Soy in Women’s Heath Week

Posted on May 15, 2012 by SPI Group

Did you know May 13-19 is National Women’s Health Week? National Women’s Health Week is a weeklong health observance coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. It brings together communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups in an effort to promote women’s health. For more information please visit: http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/

Check out this awesome article on the role of soy protein in women’s health from Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA):

1. Soyfoods boost the heart health of women
2. Soyfoods help women achieve a healthy weight
3. Soyfoods are safe for women at risk for breast cancer

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The Power of Pea

Posted on May 14, 2012 by SPI Group

To create a pea protein isolate, Cosucra starts with yellow peas, (Pisum Sativum), commonly known as split peas. The fresh peas have an initial protein content of 6% and concentrated to around 88% protein content during processing. The peas are dehulled, ground and sieved with the majority of the starches and fibers removed through a special extraction and purification process which leaves an almost pure protein isolate. The manufacturing process doesn’t require complicated extraction methods and avoids the use of chemical solvents.
Pea protein delivers large amounts of the necessary branched amino acids:
Isoleucine, valine, arginine and lysine. It’s actually higher in glutamine content than whey or egg proteins and higher in the branched amino acids than soy protein.
Pea protein is also highly digestible, with a 98% digestion rating. The high digestion rate means that the nutrients are transmitted more rapidly through the bloodstream and utilized more quickly by the muscles. In addition the pea protein works effectively to regulate the appetite and helps sustain satiety for longer periods of time.
Their use in meal replacements, nutritional beverages and dietetic foods products would be excellent applications for pea protein. Other applications that we’ve seen the pea protein used in includes, pastas, non-dairy foods like cheese and bakery products like bread.
Pea protein powder is also hypoallergenic, 100% gluten free and non-GMO and makes pea protein one of the most cleanly produced, easily digested and natural proteins available.

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What is Kokumi???

Posted on May 14, 2012 by SPI Group

Dr. Steven Witherly
“Food Pleasure”

Special thank you to NCIFT Supplier’s Night committee for a great speaker presentation at supplier’s night last week. Dr. Steven Witherly presented, “Food Pleasure” about what drives our preferences and the physiological functions behind how and what we eat.

While quite entertaining, my favorite part of the presentation was a discussion of the many more than five taste sensations in the human body. We sense more than just sour, sweet, salty, bitter and umami. And we have these receptors in our gut too – 23 in all! So, my question for you is what my question to the industry has been for some time, what is kokumi? As a sales person of sweet, salty and umami ingredients, I just don’t get it. How can something be more umami than umami?

Kokumi is the feeling of completeness when something is in your mouth and going down the esophagus. You feel you have everything you need – for a fleeting moment, until you need another bite. It can be called “heartiness” or “mouthfullness” sort of like the feel good moment when your child gives you a homemade mother’s day card and for that moment you only have total happiness and pride. Well kokumi is that completeness or fullness – where nothing else fits for that moment in time except fulfillment from a food.

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NCIFT Supplier’s Night 2012

Posted on May 10, 2012 by SPI Group

Congratulations to the planning committee for a successful NCIFT Supplier’s Night! With over 200 exhibitors, the show was crowded and the aisles were packed. SPI Group was proud to be one of the 31 suppliers who sponsored the Happy Hour!

We enjoyed talking to new and old friends and customers! So many people stopped by see and hear about SPI Group’s newest ingredients that are innovative and natural to meet formulating challenges for shelf life extension, salt replacement and improved functionality in food products; including:

• natural plant and vegetable extracts for reduction of spoilage organisms
• NuTek patented salt replacer in all food products
• Soy Protein
• Fiber

to meet nutritional and costing challenges and make health claims in all types of food and supplement products. Contact us for more information.

Be sure to look for the announcement of the upcoming NCIFT New Professionals group, starting in fall of 2012.

See everyone in Las Vegas at IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo!

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NCIFT Golf Tournament 2012 – Poppy Ridge Golf Course, Livermore

Posted on May 9, 2012 by SPI Group

Tim Ogles, Kathy Kennedy and Russ Nishikawa had a great time at the annual NCIFT golf tournament with their friends and customers, including from left to right, Steve Bustamante,Frank Martinez and Danny Giosa from Valley Lahvosh (Fresno,CA) and Allison Vallerga (second from right) of Armanino Foods of Distinction (Hayward, CA). A terrific day under ideal conditions with the Valley Lahvosh team coming in second with a team score of 13 under par 59 and Tim Ogles winning the pot of gold for the shot closest to the hole!

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A visit to Driscoll Farms

Posted on April 23, 2012 by SPI Group

Did you know that a strawberry has 200 seeds? We learned this and much more during a recent visit and tour of Driscoll Farms in Watsonville. We are grateful to the AACT (American Association of Candy Technologists) for organizing this event and lovely dinner at the Shadowbrook in Capitola.

