Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Previous Day's Morning Cup — Monday, April 21, 2009
If the date above is not today's or tomorrow's date, please use your browser to refresh this page
Publisher & Editor: Bob Messenger, The Morning Cup, 3807 Lemonwood Dr So., Ellenton, FL 34222 | Tel: 941-729-5926 | Email | Ad Rates
◊ Industry suppliers click here for advertising rates ◊ Read the Morning Cup company-wide

The Archives
Fri 02/06 Mon 03/09 Tue 03/10 Wed 03/11 Thu 03/12 Fri 03/13 Mon 03/16 Tue 03/17 Wed 03/18 Thu 03/19 Fri 03/20 Mon 03/23 Tue 03/24 Wed 03/25 Thu 03/26 Fri 03/27
Mon 03/30 Tue 03/31 Wed 04/01 Thu 04/02 Fri 04/03 Mon 04/06 Tue 04/07 Wed 04/08 Thu 04/09 Fri 04/10 Mon 04/13 Tue 04/14 Wed 04/15 Thu 04/16 Fri 04/17 Mon 04/20

How is it possible that everything we eat contributes to cancer? The Cancer Police in the UK are mortified, and outraged, after a BBC report that says young people don't really give much thought to cancer, or diets, or five-a-day. In fact, the survey of 1000 adults shows 60% of the people are a bit wore-out from gov't and activist yapping about the linkage between lifestyle and cancer. Let me hazard a guess on what might be going on here: Consumers are starting to tune-out the doom-and-gloom crowd because how in the world can nearly every food we eat (or so it seems) be bad for us, or contribute to cancer. It's overload to the extreme. Everyday, more news about this or that new food culprit contributing to cancer. I think consumers have kind of had it with the folks screaming 'FIRE!' in virtually every aisle of the supermarket. Or as British writer Brendan O'Neill of Spiked-online.com put it in a recent column: "The most sensible thing to do in response to today’s tsunami of warnings about the cancers that might spring from what we eat and how we play is to ignore it." He says for the consumer, it is more instinctive recognition that "it simply isn’t possible for everything to increase our chances of contracting cancer."

NUGGETS FOR NOGGINS' One thing life has taught me: if you are interested, you never have to look for new interests. They come to you. When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else. Eleanor Roosevelt

ON THE RECORD The fat/protein in the [egg] yolk can help calm the brain down and allow your kids the ability to focus and improve their concentration. This comes from the yolk, not the white, so avoid eating only whites (or egg beater type products). Deborah Enos, author, "Weight a Minute!", quoted 3/26/09 at Sheknows.com.

	Rutgers Study Shows How Consumers React to Recalls USA Today: Rutgers University's Food Policy Institute released a study this week that shows many Americans fail to check their homes for recalled food products. Only about 60% of those surveyed said they had ever looked for recalled food in their home and just 10% of those said they had found a recalled product. Link.

Consider kosher and halal for wider appeal, says market research

Food Navigator: “Certification enhances the desirability of a company’s products to a broader customer base in the US – provided marketers ensure consumers are made aware of the third-party endorsement – as well as expanding export opportunities.” Link.

Domino's Apology Video Isn't Going to Erase Those Images Ad Age: It will be very difficult for anybody to order a sandwich or a pizza there for, say, the next 200 years without imagining a curl of cheese being stuck first in the cook's nose. Link.

Challenging Your Rival? Pay Your Lawyer First Brandweek: Where Powerade appears to have gone wrong was the decision to take on a brand that has had its efficacy proven over the course of decades. Link.

Canada Study: Folic acid may raise cancer risk in offspring
Assoc. Prof. Joel Mason, Tufts University: "It's a real dilemma"
Toronto Globe & Mail: It's becoming harder to ignore the growing debate about folic acid. Despite its clear benefits when taken by pregnant women, the move to fortify food with folic acid means a major portion of the population is consuming a higher level of the supplement than they would otherwise. Link.

Chewing Gum Helps Fight Snacking, Study Says
When gum chewers had sweet snacks, they ate 60 calories less than when they didn't
WFTV Orlando: People who chew sugar-free gum are less likely to crave sweet snacks after lunch and have smaller snacks when they eat, according to research supported by gum makers A news release from Wrigley said that researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Louisiana State University found that gum chewers' average afternoon snack was 40 calories smaller than when they didn't chew gum. Link.

