Industry reacts to reports of low iodine levels in organic milk
Beauty must go beyond the ‘natural’ value, says Organic Monitor
Scientists call for herbal supplements certification system
FreeFrom Food Awards celebrate sector’s continued success
Press reports of ‘new’ negative vitamin study quote old research
Pine bark extract improves cognitive function
Industry reacts to reports of low iodine levels in organic milk
Following recent press reports of a ‘new’ negative vitamin study which quoted two-year-old research, yet another instance of the media using out of date research to damn the industry has arisen.
This time, it’s organic milk that has taken a hit. A study undertaken by Reading University reported on earlier this week, said that organic milk could contain a third less iodine than normal milk, and could therefore have serious health implications, particularly for pregnant women. “Organic milk is less healthy than regular milk and could cause unborn babies to have lower IQs,” warned The Telegraph.
However, responding to these reports, Nicola Turner, head of marketing at the Organic Milk Suppliers’ Cooperative (OMSCo), set the record straight: “This research, although published today, was carried out 16 months ago. Recent testing of supermarket milk, carried out in January 2015 by an independent third party, has shown that organic milk is not deficient in iodine when compared with conventional milk.
“Whereas it has always been common practice in the conventional industry to supplement cow feed with minerals, this wasn’t the case for organic cow feed. Over the last year, mineral supplementation of organic cow feed has become routine across the industry and more recent tests have shown comparable levels of iodine in organic versus non-organic milk.”
Helen Browning, chief executive at the Soil Association, also reacted to the news: “This is pure scaremongering. Pregnant women should not stop drinking organic milk in response to this research, which repeats findings from a study published in 2013. As today’s study says, lower levels of iodine in the diet are thought to be linked to lower overall milk consumption, rather than to a switch to organic milk. The NHS does not cite milk in its list as a good source of iodine.”
She adds: “There are scientifically proven health and environmental benefits of organic milk which are valuable as part of a balanced and healthy diet. Studies show that organic whole and semi-skimmed milk has more beneficial omega-3 fatty acid, Vitamin E and beta-carotene than non-organic milk, and studies by Glasgow and Liverpool Universities found that UK organic milk has 68% higher levels of the essential fatty acid than non-organic milk.”
Beauty must go beyond the ‘natural’ value, says Organic Monitor
Ninety per cent of UK consumers deem the avoidance of synthetic ingredients as being ‘important’ when explaining why they buy natural and organic beauty products, according to a recent survey by Organic Monitor on Consumer Insights into Buying Behaviour.
The findings – from a poll of 100 consumers conducted over a period of three months – were presented by director of Organic Monitor, Amarjit Sahota during a seminar at the recent Natural Beauty & Spa show at London’s ExCel.
Parabens were cited by 63 per cent of those polled as the top ingredient that they actively avoid in their skincare and cosmetics, closely followed by SLS with 32 per cent, while health factors were found to be the main purchasing trigger.
However, when looking at the consumer base of natural and organic beauty Sahota said it remains relatively small, accounting for around 2% of total beauty sales.
Despite the high media profile natural and organic beauty products enjoy, they account for just two per cent of overall beauty sales in the UK, says Organic Monitor. The company warns that the sector currently risks experiencing the “green glass ceiling” effect.
“In order to reach a larger market share natural and organic beauty brands and retailers need to rise above the dark green consumers, and find ways to go mainstream,” Sahota said.
The production of private label products offered one potential route to achieving this for multiple retailers thanks to their more competitive pricing options, while smaller retailers and brands were advised to “go beyond the ‘natural’ value” when marketing products – instead, promoting premium quality, unique ingredients and efficacy to appeal to lighter green consumers.
Julia Brandon
Scientists call for herbal supplements certification system
Two prominent plant scientists are calling for a formal certification system for herbal food supplements.
Professor Michael Heinrich and Dr Anthony Booker, from the UCL School of Pharmacy, made the call at last weekend’s Natural & Organic Products Europe, where they presented research they have been conducting into popular three medicinal herbs – saw palmetto, turmeric and rhodiola
Research carried out by the School of Pharmacy over a period of five years has repeatedly demonstrated instances of poor quality and adulteration of products presented as herbal food supplements.
