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Food Magic Daily Monday, June 26, 2017 8 CREAGRI HIDROX EXERTS PROTECTIVE ACTION IN ZEBRA FISH By Paolo Pontoniere, Vice President, Creagri, Inc. The search for natural compounds to be used to treat or manage some of the greatest illnesses affecting today's humanity – and to reduce or counter the toxicity of ongoing pharmaceutical treat- ment of those disease – has led scientific researchers to consider employing olive polyphenols (a class of food bioactives with broad antioxidant and anti-inflam- matory activity) for the management of neurodegeneration. A condition that affects already 47 million people worldwide (five million in the U.S.), neurodegeneration is forecast- ed to boom to 135 million case by 2050 – thus the necessity of finding a non-toxic, natural solution. But not all olive polyphenols are cre- ated equal, and while they all exert some grade of activity, some seem to be more active than others. This is certainly the case of Hidrox ® , a proprietary formulation of olive polyphenols introduced to the market by olive polyphenol pioneer Creagri Inc. In fact, while researchers' attention has been focusing on hydroxy- tyrosol (HT), a metabolite of oleu- ropein, olive's most abundant phenol, Creagri's attention has been devoted to enhancing the power of HT by preserv- ing the natural matrix that originally comprises the compound. Since the introduction of Hidrox to the industry in 1999, Creagri's contention has been that it is the interaction between HT, the other metabolites of oleuropein and other minor component of olive's phytomolecular profile that is responsible for the superior anti- inflammatory and antioxidant per- formance of its olive polyphenols. To prove it, recently Creagri decided to conduct an in vivo test comparing the neuroprotective action of Hidrox to that of pure HT. An accepted model for the outcome of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, the curpizone model was chosen also in light of its close asso- ciation with neuroinflammation. Conducted by independent labora- tory Phylonix on contract for Creagri, the research showed that zebra fish treated with a dose of 400µg of Hidrox 6% (6 percent total polyphenol compris- ing of 2.5 percent HT) following cupri- zone poisoning expressed a degenera- tion rate of 37 percent at four hours from exposure and of 47 percent at five hours. Conversely, pure hydroxytyrosol at a concentration of 80µg (eight times greater than that of the HT contained in 400µg of Hidrox 6%) produced a degeneration ratio of 100 percent, both at four and five hours, thus proving that while HT in formulation with other olive polyphenols and minor component of the fruit (Hidrox) significantly decreased cuprizone induced brain degeneration in zebra fish, pure hydroxytyrosol did not decrease cuprizone induced brain degeneration in zebra fish. These results are congruent with lit- erature findings obtained with similar formulations of olive polyphenols, par- ticularly for what it pertains a supportive role in preventing mobilization of TnF- alpha, in hypoxia and re-oxygenation of brain tissue, prevention of cytoxicity and aggregation of Tau fibrils. For more information, visit www .creagri.com. FARMER OWNED, FACTORY DIRECT BLUE AGAVE PRODUCTS People desire a trustworthy, reliable source for their organic agave products. The Tierra Group's 100 percent farmer- owned factory adheres to fair trade prin- cipals, while being socially responsible to the land and its people. The Tierra Group, along with its Mexican partner IMAG, is the world's largest producer of organic agave syrup and inulin. What sets The Tierra Group apart is that it is first and foremost an agave grower. The pre- mium blue agave can be found in some of the finest Mexican tequilas produced, as well as in its own line of quality agave products. While many Mexican factories pro- duce agave products, they do not have the infrastructure or raw materials to be able to provide a consistent level of qual- ity because they are subjected to vari- ances in the raw materials from middle- men. The state-of-the-art facility has the highest certifications in the marketplace, including USDA Organic, EU, Non- GMO Verified, Kosher, Halal, Fair Trade and FSSC22000. Its dedication to the land is highlighted by both the bio-mass boiler which fuels the fac- tory with the spent agave pinã, and the filtration sys- tem which helps reprocess water used in production for the outdoor green spaces around the factory. As growers, The Tierra Group has created a totally vertical supply chain resulting in a low carbon footprint through the elimination of excess pack- aging and shipping, making a beneficial impact through the preservation of the land. Everything from planting, harvest- ing, production and packaging is done under