The Cracker magazine, July 2012

Cracker The

July 2012 Edition 56, No. 2

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

SIAL PARIS HOSTS INC PAVILION REUS-BARCELONA CONGRESS 2013 INC LAUNCHES CLIMATE CHANGE/ WORLD NUTRITION RESEARCH FORUM

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July 2012 | The Cracker

The Cracker | July 2012

Cracker The

July 2012, Edition 56 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 John Cardassilaris, Greece Helmut Dankert, Germany Raoul Gamon, France Chris Hacking, UK Walter F. Payne, USA Abbas Rafii, Luxembourg Don Soetaert, USA James Swink, USA

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

FEATURED ARTICLES 8

WORLD NEWS

Global food companies look to snack products to build sales; pecans ok to use Heart Check logo on packaging; global study says consumers favor locally produced products over organic; Hershey launches lower-fat chocolate products; nut and berry eaters less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease; rising food prices may spur more global investment says FAO; Spanish researchers identify 2020 food trends.

22 CA ALMOND GROWERS STRIVE FOR SUSTAINABILITY

The CA almond industry identifies ways for maximizing energy and input utilization, reduce waste and increase awareness among consumers. The process begins on the farm where our food begins its first cycle of development as it evolves into a plentiful, healthy and safe product.

26 NUTRITION RESEARCHER REFLECTS ON A ‘NUTTY LIFE’

Nutrition researcher traces his career since 1988 as he links his personal life to his various nutrition research discoveries during his career. He discusses his discoveries about the goodness of nuts in any diet and a sometimes reluctant scientific community who needed absolute proof that nut consumption could lower the risk of heart disease, among other claims.

INDEX 21 INC Ambassadors 51 Statistical Outlook 83 Advertisers

34 INC LAUNCHES NEW PROJECTS FOR 2012-13

INC launches several new projects including a Climate Change study and a World Nutrition Research Forum to be held in conjunction with the Reus-Barcelona Congress in May, 2013; INC awards recognize excellence and innovation; Singapore Congress attracts major media attention.

44 VISIT INC AT 2012 SIAL PARIS

A 216 square meter exhibit will host a dozen INC member companies at Sial Paris 21st to 25th October. A full-service package of perks will allow exhibitors to welcome friends and potential new customers. The show is expected to draw 136,000 visitors representing 106 countries.

88 PREPARING FOR 2013 REUS-BARCELONA CONGRESS

The Hotel Ritz-Carlton Arts and Hotel Pullman will host INC members and friends at the 30th anniversary World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress 21 to 23 May, 2013. A grand opening of the INC headquarters in Reus on 20 May will kick off the celebration followed by the first ever World Forum on Nutrition Research. Congress sessions will follow in Barcelona overlooking the Mediterranean sea and the Olympic Port.

PERMANENT SECRETARIAT OF INC

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

Jack Taillie, Netherlands Frank Vaerewijck, Belgium Doug Youngdahl, USA THE CRACKER EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Giles Hacking – Chairman Susan Brauner – Editor Goretti Guasch – Executive Director Graphic Design by:

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CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTARY

Greetings from the 2012 Olympic City! It was great to see so many of you in Singapore recently at our most successful congress ever! With over 930 attendees from 53 different countries we were fortunate to have been at the magnificent Marina Bay Sands, one of the few locations we have been that could easily accommodate such numbers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our delegates, sponsors, and exhibitors for helping to make this a very special international meeting. It exceeded all our expectations! I would particularly like to express our gratitude to our congress Chairman and Vice Chairman, Mr. Ashok Krishen and Mr. Amit Khirbat without whose help our success would not have been possible.

I would like to reiterate here, whilst these numbers are impressive, sheer size alone is not our ultimate goal. I fully appreciate that congresses of this nature do complicate the practicalities of meeting everybody that one intends to. In a way, we are victims of our own success and we are doing all that we can to improve the delegates’ experience at these meetings. For instance, we have introduced the internet meeting point which was used extensively this year, and we will continue to introduce specific meeting “points” for 2013. Our main goal for these congresses is to deliver a quality business product as well as a high quality social environment. I very much hope that we achieved this goal in Singapore. In the past I have talked of my concerns of a lack of adequate supply pushing prices to unaffordable levels, leading to losses in consumption. To some extent it appears that many of the steep price rises we witnessed last year are showing signs of reversing. So hopefully demand will continue to grow in to the future. During our last Board meeting we had great pleasure in appointing three new Directors: Mr. Cheng Hung Kay (Hong Kong); Mr. Zhou Jinkui (China); and Mr. Pratap Nair (India). It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome them to the Board and to look forward to their incisive governance of INC activities. We are also excited about forming a new committee at the Singapore congress: “The World Forum for Nutrition Research and Dissemination.” The objective of this committee is to define research priorities related to nuts and dried fruits; to promote and coordinate research in various geographic locations; and to disseminate the results of diverse studies worldwide. We also announced the formation of our Climate Change Project. Its goal is to monitor how the macro-changes in climate affect the production of dried fruits and nuts and to anticipate radical changes in supply and consequent price patterns. Hopefully, this will allow us to better prepare for such eventualities. I very much hope that by now you will have received and have had time to digest the annual report of INC activities. Its contents are also available on the new INC website. You should also have received the 2006-2011 Global Statistics Review book, which will be an invaluable source of reference over the next few years. Finally, I hope to see you at our 216m2 pavilion at SIAL in Paris from 21st to 25th October. All 12 booths in the pavilion have now been fully booked by member companies. Our pavilion is strategically located in the Fruit and Vegetable Hall, No. 5A, location H 016. Please drop in and visit. Wishing you all a great start to the new season! Yours Sincerely,

Giles Hacking INC Chairman

The Cracker | July 2012

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WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS KEEP UP WITH CURRENT EVENTS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL NUT & DRIED FRUIT INDUSTRY PLANT-BASED MEALS GET YOUR PLATE IN SHAPE For U.S. dietitians March means National Nutrition Month. During nutrition month the focus was on getting healthy messages out to the public, and this year the theme is Get Your Plate in Shape. The plate refers to the MyPlate icon unveiled last year along with new dietary guidelines that demonstrate how to eat a healthy diet. The plate icon is simple and memorable since most everyone eats from a plate at meal time, and it resonates better than the pyramid it replaced. Focusing on a plant-based diet is one of the best ways of getting in shape according to studies about preventing chronic disease. Yet donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t confuse plant-based with vegetarian. By plant-based we mean putting more emphasis on consuming foods from plants (vegetables, fruits, whole grains) than food of animal origin. Plant-based diets not only help prevent chronic disease but also help manage chronic diseases. On the other extreme, eating foods packed with saturated fats raises the level of cholesterol in your blood, increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke, and increasing your risk of Type 2 diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of saturated fats you eat to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories. So, if you consume about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 140 calories, or 16 grams, should be saturated fats. Filling half of your plate with produce and one quarter of the plate with a whole grain puts you at a great starting point to meet the definition of a plant-based diet (three quarters of our plate is already filled with plant sources). As for the rest of the plate, choose lean meats or modify the section with plant-based proteins such as nuts, nut butters, seeds, beans, quinoa, seitan (wheat meat) or soy.

MOST PEOPLE CAN'T TELL A TREE NUT FROM A PEANUT Knowing which nuts to avoid can be a matter of life-or-death for those with nut allergies, study says of death from food-triggered allergic reactions.

Many people with peanut or tree nut allergies, and parents of children with such allergies, can't identify potentially dangerous types of nuts just by looking at them, a new study finds. The study included 649 adults and 456 children who were asked to identify each of 19 nuts in a display box. The nuts were both in and out of the shell, and some were chopped, sliced or diced, similar to how they appear on grocery store shelves. Along with peanuts, the study included cashews, Brazil nuts, pistachios, almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and pine nuts. Overall, the participants correctly identified an average of about eight of the 19 nuts (44 percent). Adults averaged 11 correct answers, compared to just less than five for children. People aged 51 and older did the best, with an average of 13

The Cracker | July 2012

The study was published in a recent issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Avoiding eating nuts is the main way to manage this type of allergy. These findings suggest that educating patients about the appearance of all types of nuts is an important follow-up to the diagnosis of any kind of nut allergy, the study authors said. "When we ask patients to avoid peanuts and tree nuts, we shouldn't assume patients know what they're looking for, because they may not," lead author Todd Hostetler, an assistant professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at Ohio State University in Columbus, said in a university news release. "It's worthwhile to do some education about what a tree nut is, what a peanut is, and what they all look like."

About 1.2 to 1.4 percent of Americans are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, which are the leading cause

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about food allergies.

correct answers. Only 21 participants (2 percent) correctly identified all 19 types of nuts. The 27 people who reported they had a peanut or tree nut allergy did no better than those without the allergies. Parents of children with peanut or tree nut allergies did no better than parents of children without the allergies.

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS

FOOD MAKERS WANT MORE SNACKS IN SMALL PACKAGES

Facing stagnant growth in their base grocery business, packaged-food companies are increasingly turning to snacks as an avenue for growth. The companies hope to capitalize on American consumers who continue to snack more throughout the day, and on trends in developing markets, such as more women entering the workplace and the spread of modern retail formats. Analysts and companies project that there's enough growth to go around in the $560 billion global snacks market, as measured by Euromonitor Inc., for most food companies to take a bite. Another incentive is the fact that snack prices can be raised more easily than those of some grocery staples, according to analysts. Snacks generally

start at lower prices and offer the added value of convenience, for which shoppers are willing to pay more. They're also generally bought on a whim, such as when drivers fill up their tank at gas stations or shoppers pick up a prescription at a drug store, making them an afterthought that satisfies an urge. The companies are attacking snacks in different ways. Frito-Lay is focusing this year on adding more premium- and lower-priced chips to its portfolio to capitalize on more growth in those price ranges. ConAgra, meanwhile, is introducing already-popped Orville Reddenbacher's popcorn in ready-toeat bags. ConAgra's also unveiling a frozen Greek yogurt product in June that it will market as a snack rather than a dessert. Kellogg Co. (K) is taking the acquisitive route with its pending $2.7 billion deal for Pringles. General Mills also made a small deal, recently buying Food Should Taste Good Inc., which makes tortilla chips in such flavors as sweet potato and chocolate, to take advantage of the growth in snacks and natural products. Kraft, perhaps, is embracing the divergent performances of snack and grocery foods most wholeheartedly with plans to separate its North American grocery business from its snacks division, which will include Oreo cookies and Cadbury candy. As for emerging markets, the company believes snacks are an easy way to penetrate, since snacking habits are just developing and are more similar among countries than are meals. For companies other than Kraft, the growth traits that snacks exhibit may offset challenges that packaged food giants face in their traditional grocery businesses. Goldman Sachs analyst Jason English said food makers' sales are at risk of slowing this year as an improving economy causes more consumers to eat meals at restaurants, reversing a trend of eating more at home during the downturn. Moderating input costs also mean that food makers won't raise prices as fast, robbing companies of a sales driver.

CADBURY OWNER KRAFT NAMES SPIN-OFF MONDELEZ US giant Kraft Foods, owner of UK chocolate maker Cadbury, has decided to name its new global snacks business Mondelez. Cadbury will be part of the newly-named firm, with estimated revenues of $32bn (ÂŁ19.6bn), as well as other brands such as Trident gum and Oreo biscuits. It had previously announced plans to split into two independent companies. The other company, focusing on its North American food business, will retain the Kraft name. The new name was chosen from suggestions by employees, with more than 1,000 employees submitting 1,700 names for consideration.

CADBURY FACTS 1824: John Cadbury's shop was opened in Bull Street, Birmingham 1879: The factory, later named Bournville, opened four miles outside the city centre 1905: Dairy Milk was launched 1930: Cadbury had become the 24th largest manufacturing firm in Britain 1969: The firm merged with Schweppes 2010: A hostile takeover from Kraft was finally accepted by shareholders Mondelez apparently comes from "monde", the French word for world, and the made-up word "delez", intended to evoke the word "delicious". Kraft bought Cadbury for ÂŁ11.5bn in 2010. The new Kraft Foods business will take in brands including Kraft and Philadelphia cheeses, as well as Capri Sun. Kraft has made a number of acquisitions in recent years, including LU Biscuits, from French food group Danone, and Cadbury. July 2012 | The Cracker

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS

feature story feature story

The CIA’s of Flavor International Conference & The Worlds CIA’s Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Lettuce-Wrapped Spicy Spicy Lettuce-Wrapped Festival® is in itsis 14th the U.S. (www.worldsofflavor. Festival® in itsyear 14thin year in the U.S. (www.worldsofflavor. AlmondAlmond Chicken, Chicken, com) and is widely as America’s most influential com) and is acknowledged widely acknowledged as America’s most influentialPhoto Credit: CIA CIA Photo Credit: professional forum on world food cultures and flavor professional forum on cuisines, world cuisines, food cultures and flavor trends. trends. Each year conference includesincludes more than chefs, Eachthis year this conference more70than 70 chefs, culinaryculinary experts,experts, and other from allfrom overall theover world andpresenters other presenters theand world and Selling American-style weight-loss program to France would seem an absurd business welcomes more than attendees including chefs, journalists welcomes more700 than 700 attendees including chefs,anjournalists proposition: from a French point of view, Americans might appear better equipped to give and food restaurant and foodservice management and critics, food critics, restaurant and foodservice management pointers on how to gain weight than how to lose it. The obesity rate in the United States is around executives, corporate menu decision-makers and a wide executives, corporate menu decision-makers and arange wide range 35 percent, compared of suppliers, from leaders in agriculture and manufacturing to of suppliers, from leaders in agriculture and manufacturing to with 14.5 percent in France. But the rate of increase in France has been worrying: in 1997, the obesity rate in France was only 8.5 percent. The government has initiated government agenciesagencies and topand consumer brands.brands. government top consumer a series of antiobesity measures meant to restore traditional healthy eating habits (including The CIA’s WorldsWorlds of Flavor ASIA®ASIA® International The CIA’s of Flavor International last year a near ban on ketchup in school cafeterias). French women do get fat, increasingly so, Conference & Festival will bewill dedicated to the tocuisines, Conference & Festival be dedicated themen cuisines, and so do — 38 percent of the adult population there is now considered overweight. flavors flavors and food of Asia ofand their to inspire andcultures food cultures Asia andpotential their potential to inspire not the first weight-loss plan popular in America to make inroads in France. chefs and consumers around around the world. program is Craig being chefs and consumers the The world. TheJenny program isis being Weight Watchers, which first landed there in the ’70s, now has 1,800 weekly meetings. But designed to be the premier all-Asiaall-Asia professional culinary designed to be the premier professional culinary Weight Watchers is a more natural transplant to a country proud of its cuisine: it does not dictate conference. Initial attendance is expected to be 800 to 800 1,000to 1,000 conference. Initial attendance is expected to be what clients eat, merely how much of it. Jenny Craig, on the other hand, with its individual culinaryculinary and hospitality professionals drawn from overallAsia and hospitality professionals drawnallfrom over Asia microwaveable portions and heavy reliance (at least in the early phases) on prescribed, packaged and theand Pacific—including China, India, the Pacific—including China,Japan, India, Korea, Japan, Southeast Korea, Southeast foods, is not an obvious easy sell in a food culture based on fresh food from the market and Asia, and Australia—with a significant outreach to the United Asia, and Australia—with a significant outreach to the United communal meals. Jenny Craig’s approach to that challenge is to try to persuade clients that States, Europe and Latin as well.asThis program is slatedis slated States, Europe andAmerica Latin America well. This program the plan is not a departure from French culture but a return to its fundamental values. To sell to kick to offkick in early off in2014. early 2014. this novelty to the French requires convincing them that they are in fact resisting rather than WorldsWorlds of Healthy FlavorsFlavors and Worlds of Flavor, along with of Healthy and Worlds ofsuccumbing Flavor, along with to the inexorable influence of American eating habits — that the American scourge additional CIA leadership initiatives, are a part the strategic additional CIA leadership initiatives, are of a of part of the strategic obesity can still be neutralized by the power of French tradition, even if that tradition comes initiatives & industry leadership divisiondivision of the college headed headed initiatives & industry leadership ofinthe thecollege form of vacuum-sealed, shelf-stabilized products. up by Greg vice president of the division. Mr. Drescher up byDrescher, Greg Drescher, vice president of the division. Mr. Drescher Eating a fullstrategic meal together at the table is important to the French — a first, light dish, then a is responsible for theforcollege's thoughtthought leadership, strategic is responsible the college's leadership, cooked meat fish with starch and a vegetable, followed by cheese or yogurt and possibly fruit partnerships and initiatives, industryindustry conferences, and newand media partnerships and initiatives, conferences, newormedia — provides enough and is the of theseofprograms and other "think andcreator is the creator these programs andCIA other CIA tank" "think tank"sustenance. The presence of others also ensures the social reinforcement of healthy dining initiatives. He assumed his current title in title 2011inafter serving as habits, initiatives. He assumed his current 2011 after serving as like helping yourself to only so much, and it builds the habit of discipline and moderation, as diners wait for all to be seated and served before beginning the meal. executive directordirector of strategic initiatives for the CIA. Mr.CIA. Drescher executive of strategic initiatives for the Mr. Drescher joined the CIAthe in CIA 1995,in and served nearly 10 yearsIn the first joined 1995, and served nearly 10as years asasthe firstUnited States, Jenny Craig provides dishes in individual portions. Consumers France, in the directordirector of education for the for college's campuscampus inareSt.instructed Helena, of education the college's in St. Helena, to supplement those meals with dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables. CA, where oversaw the development of the CIA at Greystone’s CA, he where he oversaw the development of the CIA at Greystone’s Nonetheless, the idea that these microwaveable dishes built for one could fit into traditional programprogram of continuing education and advanced studies. of continuing education and advanced studies. French meals, which are built on the foundation of communal dining — with each person, smallcollege, children, same — seemed counterintuitive. In France,sponsors thehave Frenchhave All leadership initiatives led by the college, are supported bythepartnerships and sponsorships. Program sponsors All leadership initiatives led CIA, by thea not-for-profit CIA, a including not-for-profit areeating supported by thing partnerships and sponsorships. Program Fischler theorizes, a meal is considered a kind of communion, an opportunities to help to make impact on the future of ouranthropologist industry and Claude receive invaluable exposure of their and brands to industry opportunities helpanmake an impact on thesocial future of our industry and receive invaluable exposure ofproducts their products and brands to industry intimate sharing ofprogram experience. In the States, he argues, represents contract, negotiation decisiondecision makersmakers and opinion leaders.leaders. Parties Parties interested in becoming sponsors may contact Cathy itJörin, Director of Special Projects and opinion interested in becoming program sponsors may contact Cathy Jörin,aDirector ofaSpecial Projects aversions, allergies dietary needs. and Planning, Strategic Initiatives, CIA, at CIA, cathyjorin1@aol.com or 707.537.7742. and Planning, Strategic Initiatives, at over cathyjorin1@aol.com orand 707.537.7742.

AS OBESITY RATES INCREASE, FRANCE CONSIDERS DIETS LIKE JENNY CRAIG

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WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS

PECANS RECEIVE HEART-HEALTHY STATUS

MORE SNACKING CREATES NEW MEAL OCCASION Snacking is bigger than ever, accounting for nearly half (48%) of all eating occasions in the U.S., according to the Hartman Group. Snacking frequency has nearly doubled since 1977, so much so that it has shaped what’s being called the “fourth dinner,” the meal occasion that occurs between midnight and 4 a.m. The rise in snacking is one of many changing consumer eating habits, flavor preferences and shopping behaviors that brand marketers need to understand if they want to compete in the new economy.

LOCAL TRUMPS ORGANIC IN A STUDY

Pecans have joined the American Heart Association's list of hearthealthy foods. Packages of Georgia pecan halves and pieces will now be able to display the Heart Check logo identifying their status. To be AHA certified, food products must provide at least 10 percent of the daily value of one of six beneficial nutrients.In addition, the AHA certification process limits fats, carbohydrates, saturated and trans fats, cholesterol and sodium. A 1-ounce serving of pecans contains 3 grams of dietary fiber and more than 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium and zinc. Research from California's Loma Linda University and New Mexico State University shows levels of LDL, or bad, cholesterol drop when pecans are part of a daily diet.

In a recent study conducted by Mintel, more than half the respondents surveyed (52%) said it’s more important to them to buy local produce than organic options. Mintel's Global New Products Database also revealed that product launches of fruit products with a Telephone: 520-791-2852 natural/organic claim have declined 58% Fax: 520-791-2853 between 2008 and 2011, while the launch P.O. Box 7 of new vegetable products with that claim Sahuarita, Arizona 85629 U.S.A. have decreased 77% in that same time www.greenvalleypecan.com period. Price could be a factor and so e-mail: sales@greenvalleypecan.com could consumer’s increasing interest in the freshness of their food. The perception For more information on Green Valley Pecans please contact your representative: may be that locally sourced food is Keith Roberts - Partnership - United Kingdom CALDIC - Denmark A/S fresher. In a food service study earlier this Telephone: 45-44-57-5044 Telephone: 44-1702-589958 year, Mintel concluded that "consumers’ Fax: 44-1702-587075 Fax: 45-44-53-5953 interest in where food comes from and Voice Vale - France, S.A.R.L. Gemperli - Zurich, Switzerland a desire for fresh, unprocessed food will Telephone: 41-136-19676 Telephone: 33-140502-480 lead more [restaurant] operators to focus Fax: 41-136-14511 Fax: 33-140502-488 on American regionalism." Tanto Corporation - Japan 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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WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS

HERSHEY TO LAUNCH LOWER-FAT CHOCOLATE CANDY Hershey's Seeks Position as Indulgent Lighter Option Are people ready for lower-calorie chocolate? Hershey Company. said it would soon launch Hershey's Simple Pleasures, cream-filled chocolates that the marketer says have 30% less fat than other milk chocolates. Unlike soda and gum brands, chocolate has had trouble breaking through with low-calorie versions, mostly because taste still trumps all in the category. But marketers are slowly making inroads. Last year, for instance, Nestle USA extended its Skinny Cow ice cream brand to candy, with chocolate crisps and clusters. At 110 to 120 calories, the offerings are positioned to hit the "sweet spot between indulgent treats and better-for-you snacking." Hershey seems to be making a similar play with Simple Pleasures, which launched June 1. The candies are larger than a quarter and will be sold in a stand-up pouch. Flavors include dark chocolate with chocolate creme, milk chocolate with vanilla creme and milk chocolate with chocolate creme. Hershey described them as "smooth and creamy" with "30% less fat than the average leading milk chocolates." Each serving size, which includes six pieces, has 180 calories with 22 grams of sugar. (Vanilla creme has 23 sugar grams.) For comparison, a Hershey bar has 210 calories and 24 grams of sugar. Simple Pleasures will be supported by a dedicated ad campaign, including TV spots, a spokeswoman told Ad Age. Hershey is also planning a new campaign this summer for Rolo, marking the brand's return to TV, where it has not advertised since the late 1980s. Ads will tout regular Rolo as well as new Rolo Minis. Arnold Worldwide handles TV advertising for Rolo and Hershey brands, including the new line and Jolly Rancher. The latter recently went on air in a new campaign for Jolly Rancher Crunch 'N Chew, launched in late 2011. Hershey has in recent years actually migrated to higher -- not lower -- calorie offerings by selling more larger-sized bars, according to a report earlier this year by financial analyst firm Bernstein Research. King-sized formats grew from 3.1% of Hershey's U.S. volume in 2008 to 5.9% in 2011, according to the report, which noted that a king-sized Hershey bar has 370 calories and 41 grams of sugar compared with the 210 calories and 24 grams in a regular size. Hershey is a member of an industry group called the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, an industry organization that in 2010 pledged to reduce annual calories consumed in the U.S. by 1.5 trillion by the end of 2015, mostly by reducing calorie contents or portion sizes. "We cannot help but think that with the Center for Disease Control suggesting that one in three adults in the U.S. could have Type 2 diabetes by 2050, up from one in 10 today (with an estimated cost of $174 billion), the time may be ripe for favoring portion control over upsizing," the report stated. Meanwhile, competitor Mars has pledged that by the end of 2013, no single chocolate product it sells will exceed 250 calories per portion. Via Fonzaso, 6 - 20148 Milano (Mars does not count formats such as "2toGo" "4toGo" and "Sharing Tel. +39 0240090088 - Fax +39 0240091744 Size," saying these "generally represent more than a single portion e-mail: connectsrl@connect-milano.it and are clearly labeled as such.") Hershey and Mars are locked in a battle for U.S. chocolate dominance, International brokers and agents for with each controlling a little more than 33% of the market. They are DRIED FRUITS - TREENUTS ahead of No. 3 Nestle, which has 4%, according to 2010 data from Euromonitor International, the latest available. Hershey ranks as GROUNDNUTS: Conventional & Organic the nation's 78th-largest advertiser, spending $440.6 million in 2010, according to the latest data available from the Ad Age Data Center. Mars is No. 59, at $630.2 million. Your best connection in the italian market

July 2012 | The Cracker

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS

SURVEY COMPARES KNOWLEDGE OF FAT BETWEEN U.S. AND FRANCE U.S. consumers know surprisingly more about the fat content of the foods they buy than their French counterparts. Paradoxically, the obesity rate is nearly three times higher in the United States (35%) than it is in France (12%). In light of these results, published in a recent edition of the British Food Journal, the researchers cast doubt on the notion that providing nutritional information is an effective way to encourage healthy eating habits. Dr. Doyon of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, along with his colleagues Laure Saulais, Bernard Ruffieux (France), and Harry Kaiser (United States) had over 300 French, Quebec, and American consumers answer a questionnaire designed to test what they knew about dietary fats. Questions dealt with the amount and types of fat contained in various foods and what the nutritional recommendations are regarding these fats. Participants were asked to answer "Don't know" rather than hazard a guess.

trend was observed for butter, margarine, and vegetable oils.

The first finding: French respondents admitted to not knowing the answer to 43% of the questions, while the equivalents for Quebec and the United States were 13% and 4% respectively. Fifty-five percent of French respondents said they did not know the percentage of fat in whole milk, compared with 5% for Quebec and 4% for the United States. The same

The second finding: when participants tried to answer, Americans were most likely to be right, followed by Quebecers, with the French bringing up the rear. And 6% of Quebecers, 9% of Americans, and 17% of the French did not know the recommendations regarding saturated and unsaturated fats in a healthy diet.

NUTS AS BRAINSAVING FOODS Consuming flavonoid-rich foods and beverages like berries, nuts, herbs, and red wine may significantly cut your risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study in Neurology. Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health and Norwich Medical School followed 130,000 people participating in a long-running study analyzing lifestyle behaviors. More than 800 participants developed Parkinson’s disease over the study’s 20-year follow-up. Men who ate the most flavonoids during that time were 40 percent less likely to develop the disease than men who ate the least. In fact, men who ate one or more servings of berry fruits a week were 24 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s than those who didn’t eat any.

