its news by its own communication and also by integrating Nucis publications in other prestigious nutritional websites.

Articles written for the Nucis Homepage are repeatedly printed in the daily press (shown on the right).

Exhibitions will start with the DGE Congress, March 19th – 21th at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelm University of Bonn. That congress is the major meeting for scientists in Germany and is targeted at scientists and nutrition advisers. It is an important occasion for all leading German Nutritionists where Nucis will provide information about the nutritional benefits of nuts and specific profile of each nut.

Samples of hazelnuts, macadamias and pistachios will support the message and demonstrate the excellent taste that nuts contribute to a healthy diet. Nucis will also offer teaching materials to nutrition advisers for use in their consultations with consumers. Schools for dieticians will also be provided with materials. Professional advisers are invited to ask Nucis for lecture opportunities. The lecture “Health in Nuts” is adapted to the group’s specific interest.

Another content focus will be to develop an advanced Physician training seminar focused on various teaching modules. It will contain the theory and the practical work for adaptation for consumers.

Hospital Dinkelsbühl

Following the successful Facebook launch last November, Nucis will continue using social media for nut news. Check out the more contemporary design of our homepage! Nucis will also continue to support events in hospitals and seminars led by nutritionists who share what they have learned about Nuts with their patients. Hospitals and District offices frequently organize “Information days,” “Open days” and “Nutrition Days” for continuing support of the message.

Two examples shown on the right.

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The Cracker | March 2013

District office Donaueschingen

World Industry News

CALIFORNIA WALNUT COMMISSION:

US MARKETING UPDATE

By Jennifer Olmstead, Marketing Director, Domestic

California Walnut Board Sponsors HealthCorps® in Two Fresno High Schools HealthCorps® is a proactive program that offers an innovative in-school curriculum focused on health, nutrition and mental resilience. It was founded and chaired by Dr. Mehmet Oz, two-time Daytime Emmy® Award-winning host of the two time Daytime Emmy® Award-winning “The Dr. Oz Show”, and his wife, Lisa Oz. The California Walnut Board has been a sponsor of HealthCorps since 2009 and had been sponsoring two high schools in Sacramento. This year the Board doubled their contribution to sponsor an additional two schools in the Fresno area - Sunnyside High School and Edison High School. “Engaging students in healthy cooking and eating habits is an important first step toward creating healthy habits for a lifetime,” said Shawn G. Hayes, Ph.D., Chief Academic Officer, Director of Research and Education for HealthCorps. “When you make nutrition education fun, students are more likely to share it with their friends and families.”

To announce the program, we brought a team of six students from each school together on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 for a cook-off challenge at Sunnyside High School. Each team was tasked with cooking a healthy entrée incorporating walnuts. A panel of judges included Jose Alvarado, the Director of Food Services for the Fresno Unified School District; Lori Gambero, Campus Culture Manager for Fresno Unified School District; Jack Mariani, Walnut Grower and Chair of the CWB’s Market Development Committee; and Jennifer Olmstead, Marketing Director, Domestic at the California Walnut Board.

The panel rated each team on their recipe’s taste, presentation, walnut usage and teamwork. The students really enjoyed the challenge and the dishes were fantastic.

Edison High School won by a hair for their “Walnutty Thai Lettuce Wrap”. Media in attendance included television affiliates from ABC, CBS, and Univision, as well as the Fresno Bee.

National Defenders of the Human Bodytm Social Media Campaign California Walnuts launched the second phase of the Natural Ways to Defend your Body health campaign on Facebook in January. This campaign is an extension of the print campaign running in culinary, fitness, and women’s service publications. In this phase, the message that California Walnuts are an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet is promoted through healthy imagebased tips selected from the database of tips entered by California Walnut fans in the first phase of the campaign.

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This phase of the campaign will run during January and February, a prime season for motivating our target market – heartfood-health-conscious women - with inspiring tips to benefit themselves and their families. These images will also be promoted online via Twitter, and online on recipe/health-related sites. At the time of article submission, Facebook fans have grown to over 10,000 fans (an increase of 49.6%) and Twitter followers have increased by 53.8%.

Walnuts Featured in Pre-FNCE Session on the Mediterranean Diet The California Walnut Commission hosted a session on Saturday, October 6 before the start of the 2012 Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE). “Mediterranean Diet: A Dietary Pattern for the Ages Featuring Walnuts, Olive Oil and Red Wine” was presented by Connie Diekman, MEd, RD, LD, FADA, focusing on recent outcomes from the landmark PREDIMED Trial: Effects on Cardiovascular Biomarkers, Med Diet Eating Patterns and more.

Registered dietitians in attendance received one free unit of continuing education credit and had the opportunity to sample Mediterranean dishes that featured walnuts. The session had 124 attendees and survey results report that 87% of attendees would be very likely to attend an event such as this in 2013.

Meta-Analysis on Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) Publishes Out of Harvard University, Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Frank Hu published his meta-analysis on ALA in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study evaluated how the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) offers protective effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD), in particular reducing the risk of coronary heart disease death. The research demonstrates how ALA has its own merits apart from marine sources of omega-3 EPA and DHA.

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March 2013 | The Cracker

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World Industry News

CALIFORNIA WALNUT COMMISSION:

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES Michelle McNeil, Senior Marketing Director, International and Jennifer Williams, Assistant Marketing Director, International.

TV Coverage in Japan Health related media coverage continues to be influential with the consumer. California walnuts received TV coverage on four different occasions in Japan over the course of the past several months. This coverage led to a spike in sales following each show airing. The first coverage occurred on September 8 on NTV’s “The Most Desirable Class in the World” variety program. The show introduced walnuts as brain food along with a recipe for walnut soba brain food. Sales the following day increased 275% with an increase of 106% during the remaining week.

The next TV coverage was September 24 on TBS’s “Hanamaru Market” variety show which airs on weekday mornings targeting housewives. This show featured a segment highlighted walnuts titled “Treasure nut of beauty and health! Surprising walnut power.” Dr. Inoue, PhD and Professor at Keio University spoke about the fatty acids in walnuts, specifically omega-3. The show resulted in a sales increase of over 300% on the day it aired with an increase of 105% the following week.

