Industry News:

Consumers are looking for healthier foods

A survey released by the American Dietetics Association reports that Americans are looking for healthier foods, and have a more positive attitude towards dieting. Upwards of 48% of the 783 people surveyed reported that they were increasing their consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and low fat foods. They survey also showed that a many of those surveyed are limiting the amounts of trans fats, beef, pork, and dairy in their diets.Many have begun to cut back on animal products due to the struggling economy and record high food costs along with their nutritional implications. The report concluded by pointing out that the majority of the surveyed population showed interest or concern about their health and diet.

Read full articles:  http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20081026/top-nutrition-trends-for-2008

Pass the Salt Please

Baby Boomers dealing with high blood pressure are, under the advice of their physicians and dietitians, trying to lower their salt intake.  In order to meet consumer demand for lower sodium products, food companies have begun to reformulate, and produce new product lines that limit or omit salt.  Sea salt, which is touted as a lower sodium version of table salt is beginning to appear on many food labels and ingredient statements, although some say its sodium content is not significantly lower than that of the original.  Salt-conscious consumers also have policy backing them.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is putting pressure on the FDA to remove salt’s GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status, because of its nutritional implications. 

Read full articles:  http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-saltproducts27-2008oct27,0,4503755.story

Portion Control/Waste Control

Those little 100calorie packs might be a tasty way to help you eat just the right amount; they also use up more resources in packaging than do their un-portioned counterparts.  Individually packaged snack products that offer a pre-determined amount of calories have been launched by such companies as Nabisco, Sarah Lee, and Fresh & Easy.  Products range from cookies and cereal bars to cheese and carrot sticks.  A Mintel report found that 4 out of 10 people reported consuming portion-controlled snacks, and that 51% expect to see more pre-portioned foods in the future.  While consumers seem to enjoy their packaged treats, there are criticisms including unnecessary use of resources for packaging, use of artificial ingredients, and the false impression that the small portions will satiate the average adult.

Read full story:  http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/Feature_stories.asp?ArticleID=96498

Labels take European Influence

Mars has decided to adopt the Guideline Daily Amount’s (GDA) front of label nutrition information and design for their food products by 2010. The GDA was originally designed by the Confederation of Food and Drink Industries of the EU, and is meant to help consumers easily find the most commonly resourced nutrients on the nutrition label. Many food companies have begun to look for new ways to promote the nutrition information for their products in response to complaints of the FDA failing to regulate the use of nutrition information for claims. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended this style of labelling to support consumers in request for accurate and easy to read nutrition facts. Bothe the GAO and the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) have encouraged the FDA and other international food-governing bodies to create a universal front of label format to help consumers make better choices.

Read Full Story: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/Mars-US-adopts-European-style-nutrition-labels/?c=/cXgDTs85jRh+Y9SelQ8FA==

LABELCALC NEWS

Industry Savings

The economy is hitting us all pretty hard and LabelCalc understands.  Save 10% off of all labels and unlimited memberships from until December 31, 2008.  Just use the promo code apple09 when purchasing your labels.

Purchase labels now: http://www.labelcalc.com/register/Pricing.aspx 

10% off Barcodes

Our partner Simply Barcodes is offering all LabelCalc clients 10% off all UPC and EAN barcodes.  Most grocers require barcodes on all products sold in stores, and Simply Barcodes provides high quality barcodes at reasonable prices, with rapid turnaround time.  Just enter the promo code barcodes09 when purchasing online at http://www.upccode.net/labelcalc.php.

For more information go to http://www.labelcalc.com/register/barcodes.aspx 

System Changes

Be on the look out for changes to the ingredient page in the LabelCalc system.  As always, our LabelCalc is constantly looking for ways to improve its usability so that it is easy to use for both first-time clients as well as LabelCalc veterans. 

Have Suggestions?  Email them to support@labelcalc.com

MenuCalc

Restaurants and foodservices, don’t forget about LabelCalc’s sister product MenuCalc.  MenuCalc helps restaurants comply with new menu labelling regulations, and helps win over clients by providing them with commonly requested nutrition information for menu items. 

Learn More: www.menucalc.com