Marketing the Science of Nut Health

USDA FAS says Asia is significant in the nut market with China hoping to develop 2.4 million acres of newly planted walnut trees by 2012.

Nuts in the packaged foods market are gaining more popularity among manufacturers and consumers with the evidence of accelerating product innovation and research and favorable consumer perceptions. According to the Nutrition Business Journal in 2007, the ability to successfully innovate and market tree nut-based products would provide continued growth in the $120 billion health foods category.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) of agricultural affairs, Asia is signifi cant in the nut market with China hoping to develop 2.4 million acres of newly planted walnut trees by 2012. According to data from the USDA statistical yearbook on fruit and tree nuts in 2007, Chinese nut exports to the US (such as pistachios, chestnuts, macadamias and pecans) are up 10% (compound annual growth rate [CAGR] 2004- 2006). Part of this growth was due to reductions in China’s trade tariffs from 26% (prior World Trade Organization [WTO] accession, 2001) to 7.8% in 2004.

As a result, the FAS says US nut export figures to China have also boomed from $2.3 million in sales in 1998 to $15 million in 2003. With such growth and potential for raw nut ingredients, science-based marketing would instrumental for companies wishing to launch products with “nutrient functions” or specific “health claims”.

Nut science and breakthroughs
In 2003, the FDA approved two qualifi ed health claims for nuts – nuts in general and for walnuts. The label claim states: “scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5oz (42g) per day of most nuts, such as [name of specific nut], as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.” Nuts that are currently included under this claim are almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts and pistachios. The FDA announcement was a response to a petition filed by the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation (INC NREF) in August 2002.

Although, the claim brought consumer education on the cardiovascular benefits of nut consumption, no claims have been granted to recent breakthroughs in nut research such as reducing oxidative stress, weight control, blood glucose control and gut health.

According to data from the USDA statistical yearbook on fruit and tree nuts in 2007, Chinese nut exports to the US (such as pistachios,chestnuts, macadamias and pecans) are up 10% (compound annual growth rate [CAGR] 2004-2006).

• Antioxidants
New research suggests nuts could deliver powerful antioxidant effects contributing to cardiovascular risk reduction abilities. Evidence in Nutrition Review (2001), British Medical Journal (1998) and Archives of Internal Medicine (1992) suggests that a 5% reduction in serum cholesterol from nuts could explain more than a fraction of the 30% reduction in coronary heart disease (CHD), as statin trials show a 30% reduction in CHD risk is associated to a 30% drop in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (as reported in The Lancet in 2002 and the Journal of the American Medical Association [JAMA] in 1998). As nuts provide a rich source of vitamin E and polyphenols, it was proposed that they reduced cell oxidation for better heart health. According to The Journal of Nutrition, in a recent trial in St. Michael’s Hospital, Canada, 27 hyperlipidemic men and women consumed a diet supplemented with 73 and 36.5 grams per day of almonds or a whole-wheat muffin as a control for four weeks.

There was a dose dependant reduction in LDL cholesterol with almond intake as well as reductions in the levels of lipid peroxidation (cell damage) and oxidative stress (cell membrane damage oxidative stress measured by circulating malondialdehyde [MDA] and isoprostanes).

Despite a vitamin E intake of 18 mg/d for the full dose of almonds, the research suggested that much of the antioxidant properties were due to the flavonoid, phenolic and monounsaturated fat contents.

• Weight Control
Based on the evidence from the British Journal of Nutrition (2006) and the International Journal of Obesity (2002), nut consumption is associated with lower body weight, and that their inclusion in the diet leads to little or no weight gain. According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2004) moderate-fat diets that contain nuts elicit a more favorable lipid and lipoprotein profi le after maintenance of weight loss.

A review at the Journal of Nutrition this year concludes that although there is currently insufficient data to support multiple mechanisms such as shifts in energy absorption for weight loss, based on the totality of the literature, the best estimates are that 55–75% of the energy contributed by nuts is offset by dietary compensation, another 10–15% by fecal loss, and an additional, less well-established estimate of 10% via increased energy expenditure.

According to Mintel's US Salty Snacks report in August 2007, snack nuts and seeds, grew 2.9% from 2004-2006, representing 16.4% of snack sales in 2007.

• Blood Glucose
Studies from JAMA in 2003, the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2004, and The Lancet in 2002 revealed that lower blood glucose levels following the consumption of nuts are linked to decreased risk of CHD, hypertension, and diabetes. The mechanism behind this effect may be two-fold: slowing the release of carbohydrate breakdown and decreasing level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nuts, by virtue of their fat and protein content, might depress postprandial glycemia and ROS production.