Finally, walnuts received TV coverage on two occasions in January on “Hanamaru Market,” a variety show for housewives which airs on weekday mornings from 8:30 to 10:00. On January 22, the show featured information about dieting without reducing caloric intake. Ms. Yumi Date, registered dietician, recommended intake of good quality of fat such as omega-3 fatty acid. On January 25 the same show featured walnuts in a segment about anti-aging.

E-Mart Sales Contest in Korea The California Walnut Commission partnered with Korea’s leading retail grocery company E-Mart, to conduct the “CA Walnut Sales King” promotion in 145 E-Mart stores nationwide. The promotion was designed to have all stores/stores’ nut section managers to compete against each other in boosting CA walnut sales for maximum sales result at a time of year when sales are typically slow. This “Sales King” promotion was launched on July 26th, timed with the Olympic Games to increase walnut snacking. The initial promotion was for three weeks however strong sales lead the promotion to be extended an additional two weeks. Each store had a designated floor display for California walnuts and promotional tables. At the stores, printed advertisements providing information on the special sales item was posted, featuring the California walnut sales news. Each store’s sales record was picked up and compared by the retail company’s head office, and 5 stores with the biggest sales were selected “Sales King” and won a CWC hosted trip to California walnut orchard.

Mini-SAC Germany Health researchers and scientists gathered for the first German Scientific Advisory Council meeting in Frankfurt, Germany October 23, 2012. The California Walnut Commission welcomed seventeen esteemed European health professionals, along with members of the CWC Scientific Advisory Council, for a one day meeting to discuss the CWC’s body of scientific work, German health trends and new areas of study for future research.

Presentations from leading practitioners from Germany and the United States were followed by a discussion panel on the day’s proceedings, research needs and future directions. Dr. Klaus Parhofer, from the University of Munich who is conducting final data analysis on a CWC funded projected in Germany echoed the sentiment of the attendees by stating, “this meeting was an excellent forum for the exchange of scientific thought and opinion which broadened minds and ideas for potential research in Germany”. Many researchers expressed interest in collaboration and sharing health research proposals with the CWC in the near future.

Securing Frank Hu for the German Society for Nutrition 2013 The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE, German Society for Nutrition) is one of the most influential organizations regarding nutrition and a key opinion leader in Germany. Two important DGE scopes of duties include nutrition science and consultation. These fields are also key element for the CWC communication in Germany. Co-operations with the DGE are therefore a great chance for CWC to showcase walnuts health benefits in Germany´s community of healthcare professionals and media.

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World Industry News For 2013, CWC had a chance to offer the DGE a speaker with high international and scientific reputation, Frank Hu, MD, PhD, for the upcoming convention in March 2013, Bonn. The CWC was able to secure a position in the scientific program in which Dr. Frank Hu will have two lectures at the DGE convention: the opening key note on “Gene-diet interactions and risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes“ and a lecture about “Walnut consumption and risk of diabetes: Two prospective cohort studies”. The CWC will host media for a reception to meet and interview Dr. Hu.

Partnership with Spain Baking Associations The CWC is partnering with bakery and confectionary associations in Spain to increase awareness of walnuts as an ideal ingredient, foster new product innovation with the ultimate goal of increasing the category sales for walnuts in the sector. The relationship with the bakery professionals began in 2010 with presence in its national congress and official publications. To strengthen this cooperation, the CWC partnered with the Barcelona Confectionery Guild, which brings together more than 600 pastry chefs in the capital and provinces. In early 2013 the CWC will sponsor the School of Confectionery through the creation of a scholarship and provide product annually, becoming the exclusive supplier of the school. As a result students will create walnut recipes which will be used for professional audiences and be able to use, among other benefits, the school facilities in one or two cooking shows a year, in courses addressed to professionals. The CWC will also partner with the Guild to promote walnut products in retail bakery shops throughout Barcelona.

PREDIMED Study Findings Findings from the landmark Spanish study, PREDIMED, report that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with walnuts significantly reduces stroke risk and cardiovascular disease. Published online (February 25, 2013) by the New England Journal of Medicine, the leading Medical Journal in the U.S., findings from the study report that a Mediterranean diet including nuts, primarily walnuts, reduced the risk of cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular death) by 30% and specifically reduced the risk of stroke by 49% when compared to a reference diet consisting of advice on a low-fat diet (American Heart Association guidelines). These findings are significant considering that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women globally. To read more about the findings please visit www.nejm.org/ doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1200303

www.prunesco.com March 2013 | The Cracker

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PECAN INDUSTRY TO PARTNER WITH TUFTS UNIVERSITY AS PART OF ONGOING MARKET, PROMOTION AND RESEARCH EFFORTS To further promote and acknowledge the nutritional benefits of consuming pecans, the National Pecan Shellers Association (NPSA) will partner with Tufts University, a leader among the premier research universities in the United States, to research the health effects of pecan consumption. Pecans are recognized as a heart-healthy when enjoyed as part of a healthy eating pattern but little is known on the health benefits one can expect from the daily consumption of pecans. Only four clinical trials have been conducted on the native North American tree nut since 1987.

a Guide for Using Pecans

Perfect

Performance with

pecans

CMYK colors DS 27-4 C DS 315-1 C DS 55-1 C

National Pecan Shellers Association 1100 Johnson Ferry Road NE, Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30342 Ph: 404-252-3663 • Fax: 404-252-0774 E-mail: npsa@kellencompany.com Website: www.ilovepecans.org

Spot colors

“Research on other tree nuts suggests that there may be a great deal of untapped territory for pecans,” said Vickie Mabry, executive director of NPSA, “This study will provide us with new information on the nutritional benefits of pecans that will help dietitians, nutrition policy makers, and consumers better understand the benefits of pecans and their healthful role in a balanced diet.”

In addition, NPSA has launched new Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages this year in an effort to generate more awareness about pecans to the consumer market. The new social media platforms will serve as an efficient way of connecting with pecan consumers with content that is designed to be fun yet informative, showing consumers how to incorporate pecans into their everyday meals.

