Food Business News - August 2, 2011 - 12

Campbell shifting R.&D. resources away from sodium reduction
of primary importance. Others deﬁne their w wellness needs in terms of vegetable n nutrition, sodium reduction, energy and s stamina, or digestive health. Thus, reducing s sodium is just one component of our w wellness strategy.” The company also said it is launching 8 new varieties of Healthy Request soups, wh which will increase the line to 33 soups from 25, and all Healthy Request soups will contain 410 mg of sodium per serving. The company als will continue to provide more than also 50 soups in its Condensed, Chunky, Select Harvest and V8 product lines where sodium has been reduced between 10% and 50% in the past few years. “Cam “Campbell offers consumers a choice of f foods to suit their lifestyles and he help them meet their dietary g goals,” Ms. Morrison said. “For e example, we provide convenient a delicious ways for people to and g more vegetables and whole get g grains in their diets, which is e encouraged by the latest U.S. D Dietary Guidelines, but which most pe people fail to do. Our products ca help consumers to meet the can re recommendations in the guidelines w whether they are looking to in incorporate more vegetables and w whole grains in their diets or to d decrease their consumption of ca calories or sodium.” FBN

Accuracy of calorie counts on menus evaluated
BOSTON — A study of menu items from national chain restaurants found that while stated calories on restaurant menus and web sites were accurate on average, 19% of individual samples differed from laboratory measurements by more than 100 calories and lower calorie foods tended to contain more calories than listed. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study from the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (H.N.R.C.A.) at Tufts University compared laboratory measurements of calories in 269 menu items with the restaurants’ stated calories. Researchers randomly collected the samples from national fast-food restaurants and sit-down chain restaurants in Boston, Indianapolis and Little Rock, Ark. “On average, the food items measured 10 calories higher than the restaurants’ stated calories,” said Susan B. Roberts, senior author and director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at the H.N.R.C.A. “That’s essentially accurate. However, 19% of food items contained at least 100 calories more than listed, which suggests calories for individual foods can be unreliable. One item contained 1,000 calories more than listed.” The study’s laboratory measurements also indicated that lower calorie menu items purchased in sit-down restaurants tended to have more calories than listed. For example, based on the data, the researchers were able to predict a sit-down restaurant item listed as approximately 300 calories, and therefore potentially suitable for weight loss or prevention of weight gain, may contain approximately 90 calories more than listed. Additionally, menu items often viewed as healthier from

CAMDEN, N.J. — Campbell bell Soup Co. is shifting some of its ium R.&D. resources away from sodium g reduction efforts and is reformulating 31 of its Campbell’s Select Harvest Soups to include more sodium. The company said the shift in focus away from strict sodium reduction was in response to consumer feedback. “We know that many consumers take great interest in the impact of the foods they eat on their longterm health and well-being,” said Denise Morrison, chief executive ofﬁcer. “But we also recognize that the health and wellness attributes of foods mean different things to different people. For many, weight loss and weight maintenance is

Seneca Foods, Allens intend to merge
MARION, N.Y. — Seneca Foods Corp. and Allens, Inc. late last month announced their intent to merge in a stockfor-stock transaction. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Based in Marion, Seneca Foods is a processor of canned fruits and vegetables with manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States. Its products are sold under the Libby’s, Aunt Nellie’s Farm Kitchen, Stokely’s, READ, Seneca Farms and Seneca labels as well as through the private label and industrial markets. In addition, under an alliance with General Mills, Seneca produces canned and frozen vegetables that are sold by General Mills under the Green Giant label. Seneca posted earnings of $16.8 million on sales of $1.19 billion in ﬁscal 2010. Privately held and based in Siloam Springs, Ark., Allens, Inc. is a processor of canned and frozen vegetables. Its product line is sold via branded and private label items to the retail, food service and industrial markets. Key brands include Allens, VegAll, Fresh Like, Popeye, Trappeys, Sugary Sam and Princella. FBN

FOODBUSINESS NEWS

August 2, 2011

Food Business News - August 2, 2011

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