Hypothesis work published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2006 has examined the effect of postprandial oxidative damage and blood glucose response by adding almonds to a carbohydrate-rich meal. Consuming bread with almonds showed decreased glycemic and insulinemic responses compared to bread taken alone (control). The oxidative damage was related to the magnitude of the glucose and insulin increase post consumption as the almond intake reduced the level of oxidative damage. The authors concluded that the combination of lower glucose, insulin, and less postprandial protein oxidative damage suggested that there might be additional mechanisms, besides cholesterol lowering, by which nuts decrease the risk of CHD.

In the case of almonds, two articles published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry in 2004 revealed the attenuated glycemic response with the antioxidant content of almonds might have resulted from increased almond intake.

• Gut Health
Growing evidence reported in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings this year shows that gut microbial fl ora plays an important role in gut health and the development of obesity. Evidence published in the Applied and Environmental Microbiology suggests that nuts may be beneficial to the gut flora. Although there is no definitive evidence on the potential of nuts and weight loss, data on gut health properties of nuts are available.

In a study on almonds published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology this year, investigators from the Institute of Food Research, UK assessed the potential prebiotic effect of two types of almond seeds (finely ground and defatted) by assessing the growth and activity of gut bacteria.

Finely ground almonds signifi cantly increased the populations of bifi dobacteria and Eubacterium rectale, resulting in a higher prebiotic index than what was found in the commercial prebiotic fructooligosaccharides. Implications for gut health products based on nuts offering pro/prebiotic effects could therefore be a possibility in the future.

For a healthy image, nuts should not be promoted next to cookies and potato chips on supermarket shelves.

Market innovation and obstacles
Science-based of nuts is yielding exceptional growth by adding a ’health‘ value to what was once considered as a commodity food. Although nuts were relatively neglected as ’healthy foods‘, the FDA’s 2003 approved health claims have allowed the industry to leverage on the category with educational messages.

Nut manufacturer Planters (a division of Kraft Foods), for example, has a health-oriented Nut.rition line that focuses on the nutritional benefi ts of nuts in weight management, digestive and heart health. According to Mintel's US Salty Snacks report in August 2007, snack nuts and seeds, grew 2.9% from 2004-2006, representing 16.4% of snack sales in 2007. This growth represents the shift to more health-conscious food choices, which are low in ’bad‘ fats and high in nutrients. The report also revealed that 60% of salty snack consumers said they are interested in healthier alternatives to traditional salty snacks such as pita chips and crackers.

However, there are challenges such as nut allergies, contamination and changes in labeling laws such as the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (US) and the 2000 directive on food ingredients (2000/13/EC, Europe). Despite China’s position on allergen being laid down in paragraph 2(4E) of Schedule 3 to the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labeling) Regulations (Cap. 132), concerns over enforcement is still an issue with a recent study finding significant issues with nut manufacturing practice.

In 2007, a research trial published in the Biochemical and Environmental Sciences found that in some Chinese nut products afl atoxin levels were seven times the original limit (reduced to 10ug/kg in March 2008). Afl atoxin is a potent human carcinogen produced by certain fungi (Aspergillus fl avis), a mold found on food products such as peanuts.

Conclusion
Nut manufacturers should extend their research beyond CHD to move forward. For a healthy image, nuts should not be promoted next to cookies and potato chips on supermarket shelves. As with all functional foods, nuts should have multiple flavors for better taste and choices, while addressing issues in moisture migration during processing. Advanced food technology is also making headway in removing nut protein allergens (Ara h 1, Ara h 2 and Ara h 3), as seen in the attempts through genetic modifi cation and processing practices.

www.NutriSciences.net
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USDA Acts on Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently issued an interim final rule for the mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) program that became effective in September. Commodities covered under COOL must be labeled at retail to indicate their country of origin. However, they are excluded from mandatory COOL if they are an ingredient in a processed food item.

The rule covers muscle cuts and ground beef (including veal), lamb, chicken, goat, and pork; perishable agricultural commodities (fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables); macadamia nuts; pecans; ginseng; and peanuts – as required by the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills. USDA implemented the COOL program for fish and shellfish covered commodities in October 2004.

The authority has also revised the definition of a processed food item so that items derived from a covered commodity that has undergone a physical or chemical change (e.g., cooking, curing, smoking) or that has been combined with other covered commodities or other substantive food components (e.g., chocolate, breading, tomato sauce) are excluded from COOL labeling.

The rule outlines the requirements for labeling covered commodities. It reduces the recordkeeping retention requirements for suppliers and centrally-located retail records to one year. It also removes the requirement to maintain records at the retail store. The law provides for penalties for both suppliers and retailers found in violation of the law of up to $1,000 per violation.

www.ams.usda.gov

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