A growing body of evidence indicates that tree nuts may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes among healthy individuals, though support through well-controlled human studies is limited. Most studies to date have been conducted utilizing subjects who already have high cholesterol or diabetes, rather than those who are generally healthy but at increased risk.

Facebook – I Love Pecans Twitter – @ilovepecans Pinterest – I Love Pecans

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ABOUT TUFTS UNVERSITY

As a result, Tufts University will focus their research in this cross-over feeding trial on subjects over the age of 50, who are healthy but have an increased risk for heart disease or diabetes due to family history for example. Half of the participants in Tufts pecan research will receive a controlled diet while the other half will receive a pecan-rich diet with the expected outcome that a handful of pecans a day can keep adults healthy, and may prevent both heart disease and diabetes.

Tufts University, located on three Massachusetts campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville, and Grafton, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions.

A growing number of innovative teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs across the university’s schools is widely encouraged.

The National Pecan Shellers Association is also taking proactive steps toward marketing pecans globally and domestically with the publication of a new resource entitled, Perfect Performance. Electronic and print version of this new publication will serve as a guide to using pecans in processed foods for food industry professionals as well as consumers. With the recent growth in pecan exports, the publication will be available to NPSA members for distribution at major foreign and domestic food trade events.

The National Pecan Shellers Association (NPSA), a non-profit trade association, is committed to educating culinary and health professionals, food technologists and the general public about the nutritional benefits, variety of uses and all around great taste of pecans.

For more information on the health benefits of pecans and where to find them, visit www.ilovepecans.org.

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL PECAN SHELLERS ASSOCATION

Image Capture

Optical Sorting to the Highest Standards EVOLUTION®

The new Evolution is a Revolution in optical sorting Both the human eye and the Evolution detect color through three wavelengths (Red, Green and Blue), allowing the sorter to match the eye’s ability to see true color. This full color sorting machine uses 16 million colors, high-resolution cameras and long lasting LED lighting to detect and remove defects. It works like the human eye – the smallest color deviations are identified and rejected.

The machine has the ability to see true color and precisely sort a wide range of tree nuts, even those with small shade differences and all types of foreign material.

Typical Defects Removed Subtle color differences, foreign material (hulls, peewees, shell, sticks, glass , stones), insect damage, mold and decaying product.

RGB Full Color Technology Evolution RGB utilizes proprietary software to combine the response from the red/green/blue (RGB) camera to form a 3D color space. The EVO RGB combines these responses in a manner that very closely imitates the human eye response to color.

www.satake-usa.com NORTH, CENTRAL, SOUTH AMERICA Satake USA, Inc. (Corporate Office) Tel: 281 276 3600 Fax: 281 494 1460 Houston, Texas U.S.A.

WEST COAST USA Satake USA, Inc. Tel: 209 551 3203 Fax: 209 551 0841 Modesto, California U.S.A

EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA Satake Europe Limited Tel: 44 161 406 3800 Fax: 44 161 406 3801 Stockport, Cheshire, England

JAPAN Satake Corporation Tel: 81 824 20 8539 Fax: 81 824 20 0865 Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan

vision@satake-usa.com

jsargent@satake-usa.com

sales@satake-europe.com

y-tomoyasu@satake-japan.co.jp

The American Nut

PECANS

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MARCH 2013

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Best N.V............................................47

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Visys NV Sorting Systems................48

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Brazil

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BELGIUM

Caiba IND. E COM. S/A....................21

ChilE

The next publications schedule for The Cracker will be...

july 2013 • november 2013

Joan Escoda S.A...............................75

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Switzerland

Prunesco.........................................81

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Valbifrut S.A....................................11

turkey

ChINA

Hazelnut Promotion Group..............2

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UK

FRANCE

Bühler Sortex Ltd............................43

Eurobroker......................................98

European Snacks Association.........73

Somercom.......................................22

Kenkko Commodities PLC................9 Toximet LTD....................................94

Germany

To all INC Members, advertisers and subscribers:

Incus Technology S.L......................72

Eurofins..........................................14

USA

Palm Nuts & More KG....................95

Cablevey Conveyors........................17 Campos Brothers Farms...................5

ITALY

Chico Nut Company........................87

Connect S.R.L..................................25

Crain Walnut Shelling, INC..............8

V. Besana S.P.A.................................89

Fisher Nut Company.......................10

JAPAN

Grower Direct..................................33

Tanto Corporation........................100

Harrell Nut Company......................12 Harris Woolf....................................20

MOROCCO Santis S.A.R.L. ................................99

Hilltop Ranch, INC.................19 & 85

Russia

Hughson Nut, INC...........................15

Orekhprom LTD..............................23

Satake USA, INC..............................83

Primex INTL....................................44 Setton INTL Foods.... Back Outside Cover

Spain Almendras Francisco Morales S.A....65 Borges S.A........................................77

The Green Valley Pecan CO........96 & 97 Vicam..............................................79 Young Pecan Company...................84

Detailed information will be sent and posted to our website: www.nutfruit.org March 2013 | The Cracker

85

inc world forum for nuTriTion research and disseminaTion

Chaired by Prof. Jordi Salas-Salvad贸

The launch of The firsT world forum for nuTriTion research conference: mediTerranean food on healTh and disease 2013 conTinues!

Joint us to the First World Forum for Nutrition Research Conference (WFNRC), a meeting of world leaders on Mediterranean Food on Health and Disease that will be held in Reus (100 km south Barcelona) Spain, on Monday and Thursday, 20-21 May 2013 (www.worldnutrition2013.com).

culture, history and anthropology will be presented in the form of plenary sessions, debates and posters, and will include superb scientific material originating from laboratories around the globe.

Tree nuts, olive oil (two important sources of fat and antioxidants in the Mediterranean countries), fruit and vegetables, fish, whole This meeting will provide the opportunity for a comprehensive cereals, yoghurt and other fermented milk, and other components overview of the latest research developments in relation to the of the Mediterranean diet will be the protagonists of the World health benefits of selected typical Mediterranean foods. This Forum for two days.

