www.foodtechnology.co.nz 7 NEWS SNIPS DuPont Nutrition & Health has completed its switch to 100% certified sustainable palm oil and palm oil derivatives used in its global emulsifier production Kawerau’s Urban Food Forest (KUFF) project will become a source of fresh produce for everyone, with thousands of fruit and nut trees, berries and herbs planted in the Monika Lanham Reserve Splore Festival at Orere Point is the first New Zealand event of its kind to scratch single use plastic bottled water from its menu, after punters drank their way through more than 10,000 last year The union representing distribution centre workers at organic food giant Ceres has written to BioGro NZ to request an investigation into whether Ceres is meeting the social justice standards required for certification N E W S KIWI ‘APPLE OF OUR EYES' MANUKA HONEY STANDARDS COULD COST JOBS: The Government’s “complete mishandling” of the permanent manuka honey standard could cost jobs, Northland MP Winston Peters says. “Steven Joyce spent years boring the provinces about how committed National was to manuka honey but, like much of what National says, it was hot air because the ‘interim’ standard turns three in 2017 and delays are costing the entire industry big time,” Peters says. “Growers were promised that the vital manuka honey definition was going to be released last year. It then became the end of January but National, keeping to form, has seen this slip to goodness knows when.” Peters says Food Safety Minister David Bennett has stated that the General Requirement for Export (GREX) will be finished as soon as possible following consultation in 2017. “That does not sound like it being next month which the industry was relying upon,” Peters says. “If vacillation was an Olympic sport, Mr Bennett would win gold for New Zealand. Honey growers are hurting and this delay will result in people losing their jobs. It is that serious. Interminable consultation is now paralysis through analysis.” American apple-munchers have selected New Zealand-born Envy apple as their favourite, ahead of 31 other varieties vying for top spot in a consumer competition run by the US Apple Association. Apple fans across the States voted over five weeks on a wide range of apples – including Granny Smiths, Honeycrisp and Fuji – before Envy took top honours, the Association’s director of consumer health Korenna Wilson says. Envy was developed by New Zealand Plant and Food Research using natural plant-breeding methods, crossing Braeburn with Royal Gala apples. T&G Global now owns the Envy trademark, and first planted it in New Zealand nine years ago, before transporting the variety to the US. The horticulture company expects to harvest more than two million cartons in the US alone by 2020, with executive general manager of pipfruit Darren Drury saying the award is thrilling. “Envy is selling extremely well in the US but also our other key overseas markets such as Thailand, China and Vietnam,” he says. “We’re intending to increase global production significantly over the next eight years to keep up with the growing demand for this premium apple.” New-season Envy apples from Hawkes Bay, Nelson and Gisborne are also appearing in New Zealand stores from this month, so Kiwis will also be able to enjoy the apple that is the envy of others around the world again shortly, adds Drury. High-priced rock and sea salts promoted as healthier choices risk misleading consumers about their benefits and are technically the same as any other salt product on the shelf, Consumer NZ says. Chief executive Sue Chetwin says gourmet salts can claim to contain higher levels of essential minerals such as iron and calcium. “But all salt products on shop shelves are essentially the same – nearly 100% sodium chloride,” she says. Consumer NZ found three companies – Lotus Foods, Mrs Rogers and The Healthy Salt Company – promoted some of their salts as containing iron, calcium or magnesium, even though these minerals are only present in trace amounts. “Food manufacturers are well aware shoppers want to buy healthy foods. Consumers may decide to buy a gourmet salt over a cheaper table variety after seeing these claims about mineral content. But they’ll be paying five to 50 times the price,” Chetwin says. The product claims may also tempt consumers to add extra salt to their food to try to up their iron, calcium or magnesium intake. “But instead of getting any health benefit, they may be exceeding their daily salt limit and putting their health at risk. The adverse health effects of a highsalt diet are well-known,” she says. Consumer NZ believes the claims also fall foul of the labelling rules in the Food Standards Code. To claim a product is a source of a specific mineral, such as iron or calcium, it must provide 10% of the code’s adult recommended daily intake (RDI). Products promoted by Lotus Foods, Mrs Rogers and The Healthy Salt Company did not meet this requirement. Chetwin says Consumer NZ has raised its concerns about the product claims with the Ministry for Primary Industries, which enforces the code. A PINCH OF SALT SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION www.foodtechnology.co.nz
FT-Apr17-eMag
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