Hispanic Online Audience Growing 50% Faster than Populace
Hispanics now make up 11% of the total online population, according to comScore
Marketing Vox: The US Hispanic online population reached a record 20.3 million visitors in February 2009, experiencing 6% growth over the same period in 2008, according to a report on the US Hispanic internet market from comScore, which said the Hispanic online demographic is expanding more than 50% faster than the overall US online population. Link.

For Marketers, The Older Audience Is Looking Better Than Ever
Boomers now account for high percentages of sales on things like beer, carbonated beverages and candy - products that used to be considered mainstays for younger consumers
New York Times: The recession has caused marketers to look more hungrily upon older demos - those consumers traditionally spurned as advertisers reached out for their younger, spendier counterparts. Chrysler, Kraft Foods, L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble and Target are among the advertisers that are marketing goods to consumers age 50 and over. Link.

Super-size packaging a legacy society finds tough to shrink
Even packagers acknowledge they need to take steps to reduce their environmental impact
Toronto Star: "The reality is there is an over-packaging problem," says Jim Downham, president and chief executive officer of the Packaging Association of Canada. "It's a significant source of municipal solid waste." But the answer is a lot more complex than just removing all wrappings or replacing everything with more recyclable materials, he says. Link.

Ask Vanessa: Meat's environmental consumption
The environmental impacts of eating meat on an over-crowded planet are very real, and very profound
San Luis Obispo Tribune: Meat production is "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global" according to the United Nations report, Livestock's Long Shadow; identifies an array of environmental consequences of animal agriculture: land degradation, climate change, air and water pollution, water shortages, deforestation and loss of biodiversity. Link.

Why Pizza Giants Want Customers to Click, Not Call, for Delivery
Customer is a little higher income and has greater connectedness to this form of ordering
Ad Age: The major pizza chains now do 20% to 30% of their business online, but they want that figure to climb a lot higher, to 50%. Getting there will take some doing, but the journey offers lessons for other marketers also seeking to build their business online: Know your customers, make it easy and offer incentives. Link.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
Thankfully, the research on coffee is two thumbs up. We find that coffee increases your alertness, your focus, and your memory -- it even reduces the risk for certain cancers. But you want to avoid it if you're pregnant, thinking about becoming pregnant or have insomnia.
Joy Bauer, nutritionist, quoted 4/7/09 in Christian Broadcasting Network article.

TODAY'S VIDEO
MARKETING VOX: Sprite Experiments With YouTube Series: 'Green Eyed World'
Coca-Cola-owned Sprite is hopping on the reality show bus with an interactive YouTube channel called "Green Eyed World," which will feature Facebook integration ... Sprite also invites users to determine the story line. Users can log into the 'Green Eyed World' Channel on YouTube from Facebook and share information and comments with friends, possibly influencing the course of events. They can also befriend the artist directly from YouTube.

TODAY'S PRODUCT REVIEWS
● Chicago Tribune product review (4/20/09) led by reporter Minoca Eng — Taste test pits KFC's fried goodness against its healthy grilled chicken ... Although I (and the other female tasters) preferred the grilled for its distinct (but not distracting) herbal profile and the flavor spikes you get from crispy bits of caramelized fatty meat and skin, the men voted for the fried. The guys liked the grilled, but they loved the fried for its familiarity, the rush of nostalgia it induced and the extra saltiness. As one said, "When you go to KFC, this is the taste you're looking for." ... KFC President Roger Eaton reportedly said he's betting on the Kentucky Grilled Chicken as the secret to reclaiming chicken lovers who haven't visited their stores in a long time—or ever.
Read the complete review...