Forum would not have been possible without the collaboration of many distinguished scientists around the globe. Challenging The Opening Conference entitled Mediterranean diet: health discussions on topics such as nutrition, health, food sciences, and science will be carried out by Dr. Mariette Gerber, from the

www.worldnutrition2013.com 86

The Cracker | March 2013

inc world forum for nuTriTion research and disseminaTion

Toulouse University. Dr. Gerber has a wide experience in this field and is an expert at the French Food Safety Agency. This Conference will place the Mediterranean diet on the current medical and scientific context.

A new interesting debate on the pros and cons of fish and omega-3 intake is scheduled that morning. The healthy benefits of omega-3 fatty acids provided by fish intake will be defended by a reputed nutritional epidemiologist, whereas Dr. José Luis Domingo, toxicologist from the Rovira i Virgili University we will The WFNRC will address other hot issues such as the management give the opposite view. of overweight and obesity or the potential role of nuts in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These topics will be An approach to the Vegetarian diet and the Metabolic Syndrome addressed by two worldwide recognized experts, namely will be led by Dr. Joan Sabaté, a prestigious researcher from Professor Iris Shai from Ben Gurion University, Israel and Dr. Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health. Dr. Sabaté Penny Kris-Etherton from the Department of Nutritional Sciences -winner of the INC Award for Excellence in Research in 2012, at University Park in the United States. is frequently asked to speak at scientific symposia, as well as health and nutrition conferences worldwide. He serves on the U.S. Frying for cooking? Yes or no? An interesting approach on this Department of Agriculture’s Expert Panel on Dietary Food Pattern issue will be treated in a dynamic debate during the noon of 20 and is the editor of the reference book Vegetarian Nutrition.

May. The potential adverse effects of cooking with vegetable oils that have been suggested by several researchers will face the The conference will by closed by Dr. María-Isabel Covas from scientific evidences of their non-deleterious effect in risk disease. Barcelona’s Biomedical Research Park, who will focus on virgin olive oil as a key food in the traditional Mediterranean diet.

Prof. David Jenkins, a world leader in nutrition research, has confirmed his attendance. He will give a lecture about glycemic This conference emerges as the meeting point of three major events index, glycemic load and Mediterranean diet, which will be occurring in Spain in 2013: 1) The International Congress of for sure of great interest to everybody. More than thirty years Nutrition organized by the International Union of Nutrition Sciences, ago, Prof. Jenkins and his colleagues developed the well- 2) The World Congress on Nuts and Dried Fruits organized by the known concept of glycemic index, still used nowadays in many INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation, and 3) popular diets. Also, he is the author of the Portfolio diet, a low- The International Congress on Mediterranean Diet organized by the fat vegetarian diet including nuts and soy-based products with Mediterranean Diet Foundation. In fact, this Forum is organized recognized beneficial effects on diabetes, lipid disorders and with the collaboration of the Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation other cardiovascular diseases.

(FINUT), the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation (INC), the Mediterranean Diet Foundation and the Spanish During the second day, the results of the largest multicenter Federation of Food, Nutrition and Dietetic Scientific Societies. study ever conducted in Spain addressed to evaluate the role of the Mediterranean diet in primary prevention of cardiovascular Monday 20th May evening, the INC International Nut and Dried disease -the PREDIMED study, will be presented by its main Fruit Council will celebrate the Grand Opening of the New investigator, Dr. Ramon Estruch, from the Clinic Hospital, Headquarters with an open doors day and a cocktail dinner. Visit August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute, University of the INC website: www.nutfruit.org for more detailed information Barcelona, Spain. or call (+34) 977 331 416.

call for expressions of inTeresT

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The INC World Forum for Nutrition Research and Dissemination promotes epidemiological, basic, clinic and strategic research that may contribute to enhance the understanding of the health effects of nuts and dried fruits.

The INC calls for expression of interests for research projects from public and private institutions, as well as not-for-profit organizations, and encourages cooperative research implying INC associate members.

The INC has a specific wish for cooperative projects that bridge different research areas, as the interaction of disciplines and research groups often lead to new knowledge and understanding of correlations. Furthermore, special emphasis will be placed upon cooperation with industry-related partners.

All Expressions of Interest must be submitted using the application form available at http://www. nutfruit.org/en/health-professionals_5727. Applications Due By: 15 March 2013.

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...now offering the best fruit with the best chocolate... bellissimo! www.besanaworld.com

NEWS FROM THE NUTRITION RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Cashews

(Approximately 18 nuts per 1 oz. serving)

Excellent source of copper and magnesium. Soft consistency with delicate, sweet flavor. Native to South America, but introduced by colonists to Africa and India.

Commonly eaten as a snack, raw or roasted, but often used in Asian recipes and to make a rich, creamy nut butter or vegan cheese.

Walnuts

(Approximately 14 halves per 1 oz. serving) Integral

Pecans

(Approximately 19 halves per 1 oz. serving)

Rich in antioxidants and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Sweet, mellow flavor and meaty texture lend well to a variety of dishes, including salads, as a coating for fish and in sweets such as pralines and pecan pie.

part of Mediterranean diet, contributing to health benefits of this style of eating. Rich in antioxidants and excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based form of omega-3.

Grooves hold onto flavors well and are delicious when seasoned sweet or hot. Oil can be used in dressings and sautés.

The healTh BenefiTs and Culinary uses of nuT MeaTs

Pine Nuts

Pistachios

(Approximately 167 nuts per 1 oz. serving)

Soft nut found inside cone of several varieties of pine trees. Good source of vitamin E and phosphorus. Standard ingredient in Italian cuisine and most known for its use in pesto. Light, delicate flavor also lends well to pastas, salads, sautés, breads and other baked goods.

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(Approximately 49 nuts per 1 oz. serving)

Contain antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin. Eating in-shell helps slow consumption. Bright color makes for great addition to salads, grain dishes and as a coating for meats. Native to the Middle East, home of favorites like baklava, halvah and ma’amoul, a shortbread pastry.

Hazelnuts

(Approximately 21 nuts per 1 oz. serving) Also known

as filberts, they are rich in mono-unsaturated fats and an excellent source of vitamin E, copper and manganese.

Available in-shell, whole, diced, sliced and as a meal for gluten-free baking. Pairs well with savory, citrus and sweet flavors, particularly chocolate, and commonly used in confections.

