The room was packed for the NCIFT Industry/Student sponsor night hosted at UC Davis! SPI Group has long supported this annual event, connecting Food Science students with industry members. As reported by the student representatives in the Food Tech Club and the Food Science Graduate Students Association, connecting with industry is one of their main goals, along with connecting to community and connecting with each other through fun events like culinary workshops, themed potluck nights, and tours of local breweries and food companies.

Dr. Lauren Shimek, Food Science innovator at IDEO, gave an inspiring talk entitled: Permission to play; design for food. After starting us off with a fun, interactive activity, she told us about IDEO, an international design and innovation company that works across many categories, one of which is food and beverage. Dr. Shimek encouraged us to think about how we might seek inspiration and illustrated how her company had worked to bring innovative food products to market.

It was great to see the scholarships awarded to the Food Science students, and we were happy to hear that the number of food science students in the department is over 200 now! We plan to stay in touch with the students we met tonight as they venture into their Food Science careers- and hoping that all students will continue to attend NCIFT events, including the upcoming Supplier’s Night in Pleasanton and the AMFE in Las Vegas.

SPI Group participated in the Southern California IFT Section’s dinner meeting held at the Black Gold Golf Course clubhouse in Yerba Buena on Wednesday,February 15th. The venue was beautiful and it was nice to be in the company of so many familiar as well as new SCIFT members!
The event speaker was Mr. Maarten Goos, Market Development Manager, for the IOI Group of Loders Croklaan who talked convincingly about palm oil as being the most sustainable edible oil for the future. Maarten explained that over 80% of palm oil is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia and that once a young palm oil tree begins bearing fruit (the edible oil is in the fruit nut) at 6 or 7 years of age, that this tree will bear fruit year around for the next 25 years and that that its high yield up to 4.5 to 6 MT per hectare far outpaces other edible oil sources such as soybeans, rapeseed and canola at less than one MT per hectare (BTW, a hectare is 2.47 acres). In addition, since palm oil trees are so productive there remains enough arable land to provide cooking and processing oil for the foreseeable future without cutting down more rainforests if sustainable practices were enforced.
Maarten stressed that Loders Croklaan is heavily involved in RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) which is a joint effort by processors and ultimately consumers like Unilever to make one-half of the worldwide palm oil production from sustainable sources and practices by 2011. Though the message was definitely commercial, it felt good that companies were being thoughtful about their agricultural and edible oil processing practices for the living standards of both animals and humans.

The most common symptom of coronary artery disease is chest pain or angina. Angina can be described as a discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, fullness, squeezing, or painful feeling in your chest. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn. Angina is usually felt in the chest, but may also be felt in the shoulders, arms, neck, throat, jaw, or back.
Symptoms of a heart attack can include: discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm, or below the breastbone; discomfort radiating to the back, jaw, throat, or arm; fullness, indigestion, or choking feeling (may feel like heartburn); sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness; extreme weakness, anxiety, or shortness of breath; rapid or irregular heartbeats.
During a heart attack, symptoms typically last 30 minutes or longer and are not relieved by rest or oral medications (medications taken by mouth). Initial symptoms can start as a mild discomfort that progress to significant pain.
If you think you are having a heart attack, DO NOT DELAY – Call 911 or emergency help!
Visit the American Heart Association Website to take a risk assessment quiz, it’s quick and easy and provides a quick action plan report to improve areas of concern.
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There are lots of ways SPI Group can help you formulate foods for a healthy heart. The following are FDA approved health claims for products in our line:

Soy protein:
FDA has approved a label claim for soy protein: “25 grams of soy protein per day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce heart disease. One serving of (this food) contains (6.25 minimum) grams of soy protein per serving.”

Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
“Contains (32 minimum) mg of Omega 3” “Omega-3 has been shown to maintain a healthy heart”
Or
“Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”

Dietary Fiber
“Along with eating a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, fiber may help reduce blood cholesterol levels and the risk for developing heart disease.” (0.6 grams or more of dietary fiber)

Special thanks to Lee Kum Kee for a super authentic Chinese New Year celebration meal at the RCA Southwest Region event on Wednesday, February 1. Ms. Grace Chow and Chefs Fred and Jacki have the best spirit and customers rave about their products. Visit Lee Kum Kee’s website for recipes and a video by Martin Yan on how to make pot stickers (Martin Yan is a UC Davis grad, from the same class as our very own Russ!)

In ancient China, fermented fish paste was cooked and used as an umami ingredient. Because of its high levels of free glutamic acid, it is said to be the original flavor enhancer. Oyster sauce is credited to Hong Kong based Lee Kum Kee, invented when a chef fell asleep while boiling oysters. Today it is made in this traditional slow cook method to make premium oyster sauces. Vegetarian oyster sauce is made with the same methods from oyster mushrooms. Because of their meaty flavor and high glutamic acid content, the slow cooked oyster mushroom sauce mimics the shelfish version.

SPI Group attended the annual NCIFT luncheon at the California League of Food Processors Expo in Sacramento this week. The speaker was Dr. Hasler-Lewis, the Independent Director at Chiquita Brands International, Inc. and Executive Director-Robert Mondavi Institute at University of California, Davis.