The Cracker | July 2012

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS

GLOBAL FOOD PRICE RALLY TO DRIVE INVESTMENT Rising agricultural prices may spur increased investment in research and infrastructure, helping lift farm yields and output to feed a larger and richer global population, according to Nestle SA (NESN), the biggest food company. Global food prices rose for a second month in February on higher costs for cereals, cooking oils and sugar, according to a 55-item gauge tracked by the United Nationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Food and Agriculture Organization. Costs may remain near current levels in the coming months as demand absorbs increased supply, Abdolreza Abbassian said, a senior FAO economist. The FAOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Food Price Index (FAOFOODI) rallied 20 percent in 2009 and a further 26 percent in 2010 as the global economy recovered from recession. The gauge, which was at 215.27 in April 2012, reached a record 237.92 in February last year. A decade ago, it was at 88.3. Prices are rising from a low base to 2 to 3 billion more people in the next few years, according to some sources. Global food output must rise 70 percent by 2050 as the world population grows to 9.3 billion from 7 billion, and wealthier consumers eat more meat, according to the FAO. The global trade in agriculture may climb 43 percent to more than $1 trillion by 2020 on rising emerging-markets demand, according to a projection from the U.S. Department of Agriculture last July. Asian demand will grow as the middle class expands, making it a key market for products. Raw-material inflation will probably be less than 5 percent this year, Bulcke said, reiterating a forecast made by Chief Financial Officer Jim Singh on Feb. 16. Costs were being cut by operating more efficiently, Bulcke said.

MYCOTOXIN TESTING MADE EASIER ToxiMet (www.toximet.com) recently launched its new system globally for detection of mycotoxins at the XXXI World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress in Singapore. The system is designed to allow for mycotoxin testing by non-scientists and economically provide highly accurate results in less than 10 minutes. The first application of the system is a simultaneous accurate detection of Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2) of edible nuts at international regulatory levels, at a fraction of the time and cost of HPLC. Producers, traders and nut processors are provided with a system that complies with the highest food safety standards while rotating stock faster and reducing testing costs.

July 2012 | The Cracker

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS

MAKING WAVES New Food Safety Processing Technology Using Radio Waves By Don Soetaert The #1 challenge for the nut industry was identified and adopted in 1993 by Don Soetaert as President of INC. It was to reverse the image that nuts were all fat and bad for you to eat. After 19 continuous years and millions of dollars of Nutrition Research and Education, that image has been reversed and worldwide nut consumption and nut prices are at all time highs. The New Challenge for the Nut Industry and The Food Industry in general is Food Safety.

Foodborne illness around the world is staggering. In the US alone, there are 48 million cases each year with 3,000 deaths. This would be multiplied many times over for the world population. FOOD SAFETY IS NOW THE #1 CHALLENGE FOR THE NUT INDUSTRY Salmonella, E-coli, Listeria are the main infections we hear the most about which have been found in our products, especially nuts, seeds, and spices used to flavor some nuts. The Nut industry has faced many outbreaks and recalls in the past several years causing enormous losses, depressing consumption of the entire category, and requiring PR campaigns to restore reputations. (Likewise, Nuts and Dried Fruit shipments are often infested with eggs and live insects even after being treated with methyl bromide or other less lethal chemicals.)

The Cracker | July 2012

NEW FOOD SAFETY PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY Pasteurization and/or Fumigation for Nuts, Dried Fruit, Seeds and Spices without Chemicals, without Steam, 100% Organic, and treated in the final package 25g to 25kg. A few years ago, Don Soetaert discovered that a Professor at University of California, Davis had been experimenting for more than 10 years with Radio Waves to kill pathogens such as Salmonella. The patent rights were sold to Allied Minds Co. which became RF Biocidics, the current manufacturer of patented Radio Frequency (RF) equipment. The 10 KW experimental machine was moved to the ShoEi Foods plant in Olivehurst, California from the University laboratory in an effort to commercialize the concept of pasteurizing and/or fumigating nuts and other commodities with radio waves. After more research, modifications, and experiments, including the past 2 years of pasteurizing ShoEi Chinese pinenuts in a 25 lb. vacuum bag in the box for Costco Wholesale on experimental machines, ShoEi has built the first 3 commercial machines and Besana acquired the next 2 machines from RF Biocidics. The 50 KW ShoEi machine has recently been certified by third party laboratories to pasteurize (5 log kill) and fumigate all types of NUTS (shelled or inshell), SEEDS, SPICES, DRIED FRUIT and other commodities such as flour, tobacco, dog food, bird seeds, etc. etc. in the final package from 25g to 25 kg for example. By conveying the packed product through a field of radio waves and 20,000 volts of power, the dipoles oscillate 27 million times per second which creates friction and the heat to kill pathogens, such as Salmonella, E-coli, Listeria, eggs, pupas, larva and live insects. You choose the Kill Step from 3 log (99.9%), 4 log (99.99%), 5 log (99.999%) or more. No Chemicals. No Steam. No Post Contamination. No Kidding. Don Soetaert presents this New Food Safety Processing Technology for the 2012 INC Innovation Award. Collaborators in the development were ShoEi Foods Corporation, Besana SA, RF Biocidics, Inc.

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS

FERRERO SETS 2020 TARGET FOR SUSTAINABLE COCOA Italian confectioner Ferrero has announced its short-term goals towards sourcing 100% third-party verified sustainable cocoa by its 2020 target. The 2020 target was revealed in the company’s Corporate Sustainability Report (CSR) last year, but it has now announced short-term goals towards meeting its aim. Ferrero said it took the decision “in the light of the need for transparency in the cocoa sector”. Ferrero plans to verify the cocoa it sources through organizations including UTZ Certified, Rainforest Alliance and Source Trust as follows: • 20% by 2011/2013 • 40% by 2013/2015 • 60% by 2015/2017 • 80% by 2017/2019 • 100% by 2020 In its 2010 Cocoa Barometer, the Tropical Commodity Coalition said that of Ferrero’s 135,000 ton cocoa none was certified, while Ferrero said in its last CSR for 2009/10 that about 10% was certified.

The company plans to set out a more detailed roadmap in its third CSR, due mid-2012 and will communicate progress in its CSRs annually. Ferrero’s move comes just a few weeks after The European Parliament gave its consent to the 2010 International Cocoa Agreement and passed a resolution on child labor in the cocoa sector. The resolution calls on all stakeholders, including chocolate manufacturers, to live up to their responsibilities in combating forced child labor and collaborate towards a sustainable cocoa supply chain free from child labor. July 2012 | The Cracker

A sustainable future can start with small steps. But we prefer long strides. Scan the QR code above to see the results of our groundbreaking NSF verification and Eco-Efficiency Analysis. Hilltop Ranch is dedicated to leading the almond industry to a sustainable future. In fact, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve reduced our land and water resource usage by 34% and energy usage by 24%, all while providing the highest-quality almonds and customer service. And with flexible packaging and shipping, as well as first-rate traceability, we help our customers keep up with the pace of change.

Without QR Code, please visit: www.hilltopranch.com/our-sustainability/nsf/ Product of the USA

WORLD NUT & DRIED FRUIT NEWS

SPANISH RESEARCHERS DISCUSS 2020 CONSUMER FOOD TRENDS ‘Eater-tainment’, ‘SuperSense’ and ‘Food Telling’ are among the food consumer trends predicted to be prominent in 2020 by researchers at Spain’s Azti-Tecnalia research and development centre. In a recent report, the group explains that ‘Food Telling’ refers to rising demand for transparent, attractive, accessible information. It also relates to providing greater identity and authenticity for food and drink products. ‘Super Sense’ relates to demand for a multi-sensory original, pleasurable and intense experience from products and ‘Eater-tainment’ refers to consumers seeking to spoil themselves through memorable experiences that connect with the emotional needs of individuals. Adventure, fun, surprise and entertainment will be central to this theme, the researchers, who worked together with the Bilbao Design Academy to coin the buzzphrases for the trends, said. The other predicted fashions include ‘Slowcal’. “The fast pace of life, globalization and waste in the modern consumer society, have generated a trend seeking to counteract these impacts on the quality of life of individuals,” said Sonia Riesco, researcher, surveillance & prospective, food research division, Azti-Tecnalia. “Slowcal implies a greater awareness of, and responsibility for, the impact of food consumption in the personal, social, economic and environmental field.” Enjoyment, balance and sustainability are the watchwords. Pressure for manufacturers to cater to demands for convenience will further develop, say the researchers, encapsulated in a ‘Here & Now’ trend. This will facilitate the lifestyle of urban nomads who demand flexibility so they can optimize the management of their time, health and instant gratification of their needs at anytime and anywhere.

Consumers' demand for food and drink that can meet their personalized health requirements is encapsulated in a further 'My Health' trend. The analysis also forecasts the emergence of 'Ego Food', or food tailored to an individual's identity. The last of the eight ideas pinpointed is ‘Make it Simple’, reflecting the demand for flexible solutions that allow intelligent purchasing and consumption by opting for the least time consuming choice. It is associated as much with the product as with the purchasing process and consumption through services and tools that make the lives of consumers easier. The research is the fruit of a project known as the Food Trend Trotters project, which was launched two years ago in conjunction with Mondragon Innovation & Knowledge. The project aims to gather and communicate global food trends. Azti-Tecnalia specializes in marine and food products research.

INC AMBASSADORS • Michael Waring, Australia - Chairman

• Asadollah Asgaroladi, Iran

• Amit Khirbat, Singapore

• Oscar E. Vergara, Argentina

• Mehrdad Manouchehri, Iran

• Duncan MacGregor, South Africa

• Christopher Joyce, Australia

• Remy Berrebi, Israel

• Antonio Pont Jr., Spain

• Frank Vaerewijck, Belgium

• Riccardo Calcagni, Italy

• Caroline Rönnberg, Sweden

• Eduardo Mendes, Brazil

• Kazuo Julian Tagawa, Japan

• Varee Phonphaison, Thailand

• Stephen Meltzer, Canada

• Pius M. Ngugi, Kenya

• Mohsen Boujbel, Tunisia

• Siegfried Von Gehr, Chile

• Hani Akzam, Lebanon

• Sezmen Alper, Turkey

• Chen Ying, China

• Parissa Rafii, Luxembourg

• Bilge Anbarlilar, Turkey

• Hubert Berrebi, France

• Karim Azzaoui, Morocco

• Sabit Sabir, Turkey

• Richard Monnier, France

• Khalid Bennani, Morocco

• Jafar Moallem, UAE

• Thomas Apfel, Germany

• Kees Van de Sandt, Netherlands

• Roby Danon, UK

• John Cardassilaris, Greece

• Christopher Harlem, Norway

• Stephen Sousa, USA

• Cheng Hung Kay, Hong Kong

• Jorge Carqueja, Portugal

• Jim Warner, USA

• Károly Bognar, Hungary

• Kourosh Mojibian, Russia

• Helen Watts, USA

• Pratap Nair, India

• Ruslan Sokht, Russia July 2012 | The Cracker

FEATURE STORY

More growers and handlers are exploring the benefits of alternative energy solutions than ever before (photo provided by JKB Energy).

CALIFORNIA ALMOND SUSTAINABILITY

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; WHERE OUR JOURNEY BEGINS By Tim Birmingham, Director, Quality Assurance & Industry Services In just the last several years the sustainability movement has reached the tipping point with no industry shielded from consumer demands for goods or services produced with social, ecological, and economical viability interests at heart. Corporations and food processors have embraced the movement by focusing efforts on their internal procedures to maximize energy and input utilization, reduce wastes, and increase social awareness with those affected by their operations. Much of the emphasis has been placed on the materials and energy used to produce the finished product itself. In effect, if you are able to demonstrate a reduction in packaging

Micro-Irrigation systems help make up the majority of irrigation practices for California Almond growers.

The Cracker | July 2012

material and/or a decrease in inputs per unit, then you can tell a good story to the consumer while reducing costs. A win-win situation! However when dealing with agriculture, to truly tell the story one needs to go all the way back to where and how the food is grown. This is where the California Almonds sustainability journey begins â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with the growers. The Almond Board of California (ABC), comprised of growers and handlers, has defined sustainable almond farming as utilizing production practices that are economically viable and are based upon scientific research, common sense and a respect for the environment, neighbors and employees. The result is a plentiful, healthy and safe food product. Almond growers by their very nature strive to maximize production and input efficiency. This is clearly evident by the increase in average yield per acre from 1,410 pounds in 1988/89 to 2,570 pounds in 2011/12 (USDA, NASS/CFO). However, production yields alone do not tell the whole story. In order to ensure that the practices employed to generate those yields are economically viable and environmentally friendly, they must be carefully monitored and evaluated. Doing so will help to identify potential areas of improvement and plans that can be implemented to impact positive change; thus ensuring continuity of almond production practices that are at the forefront of economic, environmental and social stewardship. Therein lays the heart of the California Almond Sustainability Program. Participation in the sustainability program enables California almond growers to assess practices in the following areas: Nutrient Management, Irrigation Management, Energy Efficiency, Pest Management and Air Quality. Under each subject area or module, growers are asked specific

FEATURE STORY

questions about their farming operation(s). Documenting current practices for each farm operation is the first step in the sustainability circle. As more growers participate in completing assessments, it will be possible to generate a confidential report to compare individual practices against industry standards or their geographic region. Going forward, the collective data can be used to identify specific practices or areas which could be the focus of educational outreach and the development of tools to help growers improve their agricultural practices or address a specific quality concern. Documenting practices is crucial in demonstrating sustainability to different target audiences. On an ongoing basis, growers can reassess their practices to track changes over multiple production years. In 2008, the ABC together with industry stakeholders moved forward with the California Almond Sustainability program. Since that time, the Board has worked with almond growers and industry experts to

complete the five modules and roll the program out. The program was fully launched in 2012; over the next year, the focus will be on expanded participation as well as the evaluation of current practices, potential areas of improvement, and educational opportunities. The California Almond industry recognizes that sustainability is not an end point; rather sustainability is an ongoing journey with growth and improvement opportunities along the way. The California Almond industry is committed to this project long term, documenting progress and utilizing the most current research to improve production efficiencies while maximizing utilization of inputs in order to continue to be good stewards of the land. The Almond Sustainability program is centered around the Cycle of Continuous Improvement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; allowing growers to self-assess their current practices, compare their performance to other growers in the state, develop and implement new management practices, then reassess the following year.

www.prunesco.com

July 2012 | The Cracker

FEATURE STORY

SUSTAINABILITY IMPORTANT TO GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN CHOICES Seventy-two percent of US companies say sustainability influences their purchasing decisions and is an important factor when selecting a service provider, according to a survey by cloud computing firm Rackspace Hosting. Outside of the US, 91 percent of companies from 24 countries that participated in the survey said sustainability has been built into their purchasing decisions on either a periodic or standard basis. The survey results show sustainability expanding from a “nice to have” to a “need to have” as companies understand that selecting solid partners as part of their supply chain translates into lower risk and more efficiency. The 2012 Rackspace Green Survey questioned randomly selected companies on the importance of sustainability versus cost. Of the 2,000 companies selected for the survey, 232 responded. The respondent companies came from 24 countries including the US, UK, New Zealand, Australia and Brazil.

THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND: • 26 percent of respondents said cost considerations outweighed environmental factors when purchasing products and services; • 54 percent of companies said when two purchasing choices are equal (including cost), the greener product or service is better; • 20 percent said when two purchasing choices are not equal, greener is better; • 17 percent of companies said sustainability is a standard part of their request for information, proposal or quote system; • 59 percent of companies said they consider sustainability periodically for specific types of purchases.

NEW TOOL HELPS ADD CONTEXT TO SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS The Center for Sustainable Innovation (CSI) has released a new model for measuring and reporting corporate sustainability performance. According to CSI, the index takes into account the following criteria:

ENVIRONMENTAL BOTTOM LINE METRICS • Greenhouse Gasses: Carbon-equivalent emissions, relative to ecological thresholds (e.g., carbon-equivalent neutrality as a performance standard) • Air Quality: Impacts on air quality, relative to safety standards • Solid Wastes: Solid waste emissions, relative to limits in landfill capacities • Land Quality: Impacts on land quality, relative to safety standards • Water Use: Impacts on water resources, relative to quality and sufficiency of available renewable supplies • Ecosystems: Impacts on ecosystems relative to standards of stewardship • Flora and Fauna: Impacts on nonhuman life, relative to standards of stewardship and biodiversity

SOCIAL BOTTOM LINE METRICS • Human Health: Impacts on human health, relative to standards of well-being • Climate Change Mitigation: Participation in climate change mitigation programs, relative to standards of fair and proportionate support • Social Institutions: Contributions to social institutions (e.g., healthcare, learning and education, judicial, government, and related bodies of knowledge), relative to standards of fair and proportionate support, including provision of services required for general human well-being • Social Infrastructure and/or Material Goods: Contributions to social infrastructure (e.g., water, sewer, housing, telecommunications, etc.) and/ or provision of goods required for general human well-being, relative to standards of fair and proportionate support

ECONOMIC BOTTOM LINE METRICS • Livable Wages: Employee compensation, relative to livable wage standards • Business Ethics: Management and governance, relative to ethical standards • Economic Institutions: Contributions to economic institutions (e.g., regulatory, fair trade, professional, economic development, and related bodies of knowledge), relative to standards of fair and proportionate support, including provision of services required for human economic well-being • Economic Infrastructure and/ or Material Goods: Contributions to economic infrastructure (e.g., trading zones, trading and commerce systems, etc.) and/or provision of goods required for human economic well-being, relative to standards of fair and proportionate support

Last January, CSI released a tool to measure the ecological sustainability of an organization’s water use. Called the Corporate Water Gauge (pdf), the new tool uses GIS modeling to take into account rainfall, local topography and watershed boundaries. It then determines sustainability performance by measuring the rate of water use against the rate of renewable supply.

The Cracker | July 2012

July 2012 | The Cracker

SINGAPORE CONGRESS SERIES

NUTS! THE STORY OF MY LIFE By Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, Professor & Chair, Department of Nutrition — Loma Linda University, School of Public Health

MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE Research on the health benefits of nuts started in earnest in 1988 when I was an American Heart Association post doctoral fellow at Loma Linda University, California working on a large epidemiological study, the Adventist Health Study. My mentor, Dr. Gary Fraser, had given me the following simple assignment: determine if any of the 65 foods in the dietary questionnaire was related to the risk of heart disease. I found that, among the 35,000 California Seventh-Day Adventist, meat consumption increased risk of heart attack while consumption of whole grains and nuts provided protection. Those consuming nuts on a regular basis (five of more times a week), had a 50% reduction of the risk of having a heart attack and dying from heart disease, compared to those who ate nuts occasionally (less than once a week). At first I did not believe the computer print outs showing the results of the research analysis: That a single food was able to cut the risk of heart attack by half seemed “nuts!” I checked and rechecked and the results were always the same. The beneficial effect of consuming nuts was consistent in men and women, thin and obese, young and old, regardless of their diet. It was not easy to convince the scientific community of this discovery. It was three years before the modestly titled publication “A Possible Protective Effect of Nut Consumption on Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: The Adventist Health Study,” was finally accepted in July 1992. Our findings were published in the prestigious journal: Archives of Internal Medicine. Six years later, in 1998, they were validated by another epidemiological study, the Nurses’ Health Study, which showed the same beneficial effects for protection from heart disease from nut consumption. I was not idle while attempting to publish the discovery that nut consumption lowers the risk of heart disease. I designed and conducted the first randomized clinical trial on a nut (walnuts), to measure blood cholesterol levels, an important risk factor for heart disease. For two months we fed our research subjects either a cholesterol-lowering diet, or the same diet containing two to three ounces of walnuts per day. As expected both diets lowered blood cholesterol, the first by 8% and the walnut diet by 19%. Again, these findings were hard to believe. Walnuts more than doubled the cholesterol lowering effect. I was fortunate to have these findings immediately published in the most prestigious medical journal The New England Journal of Medicine. This has become the landmark study on the beneficial effect of nut consumption on blood lipids. I have devoted many years of my professional life to conducting studies on several different nuts and their effect on blood lipids and other risk factors for heart disease. Other researchers have followed suite, and now there are over 40 studies conducted in four continents similar to ours. To summarize this vast body of evidence, I conducted a pool analysis in 2010 of all the studies of nut consumption on blood lipids. Nuts lower total and LDL (the bad) cholesterol while preserving HDL (the good)

The Cracker | July 2012

cholesterol. I can certainly say that researching the health benefits of nuts is indeed the story of my professional life.

MY NUTTY LIFE The media frenzy generated by the publication of my manuscript in The New England Journal of Medicine in 1993 took me by surprise. For two weeks I did nothing but give interviews for TV, radio, and print. I had to pose with walnuts in many different ways once even looking at the demonstration mirror in the research kitchen. I had make up artists working on me, sometimes more than once a day. My days included wardrobe changes to please the cameramen; a suit, a white coat, different ties. I had pictures and footage taken of me in the research kitchen, the laboratory, my office, and in a studio. An Australian TV crew went so far as to interview me while on my morning jog. I was literally driven nuts! Comic artist started making cartoons that made puns and made fun of the new research.

MY PERSONAL LIFE I have been eating nuts on a regular basis since my childhood. In Barcelona, the city where I grew up, the main meal of the day is in the early afternoon and typically has four courses. The first course is soup or salad; the second is pasta, rice, or potatoes; the third is protein (meat, fish, or eggs); finishing with fresh fruit. I vividly remember the day when my mother announced that she would start to serve nuts instead of meat as a third course. My mother wanted to raise my siblings and me on a healthy diet low in meat. Everyday she would place a bowl in the middle of the table with a variety of nuts from which we would all eat. Without the empirical evidence, she made the correct dietary adjustment. Thirty years before I published my paper my mother was ahead of her time. While at medical school, I always had a stash of nuts in my locker. The days I didn’t have time to make a sandwich, instead of going to the university coffee shop for a cup of coffee

SINGAPORE CONGRESS SERIES

Eating nuts at home Walnuts Pine nuts Almonds Hazelnuts

While hiking the Pyrenees

Spain

Eating nuts as Medical Student

Conducted many other nut trials

Conducted Walnut Study Loma Linda Post Doctoral Fellow at LLU

1988-1990 USA

Discovery Nuts protect againist heart attack The Adventist Health Study

New England Journal of Medicine

1991-1993

EPIC Study

Almonds Peanuts Pecans

Spain 1996-2000

USA

USA 2003

Co-Investigator

Testify before the US

Barcelona Walnut Trial

Food and Drug Administration for health claim on nuts

and a pastry, I would grab a banana and the nuts from my locker and have an impromptu breakfast. That gave me enough energy to see me through to the next meal. Hiking mountains has been part of my lifestyle since my youth. I have trekked the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Himalayas, and last year I climbed Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in the African continent. Before a long hike I always pack assorted nuts and dried fruits to give me the energy to keep going.

Eating Nuts While hiking Kilimanjaro

WHO Center in Lyon, France

Europe 2004/5

USA 2010

Africa 2011

Nut Studies Pooled Analysis Archives of Internal medincine

THE TRAIL OF NUTS THROUGHOUT MY LIFE Looking back at the trail of nuts throughout my life I am astonished to see the immense impact and value that they have been for my personal and professional life.

July 2012 | The Cracker

World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress Singapore, 18-20 May 2012 SPONSORS

“More” describes the biggest World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress ever. • More attendees than ever before. • More exhibitors. • More countries. • More technical sessions. • More categories for the Golden Nut Award. Singapore was the site of the XXXI World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress, May 18-20, 2012, where 932 attendees from 53 countries gathered to exchange opinions, strengthen commercial relations, and explore new initiatives and ideas.

Congress Welcome by Giles Hacking, INC Chairman.

Held in:

Supported by:

Congress Officially Opens. From left to right: Ashok Krishen, Congress Chairman, Giles Hacking, INC Chairman, Goretti Guasch, INC Executive Driector, and Amit Khirbat, Congress Vice Chairman.

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Scientific Seminar

Pino Calcagni Welcomes Participants to the Scientific Seminar

Welcome Cocktail Sponsored by Sun-Maid Growers of California

Keynote Speaker Sunny G. Verghese, Olam International

INC General Assembly

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INC Ambassadors

Gala Dinner and Ball Sponsored by Olam International

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July 2012 | The Cracker

INC Executive Committee and Staff

The Cracker | July 2012

report of the inC advisory Committee

Speech by Mr. Pino Calcagni as Spokesman of the INC Advisory Committee at the INC General Assembly of Members in Singapore, May 20th, 2012.

Dear Members, This year’s Congress in Singapore has achieved the most ambitious target with more than 930 participants coming from 53 countries. Another record has been the venue and the welcome party in the Sky Park at 200 meters of altitude. Antonio Pont’s dream has come true, with so many Chinese participants, not only consuming a lot of nuts but also joining our Foundation. With an extended day, we have been able to interact with our members through the satellite-parallel and open forum meetings. In addition, the “Global Action” of our Foundation continues joining forces and sustains the previous international activity. In the previous report of the Advisory Committee, we recalled the activity of the founders –Antonio Pont and myself, and past presidents –Don Soetaert, Cuneyd Zapsu and Jack Mariani. Each of them left a clear mark with their actions: health studies, brand building and consolidated brotherhood for the sector. Today we also have our own Home, the Mas Barrufet building in Reus, which will be the technologic headquarters.

3) Reinforcing international cooperation with new collaborations such as that with ISHS, the International Society of Horticultural Science, which completes our action “from the field to the table”. This is for sure a new challenge: putting the common expertise at disposal of the researchers and apply it. 4) Keeping the high-quality and traditional glamour of the annual Congress. Barcelona 2013 will commemorate our 3 decades milestone and all of our attention should be dedicated to this major event. We also recommend having qualified simultaneous translation at least in Chinese and Turkish languages. 5) Reinforcing our activity on multi-products, which has been already extended to apricot kernels, dried cranberries and small dried fruits. 6) Continuing to bring new blood into the governance in order to anticipate permanent progress, while enjoying the experience of the “fathers” by large sense.

Looking back at last year’s review of challenges and opportunities, we strongly recommend: Sincerely Yours, 1) Continuing the work on nutrition and science; the newly-launched INC World Forum of Nutrition Research and Dissemination is today a reality! 2) Moving forward with the new project on Climate Change and Sustainability -widely recalled during this Congress. Our vision to project the activity of our Foundation over the frame of 2020 till 2050 seems ambitious, but necessary.

Pino Calcagni Past President

July 2012 | The Cracker

Scientific Seminar The scientific seminar “Current Challenges and Key Facts Concerning Food Safety and Trade”, was held on May 18th, in Singapore, chaired by Mr. Pino Calcagni, Chairman of the INC Scientific and Government Affairs Committee. The aim of the session was to acquaint Congress participants with key topics of interest such as climate change, food safety, regulatory concerns, health and nutrition. The program started with the announcement by Mr. Calcagni of the newly-launched inC project on Climate Change; an ambitious study to better respond to weather risks. prediction of climate variables in the nut and dried fruit growing areas is crucial to estimate crop yields and quality, both at mid-term and long-term forecasting. The aim of this study is to provide the sector with estimations on winter chill reduction, water flooding and drought in 2015, 2020 and 2025, foresee its consequences, and make recommendations. Mr. Hans Jeuring, Senior Public Health Officer at the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), presented the lecture on “Consumer protection by the NVWA at the port of Rotterdam and the Dutch approach”. Mr. Jeuring reviewed the legislative framework governing import controls, and gave an overview of the port of Rotterdam, one of the most important junctions of good flows. The new U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act was presented by Mr. Bob Bauer, President of the Association of Food Industries, who reviewed the development of new rules and provisions, and possible implications. Mr. Bauer presented the new general requirements, the Food and Drug Administration programs on facility registration, third party accreditation system, lab testing, and new requirements for food imports. Ms. Chen Ying, Vice Director of Cereals and Oils Department at the China Chamber of Commerce of Imports and Exports of Foodstuffs (CCCFNA) provided insight on the Chinese pine nut taste disturbance. Ms. Ying reviewed the development and implications of the CCCFNA rules governing the exports of Chinese pine nut kernels to Europe. Dr. Antonio Logrieco, Research leader at CNR ISPA in Italy, made a report on the status of the project MycoRed, which addresses mycotoxins at global level, aiming to develop novel solution driven methodologies and handling procedures to reduce both pre- and post-harvest contamination in selected feed and food chains, and disseminate information and education strategies. Prof. Dr. Uygun Aksoy, Ege University’s Faculty of Agriculture, gave a presentation about the activities of the International Society for Horticultural Science, and its collaboration with the INC. ISHS is a society of individuals, organizations and governmental agencies engaged in the promotion of research and education in all branches of horticultural science.