The Cracker | March 2013

NEWS FROM THE NUTRITION RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION

W

ith mounting evidence showing their many health benefits, it’s OK to recommend nuts as part of a healthy diet. In fact, it’s more

Brazil Nuts

(Approximately 6 nuts per 1 oz. serving)

Largest nut commonly eaten. Grows wild on trees in Amazon rain forests. In addition to poly- and monounsaturated fats, contain more than 100% daily value for antioxidant selenium. Rich, creamy texture lends well to snacking, raw or roasted; and confections.

than OK. Tree nuts are plant-based proteins that contain fiber and a combination of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for each variety.

They are also rich in plant sterols and fat, particularly the heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated kinds.

Macadamias

(Approximately 10-12 nuts per 1 oz. serving) Native to

subtropical rain forests of Australia, this nut is high in fat, but 17 of the 22 grams are mono-unsaturated. Excellent source of manganese.

Unique rich, buttery taste and smooth texture lends to eating as a snack raw or roasted. Often baked into cookies and coated with chocolate.

Almonds

(Approximately 23 nuts per 1 oz. serving)

Excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, also provides calcium and folate. Versatile ingredient, can be used whole, sliced, blanched to remove skins, and as flour, paste or butter. California provides 80 percent of world’s supply, but almonds are enjoyed in savory and sweet dishes globally.

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

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a Qualified Health claim that states: 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. These nuts include almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts — which contain less than 4 grams of saturated fat for a 50-gram (about 1.5 ounce) serving.

The combination of fiber, protein and fat in nuts provides satiety to meals and snacks, making them an excellent option for weight management. There is a caveat, however: portion size. While nuts are healthy, they are calorie-dense. Nuts range from 160 calories to 200 calories per ounce. To get their health benefits without breaking the calorie bank, it’s best to substitute them for other foods in the diet, particularly those high in saturated fat. This can be achieved with one to two ounces a day.

It’s easy to lump nuts into one category, but what makes each nut meat special is its unique package of nutrients, taste, texture, origin and culinary uses. Here’s a taste ... in a nutshell.

“INC NREF provided information on the health benefits of tree nuts to writer Rachel Begun for a feature and poster published in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Food & Nutrition, a publication of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.”

Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - Europe

Experts reiterate call for calorie count reform Caloric values – particularly for nuts and legumes – should be re-evaluated in light of recent studies suggesting commonly used calorie estimates may be flawed, according to a panel of experts at SIAL in Paris.

Energy value of foods is most often allocated by using the Atwater general factor system, in which the main food components – protein, fat, and carbohydrate – have a single energy factor, regardless of the food in which they are found or how they are processed. Carbohydrates and proteins are considered to contain four calories per gram, fat nine calories per gram, and the system also includes a value of seven calories per gram of alcohol.

But momentum has been building to overhaul the way that calories are calculated, as evidence increasingly points to energy being locked up in the structure of some foods, meaning that it is not used by the body – while other research has suggested that cooking could increase the availability of energy .

“There needs to be some kind of reform of food energy evaluation throughout the world if it is to be representative of foods, including specific digestibilities,” said Dr Geoffrey Livesey, an independent nutritionist addressing conference delegates at SIAL this week.

“We may overestimate the energy density of high protein and high fibre foods.”

Professor Martin Wickham of Leatherhead Food Research said that measuring how much energy in foods is actually used in the body is not easy. He praised a recent study carried out by Novotny et al. published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which found that almonds contained about 20% less energy than previously thought, by measuring energy excreted in faeces and urine.

“What we eat is not necessarily absorbed,” he said. “…Not all energy is taken up by the body.”

Wickham added that there are two approaches being used to evaluate the caloric value of foods; measuring energy balance, as in the Novotny study, or using calorie conversion factors to estimate caloric content.

This latter is “of course less accurate because it is only a model of the real world,” Wickham said.

The Almond Board of California is petitioning the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and food authorities in the US to reduce the amount of calories allocated to almonds on food labels following the Novotny study results.

Similar findings were made after US research into pistachios last year.

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Nutrition Research update

Relieving Peanut Allergies With Peanuts Modern-day allergists have noted an ancient practice: kings intentionally ingested poisons to build up their tolerance to toxins in case of a murder attempt. In January, researchers report that people suffering from peanut allergies may build up their tolerance to peanuts in a similar way — by eating extremely low doses of the allergen.

For the new study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 40 adolescents and adults with the food allergy were tested for the maximum amount of peanuts that would generate an allergic reaction tolerance. Then, half of them took minuscule quantities of peanut powder under their tongue daily, with the doses increasing gradually every day. The other half were given a placebo After 44 weeks, 14 of the 20 who received the daily peanut powder could tolerate at least 10 times as much peanut as they could handle at the beginning of the study (or 5 grams in total, whichever was more), while only three of the 20 on placebo could do the same. Many of the people receiving treatment saw a 100-fold or better increases in their peanut tolerance. After the first stage of the experiment was finished, the group getting placebo was offered the chance to receive the peanut treatment too. Among that group as well, most were also able to improve their resistance to peanuts over subsequent months.

That doesn’t mean that those allergic to peanuts can try a similar strategy for building up their tolerance at home. In the experiment, even allergy sufferers who responded well could only handle a couple grams of peanut – a fraction of an ounce – after many months of training. The initial, first-stage training doses, in contrast, were far lower still, and much smaller than anyone could prepare in a home kitchen: mere billionths of a gram per day.

“While promising, the treatment is not ready yet to try in physicians’ offices, or to do at home,” says Wesley Burks, professor and department chair of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina, and one of the primary researchers on the new study. “But we do have promise that it’s safe, that it works,” he says.

Burks, one of the leading researchers testing such a tolerance strategy for treating food allergies, says that a much larger study, with many more participants, is needed before doctors can be comfortable prescribing the treatment to everyday allergy sufferers.

In the study, for example, while most patients responded with only mild side effects such as an itchy mouth, one participant who received the peanut powder had a more severe reaction that required an EpiPen. A larger study would provide a better sense of how common such potentially dangerous reactions are.