Dr. Hassler-Lewis spoke about the Top Food and Nutrition Trends of 2012; stating that health is driving the food industry, and has been for 20 years. Key trends include:
• energy (currently an 8 billion dollar market!
• natural (consumers are asking for simplified ingredient listings and unprocessed, natural foods)
• digestion (probiotics and fiber are still an opportunity for digestive health)

She specified that there is opportunity for product development with Mediterranean diet; highlighting olive oil as the good fat. Healthy aging is another key trend, with awareness of Sarcopenia and muscle health increasing, creating a growing demand for high protein foods. Dr. Hassler-Lewis also mentioned the occurrence of sarcopenia (lean muscle mass loss) for Baby Boomers i.e. 5% every 10 years after 50 years of age and that one study shows that massive intakes(up to 40 grams taken two or three time daily) of protein from easily digested sources is recommended.
The latest statistics show that one person dies from diabetes every 7 seconds, and blood sugar management represents a fast accelerating
opportunity for functional food marketers. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for products featuring the newest super fruit: lignonberry, which is high in anti-oxidants, has anti-bacterial properties, and can reduce blood pressure. Another ingredient to watch is Maqui berry, which may replace Acai and goji berry.
Contact us to learn more about adding fiber, protein, and omega-3 to develop food products that are in line with these top trends!

NCIFT had an information booth telling about the networking,career and food development resources of this valuable professional organization. Ms. Stacey Hawley, Kathy Kennedy, Erin Evers, Pam Vaillancourt, Andy McSunas,Carol Cooper,and Scott MacAdams were in attendance on Tuesday; Scott and Stacey on Wednesday to answer questions and sign up new members. It was a fun and informative day to learn more about the great food agriculture industry in California!!

Stay tuned for the next NCIFT event, the UC Davis Students’ Industry Sponsor Night!

Many thanks to Southern California IFT for a fabulous meeting on Wednesday. We had an opportunity to meet and talk with the current IFT Chair Dr. Roger Clemmons, IFT Chair-Elect Mr. John Ruff, and one of two 2012 candidate for Chair-Elect, Dr. Janet Collins. It was an exciting meeting!

Dr. Clemmons spoke about Resveratrol, the micronutrient in grape skins, found in high concentrations in red wine. There are strong in-vivo links between reduction in breast cancer risk and resveratrol. We tasted wine, grape skins, and a new bar called Wine Time.

My favorite part of the evening was Dr. Clemmons talk about what’s new at IFT, specifically the organization’s work in Washington DC to influence government food policy. We watched a super cool video about food science and the Mission to Mars!


Special shout out to Barry Weinstein & Associates for the fabulous apron I won in the door prize drawing. Claudio won a gift certificate from SCIFTS – contact us to learn how to be a part of your local IFT section!

As we prepare to say good-bye to 2011, all of us at SPI Group wish you a happy and healthy holiday! May 2012 be prosperous for all of us!

The Oregon IFT dinner meeting on December 13th was quite a successful event – measured by the number of registered attendees (87 in total!), as well as the total amount of food and money raised for the Oregon Food Bank. The SPI Group contributed a large food & fruit basket for the raffle and canned food for the Oregon Food Bank. The speaker gave a course on making German Christmas cookies.
In total, OSIFT raised $3,500 in cash and checks and an amazing 289 pounds of food!! Sarah Schirmer of the Oregon Food Bank estimates that the contribution will help close to 1,500 people (1/3 of which are children) who will receive emergency food boxes this winter.

Hanging out with research chefs means time to bridge science and art. After a three day visit with Solae’s Research Chef, Chef Simon Lusky, I now understand the true meaning of sweet and savory. He served chicken meat loaf (including chunks of corn, chilies and ground chicken) with chipotle sauce and sweetened sweet potatoes. Talk about awesome!!! Thanks Chef Simon for the great education. Below are a few of Chef Simon’s hot culinary trends in flavor and entrees:

A Widening “Flavor Gap” – Edgier Global Fusion Cooking:
• The emergence of extra hot, sweet & spicy, smoky flavors
• Peruvian Gains Momentum
• Korean Hits the Charts
• Modern takes on Thai cuisine
• Street-style Indian food
• Eastern European food gaining popularity: Russian, Polish, German, Austrian, Hungarian, Jewish Deli
• Sweet & Savory

Reinventing Favorites:
• Is Grilled Cheese the new Burger?
• Hamburgers: Hanging in There, For Now
• Healthy Indulgences
• Comfort food hits the wall

For more information or to learn more about hot

We’ve all heard and continue to hear the buzz about “lowering sodium”; but another issue that the medical community continues to report on is the need to boost potassium intake.

In this great article from Reuters, a report from a massive international study (>200,000 people) found that stroke risk dipped as people’s reported potassium intake went up.

Nu-Tek Salt is a POTASSIUM chloride based salt replacer that allows you to reduce SODIUM and at the same time add POTASSIUM to the diet. So, when using Nu-Tek Salt, you are not only lowering a negative ingredient (sodium); but, you are also adding a positive (potassium) element to your product line! The SPI Group sales team has seen great success with lowering sodium in product such as meats, cheese, and snacks. Contact SPI Group today for more information!