SAFPP Weblog

I have posted a few stories about different sources for pectin and the possibility of pectins with different functional properties. I have worried about the potential of these as the basis for sustainable businesses by still felt that the potential should be investigated. Recently there have also been stories highlighting health benefits and advantages of pectins.

A recent series of articles from Food Navigator seems to confirm this opportunity.

The articles cover:
Pectin: Health ingredient of the future?
Pectin: Health claims and labelling
Pectin: Providing solutions for healthy foods
Pectin: Dairy replacer and micro-encapsulator
Pectin: Sourcing issues and ideas

I feel that there is an opportunity worth investigating for Africa, not by competing directly in the existing market (35 000 tons per year mainly from citrus and apples) but rather by focussing on speciality markets based on tropical fruits, producing for local markets currently dependent on expensive imports and using waste streams.

The last of the articles clearly shows that the financial viability is critical to any pectin business and is the normal failing of many of the ideas that have been developed scientifically. SAFPP would therefore like to offer feasibility study assistance to anyone with product information already determined.

A few days ago while traveling from Toulon to Nice we stopped at a filling station “take away” for food. This was a simple fast food place selling vienas and chips, hot dogs, pizza, quiche, rolls etc and not a Jucy Lucy type establishment!

Alongside the menus and options was the advert pictured below:

This was for the “Sandwich of the Month” which is stated to be enriched with omega three. There is also a note at the bottom on eating five fruit and vegetables a day. Interesting that a “run of the mill” outlet, although linked to one of the bigger chains, offers this kind of product to its consumers in a land where eating and drinking tends to focus on the specialities eg pate de fois gras, confit au canard, saucicon, pastis and red wine wich show little concern for nutrition and healthiness.

My contacts with the British and Dutch markets lead me to believe that Organic and FAIRTRADE were important market movements in Europe.

What I have found is that this is clearly not the case in France. Recent news items from Britain seem to indicate that consumers who used organic products almost exclusively (Sky News 01/06/2008 ) are reducing their organic purchases because of the increase in food costs.

In a large supermarket visited recently

there was no organic fresh produce and only this small section of organic food was found under the health foods

Another supermarket did have a small organic fresh produce section but the products were imported from Spain and Holland. So the organic movement does not seem to be well developed, at least outside of the main centres.

On the FAIRTRADE side, most supermarkets have a few ethical and FAIRTRADE products in their coffee sections but again not in their fresh produce sections. The supermarket illustrated above only had a small ethical section, in addition to their coffees.

Many consumers in South Africa believe that we do not get the best fruit, which is reserved for export.

I was one of these people until I saw the display below in a supermarket in Cluny.

I was also surprised to see that even Capespan was unable to ensure an attractive and organised in store display of the products it was distributing.

Most supermarkets clearly show the source of their produce in their marking and pricing. The example below is from the “exotic food” corner

shows the more remote suppliers of produce. The suppliers of more normal produce is mainly France, Spain, Netherlands and Italy.

There does not seem to be any pressure (like the UK aeroplane sign for airfreighted products) on the consumer regarding energy and environment issues.

I am in France for a few months and have already been surprised by a number of differences between South African and French food products. Some really nice and different products are on the shelves, many showing the deep commitment of the French to food and eating!

I intend blogging every now and again on a particular product or issue.

On my first visit to a supermarket I came across these apple juices packed in a longlife glass format that were novel and attractive.

A closer look at the front label shows that there are a range of juices, depending on apple variety that vary between doux (sweet) and tonique (sharp). The juices are clearly not totally clarified, have a natural colour and are packed in 1l bottles.

A look at the back label shows that these are pure pressed apple juices without added sugar, preservatives or colourants. Nature de Pomme state that there processing involve traceability and the application of quality control.

The obvious deposit in the bottles is explained as being a natural deposit which should be handled by shaking before opening.

This is obviously a premium quality product for the “natural” consumer, although it is not an organic product.

An in container sterilisation process has the real advantage that packaging takes place before sterilisation, negating any problems in packaging. A major disadvantage are the long cycle times and high heat inputs required which result in harsh product treatments.

The Shaka Process (not related to the Zulu King) offered by Packaging Technologies and Inspection

overcomes this by agitating the containers during sterilisation, thereby reducing heat transfer times for liquid and semi liquid products.

The massively reduced cycle times reduce product damage and batch turn around times. Although the equipment is more costly for a given batch size the faster turn around time increases the hourly capacity and reduces the cost.

This is rather high tech equipment but the principles should be borne in kind and could be borne in mind and might initiate some interesting process and equipment ideas.

News of investment in science and technology which could assist farmers by reducing post harvest losses is always welcome and is based on strong logic.

After all the project to be run at Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (JUCAVM) in Ethiopia, with US$3 million funding from the Canadian International Development Agency is based on the following

“Post-harvest crop losses can range from 30–70 per cent depending on the crop,” says Tessema Astatkie, director of Canada’s Post-Harvest Management to Improve Livelihoods Project, which is a partner of the programme.

“We will initially focus on products currently experiencing higher losses,” says Demeke , director of JUCAVM. These include fruits such as avocado, mango, banana and papaya, as well as leafy vegetables.

But I would like to raise a few issues that must be borne in mind in approaching such a project:

• this type of project has been carried out many times, but I am not sure that all the knowledge gained has ever been well collated to assist such a new project

• often loss is a result of an imbalance between production and demand - the first approach solution to this is to adjust production rather than spend money and resources on post harvest processing
• I have often heard these types of figures questioned - there is no doubt that studies have revealed losses as large as 70% but was this a real loss that could be addresses
• technology should seen in its broadest sense here as much can be achieved by simple actions such as handling crops carefuly
• the temptation to add value as a way of using crop excesses needs careful consideration not least of all because adding value first of all increases cost especially if packaging is involved

Have we thought about this enough and been innovative enough? Whatever the losses it is of course a large resource.

While the post below, from my Fun Foods News blog, is written in a fun way I suppose like any information it has a more serious side when one stops to think of the implications and similar or parallel approaches one might take.

Many years ago Monty Python had a sound bite on a crisp factory that sold salt and vinegar ice and crispy bacon ice creams - it was counter posed by a shop that sold strawberry flavoured chips!

But now its for real and not a joke! Haagen-Dazs make a Fleur de Sel caramel Ice Cream!

Its described as:

Fleur de Sel caramels covered in a chocolaty coating blended into caramel ice cream with caramel ribbons and French sea salt accents. Crisp, salty nuances harmonize with rich, creamy caramel for the ultimate combination of sweet and salty.

I look forward to tasting it, but wonder where? my family would be conceptually opposed to the mixture of sweet and salty.

What is interesting about this is the focus on tastes linked to foreign countries. This ties in with some on my previous blogs on Trends and some foods I’m seeing in France. Maybe with a mobile and frequently holidaying population products from far away countries have an appeal - even if the flavour is not strictly a flavour of the country. The consumer’s taste and marketing needs over rule the local flavour profile and become a concept. Amarula Cream is a classic example of this - more about this one day perhaps.

Just a word to say that its not as if I am unaware of what going on worldwide with respect to the sharply rising prices of food staples. I already blogged about this and what effect it would have back in early January as I was setting up my new blogs and sites.

The causes seem to be well accepted ie weather, demographics, oil price and biofuels but there is no doubt that many people are using it to promote their own agendas: