Collective Food Works’ Post

This The New York Times article presents a new study about ultra-processed foods that is undergoing in the USA and it is expected to finish in late2025. 🍩 Ultra-processed foods encompass a large range of foods and drinks that are made using methods and ingredients we wouldn’t typically use or find in a home kitchen. Sodas, processed meats, and flavored yogurts are part of this category, as are most breakfast cereals, packaged breads and plant milks. 🥪 The majority of ultra-processed food contains certain combinations of enticing nutrients — like fats, sugars, sodium, and carbohydrates — that might trigger the brain’s reward system in a way that makes people want to eat a lot of them. 🔎 This study aims to understand the underlying mechanism of how ultra-processed food helps people gain weight. 🛒 Moreover, aims at helping food manufacturers who could use that information to make processed foods that are less likely to cause weight gain, such as by reducing their sodium or sugar, or by adding fiber, which adds bulk without adding calories. 😏 Choosing the healthiest and based on evidence our everyday food could be challenging. 🤝 Contact us if you need assistance: info@dnanutricoach.com https://lnkd.in/gAjqRaBe

Did you know when Doritos launched back in the 1960’s, it was a huge flop? 👎🏻 People thought the golden shaped triangles, meant to be a revolutionary new Mexican inspired snack, tasted horrible. Until… Arch West the creator of the Dorito decided to utilise some new technology. This technology allowed him to make the corn Dorito chip taste exactly like Mexican taco’s 🌮 For a long time, scientists had known a huge amount about our food: - Omega 3’s - Different protein, fats and carbohydrate levels - Vitamins and minerals But one thing they weren’t able to isolate was what made up the flavour of foods because it existed in tiny tiny quantities. There were a few fake things around then like fake tasting chewing gums and strawberry ice cream but on the whole, flavours were something that existed in nature 🙌🏼 Gas Chromatography. This was the change that allowed scientists to begin manipulating flavours in our food. And Doritos was one of the first to do so. In the 60 years that followed, we’ve witnessed not only the synthetic and artificial manipulation of our food with many things like chicken flavoured crisps and orange Fanta that we don’t even question 🤷🏽 But this has also caused our natural wholefoods to become more and more devoid of both taste and nutrients. You see we’ve optimised things like corn in a simple Dorito chip, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries to be mass produced at 10x of what they were back in the 1960’s. We’ve optimised crops for quantity and price over nutrition and taste and we are now paying a hefty hefty price for it 📉 Even worse, our palates are in an ongoing battle with flavour. Young children are exposed to artificial tastes that dwarf most of the flavours of natural foods and lead to excess consumption on scales never seen before. The best time to choose good quality in our food system was 60 years ago. The second best time is now 👈🏼

This week's #fridayfive -- 5 things I learned this week: 1. I learned that ultraprocessed foods account for 67% of the calories consumed by teens and children in the U.S. in this New York Times article. This is a growing area of concern for consumers - when we asked them which foods are unsafe to eat in our Menu Matters LLC Need States Report, ultraprocessed foods came out on top -- 66% said they are unsafe, above HFCS, synthetic dyes, and trans fats. (https://shorturl.at/cjtFU) 2. I had the good fortune to be on an AI panel with Jaime Rudolf Reeves and learn about the work Mattson: Innovation for the Food & Beverage Industry is doing on Ozempic. The space is still so new there has been little good research, so it's interesting to hear that users are drinking less soda because it makes them feel uncomfortable, and they get more cravings towards the end of the week as the effects wear off from their most recent shot. Mattson even used AI to create potential products for Ozempic users that can soothe gastric discomfort and that have more protein (to address the loss of lean muscle mass). (https://shorturl.at/GRZ17). 3. In this essay "No one buys books," I learned that half of all books published in a given year sell less than a dozen copies. "Is anyone else alarmed that the top tier is book sales of 75,000 units and up? One post on Substack could get more views than that...," writes the author. (https://shorturl.at/pqOX3) 4. Do you have a third place? Maeve Webster and I have talked a lot about loneliness in consumers and how the hospitality industry can be a source of social connection. Everyone needs places to meet other people, particularly from different backgrounds. "This might require some actionable changes, like dedicating time each week to spend an hour or so in a neighborhood hangout, or going into a restaurant or coffee shop instead of picking up..." says this Vox article. (https://shorturl.at/qwDN7) 5. Speaking of, this week I had the opportunity to attend Between Bites, a food-themed storytelling event organized by Plate Magazine editor Liz Grossman and her two co-founders. All of the stories were excellent, but my favorite started off in a way that sounded less than interesting - Axios Chicago's Justin Kaufmann said he was going to list his 50 favorite Chicago restaurants. But as he breezed through them and why they were important to him, the audience audibly reacted to each - an "aww" for a restaurant that had closed down, or a "yes" for a restaurant that was a crowd favorite. It was a room of people connecting over a shared love of the city's food culture and it exemplified how important food spaces are in our lives. I hope you'll enjoy a connection with your own community this weekend. #restaurants #menus #cpg #foodindustry #manufacturing #brands #marketing #health #processed #ultraprocessed #ozempic #books #publishing #loneliness