its sole authority, establishing brand transparency and a commitment to pure quality. The authentically tested products greatly exceed the standard set in the market- place today. Whether you're looking at agave syrup or inulin, let The Tierra Group's sales representatives help you with your product application and requirement needs. It supplies products in a variety of sizes, ranging from stick packs all the way up to totes. For more information, stop by booth #4908, email sales@thetierragroup.com, call 844.825.8282 or go to www.the tierragroup.com. LEELANAU RACLETTE WINS SUPER GOLD AT WORLD CHEESE AWARDS By Lorrie Baumann Leelanau Raclette was just one of two American cheeses to bring back a super gold award from the 2016 World Cheese Awards. From the entire world, only 66 cheeses, out of 3,060 cheeses entered into the competition, were awarded super golds. "It's a big honor for us because we are such a small company, and there are not a lot of creameries from Michigan. It makes us feel so special. It was a huge accomplishment for us to win such an award," says Cheesemaker Anne Hoyt, who owns Leelanau Cheese Company with her husband John, who is also a Cheesemaker. "Every year we win some- thing; gold, silver, bronze, but this award is very rare, and we are very proud. It promotes lots of sales, and all our cus- tomers love it which helps keep us going. It's like winning at the Olympic Games." The Hoyts have been making their Swiss-style raclette in northern Michigan for more than 20 years. Their career together started after John, who'd left Michigan to travel through Europe, met some Swiss cheese makers, and decided to find out more about what they did for a living. "He attended an agricultural school in Switzerland to learn how to make cheese and started working on alpine farms milking cows and making cheese. He specifically learned how to make raclette cheese, which is the tradi- tional cheese from the Valais region," Anne says. It was while John was beginning his career as a cheese maker that he met Anne, who was working as a shepherd. The two of them worked together on two alpine farms over the next two years, and then they decided that they'd like to strike out on their own. "John always wanted to come back to Michigan," Anne says. "We moved to Detroit, where John is from, and we got married." From their American launching pad, the couple started looking for a place where they could make cheese the way they had in Switzerland. They found their new home in Leelanau County, a penin- sula in northern Michigan that extends out into Lake Michigan. It's the home of a substantial portion of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which was named the most beautiful place in America in a 2011 poll conducted by the "Good Morning America" television pro- gram. "Leelanau was just so beautiful when we visited. It reminded me of Bordeaux, with rolling hills and rural countryside with lots of orchards, vine- yards and several dairy farms. We thought the cheese would work well with the blossoming wine industry," Anne says. Although the couple now has two full-time employees to help in the cream- ery and two part- time staff who help in the small retail shop, for their first years at Leelanau, the two of them worked on their own. They make the traditional raclette that John had learned to make in Switzerland. Swiss-style raclette is a semi-hard, washed-rind cheese, and is traditionally served melted over boiled new potatoes, a tradition in Switzerland's mountain communities. Its nutty flavor also makes it work as a table cheese. "It melts very nicely, just like butter," Anne says. "People are getting our cheese for both reasons – sometimes they're melt- ing our cheese over potatoes for the raclette dinner, but many just eat it at room temperature." The Leelanau Raclette is aged a minimum of three months, and Anne and John make it every other day year- round in their 300-gallon kettle. Each batch of cheese makes 25 wheels, or about 200 pounds of cheese. "Right now we are building our inventory for the busy summer season; then we'll be working on the fall color tour; then it will be Christmas cheese. It's hard to take a break," Anne says. "If we didn't make cheese right now, we wouldn't have any to sell later in the summer, so we never really stop making the raclette cheese." The Hoyts dedicate several wheels per batch for aging. Their 8-10 month old Aged Raclette won Best of Show at the 2007 American Cheese Society competition and has scored well in other major com- petitions. They also make a fromage blanc spread which is very popular in the summer tourist season. Leelanau Fromage Blanc is made about twice a week in a 100-gallon kettle and flavored with garlic, dill, peppercorn or black truf- fle. The Hoyts also make an artisanal ricotta during the cooler months.