INC World Forum of Nutrition Research and Dissemination The newly-launched inC World Forum of nutrition research and Dissemination was presented by prof. Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Chair of Human nutrition at University rovira i Virgili, Spain. This Forum is aimed at becoming the international umbrella for scientific research related to health and nutrition for nuts and dried fruits. it will define research priorities; promote scientific research, and coordinate research proposals from different origins.

The Cracker | July 2012

INC Awards Recognize Excellence & Innovation Two individuals and a member company were awarded in Singapore –a tribute honoring their positive impact on the nuts and dried fruit business. Awards were given out at the traditional Gala Dinner and Ball on May 20th, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Congratulations to all winners! The golden nut for excellence in research was delivered to prof. Joan Sabaté, Chairman and Professor of the Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health at Loma Linda University, USA. In 1992, Prof. Sabaté was investigator and co-author of the landmark population study first relating frequency of nut consumption to lower risk of heart disease among California Adventist. Such findings were broadly published in scientific literature, and received a lot of attention of more than 400 international media sources empowering the healthy benefits of nuts and dried fruit consumption.

The golden nut award on gastronomy was given to Mr. r. Christopher Christie, Executive Chef at Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore, in recognition of the success in creating exceptional gastronomy experiences that include nuts and dried fruits as key ingredients. Every day, Chef Christie runs a head-spinning 43 kitchens at the Marina Bay Sands. Prior to joining Marina Bay Sands, Christopher was the Group Director of Food & Beverage for Langham Hotels International in Hong Kong. Previously, he was the Executive Chef of Langham Hotel Hong Kong, Kowloon Shangri-La, The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta, The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Swissotel Seoul and The Westin Philippine Plaza.

For the second consecutive year, the INC innovation awards celebrated the creative spirit of the nuts and dried fruit business. Besana group was awarded for its New Flare Pack; a new packaging concept and relative Shelf Ready Packaging, aimed at matching the increasing demand of cost reduction, more appealing packaging, and space optimization. Due to reduced thickness, the raw material used and the consequent wastage coming from the production process are much lower. Due to its “flare opening”, there is a larger printable area on the top of the bag and yet, because a smaller area on the bottom of the bag, the space occupied on the shelf can be reduced by about 40%. The film material is gas and water proof, and it has been selected with the aim to be more cost effective and eco-friendly. The bag can be equipped with resealing solutions such as a zip or a pealing sticker.

July 2012 | The Cracker

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INC Congress Broadly Covered in the Media Dozens of articles were reported between 18th and 28th May. Among the mainstream media covering the event you can find Asia News Channel, Bloomberg, The Hindustan Times, The Singapore Business Times, the Straits Times, and the Financial Times; all major Singaporean and Asian dailies and all major international news wires. In addition to English, the media generated articles in Arabic, German, Italian and Turkish. Many articles portrayed the Congress as an opportunity for companies to know the benefits and advantages that Singapore offers as an international hub. They also outlined the increase of nuts and dried consumption in Asia, and its influence on the global market. Mr. Giles Hacking, Chairman of the INC, and Mr. Ashok Krishen, Managing Director and Global Head, Edible Nuts, at Olam International, performed several interviews highlighting the role of Asia in the global nuts and dried fruit business. The keynote presentation by Mr. Sunny George Verghese, CEO of Olam International, received significant coverage in the media. Articles talked about the role of Singapore as a business center, and drew attention to the key topics that Mr. Verghese addressed in the conference, such as food price inflation, food demand, sustainability and climate change.

The Cracker | July 2012

July 2012 | The Cracker

NEWS FROM THE INC SECRETARIAT WHAT DO WE DO FOR OUR MEMBERS? For the first time ever, the INC has surpassed the record of 600 members. Ms. Goretti Guasch, INC Executive Director, highlighted the significance of the work of the INC for its members and stakeholders at the World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress, held in Singapore, May 18-20. The INC will remain a membership organization and strives to grow through its membership. Among the activities taken under the strategic plan of actions, Ms. Guasch outlined those on marketing, scientific and nutrition, which are the core activities of the INC, and the services that are provided to the members, the industry and the community.

Service to the Members: At INC, we help connect, inspire, empower and inform our members. Service to the Industry: INC supports the whole nut and dried fruit sector in reaching its ambitious international growth objectives.

INC services comprise those given directly to the members, those given to the industry -reinforcing the global position of the sector, and the services given to the community. The INC offers a wide range of services to the members, including The Cracker magazine, database, newsletter, and technical and nutrition brochures. Launched beginning 2012, the website was revamped in order to provide the ultimate online resource for industry, academia and consumers through two new sections: Wikinuts and Health&Professionals. As for brochures, the Nutrition in Every Handful leaflet and bookmarks continue being the most popular ones. The services package for the industry strengthens the global position of the sector through the actions of the Scientific and Government Affairs Committee (Codex Alimentarius, UNECE, etc), and ad-hoc groups such as the Global Cashew Council and Macadamia Working Party. The world class team of doctors and experts that make up the different INC sub-committees provides the specialized care needed to improve food safety and promote health and nutrition research. Finally, the international community benefits from INC through research, such as the INC World Forum of Nutrition Research and Dissemination, education and global quality standards.

We create community: INC provides networking opportunities to ensure our sector remains united and focused. July 2012 | The Cracker

NEWS FROM THE INC SECRETARIAT

INC ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW HEADQUARTERS The Opening Ceremony will be held on Monday, 20th May 2013, within the frame of the 30th Anniversary World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress, Barcelona-Reus, 21-23 May 2013. It has been already ten months since the Laying Stone Ceremony was held. The facade, IT installations, flooring and parking works were completed over the last weeks, and we expect to move to the new headquarters on September. The Arboretum will be the final stage of the project. The INC General Assembly learnt about the construction works through a presentation by Ms. Goretti Guasch, INC Executive Director, at the World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress in Singapore, 20th May 2012. Ms. Guasch highlighted the importance of this project, as it demonstrates the commitment our membership and stakeholders have for the INC.

Last Chance to Become a Donor Recognition as GOLD Member: The end of the construction works is quickly approaching, and very soon it will be your last change to: Be recognized at the Donors’ Wall of the building; Be recognized at the INC 30th Anniversary Congress; Obtain 10% discount on delegates fees for the next 3 Congresses; Showcase your company in The Cracker, Newsletter and Website. More information: Tel +34 977 331 416 • inc@nutfruit.org • www.nutfruit.org

The Cracker | July 2012

News FROM THe INC seCReTARIAT

CLIMATe CHANGe sTUDY The INC is undertaking an ambitious study on climate change to better respond to weather risks, as announced by Mr. Pino Calcagni, Chairman of the INC Scientific and Government Affairs Committee, at the XXXI World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress in Singapore, 18-20 May.

The prediction of climate variables is crucial to our sector Climate change is a real concern in the agricultural sector and one of the most significant indicators in forecasting mid-time and long-time agricultural trends. While some regions will benefit from the effects of climate change due to longer growing seasons and warmer temperatures, adverse impacts will affect many regions with the reduction of winter chill, water flooding and drought. Prediction of climate variables in the nut and dried fruit growing areas is crucial to estimate crop yields and quality, both at mid-term and longterm forecasting. The aim of this study is to provide the nut and dried fruit industry with estimations on winter chill reduction, water flooding and drought in 2015, 2020 and 2025, foresee its consequences, take conclusions and make recommendations. For the first phase of the project, the INC is collecting information in order to map global production.

eU TRee NUT BORDeR ReJeCTIONs CONTINUe TO DeCLINe The INC continually monitors food safety alerts in Europe, the United States, Australia, and Japan, analyzing the trend and monitoring the causes and origins. INC annual reports include information classified by product, country of origin, notifying country, and reason for notifying. In 2011, the number of notifications by the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed for nuts reached 383, down 15% from 2010 -directly related to the decrease of aflatoxin notifications, from 405 to 294, which reflects the efforts by the industry. Peanuts (183 notifications) and pistachios (86) were the most notified products. The strongest reduction was observed in Argentine peanuts, Iranian pistachios and California Almonds. Dried fruit notifications slightly increased from 2010, from 110 to 121. The main reasons for notifying were aflatoxins (77 notifications). Dried figs were the most notified products with 89 notifications (76 concerning aflatoxins), a 41% increase over 2010. Should you wish to receive the reports on border rejections in Europe, the United States, Australia and/or Japan, please let us know at inc@nutfruit. org or Tel +34 977 331 416.

IFT ANNUAL MeeTING AND FOOD eXPO The IFT Institute of Food Technologistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Annual Meeting and Food Expo was held from 26 to 28 June 2012, in Las Vegas, USA, where thousands of food scientists, suppliers and marketers from around the globe met to learn about the driving forces behind the innovations and information affecting the food industry. INCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s booth, strategically located in the Healthy Foods Pavilion, provided visitors with valuable information about nuts and dried fruits, activities and projects. Experts from companies, government agencies and research institutions provided insight through hundreds of presentations covering topics ranging from health and safety, product innovations and latest consumer favorites, fears, and trends. The participation of the INC at the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo was a great chance to expand business contacts, disseminate the health benefits of nuts and dried fruits, promote the INC, and meet with members, sponsors and advertisers. With more than 1,000 exhibitors and 500 ingredient companies, this event brings together buyers and sellers from all corners of the food science and technology world.

The Cracker | Month Year

From left to right: Karen Lapsley (ABC), Jennifer Olmstead (CWC), Maureen Ternus (INC NREF), Goretti Guasch (INC) and Constance Geiger (APG).

July 2012 | The Cracker

NEWS FROM THE INC SECRETARIAT

MYCORED GENERAL ASSEMBLY The INC recently participated in the General Assembly of the EUfunded project MycoRed (Novel integrated strategies for worldwide mycotoxin reduction in food and feed chains), held in Budapest, Hungary, April 17-18, 2012. Participants reviewed the latest outcomes and achievements of this 4-years large collaborative project, followed by a discussion on the 36 months report. The overall conclusion of the Assembly was that the mid-term objectives have been successfully achieved.

of the mycotoxin test procedure (sampling, sample preparation and analytical determination), where sampling and sample preparation steps accounts for most of the total error, and it is intended for food and feed regional training courses and dissemination in developing countries, mainly Africa and South America. European Commission Regulations No 401/2006 and 178/2010 were the basis of the contents and methodology of the video. It is available at www.nutfruit.org in English, Spanish and French.

The INC presented the Training Video for Mycotoxin Sampling, which was successfully evaluated by participants and the coordination team. The main goal of the video is to reduce the total variance (error)

INC REVAMPS WEBSITE, PROVIDES MULTISITE COMMUNICATION AND NETWORKING The INC newly designed website went live on April 2012 at www. nutfruit.org. The new website keeps focused on the worldwide promotion of nuts and dried fruits. Therefore, we put a lot of emphasis on providing the appropriate information service for industry and stakeholders, and attracting potential members and customers, while giving visitors a unique online experience.

Visit us at www.nutfruit.org By moving to a more target-centric layout, the website allows visitors to quickly target the needed information. The new site features several new sections to meet stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs, such as a healthprofessionals dedicated portal and Wikinuts -a new section aimed at general public and consumers. WIKINUTS is conceived as a consumers portal where visitors can reach useful and appealing information, such as recipes, posters, bookmarks, brochures, etc.; HEALTH&PROFESSIONALS is a dedicated portal for academia, health and nutrition professionals, focused on the scientific evidence that links nuts and dried fruits and health benefits. MEMBERS AREA: The re-launch of the website represents the first phase of INCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2.0 digital presence. INC Members will find detailed information about the activities and services, including access to over 20,000 statistics; the online edition of The Cracker; the Meeting Point, and Congress information and presentations. Follow the INC in the social media profiles in Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter.

The Cracker | July 2012

NEWS FROM THE INC SECRETARIAT

TREE NUTS AND DRIED FRUITS IN

HAUTE CUISINE

By R. Christopher Christie, Executive Chef at Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore, and 2012 Golden Nut Award on Gastronomy.

Like most fortunate people, I have fond childhood memories of my grandmother’s home and the meals shared around her large dining room table. Whether real, or romantically imagined in my mind, those meals were some of the happiest days of my life.

The right combination of sweet, succulent dried sultanas or raisins and oven-roasted nuts can turn something good into something great.

It is marvelous how the right combination of sweet, succulent dried sultanas or raisins and oven-roasted nuts can turn something good into something great. I love the taste of dried sultanas or raisins after they have been baked. The texture of the flesh changes and the sweetness compounds in the baking process. The thought of sinking my teeth into a piece of freshly baked raisin bread with a cold slab of unsalted butter can almost make me run to the bakeshop in anticipation! True heaven in every mouthful. As the world becomes more health conscious and food knowledgeable, I believe there will be a stronger push for the use of dried fruits and nuts in our daily lives. Dried fruit and nuts have slowly become known as a healthy snack in most office settings, and consumed by women and men alike. As an alternative pick-me-up, accompanying cheese or cooked with your grandmother’s fruit cake, the possibilities with these endearing and healthy ingredients are truly endless.

Looking back at those times now –with more experiences and knowledge of food– I often wonder if the food was all that important to me or if the time shared with family is what makes me smile to this day. What I remember most about those times, was my grandmother’s love of afternoon sweets; of tea breads, cookies, scones and cakes, all baked to perfection and made lovingly in her huge kitchen. She relished afternoon “sessions” with her friends in the front sunroom. From these warm, chatty afternoons the kitchen was filled with her favorite sweets served with tea and coffee. In particular, it was her English Fruit Cake that I loved best. In fact, I didn’t realize how much I loved it, (or missed it) until one day when I was working in Hong Kong and the pastry chef who worked alongside me prepared a similar cake. As I tasted his cake, my mind flooded with amazing memories of my grandmother’s home and those lazy afternoons. I asked the pastry chef for the recipe and together we tweaked the components until I was fairly certain it would be just like hers. And, two hours later I was relishing in memories of my childhood with her fruitcake.

July 2012 | The Cracker

NEWS FROM THE INC SECRETARIAT

Fruit Cake Ingredients Butter, room temperature Muscovado Sugar Caster Sugar Eggs, whole Vanilla Oil Cake Flour Sea Salt, fine Baking Powder Orange and Lemon Peel Lemon Zest Dark Rum Raisins Sultanas Sliced Almonds, Toasted

Amount 750 g 200 g 300 g 1000 g 3 g 1000 g 3 g 20 g 200 g 2 each 270 mL 300 g 65 g 50 g

Method: 1. Soak the fruit in the rum 2. Whisk the butter and sugars until light and fluffy 3. Add the eggs one at a time 4. Add the vanilla 5. Add the dry ingredients by carefully folding in with spoon 6. Carefully fold in remaining ingredients 7. Portion cake into desired sized moulds 8. Bake at 170 degrees Celsius between 60-90 minutes depending on size 9. Cake is done when knife comes out clean after inserting to the middle

THE MUST-VISIT IN SIAL PARIS The 216 square meters pavilion will host 12 INC member companies from the broader ecosystem of the nuts and dried fruit industry. The pavilion offers a full-service package designed to optimize exhibitors experience, while enjoying a cost-effective package, and a powerful industry-specific marketing and promotion campaign. Exhibitors will benefit from a package of high quality services including: turnkey booth service, bus shuttle, multilingual personnel and booth amenities, while enjoying promotion campaigns in The Cracker magazine, INC newsletter and website. The show is expected to attract more than 136,000 visitors, and close to 5,800 exhibiting companies from 106 countries in Paris, France, from the 21st to the 25th of October 2012.

Strategically located at the Fruits & Vegetable Hall, Hall 5A H 016. Co-Exhibitors

The Cracker | July 2012

WHO WILL VISIT US? INC Members / Consultants / Agents and Brokers / Distributors / Food Manufacturers /Producers / Processors / Packers / Importers / Exporters / Traders / Retailers / Supermarkets / Hypermarkets / Ingredients and outsourcing solutions / Machinery and Laboratory / Associations / etc.

NEWS FROM THE INC SECRETARIAT

NUTS AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE

By Prof. Ramon Segura, Emeritus Professor of Physiology, Medical School, University of Barcelona, Spain, and Nutritional Advisor to the F.C. Barcelona for the 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons.

REFLECTIONS FROM THE CHAIR OF PHYSIOLOGY ON THE BEST SOCCER TEAM EVER Focusing on consuming the best foods to fuel your training not only helps you feel better, but perform better. In this sense, scientific evidence emphasizes nuts as one of the most suitable foods for athletes, sportsmen and women, and trainers.

mitochondria -the structures that transform fat into “vital energy”. Therefore, it is reasonable to think that this may apply to humans as well.

The availability of energy is essential for physical training. During endurance exercise carbohydrates and lipids constitute the main energy substrates for muscle metabolism, the relative contribution of each one being dependent on a variety of factors such exercise intensity and duration, as well as nutritional and training status.

On the other hand, it has been shown that rats fed diets high in fat increase their intramuscular triglyceride or fat deposits which could potentially enhance the availability of fatty acids to the working muscles, especially during prolonged exercise. This suggestion is in part based on the fact that, in mild to moderate prolonged exercise, plasma fatty acid oxidation does not match estimates of total lipid oxidation; actually, in these circumstances, plasma fatty acid utilization can account for only about half of the total lipid oxidation.

Usually, athletes pay attention to their muscles; however, we must keep in mind that muscles “without brain” cannot fulfill their role, and the brain requires a continuous and adequate supply of glucose. Nuts contain a significant proportion of carbohydrates, with a concentration that ranges from about 15% for hazelnuts to about 20% for almonds. The intake of a reasonable amount of almonds shortly before a game or an athletic competition may be beneficial for mind clearness and well being sensation.

All these studies reinforce the idea that the triglycerides contained in skeletal muscles may serve as a source of energy, quickly available, during the performance of moderated to prolonged strenuous exercise. It has been estimated that approximately 50% of the fat oxidized during exercise comes from these intramuscular triglyceride stores. Nuts become the ideal food for athletes because the main fatty acid that they contain is used (oxidized) faster than other fatty acids.

Scientific evidence has proved how nuts can be a good choice on fuelling a body for an athletic performance In recent years, several research papers have provided evidence that an increased availability of fatty acids delay the appearance of exhaustion in animals and humans subjected to prolonged running. Furthermore, it has been shown in an animal model that increasing dietary fat intake can increase the number of

Prof. Segura and Pep Guardiola, former coach of FC Barcelona.

July 2012 | The Cracker

NEWS FROM THE INC SECRETARIAT

Nutrition is an essential part of athletes’ life. Their daily choices about what and how much to eat directly impact sport performance, training and recovery. Nuts are one of the most beneficial snacks for any sportsman diet. Almonds have a macronutrient profile that can be very useful for athletes who are recovering from strenuous workout. A single ounce of almonds contains six grams of muscle feeding protein and six grams of replenishing carbohydrates; in addition, it contains a large amount of potential energy supply by fatty acids, which are of the healthy type (mainly oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid); moreover, oleic acid may reduce the inflammation which is a common byproduct of hard training sessions.

the athlete for optimal performance and good health. • Nuts contain a relatively high concentration of protein, including arginine which plays an important role in our body: stimulates the immune system, reduces the healing time of injuries and is the precursor of nitric oxide -a potent regulator of the vascular system, and many more. especially • Nuts contain also a of the B group; a very important component of this group is folic acid, which plays an essential role in the formation of blood cells, and keeps the cardiovascular system in good shape. Folic acid is also necessary for the brain and contributes to a better cognition and mood. • Vitamin E is of particular importance for sportsmen due to its antioxidant action that, together with ascorbic acid (or vitamin C) can help clean the free radical damage induced by the training stress. • Nuts contain essential minerals which are needed to keep the metabolic processes in the mitochondria running smoothly. Magnesium in almonds, for instance, helps to carry the electric impulses needed for muscle contraction. On the other hand, nuts containing a remarkably low quantity of sodium.

Nuts: a complete food before, during and after training or competition. In addition to training, the main determinant for a good performance is an adequate and fast recovery which should start as soon as possible after the match or the training session. Longer term recovery takes place during the 24 hours following the training or competition event and it should include nuts to ensure enough energy (carbohydrates, fat) and building material (protein), as well as micronutrients, to meet the requirements of

Almonds and Sport Almonds provide a wide range of nutrients that help keeping a healthy body for a good sporting performance: antioxidant vitamin E and healthy monounsaturated fatty acids -just to mention a couple of them. We have being used a new strategy consisting in supplying a reasonable quantity of well ground almonds (between 20 to 30 grams) about 60 to 90 minutes before the start of the match/competition or the training session. In our experience with sportsmen practicing different modalities (football players, ski runners, Olympic marathon runners, ultra-long distance walkers, Olympic walkers…) all refer to have good “sensations”, with better capability to maintain the rate of the run or the rhythm of the game, to overcome more easily the sensation of fatigue and have a faster and more complete recovery.

The Cracker | July 2012

Leo Messi, FC Barcelona player, and Prof. Segura.

Suggestions to include almonds as part of recovery after training and/or competition Snacks (for immediate recovery) • Trail mix with roasted almonds • Yoghurt with chopped almonds • Homemade muesli with almonds and dried fruits Breakfasts • Breakfast cereal with chopped almonds and milk • Yoghurt with berries and chopped almonds • Bircher muesli with toasted almonds Lunches • Pasta with vegetables, pesto and toasted almond slivers • Leftover chicken and almond stir fry with noodles • Sandwich with lean meat and salad plus a small tin of almonds Dinners • Chicken salad sprinkled with toasted almonds • Steak or chicken with stir fried vegetables with almonds • Pasta with crumbs, chili and almonds • Chicken and almonds with noodles

WORLD INDUSTRY NEWS

PRESERVING SULFUR DIOXIDE:

A REGULATORY UPDATE

The use of sulfur dioxide (SO2) as a food preservative is truly historic. Accounts from the 1500s mention its use to preserve wines, while its 21st century uses have grown to include baked goods, seafood, grains, condiments, pharmaceuticals and of course, dried fruits and vegetables. Applied as gaseous sulfur dioxide or as salts of sulfite, bi-sulfite or meta-bisulfite, SO2 binds with the chemical compounds in the food to prevent browning, preserve Vitamin C and inhibit microbial activity. The US FDA lists SO2 as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) under the Food Additives Amendment of 1958. Given this history, the July 29th, 2011 listing of sulfur dioxide as a reproductive toxicant by the State of California caused quite a stir for food processors. Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, requires the State to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, reproductive or developmental harm. The public must be warned of significant exposures to these chemicals in consumer products, the home and workplace via labels, signs or media announcements. Enforcement takes effect one year after the listing. The decision to list sulfur dioxide came from the DARTIC (Developmental and Reproductive Toxicants Identification Committee) of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) at the State of California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal-EPA). DARTIC members reviewed numerous studies of human exposure via inhalation, as well as animal feeding studies. The resulting decision was to list molecular sulfur dioxide (SO2) with a proposed Maximum Allowable Dose Limit (MADL) of 220 micrograms/person/day. The MADL proposed was for inhalation of SO2, with airborne exposures comprising most of the studies reviewed. Any exposure above this MADL would require a warning.

The Cracker | July 2012

The food industry was left with a sobering question: since SO2 use is so widespread, would warning labels on food be required? The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) formed a Prop.65-SO2 Task Force to inform the industry, share information and devise a response. DFA and the California dried fruit industry were especially concerned. Sulfur dioxide is routinely used to prevent spoilage and preserve the nutritional content of dried fruits such as apricots, apples, golden raisins, peaches, pears and tomatoes. It was feared that one or more of these commodities might exceed the proposed MADL. These concerns led to the formation of a California sub-group within the GMA Task Force, comprised of DFA, the dried fruit industry, the California League of Food Processors and the Agricultural Council of California. This group had several meetings with the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) and Cal-EPA OEHHA. The scientists of OEHHA requested specific information on the chemistry of sulfur dioxide and the consumption patterns for dried fruits. To answer these questions, DFA prepared a briefing document for OEHHA combining historic data and 21st Century data collected by the dried fruit industry.

WORLD INDUSTRY NEWS

The results of this fact-finding were encouraging. Although the total levels of sulfur dioxide are high in dried fruit, most of the additive is in the bi-sulfite form, due to the pH of the fruit. Less than 1 % of the residues are in the form of molecular SO2, the only chemical form that falls under Proposition 65. Data on consumption and use trends for these commodities were also provided by industry, allowing OEHHA to complete its risk assessment. Based on this evidence, OEHHA has drafted a guidance that indicates an ingestion dose from foods will be no greater than those from inhalation, and that the inhalation MADL should be applicable for foods. In conversations with the OEHHA scientific staff, it is clear that they believe the nutritional benefits of dried fruit are much more significant to consumers than exposure to sulfur dioxide. The proposed MADL and guidance document are undergoing final review and comment by Cal-EPA and CDFA. Although these final standards have not been published, the food industry is cautiously optimistic that mandatory warnings will not be needed on food labels. This could prevent the unintended consequence of consumers avoiding healthy foods and instead focus their attention on legitimate exposure risks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Thomas M. Jones joined DFA of California in 1990. He has served as the Senior Microbiologist and was named Laboratory Director in 2010. He received a Bachelors degree in Microbiology from California State University, Fresno in 1983 and went on to receive a Masters degree in Microbiology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1988. Mr. Jones has conducted research into the survival of pathogenic bacteria in dried foods and the effects of commodity fumigation on toxigenic molds. He has also lectured in many training seminars for the food industry on a variety of topics, including microbiology, sanitation, GMPs, HACCP and product recalls. Mr. Jones is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists, AOAC International, the American Society for Microbiology and the International Association for Food Protection.

This issue has also been a lesson on the power of collaboration, with industry, trade groups and regulators working together to find a reasonable solution. Hopefully, our experience can serve as an example to others navigating the bumpy terrain of technology, trade and regulations!