HOW OUR TASTE BUDS ARE KILLING US. Taste buds are our personal flavor detectives, revealing the rich tapestry of tastes we encounter with every bite. These tiny sensory structures on our tongue specialize in detecting the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. 🍋🍫🍕 When we savor a meal, our taste buds leap into action. #Food molecules bind to receptor cells within each taste bud, sending signals through nerve fibers straight to the brain. This process not only identifies taste but also informs our brain about the potential nutritional content of food. 🧠💡 But here’s where it gets interesting: the #foodindustry has mastered the art of tickling our taste buds. By understanding the science behind taste, manufacturers create products that hit the ‘bliss point’—a perfect balance of salt, sugar, and fat that keeps us coming back for more. 🎯🍔🥤 This isn’t just about indulgence; it’s a calculated strategy. The industry uses taste science to engineer flavors that peak quickly and dissipate, leaving us craving another bite. It’s a clever use of our biological wiring, ensuring that their products are irresistible. 😋🔄 As consumers, it’s essential to be mindful of how our taste buds can be influenced. By choosing #wholefoodsplantbased diet and being aware of the additives in processed foods, we can take control of our health and palate. 🥑🥝What I have experienced for myself when we shift to whole foods plant based eating is that our intuitive intelligence also takes over and we naturally start getting attracted more easily to natural healthy foods. 🌱🛒 In conclusion, while taste buds are the guardians of our gustatory system, the food industry often plays the role of a cunning magician, creating illusions of flavor that can lead us down a path of overconsumption. Stay informed, stay healthy, and let’s savor the true essence of food! 🥗🔍 #HolisticHealth #PlantBasedLiving #wholefoodsplantbased #plantbasedfoods #eathealthy #tastescience #foodindustry

Why did experts choose an extruder rather than an oven to produce human food or pet food for the many, temperature-sensitive ingredients? The answer, as you probably know, is simple: with an extruder, you can have perfect control over the residence time and the product temperature. Taste and smell are thus reproducible due to the fact that you have complete control over the “Maillard” reactions.

Mainers know their maple syrup — the state is the third-largest producer of it nationwide. The same can’t be said in many other places. In parts of the southern and western U.S., many consumers don’t realize that maple syrup comes in different flavors based on when it was harvested or how long it ages, or that it can enhance tea, bacon, cocktails or cornbread. Mary Ellen Camire, UMaine professor of food science and human nutrition, believes the maple industry can tap into new domestic markets through broader consumer outreach and education. To support producers nationwide, Camire and Qiujie “Angie” Zheng, UMaine associate professor of business analytics, and their students will survey consumers across the U.S. on their interest in maple syrup, collecting data and feedback one spoonful at a time. Learn more about this project, and how to participate, by visiting bit.ly/4apEo7T. #UMaine #UMaineResearch #Maine #MapleSyrup #FoodScience

People always ask us why we don't make #bonebroth instead of vegetable broth. It is all about freshness, taste and flavor. When we developed Millie's Sipping Broth, we found that protein didn't add any flavor to the broth. In fact, it actually diminished the flavor. What about the function of protein that everyone seems to want? Our customers all agree that giving the mind a savory flavor sensation (to satisfy snacking) is more important. Making a FRESH cup of broth every time matters. To make this new category of sipping broth a success, it is all about the fresh tasting vegetables, spices and seasonings. With Millie's you get that every time because you make it minutes before you drink it. If you pick up some pre-made broth, most likely it was made 6 to 12 months before and then added to a plastic lined container. Here is an article we found from 2018 that gives more info on the difference between bone broth and vegetable broth - https://lnkd.in/gr_bJAiP #cpgbrands #plantbased #food, #innovation, #plantbased, #foodbusiness, and #foodandbeverage

Did you know that some common food products contain ingredients that sound more like science experiments than food? 🤔 One bold claim from an interesting article I found suggests that these unusual additives are not just harmless preservatives, but can actually have surprising impacts on our health. Do you agree with the idea that we should be more critical of what's in our everyday foods? Let's kick off a discussion! What’s your take on scrutinizing food labels? Are you all about clean eating or do you think moderation is key? Drop your thoughts below! 🥗💬 https://lnkd.in/gKUGVjdE

Research: Does chocolate have a dark side? Read more: 👇👇 https://buff.ly/45eAhKg #foodprocessing #food #foodindustry #foodtechnology #foodtech #foodtechnologist #foodprocessingequipment #foodproduction #foodmanufacturing #foodprocessing

Another important topic to hear about at IFT... 🧐 Does it matter that consumers don't understand "ultra-processed"? Absolutely! Without this understanding, we can't educate consumers on distinguishing ultra-processed foods from processed or unprocessed ones, leading to more informed food choices. Misunderstandings, like avoiding a food mistakenly thought to be ultra-processed, can be corrected. Education is key to healthier decisions! Follow Culinary Tides, Inc. for more insights. 🍎🔍 #FoodTrends #IFT #processedfoods #CulinaryTides #UPF Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ez-9-54Q