The UCL team says that the reasons underlying the presence of these poor quality products “are complex but appear to be stemming from a commercial need to use the cheapest starting materials and the use of inadequate manufacturing processes or misunderstanding good practices.”
“The reasons underlying the presence of these poor quality products are complex but appear to be stemming from a commercial need to use the cheapest starting materials”
The UCL scientists say that while the introduction of the traditional herbal registration (THR) scheme has helped raised the quality of herbal medicines available to consumers in the UK “grey areas remain with those supplements that can be both a food supplement and a medicine”.
They say faults are frequently found through the entire supply chain of unregistered herbs, from collection and cultivation – where a lack of botanical knowledge can lead to misidentification of species – to retail, where over long shelf-life results in spoiled products.
While the majority of the herbal supplements tested by UCL were bought over the internet (via Amazon), a fifth were sourced directly from UK health food stores. The products are then analyzed using NMR spectroscopy , which allows the researchers to look for the plant metabolites that are responsible for medicinal action.
Their tests has exposed a range of quality issues in unregistered herbal food supplements, including the presence of incorrect species, product deterioration as a result of lengthy storage and insecticide use, and adulteration with oils, soya and glycerin. Problems were not confined to cheap products – one product retailing at £30, and claiming to be “wild sourced Siberian rhodiola rosea”, proved instead to be 5-HTP and excipients.
The scientists say they are not acting as herbal police. “We do the research and make this available to the authorities and it is up to them to decided on the appropriate action to take.” They also fully acknowledge that many high quality herbal food supplements currently exist on the market. But they argue that responsible manufacturers – and the herbal sector more widely – are being damaged by the bad practices of less scrupulous operators, and they are urging industry to work towards the setting up of new herbal quality guidelines.
Heinrich and Booker say they would like to see trade associations working with universities to set agreed standards for testing, offer training in good agricultural collection practice (GACP) and GMP, and implement consistent quality systems across the sector leading to an approved supplier certification system.
FreeFrom Food Awards celebrate sector’s continued success
The winners of the seventh annual FreeFrom Food Awards were revealed at an evening event at The Royal College of Physicians in Regents Park in April. Here NPN reveals this year’s winners.
Hosted and presented by Antony Worral Thompson, patron of the awards since their inception, the awards evening kicked off with a speech by Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, director of the FreeFrom Food Awards and chair of judges. “It is probably true to say that free-from is now the most successful sector of the food industry – but, for those of us who have been involved from “For years my ambition has been to see free-from become part of the food ‘mainstream’ – and really now, I think it is.”
This year, 10% of all entrants’ fees went to the FreeFrom Food Awards chosen charity for 2015, Foodcycle.
Below are the winners from each category. For all the winners and runners-up plus more about the awards, visit the FreeFrom Awards site here.
Special Award winners
FAIR trophy for the best FreeFrom Food 2015
Voakes Free From Traditional Pork Pie
The Innovation Award – sponsored by Food Matters Live
Kirsty’s GF & DF Beef Lasagne with a Rich Bolognese Sauce
Retailer of the Year – sponsored by Oakland International
Tesco
Main award winners
Breakfast Foods – sponsored by Tesco
Genius Pains au Chocolat
Primal Joy Foods Maple & Pecan Nut Crunch
Bread – sponsored by Genius Gluten Free
Smart Eats & Treats Rosemary & Olive Oil Focacette
Tesco Free From fresh seeded bread
Store Cupboard – sponsored by Sainsbury’s
Fria Swedish Style Puff Pastry
Quinola Mothergrain Express Quinoa with split peas
Pasta and Pizza – sponsored by Integrated Food Projects Limited
Explore Asian Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine
Rizopia Organic Brown Rice Spaghetti
Raw foods and superfoods – sponsored by Tiana Fair Trade Organics
Marvellous Superfood Super Protein
‘Food to go’ and vending – sponsored by The Food and Drink Innovation Network
Voakes Free From Traditional Pork Pie
Down the pub and the bar – sponsored by Udi’s
Stringer’s Beer Outlook Amber Ale
Tesco Free From Savoury Party Pack Selection