By Tom Jones, Laboratory Director, DFA of California

almonds brazil nuts cashews dehydrated fruit dried fruit hazelnuts macadamia nuts peanuts pecans pine kernels pistachios pumpkin seeds sunflower seeds walnuts

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

WA HA PR PI WA DA AL RA

HA DFAL

HA AL

DAT

PEA PE MA

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

DAT

WA PEA PIN

PEA CA CA

CA PEA PEA

BR CA MA BR

MA CA

PE RA PR

DA PE MA

PR DA

«Statistics

are also available at our website

www.nutfruit.org»

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

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

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

(WA)

BRAZIL NUTS Bolivia Brazil Peru

(BR) PEANUTS

China India Nigeria USA Indonesia Argentina Vietnam

(PEA)

CASHEWS

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

(CA) DATES

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

(DAT)

HAZELNUTS

MACADAMIAS

(HA)

(MA)

Turkey Italy USA Spain Azerbaijan Georgia France China Iran Russia

DRIED APRICOTS Turkey Australia Iran USA South Africa China

(DA)

Australia USA South Africa Malawi Brazil Guatemala Costa Rica Kenya Zimbabwe

DRIED FIGS Turkey Egypt Iran Greece Italy USA Spain

(DF)

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

PECANS

USA Mexico South Africa Australia

(PE) PRUNES

USA Chile France Argentina Serbia Australia South Africa Italy

(PR)

PINE NUTS

China Russia Afghanistan Pakistan Mongolia Spain Portugal Italy DPRK Turkey

PISTACHIOS Iran USA Syria Turkey Greece Afghanistan Italy China

(PIN)

(PI)

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

(RA) July 2012 | The Cracker

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Almond · Almendra · Amande · Mandorle · Mandel · Badem With only 2 months remaining in the crop year, May proved to be yet another record-breaking month for California Almonds, with monthly shipments increasing 42% over May 2011. Total worldwide shipments year-to-date (YTD) through May 2012 exceeded 742,500 MT (1.638 billion pounds), rising 15% over the same eight-month period in 2011. Export shipments rose 17.5% to reach 537,500 MT (1.185 billion pounds), while domestic shipments also rose 9% to 205,000 MT (452 million pounds), according to the May 2012 Almond Board of California Position Report. China continues as the leading export market for US almonds with a record-breaking 101,600 MT (224 million pounds) shipped from August

2011 through May 2012. Spain is the second largest export market with 61,235 MT (135 million pounds) followed by India with 47,627 MT (105 million pounds) and Germany moves to fourth place with 43,000 MT (95 million pounds) shipped. The Spanish crop is forecast at 50,000 MT, 14% above the average of the last 5 years. Blooming started in good conditions. In Australia, there are now more than 8 million almond trees planted, according to the Almond Board of Australia. As orchards mature and tree yields increase, production is expected to rapidly increase in the next few years.

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

1.988

2.242

295

1.970

2.265

195

USA*

115.195

901.741

1.016.936

133.811

893.586

1.027.397

88.284

SPAIN

50.000

5.000

50.000

55.000

5.000

AUSTRALIA

37.626

50.000

TURKEY

16.000

TUNISIA

1.600

12.000

13.600

1.600

12.500

14.100

1.600

IRAN

12.000

ITALY

500

12.000

12.500

500

12.000

12.500

500

CHILE

10.000

MOROCCO

9.000

500

8.000

8.500

8.000

SYRIA

5.000

OTHERS

30.000

117.795

1.103.367

1.221.162

140.911

1.108.086

1.248.997

USA MM lbs*

GREECE

WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

ENDING STOCK

95.384

1.080.251

1.153.613

* USA Crop accounts for 1.5% inedible & process loss. OTHERS: Egypt, Algeria, Afghanistan, Portugal, Israel and China. Source: ABC and other INC sources.

Cal. Domestic and Export Shipments. 1000 MT. August through May

Cal. Exports by Region. Metric Tons August through May 600

538

500

457 405

400

370

332

300 200

149

151

167

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

188

205

2010-2011

2011-2012

100

Asia Pacific 210.446 / 39% Western Europe 182.320 / 34% Middle East / Africa 95.073 /18% Canada / Mexico 26.275 / 5% Central / Eastern Europe 23.563 / 4% Source: ABC.

The Cracker | July 2012

Domestic Export Source: ABC.

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Brazil Nuts · Coquito de Brazil · Noix de Vresil · Noce del Brasile · Paranuss · Brezilya Fingigi World production of Amazonia (Brazil) nuts in 2012 has been estimated at 26,800 metric tons (kernel basis), which is equivalent to 86,500 metric tons of in shell, and represents an increase of 13% from last year. Bolivian production has been estimated at 21,000 metric tons (kernel basis), slightly up from 2011. Brazil might double its crop

to 3,300 metric tons (kernel basis), compared to 1,600 metric tons registered in the previous season. While infrastructure and technology are improving in producing areas, which helps access the jungle and should drive down production cost, high prices lead to increased raw material collection.

Estimated World Amazonia (Brazil) Nuts Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons 2011/2012

COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BOLIVIA

19.000

21.000

n/a

BRAZIL

1.600

3.300

200

PERU

3.073

2.500

n/a

WORLD TOTAL

23.673

26.800

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

200

23.673

26.600

Estimated World Amazonia (Brazil) Nuts 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

BOLIVIA

57.000

63.000

n/a

BRAZIL

4.800

16.000

600

PERU

9.200

7.500

n/a

WORLD TOTAL

71.000

86.500

600

WORLD CONSUMPTION (SUPPLY - ENDING STOCK)

71.000

85.900

Source: INC

Amazonia (Brazil) Nut Production. 1000 MT Kernels Bolivia

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Brazil

Peru

$2.00/LB Kernels

>$4.00

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

EST 2012

Source: 2012 World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress.

2011 Bolivian Exports by Region. Metric Tons / % Western Europe 11.070 / 60,43% Central / E. Europe 352 /1,92% N. America 4.540 / 24,78% S. America 739 / 4,03% Oceania 1.223 / 6,68% Middle East 236 / 1,29% Africa 144 / 0,79% Asia 16 / 0,09%

Source: Bolivian National Institute of Statistics.

July 2012 | The Cracker

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Cashew · Anacardo · Noix de Cajou · Anacardio · Cashewkerne · Cashew Cevizi World cashew production is forecast at 528,572 metric tons (kernel basis) in 2012/2013, 5% down from the previous season. Production in India, Cote d’Ivôire and Vietnam are forecast to fall by 10-15%, whilst continued political unrest in Guinea-Bissau could affect international cashew markets.

in summer 2011, and USD3.25/lb in March 2012. Shipment delays in West Africa and news of short crops in Cote d’Ivôire and Vietnam reported on April 2012 led to a USD0.50/lb increase.

In the last two years, the cashew market has witnessed extreme price volatility. Prices raised for W320 from USD3.25/lb in autumn 2010 to USD4.70

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

2011/2012

COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil

150.000 95.238 71.429 50.000 45.238 35.714 19.048 17.857 16.667 10.714 11.905 11.905 4.762 2.381 13.810 556.668

nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil

135.000 85.714 64.286 58.333 40.476 33.333 19.048 17.857 16.667 14.286 11.905 10.714 4.762 2.381 13.810 528.572

nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil

INDIA COTE D'IVOIRE VIETNAM BRAZIL* GUINEA-BISSAU TANZANIA* NIGERIA BENIN INDONESIA* MOZAMBIQUE* CAMBODIA GHANA SENEGAL KENYA* OTHERS WORLD TOTAL WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

556.668

528.572

* The crop will flow in Oct - Dec; figures assume normal crops. Brazil converted basis: 4,8 kg RCN = 1 kg kernel, all others: 4,2 kg RCN = 1 kg kernel. Source: INC.

W320 c / lb, FOB origin. Jan 2010 - Apr 2012.

News of good Brazil crop Lack lustre Indian demand

4,75 4,5 4,25

Brazil Short Crop news + Indian domestic demand

IVC + Vietnam crop delay news

Delayed arrivals in IVC & GB News of short crop in IVC & Vietnam

4 3,75 3,5 Better than anticipated crop in Tanzania. Unsold Raw nut in Tanzania

3,25 3 2,75 2,5

Source: 2012 World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr 2010

2011

2012

Indian Data Exports (kernels)

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Major Destinations Kernel Exports (%)

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Quantity (MT) Value (US$ in Millions)

USA UAE Netherlands Japan UK

121.574 543

48,00 6,20 12,00 5,50 5,30

Source: CEPCI.

The Cracker | July 2012

118.805 604

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

117.325 541

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

115.265 547

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

110.949 667

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

107.496 593

32,00 12,50 10,00 5,00 4,75

95.583 589

31,00 13,50 10,00 5,40 2,40

111.093 725

32,00 8,90 8,90 6,20 3,20

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Hazelnut · Avellana · Noisette · Nocciola · Haselnuss · Findik World hazelnut production is forecast at 941,800 metric tons (in shell basis) in 2012/2013, 24% up from the previous season.

proportion of processed hazelnuts to nearly 45%, and plans to reach 70% by 2023.

Turkey’s 2012 crop has been forecast at 690,000 metric tons (in shell basis), versus 450,000 metric tons last year. According to the Hazelnut Promotion Group, Turkey exported 243,766 metric tons of hazelnut kernels in 2011, slightly down from the previous season; its target is to reach 350,000 metric tons by 2023. The country has increased the

The Italian crop has been forecast at 110,000 metric tons, down 21% from the previous season, but yet above the average of the past ten years. Both Oregon’s and the Spanish crop are forecast to decrease by 9%, although within the average crop, reaching 31,800 and 20,000 metric tons respectively.

Estimated World Hazelnuts Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons 2011/2012

COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

65.000 14.100 1.720 500 1.400 0 900 83.620

225.000 65.800 23.650 14.000 4.000 10.000 12.150 354.600

290.000 79.900 25.370 14.500 5.400 10.000 13.050 438.220

5.000 4.700 2.150 600 1.200 1.000 900 15.550

345.000 51.700 17.200 12.720 12.000 9.000 9.000 456.620

350.000 56.400 19.350 13.320 13.200 10.000 9.900 472.170

25.000 4.700 1.720 200 1.200 0 0 32.820

TURKEY ITALY AZERBAIJAN USA GEORGIA SPAIN OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

422.670

439.350

Estimated World Hazelnuts 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

130.000 30.000 4.000 1.250 3.500 0 2.000 170.750

450.000 140.000 55.000 35.000 30.000 22.000 27.000 759.000

580.000 170.000 59.000 36.250 33.500 22.000 29.000 929.750

10.000 10.000 5.000 1.500 3.000 2.000 2.000 33.500

690.000 110.000 40.000 31.800 30.000 20.000 20.000 941.800

700.000 120.000 45.000 33.300 33.000 22.000 22.000 975.300

50.000 10.000 4.000 500 3.000 0 0 67.500

TURKEY ITALY AZERBAIJAN USA GEORGIA SPAIN OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

896.250

Source: HPG, HGO and other INC sources.

100

907.800

Turkey’s Hazelnut Exports by Product Groups 83

Processed Hazelnut (%)

Natural Hazelnut (%)

60 40 20 10

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2011

2023

Source: HPG.

Turkey’s Hazelnut Exports. Ton/Kernel. Target for 2023

350.000 300.000 250.000 200.000 150.000 100.000

2011 2015 2018 2020 2023

2009

2007

2005

2003

2001

1999

1997

1995

1993

1991

1989

1987

1985

1983

1981

1979

1977

1975

1973

1971

1969

1967

1965

1963

1961

1959

1957

1955

1953

1951

1949

1947

1945

1943

1941

1939

1937

1935

1933

1931

1929

1927

1925

1923

50.000

Source: HPG.

July 2012 | The Cracker

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Macadamia · Macadamia · Macadamianuss · Makedemia · Cevizi World production of macadamias is forecast at 139,445 metric tons (in shell basis) in 2012/2013, which is equivalent to 36,466 metric tons of kernels, and represents a 12% increase from the previous season. Australia is forecasting a better season after a very poor 2011 -one of the lowest crops since major plantings in the 1990s, due to inclement weather. The pre-harvest forecast for the 2012 Australian macadamia crop was put at 37,070 metric tons nut in shell (NIS) by the Australian Macadamia Society (AMS), or around 11,000 metric tons kernel equivalents, depending on kernel recoveries. The first estimate of the crop based on actual receivals will be released in July 2012.

In South Africa, the 2012/2013 crop is forecast at 34,500 metric tons (in shell basis), 10% up form 2011. New plantings are still being added and young orchards are coming into production. Dry Nut in Shell (DIS) production has increased from 9,742 metric tons in 2000 to 28,328 tons in 2010; a 290% increase in production over a 10 year period, according to the Southern African Macadamia Growers’ Association. China’s crop is expected to experience a significant increase, with a 2012/13 crop estimated at 5,500 metric tons (in shell).

Estimated World Macadamias Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons 2011/2012

COUNTRY

BEGINNING STOCK 1.505 0 0 225 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.730

AUSTRALIA SOUTH AFRICA USA KENYA MALAWI GUATEMALA CHINA BRAZIL ZIMBABWE COSTA RICA NEW ZEALAND OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

CROP 7.800 8.514 4.700 2.400 2.475 1.427 1.120 780 240 200 29 190 29.875

2012/2013

TOTAL SUPPLY 9.305 8.514 4.700 2.625 2.475 1.427 1.120 780 240 200 29 190 31.605

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

ENDING STOCK 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

CROP 12.300 9.660 4.200 3.330 2.567 1.550 1.300 880 250 200 29 200 36.466

TOTAL SUPPLY 12.300 9.660 4.200 3.330 2.567 1.550 1.300 880 250 200 29 200 36.466

31.605

ENDING STOCK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 36.466

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

COUNTRY

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

AUSTRALIA SOUTH AFRICA USA KENYA MALAWI GUATEMALA CHINA BRAZIL ZIMBABWE COSTA RICA NEW ZEALAND OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

CROP 28.500 31.500 21.000 17.500 8.500 8.175 3.750 3.450 800 1.000 100 750 125.025

2012/2013

TOTAL SUPPLY 28.500 31.500 21.000 17.500 8.500 8.175 3.750 3.450 800 1.000 100 750 125.025

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock) Source: INC.

50.000 40.000

20.000

16.500

18.000

35.000 21.500

37.500 24.000

35.500 28.000

ENDING STOCK 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 139.445

28.573 30.000

40.000

34.500

36.225

38.036

39.938

41.935

44.032

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

30.000 20.000 10.000

2006

Source: AMS, SAMAC.

TOTAL SUPPLY 37.070 34.500 19.000 18.500 9.500 8.500 5.500 3.750 900 1.350 125 750 139.445

South African Production Forecasts. Metric Tons. Dry Nut in Shell

10.000 0

CROP 37.070 34.500 19.000 18.500 9.500 8.500 5.500 3.750 900 1.350 125 750 139.445

50.000

39.700

30.000

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

125.025

Tonnage History Leading Origins. Metric Tons 42.000

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

2007

2008

South Africa

The Cracker | July 2012

2009

Australia

2010

2011

2012

Source: SAMAC.

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Pecan · Pecana · Noix de Pecan · Noce Pecan · Pecanuss · Pekan Cevizi World pecan production is forecast at 215,894 metric tons (in shell basis) in 2012/2013, up 7% from the previous season. The US pecan crop has been estimated at 125,000 metric tons, up 9 % from the previous season, followed by Mexico’s crop which is forecast to reach 77,273 metric tons, similar to 2011/2012.

Hong Kong were the largest export markets for pecans in shell, with 18,307 metric tons (in shell), similar to 2010. Mexico was the second-largest destination with 10,237 metric tons, followed by Vietnam with 5,667 metric tons (up 65% from 2011). Shelled pecan exports to Canada totaled 3,680 metric tons, similar to 2011. The Netherlands, Mexico, China and UK followed as major destinations.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, US exports in 2011 totaled 36,596 metric tons (in shell) and 17,818 metric tons (shelled). China and

Estimated World Pecans Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons 2011/2012

COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

18.561

50.235

68.796

16.960

55.000

71.960

17.999

USA MEXICO

1.320

34.129

35.449

1.320

34.000

35.320

1.100

SOUTH AFRICA

2.350

4.985

AUSTRALIA

1.622

231

1.100

1.331

110

OTHERS

810

690

19.881

89.146

109.027

18.511

95.775

114.286

19.209

WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

90.516

95.077

Estimated World Pecans 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

43.422

114.170

157.592

38.556

125.000

163.556

40.909

3.000

77.565

80.565

3.000

77.273

80.273

2.500

4.700

9.971

2.950

3.045

420

2.150

2.570

200

1.800

1.500

46.517

201.185

247.702

41.976

215.894

257.870

USA MEXICO SOUTH AFRICA AUSTRALIA OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

43.609

205.726

214.261

Source: USDA, NPSA and other INC sources.

2011 US Exports. In Shell Equivalent

US Exports to China and Hong Kong. Metric Tons 40.000

In Shell

Shelled Converted to In Shell

11.317

35.000 30.000 25.000 1.869

20.000 15.000

2007-2011 Average: 63,866 Metric Tons

10.000 5.000

Canada 13% Mexico 20 % E.U. 19 % Source: USDA, FAS.

China and Hong Kong 34% Israel 6% Others 8%

290

25.741

16.224

2.743

730

18.178

18.307

2010

2011

10.661 986 3.134

2006

2007

2008

2009

Source: USDA, FAS.

July 2012 | The Cracker

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Pine Nut · Piñón · Pignon · Pinoli · Pinienkerne · Çam Fistigi World production of pine nuts is forecast to reach 25,200 metric tons (kernel basis), down 27% form the previous season, mainly due to expected production decline in China (-65%). Last season was a great harvest for the Chinese pine nut –the biggest ever recorded, however 2012 is a non-harvest year and is forecast to be a medium one, which already impacted the price

-from US$17,000/metric tons on January 2012 to US$20,000/metric tons on April 2012. Roasted pine nuts in-shell have been promoted in China as a healthy luxury gift, reaching 40,000 metric tons of local sales early this year.

Estimated World Pine Nuts Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons 2011/2012

COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

500

20.000

20.500

5.000

7.000

12.000

800

200

5.000

5.200

2.000

10.000

12.000

2.000

1.000

4.000

5.000

2.000

3.000

5.000

FAR EAST (Pinus Chinensis): CHINA RUSSIA PAKISTAN DPR KOREA

100

3.000

3.100

1.000

2.500

3.500

500

1.800

32.000

33.800

10.000

22.500

32.500

3.300

TURKEY

650

1.100

ITALY

200

500

300

800

100

SPAIN

845

700

100

PORTUGAL

650

500

100

OTHERS

100

TOTAL MED.

2.445

500

2.700

3.200

300

1.800

34.445

36.245

10.500

25.200

35.700

TOTAL FAR EAST MEDITERRANEAN (Pinus Pinea):

WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock) Source: INC.

32.100

Chinese Pine Kernels Exports. Metric Tons 11.655

12.000

9.550

10.000 8.000

3.600

25.745

7.015 6.515

9.633

9.948 7.862

7.873

7.027

6.080

6.000

4.194

3.329

4.000 2.000 0

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

March 2012

Source: 2012 World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress.

Chinese Pine Kernels Pricing Structure. USD/Metric Tons 35.000

35.000

30.000 25.000

20.000

2.0000 15.000 10.000 5.000

11.500 6.200

6.600

5.500

9.500

2001

2002

2003

2004

Source: 2012 World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress.

8 58

The Cracker Cracker || July Month Year The 2012

2005

20.000

15.000 10.000 2006

8.000 2007

12.000 2008

2009

2010

2011

Apr 2012

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Pistachio

· Pistacho · Pistache · Pistacchio · Pistazie · Antep Fistigi

Global production of pistachios has been forecast at 677,000 metric tons (in shell basis) in 2012/2013, up 50% from the previous season. The United States is forecast to rise by 34% in 2012 to 272,000 metric tons; Iran is forecast 50% up to 210,000 metric tons. Turkey is forecast to almost double to 112,000 metric tons in 2012, although almost the entire harvest is consumed domestically.

According to the US Administrative Committee for Pistachios, the California pistachio industry encompasses approximately 226,000 acres (153,000 bearing acres), and is projected to harvest 454,000 metric tons in 2020. Current-year shipments to China from the States and Iran were down 23% -as of April 2012, due to lower supply.

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

65.183

203.166

268.349

41.159

272.000

313.159

64.159

USA IRAN

140.000

5.000

210.000

215.000

n/a

TURKEY

21.440

57.600

79.040

9.280

112.000

121.280

16.640

SYRIA

10.000

25.000

35.000

5.000

52.000

57.000

n/a

15.000

n/a

1.000

5.000

6.000

200

7.000

7.200

n/a

CHINA

6.000

6.500

n/a

ITALY

2.500

2.000

n/a

AFGHANISTAN GREECE

AUSTRALIA TOTAL

1.000

550

n/a

97.623

455.266

552.889

60.639

677.050

737.689

80.799

CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

492.250

656.890

Source: INC

California Projections. 1000 Metric Tons 500

454

400

340

300

239

200

128

110

100 0

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

Source: ACP.

Pistachio Shipments into China. CY Sep-Mar. 1000 Metric Tons 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Iran

17 9 CY08

21 CY09

CY10

CY11

Source: Hong Kong Import Statistics.

July 2012 | The Cracker

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Walnut · Nuez · Noix · Noce · Walnuss · Ceviz World production of walnuts is forecast at 1,203,000 metric tons (in shell basis) in 2012/2013, slightly up from the previous season, and international demand remains strong for this tree nut. California walnut production is forecast at 454,000 metric tons, 9% up from 2011/2012, although smaller than anticipated. The USDA Walnut Objective Measurement Report will be released September 4, 2012. China’s production has been estimated at 450,000 metric tons and Turkey’s at 70,000 metric tons, slightly up from the previous year. Turkish production in 2011/2012 was revised upwards to 68,500 metric tons, up 10% from the previous forecast of 62,000 metric tons. Walnut production in Chile has been forecast at 44,000 metric tons,

up 19% from the previous season and following the upwards trend registered in the last decade. According to the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, Turkey has become the largest export market for US inshell walnuts, with 27,950 metric tons exported in 2011, followed by Hong Kong (26,500 metric tons) and China (14,852 metric tons). Japan and Germany are the top export market for shelled walnuts, importing 10,900 and 10,500 metric tons respectively in 2011.

Estimated World Walnuts Production. Kernel Basis. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

USA

15.910

178.450

194.360

16.770

195.220

211.990

17.200

CHINA

1.025

180.400

181.425

1.025

184.500

185.525

1.025

TURKEY

410

28.085

28.495

820

28.700

29.520

1.640

UKRAINE CHILE MOLDOVA

24.600

20.500

410

15.170

15.580

410

18.040

18.450

410

18.450

14.350

410

12.300

12.710

410

10.250

10.660

410

INDIA

10.250

9.430

ROMANIA

12.300

8.200

HUNGARY

8.200

6.150

ITALY

5.330

4.510

FRANCE

GEORGIA TOTAL

4.100

2.460

18.165

497.635

515.800

19.435

502.310

521.745

20.685

CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

496.365

501.060

Estimated World Walnuts 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

USA

37.000

415.000

452.000

39.000

454.000

493.000

40.000

CHINA

2.500

440.000

442.500

2.500

450.000

452.500

2.500

TURKEY

1.000

68.500

69.500

2.000

70.000

72.000

4.000

60.000

50.000

1.000

37.000

38.000

1.000

44.000

45.000

1.000

45.000

35.000

1.000

30.000

31.000

1.000

25.000

26.000

1.000

INDIA

25.000

23.000

ROMANIA

30.000

20.000

HUNGARY

20.000

15.000

ITALY

13.000

11.000

UKRAINE CHILE MOLDOVA FRANCE

GEORGIA TOTAL

10.000

6.000

42.500

1.193.500

1.236.000

45.500

1.203.000

1.248.500

48.500

CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock) Source: INC, USDA, WMB.

The Cracker | July 2012

1.190.500

1.200.000

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Peanut · Cacahuete · Cacahuète · Arachide · Erdnuss · Yer Fistigi Global production of peanuts has been forecast at 37.9 million metric tons, compared with 35.8 million metric tons last year. Although two consecutive years of La Niña (2010 and 2011) did not directly affect peanut yields, competition for acres for other commodities led to increased prices. In 2012, forecast models indicate ENSO neutral conditions (El Niño/La Niña Southern Oscillation) therefore better growing conditions are expected. Peanut acres in China are expected to increase by 6% in 2012. The Chinese crop is forecast at 16.96 million metric tons, compared with 16.00 million metric tons in 2011/2012. Domestic consumption of peanuts as snacks is robust (about 40% of consumption), to the detriment of the crushing for

oil industry. Imports from other Asian origins have increased significantly over the last two years. In India, production is forecast to increase by 5%, from 6 million metric tons in 2011/2012 to 6.3 million metric tons. Its crop area is also expected to increase by 4% -peanuts have lost 1.5 million Ha in the last decade; 20% of the area. In the United States, peanut crop is expected to rise by 30% to 2.14 million metric tons, compared with 1.65 million metric tons in 2011/2012. Acreage is also forecast to expand by 24.7% in 2012/2013.

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

COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

CHINA

16.000.000

INDIA

58.000

6.015.000

6.073.000

USA

BEGINNING STOCK

CROP

TOTAL SUPPLY

16.960.000

33.000

6.300.000

6.333.000

131.000

688.000

1.649.000

2.337.000

1.550.000

411.000

2.139.000

2.550.000

528.000

1.550.000

INDONESIA

54.000

1.250.000

1.304.000

57.000

1.250.000

1.307.000

55.000

ARGENTINA

13.000

VIETNAM

30.000

1.033.000

1.046.000

88.000

941.000

1.029.000

13.000

441.000

471.000

52.000

530.000

582.000

BRAZIL

40.000

55.000

227.000

282.000

2.000

295.000

297.000

25.000

SOUTH AFRICA

9.000

87.000

96.000

1.000

120.000

121.000

5.000

NICARAGUA

2.000

120.000

122.000

2.000

108.000

110.000

4.000

NIGERIA

ENDING STOCK

MEXICO

24.000

70.000

94.000

21.000

70.000

91.000

20.000

OTHERS

461.000

7.354.000

7.815.000

248.000

7.648.000

7.896.000

220.000

1.394.000

35.796.000

37.190.000

915.000

37.911.000

38.826.000

WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

1.041.000

36.275.000

37.785.000

Source: USDA, Argentine Chamber of Commerce, JLA, IOPEA. OTHERS: Sudan, Senegal, Myanmar, Chad, Burkina Faso, etc.

US Peanut Production and Supply. Metric Tons SUPPLY

YEAR BEGIN. AUG. 1

BEGINNING STOCKS 829.505 687.618 410.501

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

DISAPPEARANCE

IMPORTS

PRODUCTION

TOTAL

29.298 90.718 45.359

1.885.509 1.649.406 2.138.686

2.744.312 2.427.742 2.594.546

DOMESTIC FOOD 1.288.065 1.347.168 1.368.941

SEED & RESIDUAL 227.886 171.122 219.476

CRUSH 266.056 260.815 229.064

EXPORTS

TOTAL

274.688 238.136 249.476

2.056.695 2.017.241 2.066.957

ENDING STOCKS 687.618 410.501 527.527

(*) Estimated. (**) Forecast. Source: USDA, May 14, 2012.

3.000

US Peanut Production and Supply. 1000 Metric Tons 2.582

2.500

2.388

2.848

2.744 2.341

2.595

2.428

2.673

2.000 1.500 1.000

1.571

1.666

1.675

1.649 Total Supply

500 0

2.139

1.886

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

2009/10

2010/11

Production

2011/12(*)

2012/13(**)

(*) Estimated. (**) Forecast. Source: USDA, May 14, 2012.

