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Produce Show Daily Monday, June 25, 2018 1 8 Gluten-Free Label Becomes Secondary to Other Benefits By Greg Gonzales Disco didn't really go anywhere; it inspired new forms of music, and eventu- ally gave rise to nu-disco, a genre that blends the classic style with electronic dance music and modern rock, satisfying a larger and more diverse crowd. The same could be said for gluten-free foods. Sales growth peaked a year ago, but pro- ducers continue to launch and expand gluten-free lines, innovating them with nutritious, better-tasting ingredients that help the products compete with their gluten-containing counterparts. Though gluten-free food sales are growing at a slower pace, the brands and their fans are here to stay. Going gluten-free is not motivated by gluten intolerance or sensitivities for most people, but a third of American consumers still purchase gluten-free products. According to the Packaged Facts July/August 2016 National Consumer Survey, 30 percent of con- sumers who bought gluten-free foods said they bought them for reasons other than gluten-free certification. Twenty- nine percent of respondents said the products are "generally healthier," while 20 percent said they use the prod- ucts to manage weight. Of those sur- veyed, nine percent of consumers said they buy gluten-free products for a household member who has celiac dis- ease, a condition that affects only one percent of the population. "The bottom line is, people are look- ing at the back of the package and being critical of what they put in their mouths," said Barry Novick, President of Kitchen Table Bakers. "If the consumer turns the package over and the information is not there, the consumer suffers." Consumers seek out gluten-free, but want more than a gluten-free label. A 2013 New York Times poll found 75 percent of Americans were concerned about GMOs. A 2015 Gallup poll showed that 44 percent of Americans incorporate organic foods in their diet, too, and half of them avoid sugar. In addition, about 90 percent of those polled said they try to eat more fruits and vegetables. This lines up with Nielsen's Global Health and Ingredient- Sentiment Survey, which found that 64 percent of respondents are avoiding or limiting consumption of specific foods or ingredients. "Informed and savvy consumers are demanding more from the foods they eat, and some are prioritizing ingredients over brands," said Andrew Mandzy, Director of Strategic Health and Wellness Insights at Nielsen, in the ingredient-sen- timent survey report. "To many con- sumers, simple is beautiful, and foods with a short list of recognizable ingredi- ents resonate strongly. Savvy manufac- turers are responding to this trend by modifying product portfolios by simpli- fying food ingredient lists and creating natural and organic alternatives to exist- ing offerings. Meanwhile, retailers are also prioritizing healthful foods and bet- ter-for-you brands in the center of the store, and emphasizing fresh and perish- able foods around the perimeter in order to drive growth." Total sales for gluten-free foods this year are set to clock in at $1.328 billion, according to the Packaged Facts Gluten-Free Foods in the U.S. report. The report also said gluten-free food sales growth fell from 81 percent in 2013 and 30 percent in 2014 to 11 per- cent in 2015. By 2021, the report says, growth rates should end up at a steady five to six percent, with $2 billion in sales by 2020. "Sales do continue to grow, just at a slower pace," said Mintel Senior Food and Drink Analyst Billy Roberts. "As manufacturers, large and small, enter the largely fragmented gluten-free marketplace, consumers gain an increased availability, quality and variety of options." Scientists Studying Health Promoting Potential of Mangos According to a comprehensive review of the available scientific literature pub- lished in the May issue of Food & Function magazine, mangos and their individual components have anti- inflammatory and anti-oxidative prop- erties, which may help to reduce risk for chronic disease. In addition to being associated with better nutrient intake and diet quality, research suggests eat- ing mangos may be important for glycemic control, the microbiome, as well as vascular, brain, skin, and intes- tinal health. Mangos contribute a number of valuable nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin A and fiber for only 100 calories per one cup serving. Mangos are also a source of phytochemicals – including phenolic acids, mangiferin, carotenoids, and gallotannins – which are associated with a number of health promoting activ- ities including anti-inflammation, antiox- idant, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity and anti- cancer. "Not only are mangos one of the popular fruits in the world, they contain a variety of essential nutrients and dis- tinctive bioactive components that may play a role in supporting key metabolic functions including anti-inflammatory activity," said Britt M. Burton- Freeman, PhD, MS, of the Center for Nutrition