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Much progress has been made on the trans fat issue, with
all the major QSR chains now using trans fat free oils. So what will be
the next focus of health authorities in their quest to improve peoples health
and minimize
health care costs? As food processor, you want to know, so
you can be ahead of the curve instead of having to scramble
to meet the latest requirements.
Here is an example of the type of data health authorities
are looking at to base these kind of decisions on (Source:
The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States:
Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and
Metabolic Risk Factors, in PLoS Medicine, April 2009)
Obviously, you have to get people to stop smoking and get
them more active. For food companies, there is a continuing
role in the reduction of the obesity issue, although I am of
the opinion that menu choices are at least as important as
the properties of individual foods.
But the next big thing to focus on as food companies?
My nomination is... Sodium/Salt
Actually, it is not much of a guess.
The Food Standard
Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom is spearheading this
issue for years and also several consumer organisations
(e.g.
CSPI) are
pushing the topic. As you can see in the graph presented
earlier, with good reason, especially if you realize that
salt also plays a role in high blood pressure.
The good news is that potato
products do NOT play a leading role in the total salt
consumption. Cereal products and meat products are the main
sources in the diet. E.g. in the Canadian diet, potatoes
contribute about 3% and in data from the UK, potatoes
counted for 1-2% and savoury snacks 2-3%. If savory snacks
is the first product that comes to mind when talking about
salt, you may want to try this
quiz on salt contents of
foods and you will be surprised.
As stated earlier, the FSA is working to reduce salt
consumption for some time and much progress has been made.
Instead of regulation combined with enforcement, the FSA works
with targets that industry is supposed to achieve. This
program has been very successful: reductions of one-third
have been reached for branded sliced bread and 44 % for
branded cereals. The snack sector in the UK has also been very active and
in 2007 alone there was a 13% reduction of salt in standard chips,
32% in extruded snacks and 27% in pelleted snacks. In some
standard chips ranges average reductions of up to 55% have
been reported.
Below are the (recently revised) targets the Food
Standard Agency has formulated for potato products going
forward:
| FSA Targets for salt content (g/100g) |
|
Potato Product |
Current 2010 |
Revised 2010 |
Target 2012 |
|
FSA code |
Comments |
avg |
max |
avg |
max |
avg |
max |
|
11.1 |
Potato chips |
1) |
1.50 |
|
|
|
1.38 |
1.63 |
|
11.2 |
Extruded snacks |
2) |
2.80 |
|
2.25 |
|
1.88 |
2.50 |
|
11.3 |
Pelleted snacks |
3) |
3.40 |
|
2.50 |
|
2.25 |
|
|
11.4 |
All Salt and Vinegar flavoured chips and snacks |
3) |
3.10 |
|
2.38 |
|
2.13 |
3.00 |
|
26.1 |
Dehydrated instant mashed potato, as consumed |
|
|
0.25 |
0.20 |
|
0.18 |
|
|
26.2 |
Frozen potato products: French Fries (incl. coated),
wedges, formed potato products |
|
|
0.50 |
0.49 |
0.88 |
0.49 |
0.75 |
This table is highly simplified for readability (Review
FSA Excel spreadsheet). Multiply the salt content in
g/100g by 400 to get the sodium content (mg/100g)
-
The Agency recognises that the snack sector has removed
a considerable amount of salt from their products and has
been removing artificial additives, monosodium glutamate
and working on reducing saturated fat. Predict further progress
on salt reduction is difficult over the next four years,
but the revised targets have been set at levels that should
be achievable in that time frame. The Agency will review
progress towards these targets in 2010.
-
The target set appears achievable but the Agency recognises
that companies work will be dependant on consumer acceptance
of lower salt products.
-
The Agency will keep progress towards achieving this target
under close review following the technical issues raised
during the consultation.
So what can Potato processors do to reduce the salt
content of their products?
French Fry manufacturers have the
easiest job in reducing salt, since most of the salt is
added in the restaurant or at home. Still, french fry
Manufacturers may want to review the amounts of salt in
coating systems used for their French fries and their potato
specialties.
Savory snack manufacturers have tried
different approaches:
1)
One approach is to offer
specific products with less salt, as to offer the consumer a
choice. Frito Lay has done this e.g. with a the launch of
the
“Pinch of salt” range with
30-50% less salt in 2008. Already, this range has been taken off
the
market.
I guess it did not sell.
2)
In Canada the Frito-lay approach is different and recently
the Canadian Frito-lay website boasts a 25% salt reduction
for ALL products.
Potato dehy manufacturers can take the
easy route and just change preparation method (add x g salt). Although I assume it
is a coincidence, in
the recent “name and shame” action by the CSPI, several menu’s
flagged for high salt content contained mashed potato. Maybe there is
an opportunity for a ready to use mixture that can be
incorporated in the dried potato (flakes/granules) so the
end user does not have to add any salt.
If you move to salt replacers, take
note that
potassium can be highly toxic for dialysis
patients. This is something you have to keep in mind when labeling a reformulated product.
Enjoy reading,
Paul van Eijck
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Food Trends
Coopérative Agricole de Noirmoutier
Coopérative Agricole de Noirmoutier is a potato growers
cooperation on the French island Noirmoutier. They are
well known for the premier variety La Bonnotte. |
France |
Gansu Xuejing IMP&EXP CO,.LTD
Gansu Xuejing is a large Chinese company, trading many
different products internationally. Gansu Xuejing manufactures
dehydrated potato products and a range of food ingredients. |
China |
Northern Plains Potato Growers Association (NPPGA)
The Northern Plains Potato Growers Association's mission
is to promote profitability and unity of the potato
growers of the adjoining states of Minnesota and North
Dakota through the development and promotion of quality
potatoes and potato products |
United States |
Specialty Potato Alliance
Company planning to sell fingerling potatoes all year
round |
United States |
Proper Crisps
Hand cooked New Zealand potato chips fried in sunflower
oil and prepared with all natural ingredients. |
New Zealand |
ASTRA Food Processing Plant Company
ASTRA Food Processing Plant Co. (AFPPCo.) was established
in 1997 in Saudi Arabia to fully exploit the surplus
of agricultural materials from ASTRA Farms and other
farms in the region. AFPPCo. have multi production lines
from pickles, jams, potato chips, Frozen Vegetables,
French Fries to our newly Pre-cut Fresh Vegetables. |
Saudi Arabia |
Baker Perkins Group
The Baker Perkins group offer processing equipment for
the bakery, biscuit, confectionery, snack and breakfast
cereal sectors. Industrial Equipment offered to the
snack sector includes extruders and ovens. |
United Kingdom |
|