Meaty and Fishy Ready Meals – sponsored by Genon Laboratories
Tesco Free From Smoked Haddock Fishcakes with a Melting Middle
Veggie Ready Meals – sponsored by Goodness Direct
Amy’s Kitchen GF Chinese Noodles & Veggies
Foods suitable for nut and peanut allergics – sponsored by the Wellaby’s
ilumi Chicken Za’tar
Children’s food – sponsored by Delamere Dairy
Georgia’s Choice Chicken Grills
Tea Time! – sponsored by Mrs Crimbles
FEEL FREE for Gluten Free Donuts
The Free From Bakehouse Rosemary & Raisin Cookies
Desserts and Puddings – sponsored by Romer Labs UK
The Coconut Collaborative DF Mango & Passionfruit Coconut Milk Yoghurt
Glamour Puds Raspberry Bakewell Tart
Confectionery and Chocolate – sponsored by FreeFrom Heaven
Doisy & Dam Maca, Vanilla & Cacao Nibs
Kinnerton Confectionery DF Hollow Santa
Bars – cereal, fruit, superfood, grain-free… – sponsored by Holland & Barrett
Get Fruity Moist Mixed Berry Bar
Press reports of ‘new’ negative vitamin study quote old research
The results of a two-year-old study conducted by Dr Tim Byers of the University of Colorado Cancer Centre have been touted in the press as ‘new’ findings that highlight the negative effects of taking more than the RDA of vitamins.
Newspapers, including the Daily Mail, reported that a “new study” had found that taking too many supplements can increase the risk of heart disease and cancer, however the data source was in fact a 2012 review published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
“This commentary is not based on any new research, but on old data discussed at an American university forum, which by its own admission, showed that only those who took unrecommended, high levels of supplements reported negative health effects,” said Graham Keen, executive director of the HFMA.
He added: “The commentary pointed out that, ‘multi vitamins taken at the correct dosage can be good for you and people need not be afraid of taking multi vitamins and minerals’ – an outtake which could be missed or misinterpreted by consumers reading today’s news reports.
“Food supplements have an excellent history of safety, both in the UK and worldwide. Aside from eating healthily, food supplements are an essential requirement for some groups of people who may be at risk of nutrient deficiencies, a position supported by the Department of Health.”
Pine bark extract improves cognitive function
In a study by scientists from the Chieti-Pescara University in Italy, supplementation with French pine bark extract has been found to boost brain health.
The 12-week peer-reviewed study, led by Dr Gianni Belcaro and published in the Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences, looked at the cognitive function, attention and mental performance of 59 healthy professionals (aged 35-55) with increased oxidative stress.
30 of the subjects were given 150mg per day of the French pine bark extract Pycnogenol in combination with a health plan to enhance mental performance and control oxidative stress, while a further 29 acted as controls.
At 12 weeks the improvement of cognitive function, attention, mental performance, sustained attention, memory, executive functions, mood and oxidative stress values in the Pycnogenol subjects was more significant than in controls.
Oxidative stress, measured by plasma-free radicals, was significantly decreased (by an average of 30.4%) at 12 weeks in Pycnogenol subjects, who also showed a small but significant improvement in PASAT, pattern recognition memory and spatial working memory.
Mood parameters (alertness, anxiety, contentedness) also improved in those using the supplement, up 16% compared to -2.1% in the control subjects; mental performance was boosted by 8.9% (3.1% control); advance sustained attention increased by 13.4%; and memory was improved by 3.6%.
In the evaluation of 12 professional daily tasks, all were improved with Pycnogenol supplementation.
The researchers concluded that Pycnogenol supplementation for 12 weeks appears to improve cognitive function and oxidative stress in healthy professionals.
This study completes a number of research observations indicating that Pycnogenol can naturally help improve some aspects of cognitive functions throughout life. Multiple studies have been conducted using Pycnogenol and showing its positive effects in managing and improving some attention parameters in children with ADHD, in improving results of specific cognitive test in students and in improving several aspects of cognitive functions in adults over 60,” said Belcaro.
“These latest findings are supported by decades of research on Pycnogenol’s ability to naturally regulate oxidative stress levels (that may significantly affect some cognitive functions) and confirm the positive impact on overall cognitive function.”