Driscoll Strawberry Plants


Thanks to a fascinating talk by Driscoll plant breeder Marty Modesto, we learned that there are more berry varieties than you or I will ever know – and it takes 5 years to test and produce each one! They use natural breeding methods to create patented berry varieties – tested for attributes like flavor, color, texture, shape and aroma. Thanks to Driscoll’s commitment to research and development, we can enjoy Driscoll’s berries year-round! It turns out that a strawberry doesn’t just taste like a strawberry…..each variety has it’s own unique flavor. We sampled 5 different varieties that Driscoll is using now…….but we learned that they are also doing research in every potential strawberry growing region in the world! During strawberry season, the strawberries are harvested and transported to the main facility within 2 hours – and then on their way to a grocery store near you! Once you buy your strawberries at the market, you can even trace your strawberries back to the field they came from

We will never look at a strawberry the same way again!

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Menu of Options: Assortment of Toolbox Solutions

Posted on April 18, 2012 by SPI Group

Have you ever wondered, “how can SPI Group help me as a chef?” “What are the tools and options in this supposed tool box?” Recently we have shown several customers our Menu of Options. New ingredient technologies in a more culinary and finished format. What this means in a tangible demonstration that shows you the tool in action.

Erin and Kathy in the kitchen

For example, 33% reduced sodium tea sandwich with 50% reduced sodium potato chip on a small plate just like your lunch – but better! Take a look at our menu (and Erin and Kathy in our SPI smocks) and let us know how we can show you real tools for your real products.

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April is Soy Foods Month!!

Posted on April 18, 2012 by SPI Group

So it’s National Soy Foods Month and there is a listing of new soy-based products like Sprouted Tofu and Soy Joy bars and the health benefits of soy @ www.nationalsoyfoodsmonth.com. But if you want to get a better picture of what’s new in innovative and delicious soy foods ask what John Scharffenberger,founder of Scharffen Berger Chocolate,The Slanted Door and The Ferry Building Farmer’s Market have in common! It is Hodo Soy Beanery and their healthy and delicious soy foods. Mr Scharffenberger in 2010 became involved with Hodo Soy Beanery and he is quite good at spotting food trends!! The Slanted Door features Hodo Braised Tofu on one of their delectable dishes and you can find Hodo’s super fresh tofu and tasty dishes at the Ferry Building Farmer’s market and other markets in the Bay Area each weekend!!

In fact, you can go on a tour of Hodo Soy Beanery in Oakland and view their process and taste their products. Not only do you get to see how tofu is made, but you will see how they make yuba, a delicious,chewy noodle-like strips made from a thin skin that rises to the top of steaming soy milk. The skin is hand lifted and cut into strip usually pan fried and marinated in a tangy teriyaki sauce to make Hodo’s Spicy Yuba Strips.
It’s my favorite!! Soy when you think of the health benefits of soy, think about it being delicious too.

A big thumbs up to Minh Tsai and his associates at Hodo Soy Beanery as we celebrate National Soy Foods Month!!

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Food Trucks: the Future of Food???

Posted on April 2, 2012 by SPI Group

Special thank you to Intermountain IFT for hosting a great meeting March 14-16 in beautiful Sun Valley, Idaho. This IFT section does a great job of host industry specific, technical and relevant speakers. I was particularly interested in a presentation by Ms. Pam Gray of Kraft Foods. Her presentation titled, “’2012 Food Trendictions’ – Predicting Tomorrow’s Food Trends Today,” was very interesting. Based on menu trends from Dataessentials, Ms. Gray discussed old, current, and future restaurant trends. Most fascinating to me was the Food Trucks, or street food. I am not a food truck person so am skeptical about this whole thing. In 2010 14% of consumers ate off a food truck or street cart compared to 16% who consumed a smoothie (I like to go to the smoothie shop and there are lots of brick & mortar smoothie shops). And with certainty food truck trends are showing up in our favorite main stream, chain restaurants in the form of ethnic flare in familiar delivery: edamame, humus, wonton, and ceviche
Tapa-tizer Mediterranean Skewers from TGI Friday’s, with humus and tzatziki
Carnitas Taco Pizza from Calif Pizza Kitchen, with caramelized onions and blue cheese
Chicken Wonton Tacos from Applebees, with sweet & sour chicken and Asian cilantro slaw

Other surprising facts from Ms. Gray’s presentation? The #1 sauce served in restaurants is Siracha. Not catsup, not Tabasco. The #1 trend coming from food trucks is portability in the form of sandwiches, wraps, individual baked goods (cupcakes, cookies), served in a cup (fries, tacos).

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SPI Group volunteers for local science fairs

Posted on March 22, 2012 by SPI Group

SPI Group happily supports local science fairs! Every year we send employees to volunteer as judges, giving out IFT prize money for science projects that are related to Food Science.

At the most recent science fair, we saw projects such as “Kimchee chemistry,” “citrus wars,” and “measuring vitamin C.” We love participating in these events and interacting with middle school and high school students – future food scientists!

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