July 2012 | The Cracker

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Date · Dátil · Datte · Dattero · Dattel · Hurma World production of table dates in 2012/2013 is forecast at 7.9 million metric tons, 20% up from the previous season. Over the past decade, world production of dates has increased by about 1 million metric tons. Only 10% of world production is exported and consumption in importing countries is distrib-

uted as follows: India (48%), other Asian countries (21%), Europe (13%), Africa (13%), America (4%) and Oceania (1%). South Eastern Asia, the United States and Russia have significantly increased their imports over the last decade, especially the Deglet Noor variety.

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

SAUDI ARABIA

80.000

1.100.000

1.180.000

85.000

1.180.000

1.265.000

120.000

EGYPT

125.000

990.000

1.115.000

80.000

1.350.000

1.430.000

130.000

IRAN

45.000

1.085.000

1.130.000

50.000

1.095.000

1.145.000

70.000

UAE

35.000

820.000

855.000

38.000

785.000

823.000

50.000

PAKISTAN

8.000

440.000

448.000

10.000

750.000

760.000

8.000

ALGERIA

10.000

600.000

610.000

8.000

720.000

728.000

10.000

IRAQ

16.000

305.000

321.000

15.000

560.000

575.000

15.000

SUDAN

14.000

320.000

334.000

15.000

430.000

445.000

20.000

OMAN

12.000

240.000

252.000

11.000

270.000

281.000

10.000

TUNISIA

5.500

194.000

199.500

5.500

190.000

195.500

6.000

CHINA

7.000

125.000

132.000

6.000

147.000

153.000

7.000

MOROCCO

4.000

82.000

86.000

4.500

120.000

124.500

4.500

LIBYA

8.000

95.000

103.000

4.000

100.000

104.000

5.000

ISRAEL

200

19.000

19.200

180

21.500

21.680

200

USA

600

13.000

13.600

700

21.000

21.700

800

OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

25.000

170.000

195.000

24.000

180.000

204.000

25.000

395.300

6.598.000

6.993.300

356.880

7.919.500

8.276.380

481.500

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

6.636.420

7.794.880

Source: INC.

Dried Apricot · Orejón · Abricot Sec · Albicocca Secca · Getrocknete Aprikose · Kuru Kayisi Global production of dried apricots in 2012/2013 is forecast at 193,550 metric tons, slightly down from the previous season. Turkey’s production has been predicted at 130,000 metric tons, down 5% from 2011/2012 if weather conditions remain stable. According to the Aegean Exporters Asso-

ciation, exports totaled 90,000 metric tons in 2011 (including whole, diced and industrial apricots), being the United States the largest destination (17%), followed by Russia (11%), Germany (10%), France (8%) and the United Kingdom (7%).

Estimated World Dried Apricots Production. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

TURKEY

136.917

11.917

130.000

141.917

16.917

IRAN

n/a

23.500

n/a

24.000

n/a

CHINA

n/a

5.700

n/a

6.000

n/a

USA

n/a

2.600

n/a

2.750

n/a

SOUTH AFRICA

n/a

1.550

n/a

1.600

n/a

AUSTRALIA

n/a

650

n/a

700

n/a

OTHERS

n/a

28.000

n/a

28.500

n/a

198.917

11.917

193.550

205.467

16.917

WORLD TOTAL WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock) Source: AEA and other INC sources. OTHERS: Uzbekistan, Pakistan, etc.

The Cracker | July 2012

187.000

188.550

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Dried Fig · Higo Seco · Figue Sec · Fico Secco · Getrocknete Feige · Kuru Incir World production of dried figs in 2012/2013 has been forecast at 105,750 metric tons, very similar to the previous season. Turkey’s production is forecast to reach 55,000 metric tons, representing over 50% of global sup-

ply. The country exports between 48,000 and 60,000 metric tons annually, being France, Germany and Italy the main destinations with 15, 14 and 9% share respectively.

Estimated World Dried Figs Production. Metric Tons 2010/2011

COUNTRY

2011/2012

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

TURKEY

n/a

54.000

55.000

IRAN

n/a

22.500

n/a

22.000

n/a

USA

n/a

9.500

n/a

9.250

n/a

GREECE

n/a

7.800

n/a

7.600

n/a

SPAIN

n/a

5.800

n/a

6.000

n/a

ITALY

n/a

3.800

n/a

3.900

n/a

OTHERS

n/a

2.100

n/a

2.000

n/a

105.500

105.750

WORLD TOTAL WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

105.500

105.750

Source: AEA and other INC sources. OTHERS: Afghanistan, Morocco, Syria, PRC, etc.

Prune · Ciruela Seca · Pruneau · Prugna Secca · Backpflaume · Kuru Erik · Pruna Seca Global prune production is forecast at 261,300 MT in 2012/2013, 13% up from the previous season. The crop in the United States is expected to reach 126,000 metric tons, up 5% from the previous season. Chile expects its production to be 20% higher this season, up to 78,000 metric

tons. The Production in Australia could reach up to 2,700 metric tons, up 63% from 2011/2012 thanks to new plantings in irrigation areas. As reported by the International Prune Association, global prune orchard looks stabilized.

Estimated World Prunes Production. Metric Tons COUNTRY

2011/2012

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

USA

59.000

119.700

178.700

48.000

126.000

174.000

n/a

CHILE

6.000

65.000

71.000

8.000

78.000

86.000

n/a

FRANCE

33.738

27.000

60.738

8.000

40.000

48.000

n/a

ARGENTINA

10.000

12.000

22.000

4.600

11.500

16.100

n/a

AUSTRALIA

2.150

1.652

3.802

600

2.700

3.300

n/a

3.000

n/a

200

1.121

1.321

250

1.500

1.750

n/a

1.230

1.100

n/a

111.088

230.703

341.791

69.450

263.800

333.250

n/a

SERBIA ITALY SOUTH AFRICA TOTAL CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

272.341

333.250

Source: IPA and other INC sources.

July 2012 | The Cracker

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Raisins, Sultanas & Currants · Uva Pasa · Raisin Sec · Uvetta · Rosine · Kuzu Üzüm Global raisin supply for 2012/2013 is forecast at 1.3 million metric tons. Based on bunch count, early predictions for California forecast 250,000275,000 metric packed tons for 2012/2013, very similar to last year. It is estimated that about 50% of the raisin crop is nowadays picked by some

form of mechanical harvesting. Turkey’s production has been predicted at 290,000 metric tons, up 8% from 2011/2012, which would rank it first among producing countries.

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

COUNTRY

2012/2013

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

BEGINNING STOCK

PRODUCTION*

TOTAL SUPPLY

ENDING STOCK

102.000

284.000

386.000

88.000

270.000

358.000

100.000

12.500

268.949

281.449

6.450

290.000

296.450

9.500

IRAN

5.000

155.000

160.000

5.000

145.000

150.000

5.000

INDIA

153.000

144.000

CHINA

5.000

120.000

125.000

5.000

125.000

130.000

5.000

CHILE

7.000

60.000

67.000

7.000

62.500

69.500

7.000

SOUTH AFRICA

8.000

28.650

36.650

1.500

35.000

36.500

5.000

GREECE

2.000

27.000

29.000

5.000

26.000

31.000

3.500

UZBEKISTAN

1.000

25.000

26.000

1.000

25.000

26.000

1.000

ARGENTINA

2.000

23.000

25.000

24.000

1.000

AUSTRALIA

500

6.400

6.900

500

16.000

16.500

500

1.000

20.000

21.000

1.000

20.000

21.000

1.000

146.000

1.170.999

1.316.999

120.450

1.182.500

1.302.950

138.500

USA TURKEY

OTHERS WORLD TOTAL

WORLD CONSUMPTION (T. Supply - End. Stock)

1.196.549

1.164.450

Source: INC.

World Raisin, Sultana and Currant Production. 1000 MT 1.400 1.200 1.000

241 105

800

110

600

140

400

265

200

250

2005

Turkey

128

249

125

135

120

128

150

120

265

318

274

240

2006

USA

Iran

* Estimated. ** Forecast. Source: FAO and other INC sources.

The Cracker | July 2012

296 155

India

60 325

310

209

130

120

125

130

142

153

144

125

155

145

275

285

284

270

249

269

290

2010

2011*

2012**

274

2008

China

190

150

120

2007

220

238

2009

Others

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW

Special Report World Prune Production Source: 13th World Prune Conference, Davis CA, USA, May 23rd 2012

ARGENTINA Stocks Crop Imports Domestic

2008 2.000 25.000 1.000 1.200

2009 4.500 43.000 1.000 1.200

2010 12.400 25.660 1.000 1.000

2011 10.000 31.000 1.000 1.000

2012 4.600 9.000 -

60.000 50.000 40.000 30.000 20.000 10.000 0

2008

2009

Imports

2010

Crop

2011

Stocks

2012

Domestic

AUSTRALIA Stocks Crop Imports Domestic

2008 900 3.400 900 4.300

2009 900 1.550 1.800 4.250

2010 160 4.244 2.170 4.300

2011 2.150 1.652 2.438 4.080

2012 600 2.700 2.600 -

7.000 6.000 5.000 4.000 3.000 2.000 1.000 0

2008

2009

Imports

2010

Crop

2011

Stocks

2012

Domestic

CALIFORNIA Stocks Crop Imports Domestic

2007 78.087 74.036 370 70.714

2008 30.982 117.634 2.899 56.800

2009 47.504 150.695 1.036 64.204

2010 76.980 117.489 234 63.891

2011 58.975 119.748 147 -

250.000 200.000 150.000 100.000 50.000 0

2007

2008

Imports

2009

Crop

2010

Stocks

2011

Domestic

CHILE Stocks Crop Imports Domestic

2008 5.277 52.000 703 2.000

2009 12.100 50.000 574 3.000

2010 12.000 56.000 1.135 3.420

2011 6.000 65.000 1.158 3.000

2012 8.000 78.000 -

90.000 67.500 45.000 22.500 0

2008

2009

Imports

2010

Crop

2011

Stocks

2012

Domestic

July 2012 | The Cracker

GLOBAL STATISTICAL REVIEW FRANCE 2007 22.956 47.465 2.622 30.907

Stocks Crop Imports Domestic

2008 27.635 30.024 4.553 28.732

2009 20.760 41.632 2.300 30.108

2010 25.046 48.400 2.435 29.409

2011 33.738 27.000 -

80.000 70.000 60.000 50.000 40.000 30.000 20.000 10.000 0

2007

2008

2009

Imports

Crop

2010

2011

Stocks

Domestic

ITALY 2007 300 1.376 9.130 9.804

Stocks Crop Imports Domestic

2008 560 1.410 8.590 9.772

2009 290 1.293 8.664 9.473

2010 240 1.250 9.540 10.155

2011 200 1.121 10.348 -

14.000 12.000 10.000 8.000 6.000 4.000 2.000 0

2007

2008

2009

Imports

Crop

2010

2011

Stocks

Domestic

SOUTH AFRICA 2008 220 1.350 150 1.600

Stocks Crop Imports Domestic

2009 60 1.480 110 1.600

2010 50 1.720 90 1.860

2011 0 1.230 200 1.430

2012 0 1.100 240 -

2.000 1.800 1.600 1.400 1.200 1.000 800 600 400 200 0

2008

2009

2010

Imports

Crop

2011

2012

Stocks

Domestic

TOTAL WORLD 2005 53.451 196.248 16.630 107.082 230.597

Stocks Crop Imports Domestic Tot. Sales

2006 40.735 322.075 13.796 110.624 275.991

2007 113.640 198.107 15.101 119.589 264.001

2008 67.574 230.818 18.795 104.404 230.634

2009 86.114 289.650 15.484 113.835 263.493

2010 126.876 254.763 16.604 114.035 287.550

2011 111.063 246.751 15.291

450.000 400.000 350.000 300.000 250.000 200.000 150.000 100.000 50.000 0

2005

Imports

Argentina Australia CA. USA Chile France Italy South Africa World rnd

The Cracker | July 2012

2012 15.250 3.060 24.038 16.000 13.816 545 458 73.200

2007

Crop

2008

Stocks

2009

2010

Domestic

2011

Tot. Sales

Declared World Non-Bearing Prune Orchard. Hectares

Declared World Total Prune Orchard. Hectares 2007 13.500 3.300 29.540 12.500 13.200 500 485 72.700

2006

Î&#x201D; 13% -7% -19% 28% 5% 9% -6% 0,7%

Argentina Australia CA. USA Chile France Italy South Africa World rnd

2007 3.500 1.400 3.240 7.200 1.300 30 20 15.700

2012 3.500 310 1.818 2.500 2.100 85 35 10.350

0% -78% -44% -65% 62% 183% 75% -34%

% of Total 23 1 8 16 15 16 8 14

WORLD INDUSTRY NEWS

WHAT DO WE REALLY KNOW ABOUT WHOLE FOODS DIGESTIBILITY AND ENERGY VALUES? Accurate evaluation of the energy value of foods is essential for normal nutrition, under nutrition and obesity. The current system utilized to determine energy was developed over 100 years ago by W.O. Atwater and USDA colleagues. Since then other researchers have continued to study the most accurate way to determine human energy requirements. Nuts and legumes are a food group for which evidence suggests that Atwater factors may require review. In a session held Friday, April 20, through the American Society for Nutrition, several researchers explored the contribution of plant food structure and breakdown from chewing on macronutrient digestibility, energy absorption, and weight management. The researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, King’s College in London, Purdue University and Temple University shared findings about new approaches that may enable a more accurate assessment of the energy values (calorie level) of various foods.

(PARTICLE) SIZE REALLY DOES MATTER

YOU CAN’T JUDGE A FOOD BY ITS FORM

With the advent of present-day analytical techniques, it is possible to describe the complex chemical nature of our foods with ever more accuracy and sensitivity. However, the type and quantity of the calorie components of foods may have very little bearing on their potential contribution to our overall energy uptake. Only a portion of the energy present in food is released from the food material, absorbed into the body and utilized, and this portion can vary depending upon the food structure and degree of processing. Previous research has shown that not all almond seed lipids are digested and absorbed. Dr. Peter Ellis of Kings College in London (UK) is the first to examine the role that cell walls play in lipid bioaccessibility and digestibility. His team has created a mathematical model to better predict the quantity of lipids released from the almond. They found digestibility is correlated with particle size differences: The smaller the particle size, the higher the lipid digestibility and absorption.

The Cracker | July 2012

One may think that regardless of their form, high consumption of energydense foods will contribute to weight gain. However, Dr. Richard Mattes of Purdue University presented a review of the literature suggesting otherwise. He noted that the results from epidemiological, clinical and mechanistic studies all consistently indicate that consumption of nuts (an energy-dense food) is not associated with weight gain, and he suggests that because of their high satiety value, inefficient energy absorption, and associated health benefits, nuts, such as almonds, can be incorporated into the diet without posing a threat for weight gain. The energy inefficiency of nut consumption observed in the literature indicates that perhaps the current calorie calculations are not as accurate as previously thought. Dr. David Baer from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service hypothesized that the metabolizable energy and macronutrient absorption from almonds would potentially offer a smaller contribution to our overall energy uptake than that predicted using Atwater factors. In his study, participants followed 7-day diets in a crossover design with varying amounts of almonds (zero, 1.5 oz/day and 3.0 oz/day) and fecal and urinary output were measured to determine the extent of digestion of the almonds. The actual absorption of calories was measured to be 20% less than predicted, suggesting a possible reduction in lipid absorption.

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DO TYPE OF CALORIES MATTER? Dr. Gary Foster reviewed literature on the long-term effects of almond consumption on weight management and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Compared to a nut-free diet, an almond-enriched (2 oz. almonds/day), hypocaloric diet produced similar weight loss and favorable effects on total cholesterol and triglycerides in overweight adults followed for six months. Similarly a 16-week trial in pre-diabetic adults showed benefits of almond consumption. A diet with 20% energy as almonds was more effective in improving markers of insulin sensitivity and yielded significant improvements in LDL-cholesterol in pre-diabetic adults when compared with a nut-free diet. In all, Foster suggested that calories are calories when it comes to weight loss, but that for improving cardiovascular risk factors, macronutrients and specific foods like almonds may have differential effects. The concept that perhaps all calories are not created equal, and that calories from different sources may impact the body differently, is currently a hot topic among the scientific community. Research suggests that current ways of measuring calories may need to be reviewed, particularly for higherfat, higher-fiber plant foods such as nuts, higher fat grains and legumes. The body of evidence presented at this symposium suggests the structure and form of plant foods may impact its calorie level. This discussion may spark further interest and action in determining the most accurate way to assess the energy values of foods. This symposium was attended by EB/ASN attendees as well as dietitians from Southern California. The session was recorded and can be accessed online through ASNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s archives following the conference for those who werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t able to attend.

July 2012 | The Cracker

WORLD INDUSTRY NEWS

THE POWER OF PISTACHIOS IS REACHING HEALTH AND FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS AROUND THE WORLD

All around the world people are trying to improve the healthfulness of the foods they eat. Through the marketing efforts of American Pistachio Growers (APG) pistachios are gaining in popularity as a healthy, nutritious, good for you food with more people eating more of them today than ever before. APG recently conducted a survey, using Market Perceptions, Inc., to assess American consumers attitudes and consumption regarding various types of nuts, including pistachios. Highlights of the findings include:

• 91% “eating healthier than a few years ago” • 79% “eating nuts to be healthier” • 28% eating more pistachios than a few years ago • If given a choice, 88% prefer American origin • 97% agree “somewhat” or “strongly” that pistachios are healthy food

• 60% agree “somewhat” or “strongly” pistachios are a good value for their money

• 32% agree somewhat/definitely they didn’t know pistachios were good for them.

Earlier this year American Pistachio Growers launched “The Power of Pistachios,” a powerful global campaign that brings to life the potent health benefits of eating American pistachios. As the campaign is quickly spreading the word about the nutritional and heart health benefits of pistachios, consumers throughout Europe are realizing the power of America’s little green nut. One of the many ways American Pistachio Growers are capitalizing on this market trend is through a sampling program that targets fitness events around the world.

THE UNITED KINGDOM As part of American Pistachio Grower’s mission to educate the United Kingdom’s sports and fitness fans about the health benefits of America’s

The Cracker | July 2012

little green treats, all runners who took part in this year’s London Marathon received an APG sample pack in their goody bag. The goody bags went down incredibly well with over 40,000 runners getting their hands on one, spreading the healthy snacking word far and wide. But it’s not just sports fanatics receiving a little pack of snacking goodness, APG also teamed up with health and fitness magazine Women’s Health to support their sampling activity at the Vitality Show. The Vitality Show is all about looking and feeling good, whether its fitness or dance classes, beauty tips from the experts or the opportunity to pamper yourself from head to toe, there’s something for everyone. Over 5,000 goody bags with APG sample packs were distributed to health and wellbeing enthusiasts, once again spreading the good news about the health benefits of pistachios to a captive audience.

WORLD INDUSTRY NEWS

includes everything a rider needs to maximize their performance for their long trek off-road, downhill and over rough terrain.

ITALY

ROAD TO THE 2012 OLYMPICS IN LONDON IS POWERED BY AMERICAN PISTACHIOS American pistachios are the official snack of the USA Olympic Water Polo Teams and their nutritional powers are fueling the USA Olympic Water Polo Teams as they head to the 2012 Olympics. Team members, Peter Varellas and Betsy Armstrong, are chronicling their team’s journey to the 2012 summer Olympics on the Power of Pistachios Blog. Their journey can be followed by visiting AmericanPistachios. org/blog.

GERMANY The American Pistachio Growers and Germany's regional channel Hamburg 1 are producing a fitness show highlighting the health and fitness benefits of American pistachios. This Early-Morning-Café Talk Show features APG German Brand Ambassador, Michael Bauer who is presenting weekly fitness tips on how to get fit and stay fit. Starting in May, every Monday morning, for nine-weeks, viewers will learn about the power of pistachios for health, beauty and fitness, and most importantly how they can integrate this healthy snack into their diet and fitness plan.

American pistachios are also hitting the mountain bike scene with The Power of Pistachios quickly powering its way through Germany fueling 1,000 cyclists as they compete in the MTB Mitteldeutschlandcup (“Middle Germany Cup”). The mountain bike series, which kicked-off April 1 in Bautzen, covers six cities, three German states and varying terrain. APG sample packs were included in the race’s starter kits, which

For six days, two-thousand volleyball players, twelve thousand spectators and 10,000 APG sample packs converged on the beaches of Riccione for the 15th Annual Beachline Festival in Italy. The Adriatic shores of Italy are the favorite destination of top German volleyball athletes when Riccione Beach hosts the largest beach volleyball event in Europe. This year the Power of Pistachios helped to fuel the event as athletes powered up on them between competitions and health-minded spectators snacked on them throughout the festival. The Power of Pistachios continues its tour of the most popular fitness events in Italy - this time stopping in Genova for the 8th Annual Mezza Maratona. More than 3,000 runners competed in the events three competitions: Mezza Maratona (21Km) for professional athletes, Corri Genova (11km) for amateurs and Family Run (4km) for “sport lovers” and families. American Pistachio Growers sample packs were given to runners at race registration and included in the race goodie bags to help charge and recharge the runners with a delicious and nutritious snack. Many of the runners were pleasantly surprised after reading the sample packs nutritional comparisons to bananas, broccoli and halibut and pledged to include them in their daily diet and fitness and performance plans.

U.S. SHIPMENT AND CROP UPDATE Domestic and Export Shipments continue to move at a brisk pace over the last eight months. Shipments recorded by the Administrative Committee for Pistachios (ACP) from the beginning of the new marketing year, which began September 1, 2011 through the end of April 2012 show overall shipments at 313,671,527 pounds, nearly a 27 percent increase over the same period last year. Domestic shipments for the September 2011 to April 2012 time period are 122,683,801 pounds, a 32 percent increase over the same time period last year. Export shipments are 190,987,726 pounds, a 23 percent increase over the same time period last year. Export gains have been experienced in the Middle East and Africa, Oceania and Asia. China exports (including Hong Kong) continue to outpace shipments from last year. Thus far in this current marketing year, China exports are just above 83 million pounds, compared with 58 million pounds for the same time period last year, according to the ACP.

July 2012 | The Cracker

WORLD INDUSTRY NEWS

NUCIS ITALIA GATHERS SUPPORT AT PLANET NUTRITION 2012 Everybody knows them and many eat them, but not everybody knows yet that dried fruit and nuts are really healthy. Walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts and all dried fruit and nuts in general should be consumed with regularity and included in everybody’s diet as a good daily practice, of living a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and moderate physical activity. epidemiological studies say Italy is first in Europe for being overweight) to Healthy Nutrition. As an Elixir of long life, clinical studies have been introduced that show a healthy diet can contribute to lengthening both long life expectations and the quality of life itself. Anti-aging Nutrition, with reference to integrators for the mind’s health was another key topic. These themes and the prestigious speakers who addressed them attracted hundreds of physicians and nutritionists who enjoyed coffee-breaks by tasting dried fruit and nuts. Nucis Italia offered to all participants a box with "Your daily portion of wellbeing" written on it (see attached photo) containing a tasty mix of shelled nuts. In addition, the Nucis hostess distributed a flyer to all physicians who were present with a brief presentation of the Dried Fruit is Wellbeing Project and an invitation to stop by the Nucis Italia’s booth to receive material and to complete an application form for the project. Nucis Italia has been working for some years now to promoting and popularizing these concepts with qualified testimonials: physicians, nutritionists and biologists that have supported the project "Dried Fruit is Wellbeing." They have acted as spokespersons for the benefits derived from the consumption of dried fruit and nuts among their own patients. The list of authoritative testimonials for the message promoted by Nucis Italia is long: There are over a thousand operators in the Nucis Italia database, also available on the web site www.nucisitalia.it, who are periodically involved in the initiatives of the Dried Fruit is Wellbeing project. The direct relationship with these operators started about four years ago, when the group of the "Friends of Dried Fruit and Nuts" was small. These relationships are essential to the development of the project. In fact, thanks to the interest shown and the detailed work in doctors’ offices, Nucis materials and the benefits of dried fruit and nuts have reached over 1.5 million Italian families. Dried fruit and nuts have the disadvantage in Italy of being perceived as “seasonal” for also being primarily consumed during Christmas at highcalorie holiday meals. On the other hand they are very much appreciated and liked for their taste benefits by consumers, including children. The challenge that Nucis Italia has undertaken is to give dried fruit and nuts a new place in the mind of the consumer, through scientific research results and the invaluable contribution of physicians who belong to the Scientific Team of the “Dried Fruit is Wellbeing” project. To emphasize and consolidate the relationship with physicians and those who deal daily with nutrition, Nucis Italia participated in Planet Nutrition in May, 2012 www.pianetanutrizione.its), the multi-disciplinary Forum on the healthy diet that was held in Parma hosted by Cibus, the leading Agrifood Fair in Italy. This Forum included many conferences that discussed popular health topics including child obesity (many

The Cracker | July 2012

During the four days of the Fair, over 100 new physicians and nutritionists joined the Dried Fruit is Wellbeing Project, and they were asked to complete a brief questionnaire that will help better understand the questions that their patients ask them most frequently. The new questionnaires have been entered in the historical Nucis database that now numbers over 950 interviews. From these interviews, it was learned that for over 80 percent of the interviewed physicians, an integral part of their profession is to give suggestions about food and

WORLD INDUSTRY NEWS

nutrition. The questions they are being asked are mainly related to weight problems or advice on specific pathologies or advice about what to eat before a gym or a jogging session. It is clear from the same analysis that according to physicians only 20percent of their patients know the benefits that come from the consumption of dried fruit and nuts and that these are avoided or inappropriately consumed. Their antioxidant function and the contribution of dried fruit and nuts in limiting the risks of cardiovascular disease are the benefits mostly quoted by the physicians among those related to the introduction of the dried fruit and nuts in the daily diet. All physicians asked to receive info material that is pleasant and easy to understand to put at their patients’ disposal. The Nutrition Planet Forum also provided a vast exposition area in which the firms that distribute healthy products were able to introduce their own products to the physicians and nutritionists attending the conferences. The exposition area was also open to the public of operators and non-professional visitors who numbered 60,000 people from 55 countries, including over 900 journalists. This was a fruitful event for showcasing the Dried fruit is Wellbeing project and for the initiatives of Nucis Italia that invited curiosity among visitors. The "Daily Dose of Wellbeing", literature that indicated consumption of 30gr. of dried fruit and nuts recommended by the scientific literature encouraged visitors who treated themselves to a healthy snack while wandering through the exhibitions. A great interest in these products and, above all, their nutritional properties encouraged the members supporting Nucis Italia to continue onward in 2012 with an intense program of activities. These include new brochures to be used at the point of sale; ongoing information posted to the website www.nucisitalia.it; the activation of a facebook page; press releases and thousands of kits for physicians who have sustained the Dried fruit is Wellbeing project with their hard work and collaboration.

