Wanted to get your perspective on this. Normally our lab works with academics to analyze functional lipids in food to understand what health benefits they offer. Are SME food businesses curious about the potential medical, therapeutic or other health benefits your products possess and developing alternative marketing sales strategies based on your finding?
4 Likes
I love that the notion of terroir exist even with canola. Something I find even challenging for myself to mentality accept. That it can be more then it’s typical association as a typical commodity. If I could clone myself I would open a company to develop cold pressed canola oil here in Alberta. The amount of dollars being spent on olive and coconut oil are plenty to develop a healthier terroir driven product.
I worry that the divisiveness surrounding canola oil and GMO’s etc leave farmers without entry points into the market especially if that is all they know. I’ve also noticed that the non GMO cold pressed canola producer here was less affected by pricing increases when comparing to commodity crop processed canola oil. By a factor of 4 If I remember correctly.
It would be great to do some analysis on the vinegar I am contracted to make this year. What’s the best way to discuss these details?
1 Like
Hi Roger,
Vinegar is definitely an interesting one since it's rich in nutrients and has so many bioactive compounds (reason why it's so prevalently used throughout history and across cultures). It's also such a staple in manufacturing as a base for a lot of food stuff and it can provide so much flavoring too. I'll send you my details if you'd like to chat more about vinegar. There's many things we can look at with vinegar but I think knowing the quality of what you have serves as a good foundation to identify further applications.
The composition of the vinegar varies quite a bit depending on the raw material you use, the fermentation process and vinegar age as well. But food for thought in case any of this info is interesting for upselling the 'general benefits' of vinegar to future clients.
General vinegar consists of:
- Organic acids (ie. acetic acid) – it's a nutrient and what gives vinegar it's sour taste and smell. But the acid can break down cell walls of microbes causing cell death – this is why it's such a great natural cleaning agent
- Amino acids – improves immunity; has antioxidant activity and promotes brain development
- Vitamins and minerals
- Sugars
- Polyphenols – antioxidant activity that helps control blood pressure; prevents cardiovascular diseases and has anti-aging benefits
- Flavonoid – protects cells from oxidative damage which can lead to diseases
- Tetramethylpyrazine – reduces fat uptake
- Great source of short chain fatty acids – provides protective properties against digestive disorders, helps with weight loss (burning fat and reduces fat storage)
BTW, I agree with you, it's tough to consider canola oil being able to battle head to head with olive oil and coconut oil since they've been the superstars of the oil aisle. But it really comes down to looking at the chemistry to really know what you have and the possibilities. From this canola oil study, we know that colder climate conditions contribute to higher levels of Omega-3 and other properties that gives it a smoother taste. We're expanding the study to look at other crops / oils to see how cooler climate can make a difference on its oil profile.
Absolutely agree with you @Brad McNish! I think with so much information at our finger tips these days, people are always looking for more to satisfy their thirst for knowledge and looking for affirmation they are making wise choices.
Our relationship with food has surpassed satiating hunger. We want to know we’re doing something good for our body, health and for the ones we love, everyday. The more specific details we can give customers about their food, it helps reinforce why your product is a wise choice and they are on the right path to achieving the lifestyle they want. It makes it easier for them to buy from you, feel good about their purchase and feel good about themselves. It’s a win win for all!
Interesting to know that, it sounds similar to the difference in quality from fish growing in colder waters. Thinking of Alaskan cod liver oil etc.
On a trip in France I found an old confiserie still practicing traditional methods. They distilled at high elevations to reduce the boiling point preserving as much original flavor from herbs and flowers that were grown in high elevations. I was blown away by the essential oil content of the herbs I ate from their garden and how clean the flavor was.
Thanks for the ideas!
I know they look for gallic acid in some types and use certain polyphenol markers to identify real traditional Balsamic vinegar in case of fraud.
Hi Judith.
My company Keto Newfs is a food manufacture that is experiencing a rapid growth. We would love to know how healthy our products are and how to market them as health food. Or even if that would be an option. We produce foods that are no added sugar, low carb, low sodium, glutenfree. Currently marine institute in newfouldnad does our nft labelling, but we would love to know, the health benefits and just how healthy our products are.
2 Likes
It seems like for the longest time nutrition facts were the driving force for health and dieting. Even still with the majority of the programs used today to make nutrition fact labels, if they even represented bioactive compounds, nutrient density and bioavailability, the generic copy/paste of random ingredient data are far off the actual constituents. Not to mention the manipulation of calories or serving size to misrepresent the DV%'s.
Certainly lab work should be a staple of a food products benefits but in comparison it is quite a bit more expensive. One company in particular overcame that challenge by properly growing quinoa. Their nutrition fact comparison is so different then other ones on the shelf it looks like a different product. Their story is all about nutrient deficiency and they have the lab work to back it up. Problem is though they don’t rinse the saponins to gain insect and fungal protection. Meaning if you don’t wash it it’s extremely bitter. Some palates are not adapted to real foods. Much like canola oil and cold pressed canola oil. In that the omega 3 ratio being much higher can take some time to get used to.