Testing the therapy in more people would also provide more accurate information about how effective the tolerance to peanuts might be in the real world. In the current study, for instance, many patients developed a strong enough resistance to peanuts that they could potentially tolerate, with few symptoms, some trace exposure to peanuts such as might occur by eating something produced with kitchen implements that touched the nuts. But it’s not clear whether that benefit persists once the daily peanut dosing stops. And none of the patients were cured of their allergy to the point that they could eat, say, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or anything like it.

Still, the findings are exciting because there are currently no good treatments for food allergies – and peanuts and other tree nuts are among the most common food triggers of life-threatening allergic reactions. Burks says the idea of building up a tolerance to allergens may be applicable to a host of other food allergies as well. He and his colleagues have already conducted similar research with eggs, and found that eating tiny quantities of that dairy product may also help people with egg allergy to build up an immunity to allergic reactions.

That’s good news for food allergy sufferers, particularly young children who might be accidentally exposed to their allergen. Many of them might someday be able to tolerate some exposure to the food that causes them problems, with limited symptoms. “There is work going on that is promising to develop a treatment for this disease,” Burks says.

March 2013 | The Cracker

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Nutrition Research update

Do white chocolate compounds also benefit heart health?

The potential heart health benefits of dark chocolate may be only partly linked to the flavanol content, with white chocolate - devoid of such compounds - also offering potential cardiovascular benefits, says a new study. Beneficial effects on platelet activation and aggregation were observed, according to findings published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, but the effects were found to diminish about six hours after eating the chocolate.

“Therefore regular consumption of small quantities of flavan-3-olrich dark chocolates may help to sustain these effects for longer,” wrote researchers from the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health at the University of Aberdeen, the Institute of Food Research, Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS), and CEBAS-CSIC in Murcia, Spain.

“Nevertheless, increasing consumption of such products will also increase fat and sugar consumption, which may outweigh any beneficial anti-platelet effects.”

The health benefits of polyphenols from cocoa have been gathering increasing column inches in the national media. To date studies have reported potential benefits for cardiovascular health, skin health, and even brain health. The majority of science into the potential benefits of cocoa have revolved around cardiovascular benefits of the flavanols.

Recently, however, scientists from the University of Reading in England and Mars reported that cocoa may also affect gut microflora and possess prebiotic potential.

Using chocolates specifically produced by Natraceutical Group in Spain, the researchers recruited 42 healthy people and randomly gave them acute doses of flavan-3-ol-enriched dark, standard dark or white

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chocolate. Sixty grams of the flavan-3-ol-enriched dark, standard dark or white chocolate contained 907 milligrams, 382 mg, and zero mg, of total flavonoids, respectively.

Results showed that the flavan-3-ol-enriched dark chocolate was associated with a significant decrease in platelet aggregation, as well as the expression of the protein P-selectin, which functions in as a cell adhesion molecule. These effects were only observed in men, however.

On the other hand, the enriched dark chocolate was associated with a decrease in platelet aggregation and an increase in fibrinogen binding in women. Both genders experienced increases in ex vivo bleeding times.

Men consuming the white chocolate also experienced a decrease in P-selectin expression and an increase in bleeding times.

“Differences in efficacy by which flavan-3-ols affect platelet function were only partially explained by concentrations of flavan-3-ols and their metabolites in plasma or urine,” said the researchers. “Flavan-3-ols in dark chocolate, but also compounds in white chocolate, can improve platelet function, dependent on gender, and may thus beneficially affect atherogenesis,” they concluded.

Nutrition Research update

For Better Health, Go Nuts!

One Of Nature's Top Superfoods Comes Out Of Its Shell Data from the University of Toronto show that replacing 50 grams of carbs (about a muffin's worth) in your diet with 2.5 ounces of nuts each day helps control blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes. The INC-NREF funded the nuts and diabetes study Mice that ate a walnut-rich diet (the equivalent of 2 ounces daily in humans) were half as likely to develop breast cancer as those that didn't eat nuts, according to another study. And when researchers recently pooled the results of 25 clinical trials, they found that eating 2.4 ounces of any kind of nuts a day lowered " bad" LDL cholesterol by up to 7 percent and total cholesterol by up to 5 percent. (INC-NREF-funded pooled analysis study by Dr. Sabaté) Other studies have shown that people who eat several servings of nuts a week slash their cardiovascular risks by up to 74 percent, compared with those who eat nuts less than once a week.

Women who consumed two or more nut servings per week had a slightly lower risk of obesity than those who ate nuts less frequently or not at all, the longrunning Nurses' Health Study from the Harvard School of Public Health recently discovered. Nuts offer some significant health benefits:

Walnuts

Pistachios

Pecans

•

185 calories per ounce (14 nut halves)

•

161 calories per ounce (49 nuts)

•

196 calories per ounce (19 nut halves)

•

Lowers breast cancer risk in animal studies

•

May help reduce lung cancer risk; improves "good" HDL cholesterol

•

Lowers LDL cholesterol

Almonds •

169 calories per ounce (22 nuts)

•

Reduces insulin resistance and LDL cholesterol

Macadamia Nuts •

204 calories per ounce (10 to 12 nuts)

•

Lowers LDL cholesterol

Magnesium:

Growing in Popularity Among Minerals With between 70 and 80% of the US population not meeting their recommended intakes of magnesium, consumers – and the health care professionals who advise them - are waking up to the importance of the mineral. Some say it could surpass the calcium market. Nuts are a source of magnesium.

According to SPINS, US sales of magnesium supplements in natural (excluding Whole Foods) and conventional outlet (including Walmart) grew by almost 20% from 2011 to 2012, to be worth $67,875,702. Growth from 2010 to 2011 was 15%.

Consumption volumes from Euromonitor indicate increases of about 3% globally, with the Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific showing the biggest increases of 6.3% and 6.0%, respectively. Consumption volumes in North America and Western Europe are growing at a more modest 1% year-on-year, said the market researcher.

Compared to calcium, the market for magnesium is still underdeveloped, especially in the US. In Germany, sales by value of magnesium supplements are around 4 times higher than sales for calcium (Nielsen), there is an inverse picture in the US where only 12 % of supplement users consume magnesium, while 32% are consuming calcium (CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements, 2011)”

Gateway to the German Market Work hand in hand with the nuts & dried fruits import and marketing experts.