Research, Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology, and lead author of the paper. Obesity and Diabetes Over the past two decades, the preva- lence of obesity and diabetes has increased sharply; diet plays a critical role in reducing risk of both outcomes. Seven human trials, in which mango fruit or puree was fed to individuals, have measured obesity or diabetes end- points; five studies looked at people with type 2 diabetes, and two studies looked at people who were obese or generally healthy. Collectively, research suggests that mango con- sumption may modulate glucose response in people with diabetes melli- tus. Less well understood is the impact of mango consumption on those at risk for diabetes, and further research is warranted. Although the effects in humans are not known, in animal studies, mango supplementation was observed to reduce important risk factors of cardio- vascular disease and diabetes, such as total cholesterol (TC), TC to high den- sity cholesterol (HDL) ratio, triglyc- erides (TG) and glucose concentrations. In addition, in one study, daily intake of mango favorably modulated the gut bacteria of animals in favor of bacteria that have been associated with reduced obesity and improved metabolic out- comes. While animal studies report mangos may support glycemic control, further research particularly in well- characterized human populations with pre-diabetes will be important for revealing the health value of mangos in diabetes control. Cardiovascular Disease Obesity and diabetes contribute to car- diovascular disease, which accounts for 17.5 million deaths per year, or 31 per- cent of all deaths globally. Mango phyto- chemicals and other components, such as fiber and organic acids, may play a role in cardiovascular health. Brain Health Collectively, data from animal studies suggest that compounds in mangos may support brain health, given the potential neuroprotective activities of mango's components, including mangiferin and gallotannin, and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. While no human data are cur- rently available on the topic, one study on tests done in the laboratory showed that mango extracts inhibited amyloid beta peptide-induced mitochondrial toxicity in rat brain cells; mitochondri- al toxicity may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, which is an early event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's dis- ease (AD). Although the effects in humans are not known, animal studies suggest that mango intake may improve memory based on improve- ments in cognitive performance in models of cognitive impairment. Keep Technology Safe and Secure with Self-Serve Automated Lockers Everyone loves those sleek, fast POS tablets, right? Your staff like a speedier ordering process, helping your kitchen run more smoothly, and minimizing errors. Customers love them because they can pay and get a receipt without standing in line. But what happens when you're in the middle of dinner rush and you can't find one of those brilliant, PCI-compliant tablets? Your first thought is, did some- one walk off with it? Or did someone just leave it laying around? You probably have no way of knowing. Mobile Tech: Easy to Use, Hard to Track It's no small question, considering that one tablet can easily cost up to $1,000. Most restaurants lock up devices in the manager's office. This is fine, until you consider what happens when a server needs a tablet. Maybe they're just show- ing up for work, or maybe the one they're using needs charging, or it doesn't work. The server has to go in search of the man- ager, who has to drop what they're work- ing on, go unlock the office, and get a new tablet. It's lost time for both associ- ates. Something else to consider – what happens when one of those thousand-dol- lar tablets turns up damaged, or you do a count and realize one or more is missing? With customer data on these tablets and no way of knowing who used which one and when they returned it, if at all, you are faced with a serious issue. Thankfully, securing this investment, and the customer data it contains, is easy. Secure, Self-Serve AXCESS™ Automated Lockers There's a smarter, simpler way with the AXCESS 6100 self- serve, automated lockers from Apex Fulfillment Technologies ® . Staff simply swipe their unique ID badge to open a compartment door and get a tablet. The date and time are recorded in the secure, cloud-based Trajectory Cloud data platform. This ensures you have real-time visibility of who has every device, when they are checked out and when they are returned. You can also have your manager notified if a POS tablet is kept out longer than expected. The shallow depth lockers have a small footprint to minimize the amount of floor space needed. Locker sizes can be scaled small enough to fit on or below a counter, or shelf or larger, free-standing lockers can accom- modate up to 36 devices. The locker compartments can even be wired to charge your devices when they're not in use. For more information, go to www.apex supplychain.com/foodservice.