In the vinegar industry where our company resides the health trend for apple cider vinegar grew from Bragg’s marketing campaign and vision of wellness. Not all bioactive compounds needed for it’s health benefits are present in every vinegar however. Therefor companies tend to dilute market trust & quality by making the same claims as everyone else without lab work etc. Beyond apple cider vinegar there is an extensive list of research on vinegars beneficial bioactive compounds. The majority of these vinegars are rare in the North American market but valued elsewhere.
On a therapeutic level Japanese Kuruso vinegar is studied for it’s anticancer effects due to a diversity of amino acids and interesting compounds. Mainly derived from enzymatic activity combined with symbiotic fermentation processes.
I’ve spent a couple years working with my friend at his Charcuterie shop and even at the lab level it was difficult to assert the dominant strains in his starter culture because the labs were used to working with commercial culture strains. Making it difficult to recreate the conditions used in an aging room that used wild strains of mold controlled via pH and water activity. What does this have to do with health benefits?
My friend wrote his PhD on Kefir fermentation and attempted to recreate a blend of the symbiotic microorganisms present in Kefir. This in order to scale up for production. After lab testing them they failed to create the same antioxidants and bioactive compounds linked to it’s health benefits when compared to actual kefir grains, a true symbiotic culture.
It’s a great topic to dive into.
3 Likes
Yes! They are. We had a great turn out at our SIAL Canada conference sessions where we talked about food as medicine.
3 Likes
@Judith Tran - Great post. We’re seeing many emerging companies and brands in Canada that are showing interest in product formulation, design and ingredients that deliver functional health benefits. Certainly areas such as immunity received a boost (pardon the pun) during early COVID emergence. We’re seeing gut microbiome and prebiotics pick up again. Also, what’s getting exciting is seeing lots of functional ingredients that are being extracted and upcycled from traditional waste streams.
Anyone in the YODLverse have some ingredient innovations to share here? To me it’s an understated area of innovation in the food sector.
4 Likes
Wrote a blog about functional foods. They are here to stay,
https://www.fooddistributionguy.com/functional-food-and-beverages-go-mainstream/
1 Like
Hi Roger,
Thanks for your feedback and excellent examples of the importance of doing lab testing on your food products since deviations and discrepancies do arise between similar food ingredients. Your instances with quinoa, oils and vinegar - emphasize the importance of where you source your material, its quality, process methods and ensuring this is consistent throughout the production of your product.
Your reference reminds me of how the lab worked with an East coast canola grower (canola isn't traditionally grown in East coast because of the short summers) and found that these growing conditions significantly impacted the abundance of Omega-3 and -6 (PUFAs) and oil chemistry as compared with canola commercially grown in the Western prairies. We sampled the oil to chefs in Toronto and they were impressed by the texture, flavor, taste, how it cooks with and how well it performed on its own and in formulating high-end infused-oil products. Health benefits aside, they preferred this over other canola, coconut and olive oils when they were playing around with recipes.
It's discoveries like these that always amazes me how such a simple ingredient can have such a dynamic transformation by understanding the chemistry and working with it rather than against it.
1 Like
Thanks @Richard Baker! Great summary and overview of functional foods. These are compelling reasons why brands should investigate whether their products falls into the functional space especially with the pandemic. Boosting immunity and general health through better food choices is something my family has always subscribed to. A lot of that stems from my Eastern culture and beliefs which has shaped my relationship with food and importance I place on it beyond satiating hunger. Its great to see more people embracing food as medicine!
I'm curious, from your experience helping brands gain market share, have you seen an uptick, following the pandemic, in companies investing in the lab analysis to identify functional properties and getting the scientific evidence to promote their products or is it still anecdotal references without specific claims?
Hi Mel,
Thanks for reaching out! I checked out your FB page and articles on your company! Congratulations on all your hard work and following your passion! I love how you've shared a formula that worked for you and you're helping other people improve their wellbeing too!
I see from your profile, you offer a comprehensive meal prep service and you're looking at setting up your own facility. I'll reach out to you directly to understand your products, long term objectives and where you're at in the business.
Generally, we would do a characterization analysis to identify nutrients, functional lipids (ie. omega-3/6, vitamins, etc.) in your foods in order to see what's there and how much of it is there. By getting a better in-depth picture of the composition of your product, then we can determine whether there's any health/functional benefits and decide on next steps from there.
Hello…I think having a good understanding of the health benefits of specific phytonutrients in your product are critical to customer uptake. The more detailed the analysis the easier it is to break it down into absorbable information for a customer. This may seem counterintuitive, but we have found generalized information gets lost in the information coming out about all products with health benefits. Understanding specifics in one’s own product is an important way to differentiate.
1 Like