Fats & Oils

As consumers strive to lead healthier, “greener” lives, concepts such as natural, organic, sustainable and renewable are taking on increasing importance. Those same words on a package could make the difference between what goes home and what stays on the store shelf. For food-product designers, that means tuning into consumers’ eco-conscience when choosing ingredients. Arista Industries, Inc. sticks out its ...

They say variety is the spice of life. And, if that’s the case, the product and menu developer’s pantry can be a veritable smorgasbord of piquancy. Literally, we have the world at the end of our whisk, and this has never been truer than when it comes to reaching for oils. In days past, choices were largely limited to vegetable, ...

You’ll never look at a cave painting and see an ad for cholesterol lowering drugs. There are also no ads for the yummy, yet less-than-healthy foods that dominate the modern diet. Advances in the technology of food have yielded countless alternatives to the grasses, roots, nuts, berries and meat gathered by hand, prepared simply and eaten whole. Today, consumers do ...

Sunflower, America’s native plant, is being rediscovered by American consumers and the food industry. A decade ago, 80% of the sunflower produced in the United States was exported. Today, 80% of the crop is used in North America, primarily due to changes in labeling requirements and significant changes in the fatty-acid structure of sunflower seed and oil.New suns risingToday, there ...

Throughout the ages, man has been faced with difficult choices: Chocolate or vanilla? Yankees or Mets? Soup or salad? However, these all pale against today’s biggest dilemma: Organic or natural? The battle begins USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, which oversees the National Organic Program (NOP), published the final rule on national organic standards on Dec. 27, 2000. USDA’s Organic Standards asserts ...