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GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2014 www.gourmetnews.com GENERAL NEWS 6 Whole Grains Continued from PAGE 4 foods with whole grain in the market. "The lack of a universal definition of a whole grain food not only creates chal- lenges for researchers, but also confusion for consumers," said roundtable participant Joanne Slavin, a registered dietitian with the Department of Food Science and Nutri- tion at the University of Minnesota. "A whole grain food definition would help re- searchers to quantify the amount and types of whole grains that are linked to health and provide consumers much-needed in- formation to make choices to help them meet the USDA Dietary Guidelines recom- mendations for whole grain intake." Research shows that whole grains offer a number of nutritional benefits beyond just fiber. Whole grains provide a complex array of beneficial bioactive components, including vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, beta-glucan, inulin and phytosterols. The panel concluded that these additional ben- efits warranted a whole grain food defini- tion independent of fiber. "When shopping for whole grain foods, many consumers confuse whole grain with fiber," said Slavin. "While fiber contributes to the health benefits of whole grains, fiber alone does not provide all the benefits of nu- trient-rich whole grains such as oats, wheat, barley, brown and wild rice and quinoa." According to the USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines, Americans should consume at least half of all grains as whole grains, and increase whole grain intake by replacing refined grains with whole grains. Nine out of 10 Americans currently do not get the recommended servings of whole grain. Recommendations to increase whole grain intake are not limited to the United States. Mexico, Canada and Australia are among several other countries around the globe that recommend increased whole grain intake. GN European Names Continued from PAGE 1 that the quality of its production meets cer- tain industry standards. The Swiss producers of Gruyere cheese have been particularly vocal in their sup- port for international regulation when it comes to the use of the term "Gruyere." "There is a big risk for our product, our producers and, in fact, at the end, the consumers. When you have a cheese sold under the 'Gruyere' name that has no taste and no character—no rules," said Philippe Bardet, Director of Interprofes- sion for Le Gruyère AOP. "The consumer, expecting a certain quality, is certainly disappointed. Sometimes we really think we are like in the old times, on a horse fighting to save our lives. Like the guardians of the temple, we have to fight to protect our heritage and to be sure our kids will still be able to discover it and discover the authentic taste." In fact, many American-made products with European names do often differ in sig- nificant ways from the original product. Some U.S. producers of Greek yogurt, for example, have been criticized for adding certain stabilizers to the product that would not be introduced to the authentic Old World version. And it is likely that many consumers who are fans of mass-pro- duced American "brats" would be sur- prised if introduced to bratwurst sausages made in the true German tradition. Bardet argues that limiting the use of certain product names to those producers that follow tradition is a necessary step toward eliminating copies currently on the market. "We hope EU will win this," said Bardet. "This has already been ac- cepted by many countries—for example, for us first in Switzerland, then in all of Europe and now in Russia and South Africa. Those countries respect this his- tory and tradition. You have to have in mind that the USA could do the same for some of its own products that have a long history—for example, whiskey." Still, many American specialty food com- panies are deeply concerned that the EU is going too far in attempting to entirely ban use of these names by U.S. companies. "We think it's ridiculous to say that words that are in use in america and around the world could literally become il- legal in the United States. To have Europe take back the word feta is as preposterous as to take back the word baguette," said John Umhoefer, Director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. "Many world-famous cheeses gained popularity with consumers precisely be- cause versions made by immigrants abroad were readily available to a New World au- dience," said Greg O'Neill, President of the American Cheese Society. "A common sense approach must apply to names in long-standing common usage. After build- ing the awareness, appreciation, and avail- ability of such cheeses, it would be detrimental to eliminate the broad, univer- sally-understood language of cheese." Umhoefer argues that although certain product names are clearly synonymous with a particular place, and thus should be re- stricted for use by producers operating in that place, the EU is taking things too far in attempting to trademark names that are now common and universal. "I agree with the idea of protected designations of origin, but Europe is taking that idea and using it to po- litically create trade advantages," he said. "I agree that we shouldn't make Roquefort cheese in Wisconsin. That should only be made in Roquefort. Our position is we agree with them until they go too far." Although there are undoubtedly some food companies in the United States mak- ing inferior versions of European specialty meats and cheeses, many within the Amer- ican specialty food industry are working hard to prove that their products are not in- herently inferior to the European version, simply due to their provenance. Jeremy Schaller, Brand Director for New York- based charcuterie company Schaller & Weber, argues that his company's German- style sausages, for example, are made ac- cording to the precise Old World traditions his grandfather brought to this country from Germany. "The