Food Processing - June 2008 - (Page 14)

news bites BRANDING Coke, Cargill name their new sweetener Truvia O fficials from Cargill Inc. and Coca-Cola Co. held a web conference May 15 to announce the electronic publication of peer-reviewed research that confirms the safety of their jointly developed zero-calorie sweetener rebiana, which comes from the South American-native stevia plant. They also formally named the new product Truvia and said it would be on the market by the end of this year. Calling it “a breakthrough product,” Leslie Curry, regulatory and scientific affairs director at Cargill Food and Ingredient Systems, Wayzata, Minn., explained the technical background of the sweetener. The stevia plant has been used as a sweetener for decades, especially in Asia. A more refined component is called rebiana, which has been further refined to produce the branded product Truvia. “Begins with a leaf, not a lab,” was a promotional tagline used in the presentation. The two companies announced their joint effort late last year when Coca-Cola filed patents covering use of the sweetener in products ranging from vitamins to cereal. It appears to have the “triple crown” for sweeteners: it sweetens like sugar (although it’s 200 times sweeter), has zero calories and comes from a natural source. Atlanta-based Coca-Cola apparently will have exclusive rights to develop and sell Truvia in beverages, apparently not limited to its own. When questioned, Rhona Applebaum, vice president and chief scientific and regulatory officer of Coca-Cola, did not say if her company had any specific products planned around it or when it might show up in a product. Cargill may market the sweetener for use in other products – earlier stories mentioned yogurt, cereals, ice cream and candy. Zanna McFerson, business director of Cargill Health and Nutrition, said her company also plans a tabletop sweetener. The scientific research will be published in Food and Chemical Toxicology. More info is online at www.allaboutrebiana.com. ECONOMY Time to work on customer relations, productivity mall food and beverage companies should focus the next 12 months on programs that satisfy customer needs and bolster the skills and motivation of their human resources. That was one of the key findings of a nationwide quarterly poll of 950 food and beverage company owners and managers, co-sponsored by the Small Business Research Board (SBRB), Northfield, Ill., and International Profit Associates, Buffalo Grove, Ill. Improving staff training, adding more staff and implementing or enhancing employee incentive programs are the top three elements that can boost productivity. Improvements to existing automation or technology or the addition of new automation or technology round out the top five. While only 27 percent of respondents plan to expand their business during the next 12-24 months, 67 percent of them say programs aimed at meeting customer needs is their priority (20 points higher than the prior period). Adding new products is the growth strategy s of 26 percent, followed by more services (25 percent) and enhancing customer services capabilities (16 percent). Adding new location facilities was mentioned only by 15 percent and expansion at current locations is the plan for a meager 10 percent. Any growth plans are tempered by data indicating a decline of more than 17 points from the prior quarter in SBRB’s Food & Beverage Industry Small Business Confidence Index. The score was 30.67 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2007. Only 28 percent expect the economy to improve during the next 12 months. And only 18 percent plan to increase hiring, versus 43 percent in the prior period. Any growth plans are tempered by data indicating a decline of more than 17 points from the prior quarter in SBRB’s Food & Beverage Industry Small Business Confidence Index. The score was 30.67 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2007. Only 28 percent expect the economy to improve during the next 12 months. And only 18 percent plan to increase hiring, versus 43 percent in the prior period. PEOPLE ruiz Foods chairman/co-founder honored he Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) board of directors and members honored Fred Ruiz, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Ruiz Foods Inc., at the 2008 FMI Show held in Las Vegas in May. He was recognized for his business achievements and for his company’s decades of supporting FMI as an exhibitor. Ruiz 14 • Food Processing June 2008 T Foods, Dinuba, Calif., makes Mexican frozen foods and has sales estimated at $400 million, according to our Top 100© list. FMI officials recounted the company’s humble beginnings, when Fred Ruiz would attend the FMI convention with a simple card table promoting his El Monterey brand products. In attendance was the third Ruiz generation to run the company: Vice Chairman Kim Ruiz Beck and Bryce Ruiz, president/COO. FoodProcessing.com http://www.allaboutrebiana.com http://foodprocessing.com

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Food Processing - June 2008 Editor's Plate NewsBites Show Report The Trends Rollout Food Biz Kids Consumer Taste Test A Bevy of New CEOs Ingredients Packaging Plant Operations MRO Q&A New Supplier Products Toops Scoops Contents

Food Processing - June 2008

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