● Denver Westword product review (4/20/09) by Michael Roberts — Banana Nut Cheerios from General Mills. Rated two spoons out of four ... Banana Nut Cheerios is yet another new cereal with a taste that's mild, not wild. The banana flavor is more evident when eaten dry than with milk. That will no doubt excite the primary consumers of Cheerios straight out of the box: infants under the age of eighteen months. For the rest of us, though, the effect is noticeable only when concentrating -- meaning that if you're reading the newspaper, watching TV or doing pretty much anything else other than focusing with laser-like intensity on each bite of breakfast, Banana Nut Cheerios will strike you as only slightly different from regular Cheerios. Which isn't the worst thing in the world, but it sort of defeats the purpose of boasting about how "NEW!" the brand is, doesn't it? Read the complete review...

The Morning Cup constantly searches the cyberworld for insightful food and beverage industry-related feature articles and columns we think will be of interest to the majority of our readers. If you see an article posted on the internet you think would be of interest to Morning Cup readers, please email the link and a little note to editor Bob Messenger.

USDA Report Says the Organic food business is booming   

Organic farming has often been portrayed by the non-organic agribusiness corporations as unnecessary and too costly. But the US Department of Agriculture reports in its Briefing Room website "Organic Farming and Marketing," that “Organic farming has become one of the fastest growing segments of U.S. agriculture. U.S. producers are turning to certified organic farming systems as a potential way to lower input costs, decrease reliance on nonrenewable resources, capture high-value markets and premium prices, and boost farm income.” ... As consumers are becoming more aware of problems with the nation’s food production system such as mad cow disease, E. coli, and genetically engineered foods, turning toward organic foods may seem more like a necessity than ever before.
─Source: 4/18/09 article by Jackie Alan Giuliano, PhD, in Examiner.com. Read more.

● Ill From Food? Ability to Investigate Outbreaks Varies by State ... Congress and the Obama administration have said that more inspections and new food production rules are needed to prevent food-related diseases, but far less attention has been paid to fixing the fractured system by which officials detect and stop ongoing outbreaks. Right now, uncovering which foods have been contaminated is left to a patchwork of more than 3,000 federal, state and local health departments that are, for the most part, poorly financed, poorly trained and disconnected, officials said .......... “The longer it takes you to nail an outbreak, the more people are going to get sick,” said Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods at the Food and Drug Administration. “And if it’s a pathogen that causes death, the more people are going to die.” With states cutting back in the face of budget crises, disease surveillance is worsening, several officials said. “Just $50 million spread over the entire country would make a huge difference,” said Dr. Timothy Jones, the state epidemiologist in Tennessee.
─Source: 4/19/09 article by Gardiner Harris in the New York Times. Read more.

● Drinking at least one glass of low sodium vegetable juice daily may help overweight people with metabolic syndrome achieve better weight loss results. A study, partially funded by Campbell Soup Co., conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine and presented at this week’s Experimental Biology Meeting, found that participants who drank at least 8-ounces of low sodium vegetable juice as part of a calorie-controlled DASH diet lost four pounds over 12 weeks, while those who followed the same diet but drank no juice lost one pound ..... “Diet and body weight are key modifiable factors in changing the course of metabolic syndrome,” said John Foreyt, PhD, study author and Director, Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine. “What this study shows is that by taking simple, proactive steps such as drinking low sodium vegetable juice while watching calorie intake, people can begin to control their weight, which helps reduce the risk of long-term health implications.”
—Source: 4/20/09 PR Newswire. Read more.

● Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn Partner Shared the Wealth, if Not the Celebrity ..... Lacking a bow tie, suspenders and a funny last name, Charlie Bowman was denied celebrity spokesman status for helping create the most popular brand of popcorn in the U.S. But the Valparaiso, Ind., businessman was every bit as responsible as his business partner Orville Redenbacher for the explosion in popcorn sales of recent decades ..... Mr. Bowman never seemed to mind that his partner got all the glory and even introduced Mr. Redenbacher at speaking engagements as "The Popcorn King." ..... "I had all the attention I needed," Mr. Bowman told the Chicago Sun-Times in 1999.
─Source: 4/17/09 article/obituary in the Wall Street Journal. Read more.

● Study: Cheerios Can Help Reduce Cholesterol 10% in One Month ... The study, which was conducted and presented by Provident Clinical Research, found that eating two 1 1/2 cup servings of Cheerios daily, as part of a reduced calorie diet low in fat, lowered LDL or "bad" cholesterol about 10 percent in one month. Cheerios is the only leading ready-to-eat cereal clinically proven to lower cholesterol ... "We monitored the diets of study participants for 12 weeks, and a clinical evaluation of their cholesterol levels showed coupling Cheerios with a reduced calorie diet significantly helps lower LDL cholesterol levels," said Kevin C. Maki, Ph.D. of Provident Clinical Research. "We were impressed with how effectively eating Cheerios daily as part of a reduced calorie diet lowered bad cholesterol. These are simple changes that are easy for most people to make." ..... "Cheerios always has been good for you, and this study is further proof that improving heart health can be a reality with a few simple steps, like eating Cheerios daily and cutting calories," said Thierry Ibri, Marketing Director, Cheerios. "Now when people enjoy the No. 1 cereal in America they can feel confident they are taking a positive step towards getting healthier by helping to lower their cholesterol."
—Source: 4/20/09 PR Newswire. Read more.

● Eating legumes good for arteries ... Canadian scientists have discovered that the secret to repairing damaged arteries might lie in oft-neglected legumes ... Team leader Dr. Peter Zahradka, Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research, said the results were surprising -- patients who ate half a cup of pulses every day for eight weeks saw the ability of blood to flow through their arteries improve by 20 per cent. Patients' ability to walk also improved ..... "If they have better function of their blood vessels they're going to be able to do things like walk further," said human nutritionist Dr. Carla Taylor. "These individuals can only walk short distances before they get cramping in their legs. It's going to really improve their quality of life."
—Source: 4/20/09 Winnipeg Free Press. Read more.

Company News     
Molson Coors Brewing Co. to Webcast 2009 First Quarter Earnings Conference Call
Molson Coors Brewing Co. will host online, real-time webcast of its 2009 1st quarter earnings conference call with financial analysts at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (9:00 a.m. Mountain Time) on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. 

Miscellaneous News  
BOOK REVIEW: Vegan's book redefines soul food
For Bryant Terry, veganism is not about "delete meat, insert tofu." It's not about sneering at meat-eating friends or finger-wagging, carrot-crunching superiority. It's not just for affluent white people; and it's not about food with no flavor.
INTERNET: The latest Twitter craze - food
Kogi, a duo of Korean BBQ-inspired taco trucks in Los Angeles, has "Tweeted" its way to international stardom and is inspiring restaurateurs seeking new ways to tempt diners during a deep recession. 
RESEARCH: New Human Study Reinforces Antioxidant Benefits of Tart Cherries
Eating just one and a half servings of tart cherries could significantly boost antioxidant activity in the body, according to new U. of Michigan research reported at the 2009 Experimental Biology meeting in New Orleans.
RESEARCH: How skinny people could save the world
As if fitting into your skinny jeans wasn't motivation enough, staying slim could also help the environment, according to scientists.
RESEARCH: Consumers Willing to Pay Extra for Safe Foods Processed with New Technology
Consumers are willing to pay extra for food processed using new technology once they understand how it works and what it does, according to a study presented in the Journal of Food Science Education, published by the IFT.

States News  
CALIFORNIA: State senator wants to ban drugs in animal feed
One of the state Senate's leaders wants to ensure that cattle, poultry and pigs raised in California aren't routinely given antibiotics, a practice consumer advocates say can lead to the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
MINNESOTA: North Star Foods workers ponder the future
Daniel Rojas squinted through wafting smoke Saturday morning, overlooking the crumpled and charred remnants of his now-former workplace, North Star Foods.
WASHINGTON: Roman Meal CEO: His is a whole-grain life
Grace, loyalty, practicality inspire CEO of Tacoma’s Roman Meal ... He has been named Business Leader of the Year by the Milgard School at the University of Washington Tacoma. 

Excerpts of Current News & Commentary Posted in the Global Media   

Canada: Shoppers who hold the key to recovery are still scaling back
Toronto Globe & Mail: But now they're more astute and less fretful ... Well here we are, at home in a world of anxious, astute, calculating, in-sourcing, down-trading, staycationing frugalistas. In a report to be released later this month on the state of the global consumer - and in a Canada-specific analysis to be released today - The Boston Consulting Group has probed the psyche of more than 13,000 consumers across 13 countries, gauging consumer sentiment and buying intentions. As you would expect, much of it isn't pretty. That goes for Italy. And France. The U.S., of course. And Spain - especially Spain.
Link.