thing about our company is that we bring that tradition and that authenticity to the product but you don't have to buy something that was made 4,000 miles away," said Schaller. If the EU's proposed restrictions ulti- mately pass and U.S. specialty food compa- nies are prohibited from using European names for their products, the economic im- pact could be significant. As Wisconsin produces 90 percent of American-made feta and 75 percent of domestic parmesan, Umhoefer worries that these restrictions could exact a particularly harsh toll on cheesemakers in his state. "Our status as the state producing the vast majority of specialty cheese in the U.S. makes Wiscon- sin particularly vulnerable," he said. Many are also concerned that should American consumers only have access to European-produced versions of certain products, supply of these items could be- come limited, and prices would rise. "Greece cannot make enough feta to feed the world. Feta has become popular not be- cause consumers found Greek feta in the store, but because they found American feta," said Umhoefer. "If only Greece is al- lowed to use the word 'feta,' then they have the market and prices could rise." Of course, if these restrictions ultimately do pass, American companies will only be restricted from labeling their products with European names, not from producing foods in the European tradition. As such, U.S. consumers could start seeing "white Mediterranean cheese" on store shelves next to the feta and "German-style smoked pork sausage" in the meat case next to the bratwursts. The onus will then fall on re- tailers and on the specialty food companies themselves to educate consumers about the new product names. A potential compromise could be met if U.S. cheese and charcuterie producers were simply allowed to add the word "style" (i.e. "bratwurst-style sausage") or affix the word "American" (i.e. "American feta") to their current product names. This is a strategy that is already employed at Schaller & Weber, where the company produces Old- enberger-style pate and Braunschweiger- style sausages. "If we're using any sort of regional term, which we do since we're very authentic … we refer back to that and we say 'style,'" Schaller explained. "I am not opposed to any of this stuff, because it does protect the heritage and the authenticity of these products that were brought from the Old World." For its part, the U.S. government has sur- prised some in its quick, negative response to the EU's proposed restrictions. Immedi- ately after the EU introduced its request, a bipartisan group of 55 senators delivered a letter to Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Michael Froman, U.S. Trade Representative, urging them to reject any proposal in the Trans- Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations now underway that would re- strict the use of common food names by U.S. companies. "In country after country, the EU has been using its free trade agreements … to persuade its trading partners to impose bar- riers to U.S. exports under the guise of pro- tection for its geographical indications," reads the letter. "Common names for prod- ucts such as 'feta' are clearly generic." GN FABI Award Winners Honored at 2014 National Restaurant Association Show A new type of pepper, bacon made from beef, gluten-free flour and vegan fishless filets are among the food and beverage in- novations recently named as the recipients of The National Restaurant Association's Food and Beverage Innovations Awards. Presented annually, the FABI Awards recog- nize progressive food and beverage innova- tions that will make a significant impact on the restaurant industry. An independent panel of experts repre- senting a variety of both commercial and non-commercial industry segments se- lected this year's FABI Award recipients based on the exciting benefits they present to consumers and restaurant operators. The innovations selected represent new packag- ing designs, solutions in efficiency and waste reduction, as well as alternatives to satisfy consumer desires for gluten-free, ar- tisan and vegan menu items. The award re- cipients were showcased at the 2014 National Restaurant Association Restau- rant, Hotel-Motel Show, held May 17-20 at Chicago's McCormick Place. "Food and beverage innovation helps ad- vance menu development, driving cus- tomer satisfaction and increasing restaurant traffic," said Sam Facchini, Convention Chair for the 2014 NRA Show and co- founder and co-owner of Metro Pizza. "This year's FABI Award recipients provide operators with opportunities to improve ef- ficiencies and attract new guest segments by meeting a wide variety of consumer de- mands. Virtually any operation, of any shape or size, can benefit from one or more of these innovations, making them a must- see part of NRA Show 2014." The 2014 FABI Awards recipients in- clude Atalanta Corporation for its Skura Nera Pizza Flour and Sweety Drop Peppers, Bonfire Wines™ for its Wine Pouch, Chiq- uita for its Gourmet Café Creative Classics, Deya's Gluten Free for its Gluten-Free Flour, Diamond Crystal Brands for its Liq- uid Portions Line, Gardein for its Vegan Fishless Filets, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for its Keurig ® BOLT™ Pack and Thick & Easy ® HP Shaped Purees, Kiki's Gluten Free Foods for its Gluten Free Deep Dish Pizza and Schmaltz Products for its Schmacon. Founded in 1919, the National Restau- rant Association is the leading business as- sociation for the restaurant industry, which comprises 990,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of more than 13.5 million employees. The NRA represents the industry in Washing- ton, D.C., and advocates on its behalf. It also operates the industry's largest trade show, a leading food safety training and certification program, a unique career- building high school program and the Kids LiveWell program, promoting health- ful kids' menu options. For more informa- tion, visit www.restaurant.org. GN

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