T HE T RUST ED ANSW ER TO WORLDWIDE AFLATOXIN REGULATIONS

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NutAd_2012_half.indd 1

2/6/12 12:20 PM

July 2012 | The Cracker

WORLD INDUSTRY NEWS

NUCIS GERMANY PARTICIPATES IN NUTRITION CONGRESS Nutrition 2012 (Ernährung 2012) included a program hosted by Nucis Germany in mid-June this year in Nurnberg. The congress is held annually in a German speaking country in Europe. “Nüsse- die Alleskönner?” (nuts – the all-rounder?) was the topic chosen to demonstrate the variety of health benefits afforded to those who consume nuts. Several of the speakers included those pictured below who are recognized experts in their field of studies. Prof. Dr. Hans Hauner is Professor of Nutritional Medicine and director of the Else Kröner-Fresenius Centre for Nutritional Medicine at the Technical University of Munich and Weihenstephan. After conducting several medical and biochemical studies, he gained recognition as an internist specializing in endocrinology, diabetology and nutritional medicine. His research focuses on the biology of human adipose tissue in the context of obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Using experimental and clinical research methods, the role of nutrients and various diets is examined. Dr. Claudia Gölz is an experienced nutritionist and nutrition counselor in private practice in Berlin. She conducts training courses for multipliers. She also teaches educators and other professionals as individual patients or groups. Nutritional counseling/therapy in high blood pressure / cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, Nutrition in HIV / AIDS, Cancer and Nutrition are among the topics she covers. Professor Dr. Hans Hauner spoke about nuts from a nutritional viewpoint with emphasis on research current studies as scientific proof of the health benefits of nuts. He also discussed health claims in Europe and the success of the U.S. claim for walnuts. Dr. Claudia Gölz discussed how the research studies related to giving nutrition advice by experienced professionals. She provided information that illustrated specific examples of how nutrition counselors could integrate nuts into their nutritional recommendations for healthy living. Using the example of various illnesses/patient situations she demonstrated how nuts fit into a diet. Knowing about the health effects of nuts is not enough because it is crucial to teach the nutritionists to counsel their patients. Consumers benefit from the studies because they provide the reason for consuming more nuts! Nucis also hosted a booth where two dieticians and other experts answered questions about how the nut studies relate to health challenges.

The Cracker | July 2012

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CALIFORNIA WALNUT COMMISSION:

DOMESTIC MARKETING HIGHLIGHTS By Jennifer Olmstead, Marketing Director, Domestic

SECOND FOOD FOR YOUR WHOLE LIFETM HEALTH SYMPOSIUM CHAMPIONS HEALTHY HABITS AND WHOLE FOODS Currently, our nation is experiencing record rates of obesity and diabetes. About 1.9 million people aged 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2010 in the United States. Coupling this with the fact that more than one-third of U.S. adults, 35.7 percent, are obese1 leaves the United States facing a disastrous healthcare epidemic. While this seems insurmountable, simple dietary changes can yield measurable results. Narrowing the focus to the science behind dietary patterns and food choice, the California Walnut Commission, as the principal sponsor, welcomed returning and new attendees to the second Food for Your Whole LifeTM health symposium at the Hilton New York June 3-4 in New York City. Over 1,000 consumers, health professionals and media attended to hear the most current theories on how to optimize health through preventive measures such as healthy eating habits and exercise.Walnuts shared the spotlight as a whole, natural food of choice along with fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Before the program began, the convention space buzzed with excitement in anticipation for the renowned physician and clinician speaker line-up. This year’s keynote speakers, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Host of The Dr. Oz Show and fellow “YOU Doc” author, Dr. Michael Roizen, delivered insightful and empowering messages about diabetes, heart health, food, nutrition and exercise emphasizing that each person has the power to change the course of their health through proper nutrition and behavior. To further stress the point, Dr. David Katz, Director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, provided vital information about the role food and lifestyle choices make toward overall well-being. Emphasizing the need for everyday physical activity, fitness expert Petra Kolber energized the crowd leading them through a 20-minute exercise routine from the comfort of their conference chair, giving each attendee take-away fitness ideas that can be done anytime and anywhere. And rounding out the symposium was a food demonstration by award-winning Chef Alessandro Stratta. Chef Stratta tantalized the crowd’s taste buds with culinary concoctions such as Walnut Crêpes with Whipped Vanilla-Citrus Soy Cream, Topped with Wild Blueberries and Walnut, Olive & Currant Tapenade proving that nutritious recipes are delicious and simple to prepare. Monday boasted another prestigious line-up of speakers. Dr. Walter Willett from the Harvard School of Public Health kicked off the morning talking about good and bad foods. Dr. David Jacobs from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health followed with discussion on food synergy and how important it is to look at dietary patterns as a whole. Dr. Cheryl Rock from the University of California, San Diego talked about the role diet plays in cancer prevention. Dr. Victoria Maizes from the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona discussed foods that help with both male and female fertility. Registered dietitian Kathleen Zelman dispelled a variety of nutrition myths that exist such as the link between high fructose corn syrup and obesity, gluten free diet and weight loss, and nuts and weight gain. Dr. Wendy Bazilian talked about the Mediterranean Diet and Dr. David Katz spoke one more time of the topic of Food as Medicine. Other event sponsors rallying behind the cause were the American Institute for Cancer Research, American Heart Association, HealthCorps, New York State Dietetic Association, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, Pear Bureau Northwest and USA Pears, Wild Blueberry

The Cracker | July 2012

Association of North America and Learning Zone Express.Prior to the event, Sunday attendees were encouraged to participate in free health screenings courtesy of the Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing. For information about the symposium, visit www.FoodForYourWholeLife.org. (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 2010)

CALIFORNIA WALNUT BOARD AWARDS CULINARY SCHOLARSHIP TO HEALTHCORPS STUDENT The California Walnut Board collaborated with HealthCorps to underwrite a culinary scholarship for one of their students. Founded by Dr. Mehmet and Lisa Oz, HealthCorps is building a movement to fight childhood obesity across America. Recent college-graduates are placed in a high school for two years to teach and mentor students in good nutrition, physical activity, and mental health. The program is currently in 54 high schools across 13 states. The California Walnut Board currently sponsors two Sacramento high schools. The scholarship winner had to embody the values of HealthCorps and have a keen drive to exceed in the field of culinary arts. The student had to create and submit an original recipe using California walnuts. At the recent Food for Your Whole Life symposium, California walnuts announced the winner - Ariel Martinez of Cliffside Park High School in New Jersey. Cooking has long been a passion of Ariel’s, but when she

WORLD INDUSTRY NEWS

had exposure to HealthCorps, nutrition became a primary focus. Ariel will start at the International Culinary Center in New York this Fall where she aims keep nutrition at the forefront in her cooking. She dreams of one day being a chef on a cruise line.

NEW PREDIMED PAPER SHOWS COGNITIVE BENEFITS WITH WALNUTS Findings published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in February reported walnut consumption in a Mediterranean diet is associated with better memory scores and cognitive function. The results suggest that antioxidants present in walnuts and other Mediterranean dietary patterns may help counteract age-related cognitive decline and reduce the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. This cross-sectional study evaluated whether antioxidant-rich foods from the Mediterranean diet were associated with better cognitive performance in a subsample (447) of elderly participants (aged 5580 years) from the landmark Spanish PREDIMED study – a dietary intervention trial in more than 7,000 asymptomatic individuals with high cardiovascular risk. The researchers evaluated the intake of various foods and performed neuropsychological tests to assess cognitive function in relation to diet, and analyzed the urinary excretion of polyphenols as a biomarker of daily intake of antioxidants. The study reported regular consumption of walnuts, but not of other nuts, was associated with better working memory. The investigators believe that the high polyphenol (antioxidant) content found in walnuts may be one of the key elements in helping to preserve cognition and fight age-related cognitive decline. Coffee, virgin olive oil and wine were also associated with better cognitive scores.

MEDITERRANEAN DIET EVENT

Scholarship Winner Ariel Martinez and Shawn Hayes, PhD, Chief Academic & Research Officer of HealthCorps

Chef Joanne Weir, Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and Dr. Joan Sabaté

In advance of Mediterranean Month in May, the California Walnut Commission hosted a group of media at the Cavallo Point cooking school in Sausalito, CA to showcase the role of walnuts in the Mediterranean diet. Chef Joanne Weir demonstrated a menu of Mediterranean recipes featuring walnuts and attendees had the opportunity to work hands-on to prepare a Spanish Coca (pizza). Originally from Spain, Dr. Joan Sabaté, the chair of Loma Linda University’s Department of Nutrition, focused his discussion on the current findings from the PREDIMED (Prevention with the Mediterranean Diet) trial in Spain. One cohort of the trial was the Mediterranean diet supplemented with one ounce of nuts daily (of which 50% was walnuts). To date, 24 papers have published that involve the nut cohort of the trial. Additionally, Dr. Wendy Bazilian, an author and nutrition consultant, explained the Mediterranean diet and its components. She gave practical tips on how to incorporate that dietary pattern in one’s own life and how walnuts can play a role in that diet. Media left understanding the value of the Mediterranean diet eating pattern and took with them a selection of delicious recipes featuring California walnuts.

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July 2012 | The Cracker

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CALIFORNIA WALNUT COMMISSION:

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

EUROPEAN UNION HEALTH CLAIMS APPROVED California walnuts may help to maintain cardiovascular health in various ways. Primarily they contribute to the elasticity of the blood vessels. This is now officially acknowledged by the European Union, who accepted this claim unique to walnuts and published it as one of the 222 health claims in the Official Journal of the E U. The elasticity of the blood vessels is relevant for the blood flow and function of the blood vessels, which is one factor of cardiovascular health. The beneficial effect can be obtained with a daily intake of 30g of walnuts (approx. a handful). “It is good to see that those health benefits specific to walnuts are now also officially accepted in the EU. We in the scientific community continue to research the health benefits of fatty and amino acids as well as nutrients pertinent to walnuts”, states Emilio Ros, MD, PhD., Lipid Clínic of Hospital Clínico, University of Barcelona, on the publication of the Health Claims. “With over seventy-five published studies to date and an additional thirty projects ongoing, the CWC remains committed to exploring walnuts role in the diet,” says Dennis A. Balint CEO California Walnut Commission. And adds: “Besides, incorporating walnuts into meals is a simple and convenient way to add variety and taste.” Walnuts should be consumed as part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle – there is no shortcut to good nutrition.

California Walnut Commission booth at Alimentaria

SPAIN ALIMENTARIA The California Walnut Commission was pleased to take part once again in Alimentaria, the International Food and Drinks Exhibition to promote the use of walnuts as an ingredient in new products. This year the fair attracted 142,000 visitors (1.4% more than 2010). An exhibition of international walnut products was very successful and visitors showed interest in some of them, especially German walnut salami sticks and walnut pesto sauce. Throughout the fair, we celebrated daily pairings with Torta del Casar cheese and with Heineken beers. In this way the versatility of walnuts was highlighted and additionally the idea of use them as healthy snack in restaurants and bars was promoted. Visitors were also able to attend daily tastings of caramelized and chocolate walnuts.

The Cracker | July 2012

Samples distributed at Alimentaria

Following Alimentaria, a video of the CWC activities at the fair was created to highlight our participation. The video is available on the CWC Spanish website and YouTube pages.

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GERMANY

CANADA

DEUTSCHE BAHN PROMOTION

COLLABORATION WITH US RICE

California walnuts were featured as one of a few select California grown foods in a recent promotion by the German Deutsche Bahn Railway inviting consumers to “Taste California.” The campaign contained many elements including point of sale materials, booths at three prominent train stations, and a raffle for a trip to California. The interactive booth was set up as a road show moving each week to a new location. The three train stations the booth visited were in Berlin, Dresden and Frankfurt reaching 710,000 travelers daily, and 10.6 million people over the course of the three weeks.

Students participating in the program

The California Walnut Commission recently partnered with fellow FAS co-operator, the USA Rice Federation in a Culinary Education Program that educates Canadian culinary professionals’ regarding the versatility of California Walnuts and USA Rice and the benefits of including both on foodservice menus. The goal is to positively impact Canadian consumption of both commodities. Road show booth at one the train stations in Germany

Deutsche Bahn also publishes the popular magazine DBMobil of the German Train Line. In April, the CWC was host to a California media tour for DBMobil who featured a 7 page article on California including a visit to walnut orchards and processing facilities. The magazine reached over four million German travelers.

ENTDECKE KALIFORNIEN.

At kiosks throughout Germany, consumers were able to purchase two new walnut items as well as pick up brochures illustrating the bounty of healthy food California offers, including California walnuts. Additional promotional food items were also available for purchase. The campaign also featured a website which highlighted each of the delicious California food partners. Through this site consumers were able to enter to win a trip to California. Over 20,000 entries were received.

WWW.TASTE-CALIFORNIA.DE

Taste California website featuring California Walnuts

This initiative will educate culinary instructors and students alike about the value, versatility, variety, preparation and applications of California Walnuts and USA rice in foodservice environments. The program includes core teaching components that deliver a comprehensive culinary education program to practicing student chefs, Canada’s next generation of culinary influencers. The CWC will join forces with USA Rice on a cross-country tour led by Chef Stefan Czapalay. Lectures will be conducted at culinary colleges across Canada and reach 150 to 200 students in 2012. Chef Stefan will take students through an informative and visual 1½ hour culinary presentation that will inspire students to incorporate California Walnuts and USA Rice into foodservice menus. Throughout the presentation, Chef Stefan will relay CW and US Rice key messages and content to students and include both in his recipe creations. Students will be given branded educational material. Additionally, students will be surveyed before and after the presentations to help determine if the lectures impacted their perceptions and if they plan to implement walnuts and/or rice in future menu planning.

CHINA CHINA MEDIA EVENTS The California Walnut Commission works closely with the media in China to present news and creative ways to use California walnuts along with the latest health information. Recently the CWC conducted media events in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing focusing on the theme of “California Walnuts Bring a Healthy Spring to You“. Over 70 media attended the events which featured Nutritionist Dr. Tella Chen. The media release message about the health benefits of California walnuts for cancer prevention was also highlighted. The media Story Continues on Page 80 July 2012 | The Cracker

WORLD INDUSTRY NEWS Story Continued from Page 79

participants were instructed in a hands-on demonstration highlighting a delicious-nutritious Pesto made with Broccoli Rabe, Roasted Garlic, Ricotta Cheese and Tomato-California Walnut sauce.

JAPAN

KOREA

California walnuts have recently been featured on several prominent television programs in Japan, including “Sukkiri,” “It’s a Noon!” “PON!” and “Asa Ichi”. The majority of the programs are on first thing in the morning targeting women.

BRAIN FOOD CAMPAIGN TARGETS SCHOOLS

WALNUTS ON TELEVISION

Working in collaboration with Monthly Nutriand, a monthly publication specialized in nutrition/recipe information for nutritionists & chefs with a circulation of 10,000, the California Walnut Commission launched a “Brain Food” campaign in elementary, middle, and high schools throughout South Korea. The campaign involves inviting school nutritionists and chefs to submit their ideas about incorporating California walnuts into school lunch programs. After reviewing the submissions the Kwangmyung Elementary School, with 2,100 students, was selected.

Miss Universe Japan speaking about her favorite walnut snack Clipping of the article appearing in Monthly Nutriand

In Korea, school lunches usually consists of steamed rice, soup, one or two side dishes and a simple desert such as a piece of fruit. The school nutritionists and chef worked on a side dish with walnuts and it was provided to all students at Kwangmyung Elementary School. The editorial staff of Monthly Nutriand visited the school on the day the walnut dish was served and interviewed the students, nutritionists, and chef. Their comments along with the recipe for the new side dish were featured in a four page article in the April issue of the magazine.

The Cracker | July 2012

NTV’s weekday’s morning program for housewives “Sukkiri!!” featured Ayako Hara, selected 2012 Miss Universe Japan who eats walnuts for her snack. Walnuts were also introduced as a food which contains vitamin E and antioxidants helping maintain the health of cells. NHK’s morning show called “Asa Ichi” (the 1st thing in the morning) has the top viewership among all programs at 08:15~09:55. During the first hour they have “Today’s Special” for food, health, living, relationships, fashion, beauty and many other things. The program featured walnuts as one of the foods to eat for beauty during “Today’s Special” on May 30.

The American Nut

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The Cracker | July 2012

Cracker The

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE BELGIUM

Page

Borges S.A........................................82

Visys NV Sorting Systems................50

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

CHILE

INC......................... Back Inside Cover

Prunesco.........................................23

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NOVEMBER 2012 • MARCH 2013

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Best N.V............................................84

Exportadora Anakena LTDA.........103

TO ALL INC MEMBERS, ADVERTISERS AND SUBSCRIBERS:

SPAIN

Incus Technology S.L......................96 Joan Escoda S.A...............................69

Valbifrut S.A....................................17

SWITZERLAND

CHINA

Café Gourmet LTD. / Swiss Gourmet... 10

Sino Jet International . ....................3

TURKEY

FRANCE

Hazelnut Promotion Group..............4

Eurobroker......................................19

Somercom.......................................77

Bühler Sortex Ltd............................99

GERMANY

Kenkko Commodities PLC..............49

Eurofins........................................105

Toximet LTD....................................74

Palm Nuts & More KG....................97

USA

INDIA

Cablevey Conveyors........................83

3F Group.........................................67

Campos Brothers Farms...................7 Chico Nut Company........................14

ITALY

Crain Walnut Shelling, INC............27

Connect S.R.L..................................15

Fisher Nut Company.......................37

V. Besana S.P.A.................................87

Grower Direct..................................47

JAPAN

Harris Woolf....................................11

Tanto Corporation..........................80

Hilltop Ranch, INC..........................20 Hughson Nut, INC...........................38

MOROCCO Santis S.A.R.L. ................................98

Primex INTL....................................25

RUSSIA

Satake USA, INC..............................75

Orekhprom LTD..............................16

The Green Valley Pecan CO...12 & 13

Setton INTL Foods.... Back Outside Cover Vicam..............................................73 Young Pecan Company...................81

Detailed information will be sent and posted to our website: www.nutfruit.org July 2012 | The Cracker

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INC World Forum oF NutrItIoN researCh aNd dIssemINatIoN By Prof. Jordi Salas-SalvadĂł, Chair of the INC World Forum of Nutrition Research and Dissemination, and Chair of Human Nutrition, Rovira i Virgili University, Reus, Spain.

Over the past years, the Scientific and Government Affairs Committee of the INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, whose chairman is Mr. Pino Calcagni, has especially focused its strategies to the Food Safety. It is evident that Food Safety (contaminants, mycotoxins, etc.) is crucial for Nut Companies and trade, but it is also an important issue for the Public Health. Another point which is worth to take into account is the nutritional benefit of nuts in human consumption; hence, the importance of promoting scientific studies in relation to nuts and dried fruits. Moreover, these studies will also contribute to increase the consumption of this type of food. Mr. Pino Calcagni and I strongly believe that the INC World Forum of Nutrition Research and Dissemination (hereinafter referred as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Forumâ&#x20AC;?) will be a precious tool for the Scientific Committee to drive knowledge on the potential effects of nuts and dried fruits consumption on health and disease. Besides it will promote international cooperation among reserachers with similar objectives.

The international umbrella for health and nutrition research on nuts and dried fruits. The Forum emerges to be the international umbrella for health and nutrition research on nuts and dried fruits. The Forum will promote scientific research and will coordinate the research proposals of the different geographical groups; it will define priorities in relation to nuts and dried fruits; it will promote calls for specific research and also disseminate the results of the different research studies worldwide in various languages.

Several activities will be promoted by the Forum, such as submitting and monitoring health claims, promoting calls for Expressions of Interest in Research, and also assessing the candidates for the Golden Nut Award for Excellence in Research. The Forum will be formed by two committees. First, the Academic Honorary Committee; it will be composed by a maximum of six Senior Reputed Scientists in relation to Medical Sciences from different parts of the world. The main objective of this committee is to define the general research priorities and research topics of interest every two years. Secondly, the Evaluating Nutrition Committee; it will be also composed by members from all five continents and the maximum of members will be ten. The tasks of the Evaluating Committee will consist on defining the specific calls for research projects; evaluating the Expressions of Interest and Award Nominees, assessing the candidates for the Golden Nut Award for Excellence in Research, and also to establish a dissemination plan of the Nutritional Studies founded by the INC or not. Many distinguished scientists around the globe have agreed to participate as members of the Forum. One of the main activities of the Forum will be the establishment of a call for Expression of Interest in Research every year. The Forum promotes epidemiological, basic, clinic and strategic research that may contribute to enhance the understanding of the health effects of nuts and dried fruits; to promote the production of healthy and safe products; and to produce and disseminate knowledge in accordance with its mission. Since the INC represents 15 foods (almonds, Amazonia/Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, dates, dried apricots, dried figs, dried grapes and prunes) the Forum prioritizes studies conducted with more than one type of nut or dried fruit. It will also be prioritized the studies conducted in cooperation with different partners. Furthermore, the Forum prioritizes research which explores and increases the knowledge of nuts and dried fruits as part of a healthy diet. Especially those in relation to predefined priority areas, including: diabetes control and prevention, metabolic syndrome, cancer, intermediate markers of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease prevention, weight management and satiety, cognitive function, reproductive health, bone health and allergies. Another activity of the Forum that could be highlighted is the Golden Nut Award for Excellence in Research. It recognizes the outstanding achievements in health and nutrition research related to nuts and/or dried July 2012 | The Cracker

INC World Forum oF NutrItIoN researCh aNd dIssemINatIoN

fruits. The nominations are open to scientists of all nationalities regardless of the geographical site at which the work was done. Nominations can be made by the INC World Forum of Nutrition Research and Dissemination, or by an INC member or recognized institution. The recipient of this award should be an investigator whose contributions have led to significant accomplishments in a body of work in health and nutrition research and who is, normally, still engaged in research activities. The recipient should have undertaken studies that have led to significant findings on the health benefits of nuts and/or dried fruit consumption. Moreover, special emphasis will be placed upon the international significance and impact of the nomineeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research program. For the purposes of this award, research is meant to include basic, clinical, epidemiological, behavioural or psychosocial research. The award will be delivered at the annual World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress.

On behalf of all the members of the Forum, we encourage to all the scientific community to actively participate on the call for Expressions of Interest, and submit for presentation the most recent scientific projects in relation to nuts and dried fruits and health; as well as the dissemination of this new initiative, which will stimulate and enhance the scientific evidence of studies based on nuts and dried foods and also its consumption in the general population. We also look forward to your participation in the World Forum for Nutrition Research Conference, a creative exchange of ideas from scientists from many different countries.

The Forum will promote international cooperation among researchers oriented to the study of nuts and dried fruit consumption on health and wellness. Finally, we are currently designing and developing the 1st World Forum for Nutrition Research: Mediterranean Food on Health and Disease. The World Forum for Nutrition Research emerges as the meeting point of three major events occurring in Spain in 2013: The International Congress of Nutrition (in Granada) organized by the International Union of Nutrition Sciences, the World Congress on Nuts and Dried Fruits (in Barcelona) organized by the INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, and the International Congress on Mediterranean Diet (in Barcelona) organized by the Mediterranean Diet Foundation. In fact, this Forum is organized with the collaboration of the Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation (FINUT), the INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council and the Mediterranean Diet Foundation. The World Forum for Nutrition Research Conference will provide the opportunity for a comprehensive overview of the latest research developments in relation to the healthy benefits, as well as other social and cultural aspects, of selected typical Mediterranean food.

www.worldnutrition2013.com

The Cracker | July 2012

Barcelona-Reus, 21-23 May 2013

INC 30th Anniversary World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress Barcelona-Reus, 21-23 May 2013 Dear Friends, We are glad to announce that next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Congress will commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the INC and celebrate the Opening of the New INC Home. The Grand Opening of the new headquarters will be held in Reus on 20th May 2013. Earlier that afternoon, the new Congress Center of Reus will host the First World Forum for Nutrition Research Conference: Mediterranean Food on Health and Disease. The Forum will focus on the healthy benefits of the Mediterranean Diet and will provide a comprehensive overview of the latest research developments. A nuts and dried fruits session will be held on 20th May, preceding the inauguration of the New INC Home. Located in the heart of Europe, Barcelona will host from 21st to 23rd May 2013 the technical sessions on key aspects of the industry including global market trends, crop estimates, legislative and regulatory concerns, as well as trends in sustainability, environmental and food safety issues. The program also includes social events and an Exhibition area in the marvelous Hotel Arts, looking out over the Mediterranean Sea from the heart of the Port Olympic. We look forward to your participation and to welcoming you to the beautiful cities of Barcelona and Reus. Sincerely Yours, The Organizing Committee Antonio Pont Jr, Congress Chairman Giles Hacking, INC Chairman Goretti Guasch, INC Executive Director

Hotel Ritz-Carlton Arts

Hotel Pullman

The 30th Anniversary World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress will be held at the emblematic Hotel Ritz-Carlton Arts*****, Barcelona which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea from the heart of the Olympic Port, surrounded by beaches, terraces and promenades.

Hotel Pullman Barcelona Skipper***** enjoys an ideal location next to the beach and Hotel Arts. The two hotels are within walking distance and feature fast connections to the airport and the underground metro, buses and tram.

Located in one of the most emblematic areas of Barcelona, Hotel Arts presents exquisite views over the Mediterranean and city skyline. The hotel places you on the red carpet of the exhilarating culture, architecture and cuisine of Barcelona. From world-renowned structures to the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean, Hotel Arts provides guests with convenient access to all this one-of-a-kind destination has to offer.

Pullman is touched with contemporary design and the common areas are filled with natural Mediterranean light and offer a luxurious view of the interior garden. With an unbeatable location overlooking the sea and close to the beach, this hotel is ideal for business and leisure travelers alike.

Welcome Cocktail Planned events include the Welcome Cocktail on Tuesday, 21st May 2013, at the Opium Mar Bar and Restaurant. Located right next to the luxurious and grand Hotel Arts, its terrace is right on the beach. What to see in Barcelona...? There is just so much to see, so many places to visit in Barcelona, that it is hard to know where to begin. To give you a taste of what Barcelona offers, we have compiled a list of the top things to visit: • Walk down the colorful La Rambla and visit La Boqueria market. • Get up close to Gaudí’s magical creations: Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Milà and Casa Batlló. • Delight your ears at Barcelona’s Opera House El Liceu and the Art Noveau Concert Hall El Palau de la Música. • Picture the city of the young Picasso: Gothic district, Barcelona’s Cathedral, Els Quatre Gats café and Picasso Museum • End your day at the Magic Fountains of Montjuïc and the picturesque Spanish Village.

NEWS FROM THE NUTRITION RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION

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

NEWS FROM THE INC NUTRITION RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION By Maureen Ternus, M.S., R.D., Executive Director The positive news on nuts continues… In April 2012, 21 new abstracts on nuts and health were highlighted at the Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego (see side bar). That same month, the second INC NREF-funded nut consumption study by Dr. Carol O’Neil, et al., was published in Nutrition Research and the press release below was distributed to the media. Publicity efforts for both nut consumption papers (the first paper was published in February 2012 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition) have resulted in media reports in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, India, Germany, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and United States. The total circulation to date is nearly eight million. NEW RESEARCH

INC NREF is funding two new research projects. The first is an Evidence–Based Systematic Review. This review will look at over 100 research articles (both domestic and international) on nuts and heart disease—making it larger and much more comprehensive than the recent pooled analysis done by Dr. Joan Sabaté and published in 2010 in Archives of Internal Medicine. The manuscript should be ready for publication in 2013. The second study is a follow-up analysis to the recent INC NREF-funded diabetes study, “Effect of Tree Nuts on Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Type 2 Diabetes.” The primary manuscript from this study, published in Diabetes Care in 2011, garnered a significant amount of media attention. Now there is a great opportunity to further extract valuable data from this study. The researchers, Drs. Cyril Kendall and David Jenkins, collected the necessary additional blood, plasma and serum samples and 24-hour urine collections to allow for additional analyses specifically looking at nuts and coronary heart disease risk factors. With these new measures they see the potential for a number of additional scientific publications. They hope to complete all of the analyses by the end of this year and have one or more papers submitted for publication in early 2013. For more information on any INC NREF project please contact Maureen Ternus at maureen.ternus@gmail.com.