USA: Armageddon in the Cola Wars
Arizona Daily Star: In the early 1980s the Coca-Cola Company had a slight problem. It had twice as many vending machines as its nearest competitor, Pepsi, it dominated the fountain market (McDonald’s and other food chain outlets), it had more supermarket shelf space and it spent twice as much on advertising. And it was losing market share. Worse, the reason was that people preferred drinking Pepsi, as taste tests proved, which led the corporate suits at Coca-Cola’s headquarters to one inescapable conclusion. After 100 years of using basically the same cola formula, Coke had to change.
Link.

USA: PepsiCo offers to buy bottlers for $6 billion
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: PepsiCo, in an effort to reshape the way it delivers its beverages, is offering to acquire its two largest bottlers for $6 billion. The beverage maker is offering both companies cash and stock worth 17 percent more than each stock’s closing price on Friday for the shares it doesn’t already own. That equates to $29.50 per for share for the Pepsi Bottling Group and $23.27 per share for PepsiAmericas.
Link.

Media Coverage of 2009 Food and Beverage Trends
01/27/09 — Danbury News Times, CT: Trends for 2009; the Big Picture is Clear
01/27/09 — George Hirsch' Sensible Living Well 2009 Food Trends
01/20/09 — Chicago Tribune: Top 10 eating trends promise healthier products for 2009
01/16/09 — AZ Central.com, AZ: 10 trends will dominate 2009's nutrition landscape
01/16/09 — Morganton News Herald, NC: Whole grain pasta on list of food trends for new year
01/11/09 — National Public Radio: 2009 Food Trends: A Side Dish Of Recession
01/08/09 — Reuters Health Matters: Food Trends for 2009
01/07/09 — Cleveland Plain Dealer: Food forecasters get a Flavor for 2009
01/07/09 — Orlando Sentinel, FL: Food editor predicts 10 hot food trends for 2009
01/07/09 — Winston-Salem Journal, NC: Try to digest all of these food trends this year
01/01/09 — TheStreet.com: What's In, What's Out for 2009
01/06/09 — Arizona Republic: 3 Valley chefs predict what we'll be eating in 2009
01/06/09 — Newark Star-Ledger, NJ: Experts predict food in 2009 will be comfort driven
01/06/09 — Virginian-Pilot: Food Trends for the New Year
01/01/09 — Philadelphia Inquirer - What's Cooking for '09? Reading conflicting signs
12/31/08 — Buffalo News columnist's 'perilous' culinary predictions
12/30/08 — Orange County Register: A look ahead to 2009 food trends
12/29/08 — Houston Chronicle: Food Trends 2009: It will be a simple, 'uncomplicated' new year
12/23/08 — Farm Bureau Lists Top 5 Food Trends In 2008; Predicts Top 5 In 2009
12/21/08 — Top Chefs Predict Restaurant Food Trends for 2009
12/19/08 — National Restaurant Assn. releases 2009 industry forecast
12/18/08 — Technomic Names 5 Top Restaurant Trends for 2009
12/16/08 — Datamonitor's 10 Trends to Watch in Packaged Goods
12/15/08 — FoodChannel.com Predicts Top 10 Food Trends for 2009
12/12/08 — GMA Sees 'food sustainability' as big '09 trend
12/11/08 — UK consultancy predicts the big food trends for 2009
12/10/08 — Cosmeceutical, Eco Products Hot for 2009
12/10/08 — Food Product Design: 10 Key Trends in Food, Nutrition & Health 2009
12/10/08 — Consumer packaged goods: 10 trends to watch in 2009
12/09/08 — Bon Appétit's Food Trends Of 2009: Peanut Butter, Peru, And More
12/12/08 — Food Processing: Wellness Food Trends for 2009
12/05/08 — Hotel Magazine: Benchmark's Food & Beverage Trends For 2009
12/01/08 — Epicurious.com: Top 10 Food Trends picks for 2009

Return to Top of Morning Cup