Palm Nuts & more · Nuss und trockenfrucht GmbH & Co. KG lindenstrasse 17 · D-21244 Buchholz · Germany telefon: +49 4181 9091- 0 · Fax: +49 4181 9091- 80 e-mail: mail@palm-nutsandmore.de · www.palm-nutsandmore.de March 2013 | The Cracker

95

Nutrition Research update

Trans-fat levels lower in Spanish bakery products The level of trans-fats in Spanish bakery products has been ‘considerably’ lowered to levels that are well within those regarded as safe. As a result it is now important to update food composition databases to accurately estimate human intakes, say researchers.

The new study – published in Food Chemistry – analyzed the lipid profile of different bakery products currently commercialized in Spain – finding that no significant levels trans-fats were found in any of the analyzed products, regardless of brand origin. The team, led by Diana Ansorena from the University of Navarra, Spain, added that the tests were performed on bakery products that have traditionally had a high fat and trans fatty acid (TFA) content –both premium and store brands for each product were included in the study.

“The study reported here demonstrates a considerable decrease in TFA amounts in Spanish bakery products in the last years, as well as no important differences between store brands and premium ones,” said Ansorena and her team.

“Nevertheless, more studies are definitively needed to cover a wider range of bakery products and other processed foods,” they added – noting that accurate estimations of dietary intakes can only be done if the tools used for that purpose are properly updated.

The team found that trans-fat levels were low in all of the analyzed products – giving, on average, 0.68g/100 g of fatty acids and 0.19g/100 g of product.

“These values are far from the limit established by the Danish legislation, which is the only one in force in Europe regarding trans levels in foods,” said the researchers.

“Only slightly lower values were found in premium brands compared to store brands for two of the products (sobaos and chocolate nut spreads), leading to a conclusion that the brand seems not to be a relevant factor

to be taken into account when evaluating the TFA in bakery products.

“Comparing these average data with those shown in Spanish food composition tables obtained within the TRANSFAIR study [in 1999] and other works on Spanish bakery products a great decrease can be observed,” said the team.

Exploring the factors behind the growth reveals an increase in clinical research concerning magnesium, with many of these being positive. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) lists magnesium as being necessary for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, from helping maintain normal muscle (with potential for sports nutrition) and nerve function, to keeping heart rhythm steady, supporting a healthy immune system, and keeping bones strong. The mineral is also needed for blood sugar management, and healthy blood pressure.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued positive opinions on magnesium and the maintenance of normal bone, teeth, and protein synthesis; the reduction of tiredness and fatigue; electrolyte balance; normal energy-yielding metabolism; Telephone: 520-791-2852 neurotransmission, and muscle contraction.

Fax: 520-791-2853 P.O. Box 7 The agency was not convinced by Sahuarita, Arizona 85629 U.S.A. claims about magnesium and blood www.greenvalleypecan.com glucose, blood pressure, stress relief, e-mail: sales@greenvalleypecan.com protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage, the immune system and fat metabolism.

For more information on Green Valley Pecans please contact your representative: Keith Roberts - Partnership - United Kingdom Telephone: 44-1702-589958 Fax: 44-1702-587075 Gemperli - Zurich, Switzerland Telephone: 41-136-19676 Fax: 41-136-14511 Jas Trading - The Netherlands Telephone: 31-20-643-6412 Fax: 31-20-643-2127 Max Kiene - Germany Telephone: 49-40-309-6550 Fax: 49-40-309-65520

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CALDIC - Denmark A/S Telephone: 45-44-57-5044 Fax: 45-44-53-5953 Voice Vale - France, S.A.R.L. Telephone: 33-140502-480 Fax: 33-140502-488 Tanto Corporation - Japan Telephone: 81-3-4360-5336 Fax: 81-3-4360-5794 CALDIC - Sweden AB Telephone: 46-40-698-1130 Fax: 46-40-698-1101

Despite negative opinions from EFSA, a number of meta-analysis and high-profile studies have been published in recent years supporting the mineral’s benefits for metabolic pathways, blood pressure, reducing the risk of stroke, and reducing the risk of colon cancer. There has also been much said about the potential of the mineral for brain health.

Nutrition Research update

U.S. Consumers Cite Obesity as Urgent Health Problem More Americans than in the past say obesity is the most urgent health problem facing the United States, climbing to a new high of 16%. That compares with 1% in 1999, when Gallup began asking the question on an annual basis.

Most urgent problem facing the U.S. today: obesity trend since 1999 These results are based on Gallup's annual Health and Healthcare survey, conducted last November, 2012. As part of that survey, Gallup asks Americans, in an open-ended format, to name the nation's most urgent health problem. The question was first asked in 1987, with obesity receiving mentions of 3% or less prior to the annual updates that started in 1999.

Americans' increasing concerns about obesity mirror the rising rates of obesity in the United States. The percentage of adults who are obese doubled from 1980 to 2008, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And Gallup and Healthways find obesity remains high as of the third quarter of 2012, at 26.1%.

Despite the growing concern in the U.S. about obesity, it still ranks third on the list of most urgent health problems. Americans' top health concern remains access to healthcare, as it has been since 2007, but the 23% who name the issue this year is down slightly from 27% in 2011. The cost of healthcare is a close second, with the 19% naming it as the most urgent health issue -- on par with the past three years. Cancer is the fourth most-named health problem in the U.S., with 13% saying it is the nation's most urgent health issue. No other health problem receives more than 2% of mentions.

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Nutrition Research update

Improved allergen detection in chocolate Nut traces can be better detected in dark chocolate and biscuits by adding a clean-up step, say Italian researchers. A study by Bignardi et al., published in the Journal of Food Analytical Methods said that adding sizeexclusion sample treatment before the detection method, known as liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry, was fast and could improve consumer safety for those with nut allergies.

“Chocolate is one of the most challenging food matrices,” said the study. “Dark chocolate contains a large amount of polyphenolic compounds which can react with food proteins, thus masking the target proteins under investigation,” it said.