The Cracker | July 2012

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

OUT-OF-HAND TREE NUT CONSUMPTION ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER DIET QUALITY IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS NEW FINDINGS ON NUT CONSUMPTION AND HEALTH PUBLISHED IN NUTRITION RESEARCH

Davis, CA--In a study published in Nutrition Research, researchers looked at the association of out-of-hand nut (OOHN) consumption with nutrient intake, diet quality and the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome in both children and adults. Consumers of OOHN, including tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts), had higher intakes of energy, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (the good fats) and dietary fiber, and lower intakes of carbohydrates, cholesterol and sodium than non-consumers. “Adult consumers also had a 19% decreased risk of hypertension and a 21% decreased risk of low high-density lipoprotein (HDL--the good cholesterol) levels— both risk factors for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease,” stated Carol O’Neil, PhD, MPH, RD, lead author on the paper and Professor at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. The study looked at 24,385 individuals aged 2+ years participating in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Intake was from 24-hour recall data and OOHN consumers were defined as those who consumed at least ¼ ounce of nuts per day, solely as nuts and not as part of products (i.e., in breads, cereals and bars.) According to Dr. O’Neil, “We decided to look at OOHN specifically because this shows an individual’s conscious decision to consume nuts, which may be associated with a desire for a healthier lifestyle.” Interestingly, the percent of OOHN consumers increased with age: 2.1% ± 0.3%, 2.6% ± 0.3%, 6.5% ± 0.5%, and 9.6% ± 0.5% of those aged 2 to 11, 12 to 18, 19 to 50, and 51+ years, respectively. The two latter groups were combined into a single group of consumers aged 19+ years for subsequent analyses. “In all of the age groups, although energy intake was higher in OOHN consumers than non-consumers, neither weight nor body mass index (BMI) was higher. This suggests that OOHN consumers are better able to balance energy intake with energy output than non-consumers,” stated Dr. O’Neil. This research comes on the heels of another study by the same authors, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, which showed that tree nut consumers specifically (ages 19+) had lower body weight, as well as lower BMI and waist circumference compared to non-consumers. The mean weight, BMI, and waist circumference were 4.19 pounds, 0.9kg/m2 and 0.83 inches lower in consumers than non-consumers, respectively. “These new data, along with previous research, show once again that nuts can and should play an important role in a healthy diet,” adds Maureen Ternus, M.S., R.D., Executive Director of the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation (INC NREF). “With current nut consumption well below the recommended 1.5 ounces of nuts per day (in the FDA qualified health claim for nuts and heart disease) people should be encouraged to grab a handful of nuts every day. Eat them as a snack or throw some on yogurt, salad or oatmeal.”

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NEW TREE NUT RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTED AT THE EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY MEETING, APRIL 20-25, 2012, SAN DIEGO, CA

MIXED NUTS

The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:635.2 Intake, Knowledge, Beliefs and Perception Regarding the Benefits and Barriers of Nuts Intake Among Individuals with or at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and/or Diabetes Roman Pawlak1, Hilary London2, Sarah Colby3, Elizabeth Wall-Bassett2 and Natalia Sira2 1 Nutrition Science, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 2 ECU, Greenville, NC 3 Department of Nutrition, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN Objective: To assess the knowledge regarding health effect and nutrient content of nuts and to assess intake of nuts. Also, assess perceptions regarding benefits and barriers of nuts intake among individuals with or at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 85 participants (Caucasians -77.6% and African Americans - 22.4%, mean age = 62.91. Results: About one-third of the participants had been diagnosed with diabetes and twothirds with one or more forms of CVD; heart disease (61.4%), heart attack (56.4%), angina (51.8%), and stroke (50.0%). About 40% of individuals were not aware nuts could help lower the risk for heart attack or diabetes. Approximately 33% were unsure of the impact of nuts on cholesterol level and additional 21% disagreed that nuts can decrease cholesterol. Only 27.1% agreed or strongly agreed that their doctor advises them to eat nuts. However, 63.5% agreed or strongly agreed that they would consume nuts on most days of the week if the doctor made such a recommendation. Conclusion: Results indicate low intake and knowledge regarding the health benefits of nuts.

The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:lb363 Grains, nuts and fruits dietary pattern is associated with a reduced likelihood of having metabolic syndrome Minji Kang1, Young-Hee Park3, Hyun Wook Baik4, Hee Young Paik1 and Hyojee Joung2 1 Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of 2 Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of 3 Department of Agrofood Resources, Rural Development Administration, Suwon, Korea, Republic of 4 Division of Gastroenterology, Biomedical Research center, Bundang Jaesang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea, Republic of The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its risk components among Korean adults at risk of metabolic diseases. This cross-sectional study included 280 subjects (152 men, 128 women) between 30 and 59 years of age recruited by the Bundang Jesaeng Hospital, Korea. MetS was defined based on Adult Treatment Panel III. Dietary data were collected using 3-day food records. The percentage of energy intakes from 23 food groups was calculated, and a factor analysis was applied to identify dietary patterns. Four major dietary patterns were derived; “Grains, nuts and fruits (9.1%)”, “Bread, dairy and cereal, snacks (9.1%)”, “Meat and alcohol (7.1%)” and “Sweets, seasonings and oils (7.1%)”. In “Grains, nuts and fruits” pattern, participants who consumed the most of these foods had lower odds ratios for MetS and high fasting glucose than those who consumed the least. Our study suggests that the “Grains, nuts and fruits” pattern has beneficial effects on the risk of MetS in Korean adults. This work was supported by the grant from the Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development, Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea. Story Continues on Page 92

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NEWS FROM THE NUTRITION RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION Story Continued from Page 91 ALMONDS

The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:646.26 The effects of almonds on the profile and bioaccessibility of isoflavones (IFN) from a soy soft pretzel Amber L Simmons1, Chureeporn Chitchumroonchokchai2, Mark L Failla1,2 and Yael Vodovotz13 1 Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Nutrition, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 2 Department of Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 3 Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH Soy isoflavones (IFN) have many purported health benefits including reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers. In this study a soy soft pretzel was developed as a model snack food delivery system with and without almond. The results showed that almond promoted partial conversion of soy isoflavones (IFN) to aglycones without affecting bioaccessibility. This implies that the health promoting potential of snack foods containing soy may be enhanced when fortified with almond. Grant Funding Source: Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:820.25 Macronutrient absorption from almonds: the measured energy value of almonds in the human diet Sarah K Gebauer, Janet A Novotny and David J Baer Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an inverse association between frequent nut consumption and body mass index. Clinical studies have shown that lipid from nuts may be more poorly absorbed than from other food sources; thus, the metabolizable energy (ME) contained in nuts may be less than that predicted by Atwater general factors. Data from human feeding studies are lacking. The ME value currently used for food labeling, based on Atwater general factors, is 5.7 kcal/g (160 kcal/1 oz svg). The objective of the current study is to empirically determine the measured energy value of almonds utilizing a randomized, crossover study in 18 healthy adults. Almonds were fed in 3 doses as part of a controlled diet: 0 g/d (control), 1.5 oz/d (42 g/d), and 3 oz/d (84 g/d). Urine and fecal samples were collected for 7 to 10-day periods during each 3-week diet period. Diet and feces were analyzed for nitrogen, fat, total dietary fiber, ash, and combustible energy; urine was analyzed for nitrogen and combustible energy. The energy value of almonds was calculated from differences in energy excretion during the dietary treatments. The measured ME density of almonds was 4.56 kcal/g (128 kcal/1 oz svg) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20% less than the current value reported on the food label. Accurate information about ME content of foods is important for reliable food labeling so consumers can make informed dietary choices. Support: USDA & Almond Board of California

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The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:626.17 Dose response effect of almond consumption on serum fatty acid profile and coronary heart disease risk: a randomized controlled crossover trial Cyril WC Kendall1, Stephanie Nishi1, Ana-Maria Yoon1, Amin Esfahani2, Karen G Lapsley3, David JA Jenkins1 and Richard P Bazinet1 1 Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 2 New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 3 Almond Board of California, Modesto, CA Background: Consumption of almonds, has been associated with decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), which may be related to their fatty acid (FA) composition. Methods: 27 hyperlipidemic subjects consumed three iso-energetic (mean 423 kcal/d) supplements in 1-month phases: 1. full-dose almonds (50-100g/d); 2. halfdose almonds with half-dose muffins; and 3. full-dose muffins. Fasting blood was obtained at weeks 0 and 4 of each treatment. Conclusion: Almond consumption increased the oleic acid and monounsaturated fatty acid content in the serum triglycerides and free fatty acid fractions, which were inversely associated with CHD lipid risk factors and overall 10 year CHD risk. Supported by the Almond Board of California The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:823.23 The photoprotective effects of almond phytonutrients in a three-dimensional human skin tissue model Julie A Evans1, Jonathan Garlick2, Elizabeth J Johnson1, Xiang-Dong Wang1 and C-Y. Oliver Chen1 1 Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 2 Division of Cancer Biology and Tissue Engineering, Tufts University, Boston, MA Background: Almonds contain Îą-tocopherol (AT) and polyphenols (AP), which have shown promise as photoprotectants in skin. Objective: Our aims were: 1) assess the feasibility of nutrient studies in a 3-dimensinal (3D) human skin model and 2) determine photoprotection of AT and AP from ultraviolet-A (UVA) irradiation. Results: UVA induced morphological deterioration and delayed differentiation was partially prevented by pretreatment of all nutrient applications. Tissues pretreated with media AT and topical AP tended to have increased proliferation compared to corresponding control tissue after UVA irradiation, while media and topical AT and topical AP treated tissue tended to have decreased apoptotic fibroblasts. Conclusions: Our 3D skin model is a feasible tool to assess nutrient photoprotection. AT and AP applied to medium or topically provided some degree of photoprotection from UVA. These data may have positive implications for the use of dietary and topical almond phytonutrients to prevent sun damage. USDA and Almond Board of California

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The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:830.6 Human gut microbiota changes after consumption of almonds or pistachios

The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:1032.3 Effects of acute and chronic almond consumption on glycemia in adults at risk for diabetes

Volker Mai1, Marlene Fredborg2, Maria Ukhanova3, Xiaoyu Wang3, Sara Daniel4, Janet Novotny5, Sarah Gebauer5 and David Baer5 1 Microbiology and Cell Science and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 2 Univ. of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark 3 Emerging Pathogens Institute, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 4 Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 5 ARS, USDA, Beltsville, MD Gut microbiota provides important functions to the human host. Modifying microbiota towards a ‘beneficial’ composition is a promising approach for improving intestinal and overall health. Fibers and incompletely digested foods that reach the proximal colon, including nuts, provide nutrients required for maintaining a diverse microbiota. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of almond and pistachio consumption on gut microbiota composition. We determined microbiota in fecal samples collected from human volunteers in two independent randomized cross over controlled feeding studies with 0, 1.5 or 3 servings/day of the respective nuts. While qPCR showed no effect of either nuts on bifidobacteria, pistachios appeared to decrease the amounts of lactic acid bacteria. The effect of pistachios on microbiota was much stronger than that of almonds and included an increase in potentially beneficial butyrate producing bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes. Increasing consumption of almonds or pistachios appears an alternative means of modifying gut microbiota. Sponsors: Almond Board of California, Paramount Farms, Inc. The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:1025.6 Extractable and non-extractable proanthocyanidins of Nonpareil, Carmel, and Butte California almonds Bradley Bolling, Anna Roto, Kerilyn Kimball and Liyang Xie Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT Proanthocyanidin content may be underestimated due to the unextractable or “bound” fraction in polyphenolrich foods. We characterized the extractable and “bound” proanthocyanidins (PACs) in Nonpareil, Butte, and Carmel California almonds. Almonds were extracted and residues were further subjected to acid and base hydrolysis to yield additional PACs. The mean total PAC content of almond genotypes was 59 mg/100 g whole almonds. Nonpareil had the most total PACs, with 111 mg/100 g whole almonds. Butte almonds had the greatest relative proportion of monomers and dimers contributing ~50% to the PAC content. In contrast, trimers and greater oligomers contributed more than 70% of Nonpareil and Carmel PACs. Future analysis should consider the presence of “bound” polyphenols in almonds. Supported by the Almond Board of California.

Sze Yen Tan and Richard Mattes Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN This study examined the effects of almond consumption on acute glycemic control in adults at risk for diabetes and assessed whether the effects are sustained during 4 weeks of daily almond consumption. There were 5 study arms which entailed consuming 43g of almonds with breakfast or lunch, and as a morning or afternoon snack, or no almonds. At baseline, participants attended a 490-min acute-feeding session, were provided with standard meals and almonds, and blood glucose and insulin were measured at designated intervals. They were then instructed to eat almonds daily for the following 4 weeks before repeating the acute-feeding session. During the initial acutefeeding session, blood glucose changed significantly, but insulin changes did not differ between groups. Incremental AUC (iAUC) showed lower 60-min postprandial glycemia with almonds eaten as snacks. Similar trends were observed when they were consumed with meals. Repeated consumption of almonds over 4-weeks did not alter the 490-min glycemia trends and 60-min postprandial iAUC, but the statistical significance diminished. Body weight increased after 4 weeks but not differentially between groups. Body fat remained unchanged. Our study suggests that ingesting almonds as a snack may assist in acute glycemic control, and this effect and body weight are minimally affected by prolonged consumption. This study was funded by the Almond Board of California.

The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:1019.2 α-Tocopherol absorption into a three-dimensional human skin tissue model Julie A Evans1, Jonathan Garlick2, Elizabeth J. Johnson1, Xiang-Dong Wang1 and C-Y. Oliver Chen1 1 Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 2 Division of Cancer Biology and Tissue Engineering, Tufts University, Boston, MA Background: α-Tocopherol (AT) is an important antioxidant for skin health. An in vivo-like model is needed for evaluation of the bioactions of AT. Objective: This study aimed to determine the feasibility of AT uptake in a 3-dimensional (3D) human skin model. Conclusions: Our 3D skin tissue model is a feasible tool to assess AT absorption into dermal and epidermal compartments. AT absorption into this model was time and dose-dependent with concentrations reaching those found in vivo. This model allows for further investigation into the photoprotection and mechanisms by which nutrition may play a role in skin health. Support: USDA#581950-7-07; Almond Board of California Story Continues on Page 94

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The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:1015.4 The role of dietary fiber in regulating lipid bioaccessibility of almonds during mastication Peter R Ellis1, Myriam Grundy1, Terri Grassby1, Giusy Mandalari2, Richard M. Faulks2, Sarah E.E. Berry1, Keith W. Waldron2 and Peter J. Butterworth1 1 School of Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom 2 Institute of Food Research, Norwich, United Kingdom Almonds contain phytochemicals and nutrients that potentially have positive health benefits in relation to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. One important mechanism associated with these benefits is the bioaccessibility (release) of lipids from the almond tissue during mastication and digestion. Indeed, it has been reported that in human subjects on almond-rich diets, a significant proportion of lipid remains undigested, mainly caused by the entrapment of lipid by intact cell walls (dietary fiber). However, the bioaccessibility of almond lipid has not yet been quantified. We have studied this by performing a mastication trial in 15 healthy human volunteers. Our results showed that lipid release from masticated almonds was estimated to be ~30% of total lipid and originated from the ruptured cells of the fractured tissue. This indicates that the majority of almond lipid is unavailable for the early stages of digestion. Further work will extend to studies of lipid release and digestion at more distal sites of the gastrointestinal tract. This work was funded by the BBSRC, UK.

PISTACHIOS

The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:lb396 The effects of consuming a pistachio snack versus a refined carbohydrate snack on blood lipids, blood glucose, body weight, and body composition in young, healthy adults Lisa M Hernandez, Nicole E Meichtry, Daniel Soto, Sopida Sringkarawat, Mee Young Hong, Shirin Hooshmand, Mark Kern and Yumi Petrisko School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA A variety of nuts have been well-established to produce lipid-lowering effects in hyperlipidemic and/or obese subjects. Fewer studies have investigated the effects of nut consumption in young, healthy adults. The objective of this parallel-arm study was to determine if pistachio nut snack consumption would favorably affect plasma lipid profiles, food intake, body weight, and body composition in a non-obese, normolipidemic population compared to a refined carbohydrate snack. Forty-one participants with a mean age of 23 years, a mean BMI 23.1kg/m2, and mean percent body fat of 25.1% were divided into two groups consuming isoenergetic (150 kcal) snacks of either 26.5 g pistachios (n=20) or 38.5 g pretzels (n=21), twice daily. After 3 weeks, body weight and percent body fat were significantly decreased in the pistachio snack group. No significant differences were detected within or between groups for plasma total cholesterol, LDL-c, HDL-c, triglycerides or blood glucose, but a trend towards a significant increase in serum triglycerides in the pretzel snack group was detected. These results suggest that short-term consumption of a pistachio nut snack can decrease body weight and fatness as compared to a refined carbohydrate snack in young, healthy adults. Partial funding support by Paramount Farms, Inc. The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:124.7 Bioaccessibility of pistachio polyphenols, carotenoids and tocopherols in the upper gastrointestinal tract

PINE NUTS

The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:818.7 Impact of Korean pine nut oil on weight gain and immune responses in high-fat diet-induced obese mice Soyoung Park , Meehong Lim , Sunhye Shin and Sung Nim Han1,2 1 Dept of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of 2 Human Ecology Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of 1

Korean pine nut oil (PNO) has been reported to have beneficial effects on lipid metabolism and appetite control. Effects of PNO on weight gain and immune responses were compared with those of soybean oil (SBO) in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. 5-wk-old C57BL mice were fed control diets containing 10% energy fat from PNO or SBO (PC, SC) or high-fat diets with 45% energy fat from 10% PNO or SBO and 35% lard, 20% PNO or SBO and 25% lard, or 30% PNO or SBO and 15% lard for 12 wks. Consumption of PNO reduced weight gain in obese mice fed high-fat diets, but this effect did not result in an overall improvement of immune responses. Supported by the Korea Research Foundation grant funded by the Korea government.

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Giuseppina Mandalari1,2, Carlo Bisignano2, Angela Filocamo2, Simona Chessa1, Mariagiovanna Saro2, Germana Torre2, Richard Faulks1 and Paola Dugo2 1 Institute of Food Research, Norwich, United Kingdom 2 University of Messina, Messina, Italy A number of studies have demonstrated positive effects of pistachio consumption in modifying lipid risk factors for coronary heart disease. The aim of the present study was to characterize pistachio polyphenols, carotenoids and tocopherols and investigate their bioaccessibility during digestion. A dynamic gastric model of digestion which provides a realistic and predictive simulation of the physical and chemical processing and accurately mimics both the transit time and the luminal environment within the human stomach was used for the digestion studies. Raw, roasted salted pistachios and muffins made with raw pistachios were tested. Results showed that pistachio polyphenols (59–63 mg/100 g), carotenoids (lutein 11–16 mg/100 g) and tocopherols (227–236 mg/100 g) are bioaccessible during digestion and therefore available for absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. No significant differences in bioaccessibility were observed between raw and roasted pistachios in the stomach and small intestine. However, the presence of muffin limited the release of protocatechuic acid and luteolin in the gastric and duodenal compartment. Polyphenols, carotenoid and tocopherol absorption would contribute to the beneficial relationship between pistachio consumption and health-related outcomes. This work was funded by the American Pistachio Growers.

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The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:1016.11 Acute effect of pistachios on postprandial endothelial function: Influence of fat quantity and quality Katherine A Sauder1, Sheila G West1,2, Janice Campbell3, Alexandra L Jenkins3, David JA Jenkins4 and Cyril WC Kendall4 1 Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 2 Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 3 Glycemic Index Laboratories, Toronto, ON, Canada 4 Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Previous studies have shown that saturated fat and refined carbohydrates (CHO) acutely impair endothelial function, while unsaturated fats appear to exert a neutral effect. The purpose of this study was to examine endothelial function after meals differing in fat and CHO content. We assessed endothelial function in 20 adults with metabolic syndrome before and after each of the following meals: pistachios alone, pistachios plus white bread, white bread alone (12 and 50 g available CHO), and white bread plus cheese and butter. Endothelial function was assessed via pulse wave amplitude (EndoPAT) and reported as reactive hyperemia index (RHI). Fasting RHI did not differ among treatments, and the primary analysis examined change in RHI from fasting up to 3 hours postprandially. RHI was differentially affected by the meals. RHI decreased after the white bread plus cheese and butter meal and increased after the white bread only meals; this differential response was statistically significant. An intermediate change in RHI was observed after the pistachio meals. These results provide further evidence that endothelial function is differentially affected by type and quantity of dietary fat. Funding: American Pistachio Growers

The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:819.17 Acute effects of pistachios on glucose, insulin, gut hormones and satiety in persons with metabolic syndrome Cyril WC Kendall1, Janice Campbell2, Alexandra L Jenkins2 and David JA Jenkins1 Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 2 Glycemic Index Laboratories, Toronto, ON, Canada 1

Background: Nut consumption has been found to decrease risk of CHD and diabetes, and to promote healthy body weights, possibly related to their favorable macronutrient profile. Methods: 20 subjects with metabolic syndrome as defined by NCEP ATP III guidelines were recruited. Each subject participated in a total of 5 breakfast study meals over 5â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10wks. Study meal order was randomized. Meals were consumed after an overnight fast. Meal 1 was a control meal of white bread (50g available CHO). Meals 2 (white bread, butter and cheese) and 3 (white bread plus 3oz pistachios) had similar macronutrient profiles. Meals 4 (white bread) and 5 (3oz pistachios alone) had the same amount of available CHO (12g). Results and Conclusions: The addition of pistachios to a carbohydrate meal decreased postprandial glucose levels similar to other sources of fat and protein but may have insulin sparing properties. Pistachios consumed alone appeared to increase GIP and GLP-1 levels. Both insulin sparing and increased GLP-1 levels associated with pistachio consumption may be beneficial properties for individuals with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Supported by the American Pistachio Growers

The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:1015.8 Practical Utility of Lipid Predictive Equations in a Diabetic Population Sarah E Horton1, Katherine A Sauder2, Penny M Kris-Etherton1 and Sheila G West1,2 1 Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 2 Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA In the 1960s, Ancel Keys created an equation to predict how total blood cholesterol levels are affected by dietary modification. This equation has since been modified and applied to triglycerides, LDL, and HDL cholesterol. We assessed the practical utility of 11 published equations in Type 2 diabetics using self-reported dietary data. In a larger clinical trial, 21 participants completed three daily food logs followed by a two-week controlled feeding period. Fasting lipid profiles were assessed prior to study entry and after completion of the study diet. The difference between the participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; personal diets and the study diet was used to predict lipid changes between the eating periods. The predicted lipid changes were compared to the observed lipid changes using a correlation analysis. For total cholesterol, the Original Keys Equation yielded the only predicted change that was significantly correlated with the observed change. For HDL cholesterol, the Yu equation yielded the only predicted change that was significantly correlated with the observed change. The predicted changes in LDL cholesterol and triglycerides were not correlated with the observed changes. Our findings demonstrate that for self-reported dietary data, the Original Keys Equation provides the best estimate of total cholesterol changes in a diabetic population. Story Continues on Page 96 Funding: American Pistachio Growers July 2012 | The Cracker

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The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:117.1 Effects of whole walnuts and walnut components on postprandial triglyceride response, plasma measures of antioxidant activity, and endothelial function in overweight and obese adults Claire E Berryman1, Sheila G West1,2, Jessica A Grieger1, Jeffrey B Blumberg3 and Penny M Kris-Etherton1 1 Nutritional Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA 2 Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA 3 Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA Walnuts beneficially affect endothelial function and oxidative stress. Mechanisms specific to walnut components are not known. We evaluated acute, postprandial effects of walnut components [separated nut skins (5.6 g), de-fatted nutmeat (34 g), and nut oil (51 g)] versus whole walnuts (85 g) on metabolic parameters. Overweight/obese adults (9 women/6 men) with moderate hypercholesterolemia were randomized to a 4-period crossover study design. There was a treatment by time interaction for triglycerides (TG). Post hoc tests showed that oil increased TG versus nutmeat and skins at 120 min and 240 min versus skins; the whole nut increased TG versus skins at 120 min and 240 min. Ferric reducing antioxidant power was different between nutmeat and oil and nutmeat and skins. There were no differences in total thiols or malondialdehyde. Walnut oil improved endothelial function compared to the skins, and these changes were associated with improved reverse cholesterol transport. Measurement timing, extraction method, and/or bioavailability may help explain these effects. Grant Funding Source: California Walnut Commission

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The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:117.2 Phase II randomized trial of walnut supplementation and subsequent influence on male reproductive health Catherine L Carpenter1, Susanne M Henning1, Mollie Seltzer1, Erica Peterson2, Lin Xun2 and Wendie A Robbins2 1 Medicine/Clinical Nutrition, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 2 UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA Protective walnut benefits have been studied in relationship to heart disease and cancer prevention but little is known about whether walnuts influence male reproductive health. Walnuts contain both α-linolenic acid (ALA) that could impact sperm membrane integrity, and, folate, selenium, and tocopherols that function in antioxidant and other capacities. We conducted a three-month phase II randomized controlled trial on 117 young adult males (age 20–35) attending a major university. The intervention group received 75 grams whole-shelled walnuts per day compared to controls who avoided tree nuts. Both groups were instructed to consume an ad libitum diet. Our objective was to determine if walnut supplementation would influence male fertility and sperm parameters, studied against a background diet consumed by American college students. College-aged men were selected at their peak of reproductive fitness inferring that walnut effects observed in this group would be applicable to men of all ages. Baseline and follow-up measures included weight, height, BMI, exercise, semen analysis, serum fatty acids, selenium, and other micronutrients, seminal fluid anti-oxidant capacity, hormones, completion of a baseline NCI (National Cancer Institute) Diet History Questionnaire, and 3-day Food Records at baseline and the study end. We conducted 24-hour recalls every 2 weeks to evaluate whether dietary compensation occurred. Compared to controls, men in the walnut intervention group did not gain weight from baseline, and, serum ALA and sperm motility increased. Our results suggest that walnuts impart a protective influence on male fertility that may result from constituents found in walnuts or the whole walnut itself. Funding was provided by the California Walnut Commission.

