ARE SUPERFOODS
REALLY SUPER
More than three-quarters of Kiwis have
purchased something because it is a
‘superfood’, according to a nationwide
survey run by Nairn’s Oatcakes.
Turmeric has been singled out, with
33% saying it is the best-known
superfood, followed by oats (20%),
blueberries (19%) and Maca (13%).
Both kale and wheatgrass lagged
behind, with just 6.25% of people
naming them as top superfoods.
Nairn’s Jaimee Freeman says there
appears to be some disagreement
over whether superfoods are as
healthy as they appear, with just
21% of those surveyed saying that
superfoods are scientifically proven to
have health benefits. Fourteen percent
say there are no proven benefits, and
almost 60% believe it depends on the
food and that sometimes health claims
could be supported with scientific
studies. “We ran the survey as oats
often seem to be one of the more
underappreciated health foods and
we were keen to understand how they
stacked up perception-wise against
the trendier superfoods,” Freeman
says. “Hopefully, that means that
awareness of oats as a natural health
food is growing.” Perceived health
benefits from eating superfoods with
survey-goers include more energy
(56%), mental alertness (56%),
detoxification (50%), better skin (50%),
anti-aging (43%) and weight loss
(19%). Freeman says that per 100g,
wholegrain oats have 205% more
fibre, 295% more protein and 225%
more iron than kale. “However, they’re
still not as popular in New Zealand as
they could be,” she says. “We only
consume 5% of the total global oat
harvest.” The superfoods survey was
conducted online, with more than 700
people responding to questions about
their thoughts on popular superfoods.
Facebook @nairnsoatcakesnz.
ON TOP IN
SUSTAINABILITY
Fonterra is showing where it’s at and where it
needs to get to in sustainability, chief executive
Miles Hurrell says.
Launching its second annual
Sustainability Report into the cooperative’s
environmental, social
and economic goals, Hurrell says
there are areas where Fonterra is leading the
industry, thanks to the hard work of its farmers,
people and partners. “But there are also areas
where we’ve tried and haven’t hit the mark
yet, and the report doesn’t shy away from
that,” Hurrell says. “We have considerable
scale and with that comes the opportunity,
and the responsibility, to influence for good.
That’s exactly what we’re working to do, by
producing dairy in a way that cares for people,
animals and the land, and brings long-term
value to our communities.” New Zealand
farmers lead the world in many aspects of
sustainable dairying, with high productivity,
year-round pasture grazing and lower use
of supplementary feeds. However, the scale
of the industry in New Zealand means that
dairy’s environmental footprint is of national
significance. “Our farmers have led the way
with excluding cows from waterways, but
other areas are going to take longer, like
lowering greenhouse gas emissions both on
farm and in manufacturing,” says Fonterra’s
director of sustainability Carolyn Mortland.
“Our ambition is to make the best nutrition in
a way that regenerates our farms, our country
and the world. The challenges associated
with this are significant, but we’re committed
to making a difference.” Some of the report’s
highlights include:
• Fonterra has launched a new
dedicated medical nutrition division. The
team is tasked with pioneering dairy nutrition
solutions to help people recovering from
disease and illness at all stages of life, as well
as helping people age in good health.
• More than 70% of Fonterra’s everyday and
advanced nutrition products meet Fonterra’s
86 ANNUAL DIRECTORY 2019