The researchers added that existing tests kits, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), failed to give full measures. They also said that an added size-exclusion sample treatment could enhance the sensitivity of detection come the analysis stage, making chocolate safer for consumers. “This method could be proposed for strict allergen quality controls of both the final products and the production lines for food manufacturers in order to protect consumer health and safety,” said the researchers. The method was tested for commercially available biscuits and chocolate.

Selenium breakthrough foreseen in 2013 trial It’s been an up-and-down road for this trace mineral. Selenium should be a blockbuster dietary mineral because it can make a disease reduction claim on the label, including a positive effect on cancer. Brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium.

But that could all change this year, according to Paul Willis CEO of Cypress Systems. The Madera, CA-based ingredient development company has its SelenoExcell ingredient in two major long-term cancer prevention trials, results of which are expected this year.

Selenium holds a qualified FDA health claim for its role in cancer reduction. It’s rarefied air among dietary supplement and functional food ingredients; only green tea and vitamins C and E share that distinction. The approved claims for selenium are heavily qualified; nevertheless, you can say “cancer” and “reduction” on the same label.

“The two main cancer are unblinding this year, there is a prostate cancer trial at Penn State Cancer Center in Hershey (PA) that is unblinding this year. There is a colon cancer trial at the University of Arizona that is unblinding this year, too,” Willis said. The prostate results are expected in the first half of 2013, Willis said, with the other trial results expected by the end of the year.

The market started to loose steam, sources say, following of the unblinding of the SELECT cancer trial, which concluded that it could find no benefit in prostate cancer risk reduction with selenium in concert with vitamin E. That trial, which used the L-selenomethionine ingredient, did not find a cancer-reducing benefit for that form of selenium or of the form of vitamin E used it the trial.

Both of these trials used the yeast ingredient, in which selenium is bound to a number of different proteins within the yeast cells. Good news from these trials would certainly give the ingredient a huge boost, Willis said. Cypress Systems has had the SelenoExcell ingredient under development for at least 15 years.

March 2013 | The Cracker

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Nutrition Research update

Food Processing Magazine Values INC-NREF Research Results + “Our view of nuts, in particular tree nuts, as dietary components has undergone an evolution,” said Technical Editor, Mark Anthony of Food Processing magazine. “Nuts are an essential ingredient in many formulations because of their richness and subtle flavors. But that richness is due to fat content, which can be 80 percent of the calories in most nuts. If you are counting calories, that’s a whopping 800 per cup, give or take a few. So dieters had to eat nuts with caution.”

“Recently, the reputation of nuts soared with the dual realization that not all fats are equal (and the fats in nuts happen to be among the healthiest) and that nuts are a rich source of phytochemicals, including some with strong antioxidant action.”

“In theory, antioxidants help to protect the body from the biological equivalent of rust: oxidation. It happens when byproducts of living and doing business in an oxygen environment, often referred to as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), attempt to share their unpaired electrons with body proteins, membranes or even DNA itself, resulting in damaging links that negatively affect health. Data from large observational studies consistently reveal a link between nut consumption and lowered the risk of several diseases where oxidative stress may play a role. For example, four major epidemiological studies, including the Nurses’ Health Study, the Physicians’ Health Study, the Iowa Women’s Health Study and the Adventist Health Study, have all shown that frequent nut consumption is associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease events.”

“Bolling concludes, “[clinical studies that] examine separately the impact of nut components such as the skin, meat and oil, while incorporating appropriate control groups could provide important new information in this regard and should be undertaken.”

“One such study was reported last year in Clinical Nutrition, titled “Neuroprotective effects of almond skins in experimental spinal cord injury.” This study looked at the potential of almond skins to protect against injury secondary to spinal cord injury in mice. These secondary complications include inflammation, microvascular dysfunction at the site of injury, free radicals formation, lipid peroxidation and accumulation of excitatory neurotransmitters, leading to further neural damage. Treatment with natural almond skins one and six hours after spinal cord injury reduced all parameters of inflammation as neutrophil infiltration, suggesting treatment with compounds from almond skins to reduce the development of inflammation and tissue injury could be useful in the treatment of spinal cord injury in the future.”

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“A dominant fatty acid in nuts is monounsaturated oleic acid, the same as in olives and avocadoes. Oleic acid had the reputation of lowering LDL cholesterol without lowering HDL cholesterol.

Pine nuts and walnuts are rich in omega-6 fatty acids.

Walnuts are a source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Many studies confirm that nuts are a wise choice in a diet to reduce the risk of heart disease.

In an article published last year in Nutrition Research Reviews, Bradley Bolling of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut noted that tree nuts contain a variety of phytochemicals, including carotenoids, phenolic acids, phytosterols and polyphenolic compounds such as flavonoids, proanthocyanidins and stilbenes.

Carotenoids, phenolic acids and flavonoids function as powerful antioxidants. The INC-NREF funded thephytochemical review paper

by Jeff Blumberg et al.

Flavonoids, a subclass of phenolics, includes flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols (the primary flavonoids in nuts),

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anthocyanidins and isoflavones. Flavanones and isoflavones are also found in nuts, but in smaller quantities.

Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are related to anthocyanidins and include catechins, epicatechin, and epigallocatechins — all found in hazelnuts, pecans and pistachios. They also include afzelechin (almonds). The A-type PAC have been found only in almonds.

The antioxidants in nuts vary with species and preparation method.

Total phytochemical content is affected by environment, cultivation practice, climate, processing and storage. The value is further subjected to the methods used to separate and measure them.

According to Bolling, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and pistachios have higher contents of PAC than do other tree nuts, ranging from 184 to 501mg per 100g.

Flavonoids have been detected in all tree nuts, but pecans, macadamias, almonds and pistachios have the highest concentrations (25 to 2,713mg per 100g). Pecans and walnuts are rich sources of phenolic acids and aldehydes, with 2,052 and 39mg per 100g, respectively.”

Barcelona-Reus, 21-23 May 2013

The place to conduct your nut and dried fruit business and to exhibit +1,000 PARTICIPANTS +50 COUNTRIES

www.nutfruit.org