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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 July 2012 | The Cracker

NEWS FROM THE NUTRITION RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION Story Continued from Page 97

The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:255.6 Protective effects of berries and walnuts against the accelerated aging and age-associated stress caused by irradiation in critical regions of rat brain Shibu M Poulose1, Donna F Bielinski2, Stacey M Gomes1, Kirsty Carrihill-Knoll3, Bernard M Rabin3 and Barbara Shukitt-Hale1 1 Neuroscience, USDA-ARS, HNRCA at Tufts University, Boston, MA 2 Neuroscience, HNRCA at Tufts University, Boston, MA 3 Department of Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD The occurrence of neurodegenerative disease substantially increases with age, which, in part, may be due to increased susceptibility to oxidative stress, inflammation and loss of autophagy (neuronal housekeeping). Polyphenols and Ď&#x2030;-fatty acids, abundant in berries (e.g., blueberry, strawberry, or acai fruit) and walnuts, have been shown to protect brain cells in culture and animals against oxidative stress/inflammation, with enhanced memory and cognitive function in animals. We have investigated whether feeding rats with blueberry- or strawberry-supplemented diets, followed by irradiation with high energy and charge (HZE) particles, a model for accelerated aging, would elicit any protective effects in the brain. HZE irradiation disrupted key proteins in the hippocampus and striatum. Feeding animals with either berry diet, prior to irradiation, protected these brain regions against inflammation, oxidative stress and loss of autophagy. Walnuts also elicited similar effects on the normal aging process when fed to aged animals. These molecular effects were further corroborated in vitro using BV2 microglia, HT22 neurons and E18 neuron-astrocyte cultures. This study extends molecular evidences for the health-promoting properties of berries and walnuts. The FASEB Journal. 2012;26:626.18 Impact of a Functional Food Bar on Biomarkers of Heart Disease in Hypercholesterolemic Adults Andrea Hutchins Department of Health Sciences, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO This randomized crossover study examined the impact of consuming 2 functional food (FF) bars containing soy protein (2.4 grams(g)/bar), flaxseed (7 g/bar), oat bran (5 g/bar) and walnuts (8 g/bar) or 2 control bars on fasting total (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triacylglycerol (TAG) concentrations in hypercholesterolemic adults. Use of functional foods or foods high in components that reduce cholesterol are recognized as options in dietary interventions to prevent or treat risk factors for CVD like hypercholesterolemia. Before and after each 8-week intervention, 20 subjects provided a capillary blood sample for lipid assessment. Consumption of FF bars significantly lowered TAG concentrations compared to control bars. There were no other statistically significant changes with either intervention. These results demonstrate that consumption of FF bars may favorably impact lipid profiles in hypercholesterolemic adults.

The Cracker | July 2012

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Safe Food. Clean Food. July 2012 | The Cracker

PISTACHIOS SHOWN TO HELP REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE AND BIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO EVERYDAY STRESS

New Findings on Pistachio Consumption Published in Hypertension A Pennsylvania State University study published online this month in Hypertension, an American Heart Association Journal, reveals that including pistachios in a healthy diet may positively reduce the body’s response to the stresses of everyday life. Adults with elevated cholesterol were enrolled in a randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing diets containing pistachios to a low fat diet. The results show that a healthy diet supplemented with pistachios helps decrease systolic blood pressure, peripheral vascular resistance and heart rate during acute stress. Cardiovascular responses were measured while participants engaged in a challenging mental arithmetic test and again as they immersed their foot in cold water. The study conducted at Pennsylvania State University by Drs. Sheila G. West and Penny M. Kris-Etherton and colleagues examined how diets containing pistachios (one-and-a-half and three ounces per day) versus a low-fat diet without pistachios, affect responses to stress on subjects with elevated LDL cholesterol, but normal blood pressure. This study is the first to show that including both salted and unsalted pistachios in a healthy diet helps reduce blood pressure and lessen the vascular load on the heart. The people in the study were healthy, non-smoking men and women with elevated LDL cholesterol (commonly regarded as bad cholesterol) but normal blood pressure. All of the meals were provided and calorie levels were customized to maintain body weight. Pistachios were substituted for other foods in the diet to prevent weight gain. Participants followed three different diets – one low fat diet (25% fat ) without pistachios, and two with

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different levels of pistachios (approximately 1.5 oz or 10% of calories from pistachios and 3.0 oz or (20% of calories from pistachios). The pistachio diets contained higher amounts of potassium, healthy fats and protein. All diets were rich in fruit, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains, consistent with current food-based dietary recommendations. Participant demographics and the diet design have been published previously. “Daily events, such as work stress, a tight deadline, or public speaking can increase blood pressure, and we know that we can’t avoid all of the stressors in our lives. These results are significant because they show that physiological responses to stress are affected by the foods we eat,” stated Sheila West, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biobehavioral Health and the study’s lead author. Dr. West continues, “These changes in blood pressure occurred even though selfreported mood, anxiety, and tension were not changed.” The largest drop in blood pressure, - 4.8 mm Hg, was associated with eating about one-and-a-half ounces of pistachios a day versus a -1.8 mm Hg on the low-fat diet and, -2.4 mm Hg, three ounces of pistachios per day. The diet containing three ounces of pistachios resulted in a significant decrease in peripheral vascular resistance, a measure of artery stiffness and heart rate versus the control diet. Fifty percent of the pistachios were given salted as a snack and the other half were unsalted and incorporated into recipes. Interestingly, although high sodium intake is typically associated with high blood pressure, the largest drop in in blood pressure was not associated with the lowest sodium diet. Pistachios do provide potassium (8% Daily Value) and magnesium (8% Daily Value) which are important in maintaining a healthy blood pressure. “In addition, these results are very exciting because they demonstrate further benefits of pistachios on another risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” added Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, and a lead researcher for the study. Dr. Kris-Etherton adds, “Our previous research suggests including pistachios in a healthy diet lowers LDL cholesterol in a dose-response fashion2 and increases antioxidants in the blood.”

NUTRITION RESEARCH UPDATE “This research adds to the growing body of literature on the health benefits of pistachios,” added Constance J. Geiger, Ph.D., R.D. who serves as a nutrition research consultant with the American Pistachio Growers. Dr. Geiger continues, “Nuts, such as pistachios, are an important part of a healthy diet.” For more information and to read the full study, go to hyper. ahajournals.org.1 ABOUT THE STUDY

The research support was provided by the Western Pistachio Association, now known as the American Pistachio Growers, with partial support from the NIH-supported General Clinical Research Center at Pennsylvania State University. It was first reported on in 2007. It is relevant because lowering blood pressure may reduce the risk for stroke and heart disease. PISTACHIOS PACK POWERFUL NUTRITION

In recent years the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized that tree nuts, including pistachios, may help reduce the risk of heart disease when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Since then, the American Pistachio Growers have committed to learning

more about the nutritional benefits of pistachios and the nuts’ impact on other health issues affecting Americans today. PISTACHIO FACTS

Pistachios are a naturally cholesterol-free and sodium-free snack that contains just 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 13 grams of fat per serving, the majority of which comes from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. A one-ounce serving of pistachios equals 49 nuts, which is more nuts per serving than any other snack nut. One serving has as much potassium (290mg, 8 percent) as an orange (250 mg, 7 percent) and 3 g of fiber making it a nutritious snack choice or ingredient to incorporate into daily diets. ABOUT AMERICAN PISTACHIO GROWERS

American Pistachio Growers (APG) is a voluntary trade association representing members who are pistachio growers, processors and industry partners in California, Arizona and New Mexico. These states represent 100% of the domestic commercial pistachio production. APG pistachios are the “Official Snack” of both USA men’s and women’s water polo teams and Miss California. For more information, visit http://www. AmericanPistachios.org.

NUTS:

NUTRITION WITH A CRUNCH Nut consumers may have a decreased risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, researchers reported in a study published in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. “Nuts are a healthy food,” said Carol O’Neil, a professor of nutrition and food at Louisiana State University and the study’s lead author. “Consumption is associated with decreased biomarkers of disease.” Using the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers analyzed 13,292 respondents’ reports on what they ate in the course of a day. They compared the weight, body mass index and blood pressure of adults who ate more than 1/4 ounce of nuts per day versus those who did not. Overall, the researchers found the nut consumers were less likely to display risk factors for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. They also tended to weigh less and have lower BMI and blood pressure. What about nuts makes them so healthy? Some compounds in nuts, such as polyphenols and plant sterols, are anti-inflammatories, O’Neil said. They also contain fiber, as well as copper and magnesium, which are associated with decreased chronic disease, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. However, despite these obvious health benefits, nuts have long-been wrongly associated with weight gain. “Most people think nuts cause weight because they are full of fat,” said Jim Painter, a registered dietitian and chair of the family and consumer sciences department at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. “It is a very common misconception.” While nuts do contain fat, studies show they actually help with weight management, according to Toby Smithson, registered dietitian with the Lake County Health Department and representative for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Nuts tend to make you feel fuller and more satisfied,” she said, which may prompt people to stop eating. Shelled nuts can be particularly helpful for those watching their food intake. “If you use nuts that are packed in a shell, this will help with visual cues on quantity of the nuts you are eating,” she said. Just because nuts are good for you, however, doesn’t mean you should eat them all day every day. “Anything in excess is not good,” Painter said. “Nuts are an amazingly wonderful food, but you can over-consume on them.” Steer clear of too many chocolate and salt-covered varieties if you’re trying to lose weight and be healthy, Smithson cautioned. Put nuts on salads, entrees or fruit to make sure you’re getting your daily intake, Smithson said. “Nuts are such a versatile food that can be eaten with a meal or as a snack,” she said.

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NO EASY CURE FOR DIABETIC CHILDREN The only pill approved in the U.S. for treatment of children with type 2 diabetes is proving surprisingly ineffective, according to a new study, heightening worries about the fast-growing and largely preventable disease. The research is one of the first long-term studies to test the effectiveness of drugs for diabetic children—estimated in the U.S. to number in the tens of thousands. It tested three different drug-based regimens aimed at controlling the disease and found that only about half the participants successfully controlled their blood sugar—despite relatively good compliance.

The study was sponsored by the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and launched a decade ago after a dramatic surge of cases in the mid-1990s of children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. One question researchers had was whether obesity was compounding an already known phenomenon in which resistance to insulin increases during adolescence, likely as part of the growing process. That caused researchers to wonder whether there was "value in treating these kids aggressively during that time and maybe they would end up later in adolescence in better shape," Dr. Zeitler said. The study enrolled 699 children between 10 and 17 years old, essentially all of whom were obese and who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for an average of eight months. They were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: metformin, the mainstay diabetes medicine; metformin plus a lifestyle-intervention program; or metformin plus rosiglitazone, a diabetes drug marketed as Avandia. After an average follow-up of nearly four years, 46% of the participants had failed to control blood sugar, meaning a measure known as HbA1c exceeded 8% for at least six months or that they had deteriorated and required insulin treatment. People are considered diabetic with sustained HbA1c levels above 6.5%; most diabetic patients seek to keep their levels below 7%.

Researchers said the findings suggested a majority of youth with the disease may require more than one oral medication—or resort to insulin injections—within a few years of diagnosis. The disappointing results, some of which caught researchers by surprise, underscore the daunting challenges in treating the condition, which had been viewed as an adult disease until it emerged among adolescents in the past 15 to 20 years alongside rising rates of obesity. Obesity hinders the way the body regulates blood sugar, contributing to development of type 2 diabetes and making the illness largely preventable by maintaining proper body weight through diet and exercise. The study suggests the message for families with children at risk of becoming obese is to work to prevent the onset of obesity much earlier in childhood. "It would be much better if these kids didn't get diabetes in the first place," said Phil Zeitler, professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Denver and Children's Hospital Colorado, who led the study. "It's a bad disease when they get it." Dr. Zeitler presented the findings Sunday at a meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Boston. They also were published online by the New England Journal of Medicine. People with type 2 diabetes are at risk of heart attacks and strokes, kidney disease, blindness, amputations and infertility. Worries among youth are amplified because the risk of complications grows with the duration of the disease, researchers say. The number of American children with type 2 diabetes isn't well established, but estimates by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2001 to 2005 suggest tens of thousands are affected and increasing by 3,600 annually. Minorities, including blacks and Hispanics, are at higher risk than white children, and girls are at higher risk than boys. The CDC says about 17% of Americans under age 20—or about 12.5 million people—are obese and at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is distinct from the type 1 version, an autoimmune disorder in which the body doesn't produce insulin, the hormone that controls the level of sugar in the blood.

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By treatment, 52% of those on metformin alone had failed, compared with 47% on metformin plus lifestyle change and 39% on the two-drug regimen. Statistically, only the two-drug treatment was considered superior to metformin, researchers said. But marketing of rosiglitazone was sharply curtailed in the U.S. in 2010 after the drug was linked to an increase of heart attacks, curtailing its use in treatment. Researchers were surprised that participants on metformin alone fared poorly. Half of the failures occurred within the first year of treatment. "That's not the experience in the adult population," said Barbara Linder, senior adviser for childhood diabetes research at the NIDDK and a co-author. It was especially troubling, she said, because other than injections of insulin, metformin is the only diabetes treatment approved for use in children. Other studies suggest adults fail on metformin therapy at a rate of just 8% to 12% a year, Dr. Zeitler said. But the good news, Dr. Zeitler added, is that in the study, many of the children who succeeded on the therapy for more than two years seemed to respond for a prolonged period. The results prompted other experts to renew calls for societal efforts to combat diabetes and obesity among young people. "Children 50 years ago did not avoid obesity and its complications by making healthy choices," said David B. Allen, professor of pediatrics and head of endocrinology at University of Wisconsin American Family Children's Hospital, Madison. "They simply lived in a more active and less calorie-laden environment." For children who begin to fail on metformin, Dr. Zeitler said, the best option may be the one recommended by the American Diabetes Association: once-daily injections of insulin. Meantime, scientists need to test other medicines to combine with metformin to avoid or delay starting on insulin, but there aren't any other drugs currently approved for children. Dr. Zeitler said children and their doctors should avoid adding one of a class of long-standing diabetes drugs called sulphonyureas, in part because they are associated with increased risk of extremely low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. Dr. Zeitler noted some positives. Half of the participants were able to maintain control on at least one of the regimens, and researchers plan to do further analysis to look for factors that might predict who responds to treatment. Girls did better on the two-drug regimen than boys; boys appeared to get more benefit from lifestyle changes.

NUTRITION RESEARCH UPDATE

HEART-HEALTHY CHOCOLATE SPURS NEW PRODUCTS A growing number of specialty products are offering higher-test cocoa, as much as 100%, which makers say are minimally processed to retain as many nutrients as possible. Most of the brands don't have lab tests on the amount of flavanols, so there's no way to make a comparison. Mars Inc. packs 350 milligrams of cocoa flavanols into its 30-calorie a day CocoVia daily supplements. To keep the flavanol content high, Mars "gently" processes its cocoa" and adds an extract of cocoa flavanols made with a proprietary process. Mars also sells Cirku, a 15-calorie packet containing cocoa extract with a fruit flavor that you mix with water. Mars found heart-health benefits with a research blend of gently processed cocoa without the extract added. There is a proliferation of new scientific evidence showing cocoa may be good for the heart. A wave of new products with high levels of pure cocoa is being marketed as a way to enjoy chocolate's benefits without empty calories. The cocoa bean, actually a seed, grows in pods on trees. It contains compounds called flavanols, which have been shown to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow and reduce overall risk of heart disease. Three scientific analyses published in the past six months pooled results of smaller studies to conclude that cocoa is good for the heart. Scientists believe flavanols work, at least in part, by stimulating production of nitric oxide, which relaxes vessels and improves blood flow. The catch, says David L. Katz, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center, is that exactly how much chocolate is needed for a health benefit isn't known. "Chocolate is a concentrated source of calories, so it's important to keep the dose within therapeutic range," he says. Most chocolate isn't labeled with milligrams of flavanols and there's no industry or scientific standard yet for measuring flavanols in chocolate. One objective measure is the cocoa percentage on the label. Milk chocolate can be as little as 10% cocoa paste by weight, with the rest in sugar, milk and other ingredients. Dark-chocolate bars typically contain 50% to 60% cocoa by weight, scientists say. "The higher the percentage of cocoa, the higher the flavanol content, the higher the antioxidant content and thus we believe the greater positive health benefit," says a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a trade group.

Some cardiologists say even the spate of recent research doesn't provide enough evidence for taking chocolate as a dietary supplement. "I don't think it's overwhelming evidence," says Carl Lavie, medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. Other nutrients—including Vitamin E—have looked just as promising and later proved disappointments, he adds. It isn't unreasonable to eat chocolate for health reasons if you enjoy the taste, he adds, but make sure to cut a snack of equivalent calories from your diet. There is some evidence that suggests as little as a few ounces of chocolate—including types found in many grocery stores—may be beneficial. A 45-person study published in 2008 co-authored by Dr. Katz found blood flow in vessels improved two hours after ingesting a 2.6-ounce serving of Hershey's Extra Dark (327 calories). The study was funded by Hershey's and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four tablespoons a day of Hershey's unsweetened cocoa (about 40 calories) in a variety of research test beverages also has been shown to be heart-healthy, according to the study and at least one other published trial. Hershey's Extra Dark contains 420 milligrams of flavanols in a 1.4-ounce serving and Hershey's cocoa contains 210 milligrams of flavanols per tablespoon, says Debra Miller, director of nutrition at Hershey Co.'s Center for Health and Nutrition. According to research by Hershey Co., dutch processing, a chemical alkalizing process that makes chocolate less bitter, also destroys many nutrients. Consumers can choose regular cocoa instead of the dutchprocessed variety. Also, Hershey's research has shown that baking a chocolate cake with baking soda, which is an alkaline, destroyed flavanols but nutrients were retained when using baking powder.

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MEDITERRANEAN DIET GOOD FOR BRAIN A study published in the February edition of the Archives of Neurology found that the Mediterranean diet might protect against blood-vessel damage in the brain, reducing the risks of stroke and memory loss. It's the first study to specifically examine the effects of the diet centered around vegetables, fruits, fish, whole grains, nuts, olive oil and a moderate amount of alcohol, with limited consumption of red meat, sweets and refined grains like white bread or white rice—on the brain's small blood vessels.

into groups based on how closely they adhered to an ideal Mediterraneanstyle diet, said Clinton Wright, one of the researchers and an associate professor of neurology at Miami's Miller School of Medicine.

Previous studies have suggested adhering to a Mediterranean-style diet is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers also found that the type of fat appeared to matter. Those who consumed more monounsaturated fat, which is found in olive oil, had lower white-matter hyperintensity volumes on their brain scans. Dr. Wright cautioned that the study doesn't prove that a Mediterranean-style diet causes less brain damage and said more study is needed. But he said it indicates that the diet might be protective of small blood vessels in the brain.

In the latest study, researchers, led by a group at the University of Miami in Florida and Columbia University in New York, analyzed food questionnaires filled out by nearly 1,000 people participating in a larger, ongoing Northern Manhattan Study. These participants were categorized

Researchers then used magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scans of the brain to look for what are called white matter hyperintensities, which show up as small lesions on the scan and indicate damage to small blood vessels. The damaged blood vessels can cause small so-called silent strokes with no immediate symptoms but which over time can affect cognitive performance. Broadly, the study showed that people with the highest Mediterranean diet scores had the lowest white-matter volume burden.

AMERICANS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ADOPT HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE CALIFORNIA RAISINS MAY LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE Eating raisins three times a day may significantly lower blood pressure among individuals with slightly higher than normal blood pressure. The research, from the American College of Cardiology’s 61st Annual Scientific Session, involved randomly assigning 46 participants with pre hypertension to snack on raisins or pre-packaged commercial snacks that did not contain raisins or other fruits or vegetables, three times a day for 12 weeks. “Raisins have intrinsic properties that could support heart and vascular health; however, we believe this is the first controlled study to specifically and scientifically support raisins’ blood pressure-lowering effects compared to other snacks,” says lead research Dr Harold Bays. “Raisins deliver dietary fibre and beneficial nutrients like potassium and antioxidants associated with cardio-protective benefits, such as reduced blood pressure – as shown in this new research,” says James Painter, nutrition research advisor for the California Raisin Marketing Board. “These findings add to the growing body of scientific evidence that indicates there may be numerous, positive health benefits linked to raisin consumption.”

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Most Americans think about living a healthier lifestyle, but find it difficult to do so, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s, 2012 Food & Health survey shows. IFIC’s survey, released last month, shows six out of 10 Americans (58%) have given a lot of thought to what they consume, and the amount of physical activity they get (61%). A full 90% have given at least a little thought to those things. Yet, only 1 in 4 say their diet is healthful and 23 percent describe their diet as very unhealthful. Less than 20% meet the national Physical Activity Guidelines. Three-quarters (76%) of participants agree “that ever-changing nutritional guidance makes it hard to know what to believe.” Participants said they rely mostly on their own research and judgment. In that regard, they said they’re trying to eat more whole grains, fiber and protein, while cutting back on calories, sugar, solid fats and salt. But they rated taste the number one factor in food choice.

NUTRITION RESEARCH UPDATE

RED MEAT LINKED TO HIGHER RISKS, EAT MORE NUTS! A new study indicates that eating unprocessed red meat (hamburger, pork, roast beef, lamb) and processed meats (bacon, hot dogs, bologna, sausage) may increase a person's risk of premature death and raise their risk of death from heart disease and cancer. Conversely, substituting other foods such as fish, poultry, nuts and beans for red meat may lower their risk of premature death, the analysis suggests. Other studies have linked eating red meat and processed meat to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, particularly colorectal cancer, and premature death. "This new study provides further compelling evidence that high amounts of red meat may boost the risk of premature death," says the study's lead author, An Pan of the Harvard School of Public Health. But, he adds, this type of study shows association, which doesn't necessarily mean causation. Pan and colleagues analyzed the diet, health and death data on 37,698 men and 83,644 women. Participants completed questionnaires about their diets every four years. During the study follow-up period of more than two decades, almost 24,000 of the participants died, including 5,910 from heart disease and 9,464 from cancer. To determine the risk of eating unprocessed red meat or processed meat, the researchers factored out other lifestyle factors, including age, weight, physical activity and family history of heart disease, and dietary factors, such as intake of whole grains, fruit and vegetables, nuts, legumes, dairy products, fish and poultry. Among the findings published online Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine: Eating one serving a day of unprocessed red meat (about the size of a deck of cards) was associated with a 13% increased risk in premature death; eating one serving a day of processed red meat (one hot dog or two slices of bacon) was associated with a 20% increased risk of premature

Eurofins_Anzeige_TheCracker_Trampe_version2.1 Dienstag, 20. April 2010 16:16:32

death. Using a statistic model, the researchers estimated that replacing one serving a day of red meat with one serving of fish would decrease premature death by 7%; replacing it with poultry would decrease the risk by 14%; nuts, 19%; beans, 10%; low-fat dairy, 10%; whole grains, 14%. "The message we want to communicate is it would be great if you could reduce your intake of red meat consumption to half a serving a day or two to three servings a week, and severely limit processed red meat intake," Pan says. He says the sodium and nitrites in processed red meat might explain the relatively higher risk found in processed compared with unprocessed red meat. But the beef industry says this study doesn't prove red meat is the dietary villain. "Once again, what we are seeing here is an observational study that's limited because it can't establish cause and effect," says registered dietitian Shalene McNeill, executive director of human nutrition research for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. "The most striking thing about this study is those who were eating higher intakes of red meat also were eating more calories, were less physically active, were more likely to smoke and ate fewer fruits, vegetables and whole grains." Pan says those factors were taken into consideration in the statistical analysis to try to eliminate their impact, "but certainly, it is possible that other unmeasured or residual confounding effects from lifestyle exist." McNeill says, "We have a recent randomized controlled trial that showed eating 4 to 5 ounces of lean beef daily as a part of a heart-healthy diet improved heart health, including lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, as effectively as several other heart-healthy diets. There are many ways to build a healthy diet with lean beef that also includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes." Robert Eckel, a past president of the American Heart Association, says the group does not set a limit on consumption of lean red meat but promotes an overall heart-healthy diet. "A small serving (about 3 ounces) of lean red meat several times a week can be added to an overall heart-healthy dietary pattern without concern. This amount is substantially below the level of risk reported by the Harvard group." Marji McCullough, a nutrition epidemiologist for the American Cancer Society, says, "We've known for a long time that eating high amounts of red meat or processed meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer and possibly other cancers. This study is important because it shows that consuming red meat and processed meat increases the risk of death from all causes." She says there is no magic number in terms of amount of red meat that you can safely consume, but "eating it no more than a few times a week would be a place to start."

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WHY WE OVER-EAT EVEN WHEN FULL A group of Italian researchers has uncovered evidence that regardless of how "full" a person may feel, the body is hard-wired to chemically reward itself by overeating when tempted by enticing foods. The study, reported in U.S. Health News, on so-called "hedonic hunger" was very small, involving just eight participants, and the authors acknowledge that their findings are preliminary. They believe, however, that they have identified a physiological link between indulging in goodies well beyond the point of caloric "need" and a reactive jump in levels of two key chemicals. One chemical is ghrelin, a hormone produced in the stomach that helps regulate reward and motivation. The other is a compound known as "2AG" (2-arachidonoylglycerol), which is involved in appetite. "This is a very intriguing study," said Joe Vinson, a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. "It involves the psychology of the brain, as well as biochemistry. And, yes, it's entirely possible that this kind of chemical overriding might happen, in which the brain wants a particular kind of food even though the person is full." Vinson was not involved in the study. "What they're talking about here is a Darwinian evolution thing," Vinson added. "We're programmed to stuff ourselves for a rainy day. And when you couple this biochemistry with an environment where food is cheap and available and often provided in huge portion sizes, you basically have everything going against us. It just becomes very hard not to overeat." The study, led by Dr. Palmiero Monteleone, of the department of psychiatry at the University of Naples SUN in Italy, appears in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. The authors said the notion of essentially eating for fun, as opposed to eating for survival (socalled "homeostatic hunger"), is relatively new. Most of mankind's history has centered around a basic struggle to collect enough to eat, giving rise to a complex system of physiological and psychological drives that control the way humans approach food. Those drives, the research team noted, are very much still in play despite a modern environment of food overabundance. To explore how old-school hunger manifests itself in a brave new world, Monteleone and his colleagues focused on three healthy men and five healthy women between the ages of 21 and 33. No participant

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The Cracker | July 2012

was overweight or obese and all were free of any problematic dieting or bingeing behaviors. Each engaged in two eating tests, spread one month apart. On both occasions, participants first consumed a 300-calorie breakfast that was composed of 77 percent carbohydrates, 10 percent protein and 13 percent fat. After each meal, participants ranked their level of hunger, while waiting for an hour to pass. At that point, all were presented with what was previously established as their favorite food -- a food they would want to eat even after being full. For five minutes, the participants were allowed only to see and smell their favorite food, during which time they were asked to describe how hungry they were, how much of an urge they had to eat the food and how much of it they planned to eat. The second test was similar, except this time participants were offered an unappetizing item -- a sugarless combination of bread, milk and butter, for example -- that contained exactly the same nutrients and calories as the tasty item in the first test. The result: Despite a shared feeling of satiation following breakfast, the participants said their urge to eat and the amount they planned to eat was significantly higher in the face of their favorite food as compared to the unappetizing food. What's more, blood tests revealed that when participants ate their favorite food, their blood levels of the hormone ghrelin increased significantly and stayed high for as much as two hours. By contrast, ghrelin levels went progressively down after eating the nutritionally equivalent but unappetizing item. Levels of the compound 2-AG decreased after eating both the favorite and the unappetizing foods. However, 2-AG levels remained much higher (for up to two hours) following both exposure to and consumption of a favorite food, relative to levels registered for the non-favorite food. "The physiological process underlying hedonic eating is not fully understood," Monteleone said in a journal news release. But he suggested that "understanding the physiological mechanisms underlying this eating behavior may shed some light on the obesity epidemic."

Barcelona-Reus, 21-23 May 2013

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