Government gives green light to new healthy food logo

DutchNews, November 29, 2019 

A Nutri-score logo on yoghurt. Photo: Cz ja [CC0] via Wikimedia Commons

The government has given the green light to a new system of food labeling which it hopes will help consumers make ‘healthy choices’ when it comes to buying food. 

Junior health minister Paul Blokhuis announced the government’s decision in favour of the French food labelling system Nutri-Score on Thursday and said the definitive logo should see an end to the confusion surrounding food quality logos. 

Supermarkets had earlier opposed the system because it includes a red logo denoting unhealthy products while critics claimed the way the system is set up would only increase confusion, the NRC reported. 

Nutri-Score, which replaces manufacturers’ own ‘tick’ (V) logo, grades food between A (green) and E (red). The scores indicate calorific content, the amount of sugar, saturated fat, salt, protein, fruit, vegetables and nuts. A is the healthiest option while red means the product is bad for your health. 

Confusion 

Critics of the new label said the logo would confuse consumers because the new system looks at separate ingredients. That could lead to a green A or B label for products that fit into unhealthy eating patterns (such as pizza and sugary cereals) while tea and cheese could end up with a yellow C label, the NRC said. 

Blokhuis has said that the logo will be adjusted to make a better fit with the Schijf van Vijf, the official Dutch recommendations on healthy eating, which takes eating patterns into account as well as ingredients. 

France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Spain have already adopted the system. Its introduction in the Netherlands is part of the agreement reached by ministers, consumer groups and industry last year to tackle unhealthy eating habits. Half of Dutch people are currently overweight.

US meat producers want a slice of vegan market

Yahoo – AFP, Juliette MICHEL, November 24, 2019

Agri-business giants are branching out with plant-based meat alternatives to
try to capitalize on the new trend (AFP Photo/Angela Weiss)

New York (AFP) - The growing craze for vegetarian versions of juicy burgers and sausages has created such a buzz that even traditional meat producers are trying to get in on the action.

The big players are trying to capitalize on the success of products from companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger.

JBS, the world's largest beef producer, has been marketing a soy burger in Brazil since the summer, which contains beets, garlic and onions and is similar to a rare ground beef.

The largest US meat producer, Tyson Foods, in June launched a new line of plant-based proteins and meat-vegetable blends called "Raised & Rooted."

And competitors Hormel Foods, Perdue Farms and Smithfield have unveiled similar initiatives to take a slice out of this new market.

"Our food culture is changing at a rapid pace," said Bryan Kreske, brand manager at Hormel Foods.

There is an "increasing curiosity and motivation to try great-tasting, alternative protein sources like plant-based proteins while decreasing their consumption of animal-based protein."

Regardless of whether it is the start of a new trend, or a passing fancy, the agri-food giants do not want to miss the opportunity.

Rather than target vegetarians, they are going after the 95 percent of consumers who eat meat.

But unlike the upstart alternative meat companies, which cite the carbon footprint of raising cows and other livestock, traditional players have a harder time using environmental or animal rights arguments to promote their products.

Instead they often focus on health benefits.

"It's more about our clients wanting to get more plants and vegetables into their diet and less about reducing meat consumption," said Eric Christianson, marketing manager at Perdue.

Best known for its chicken, Perdue in September released their "Chicken Plus" products, which include kid-friendly nuggets, made of a mix of chicken, chickpeas and cauliflower -- which they say is perfect for parents trying to get their kids to eat vegetables.

Beyond Meat "Beyond Burger" patties are one of the options for plant-based proteins, 

which now include chicken, shrimp and sausage alternatives (AFP Photo/Angela Weiss)

The company is betting big on this new product: earmarking half of its 2020 marketing budget to promoting it, spending especially heavily in January, "when people are really going to be in the mood to eat healthy," Christianson said.

'Plant curious' consumer

Soy burgers have been around for decades. But Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger have been working for the last 10 years to create products that are closer to the taste, texture and flavor of real meat, thanks to ingredients such as beets.

These products jumped into the headlines this year with their introduction in fast food chains, such as Burger King's Impossible Burger, and with Beyond Meat's spectacular Wall Street debut.

Traditional meat producers quickly jumped on the bandwagon.

At Hormel, the Happy Little Plants brand "moved swiftly from a conceptual idea rooted in the 'plant curious' consumer... to a commercially viable product line in just under 13 weeks," Kreske said.

But while these meat producers have no plans to abandon their main business, Impossible Foods says its mission is to replace animal proteins in the food system by 2035.

That might be overly optimistic. In the market for milk alternatives, plant-based drinks such as soy or almond milk make up just 13 percent of sales.

"For dairy, there's really a health reason" to not consume milk products, including allergies, said Perdue's Christianson.

But for meat, "it becomes more of a lifestyle choice to eat healthier."

Still, the alternative meat segment could become "significant," he said.

Robert Martin, who specializes in food policies at the Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins University, said the traditional producers are entering the plant-based meat market "in their own economic self-interest," so they do not lose market share.

He called the trend "troubling" and cautioned "it could have the side effect of stifling innovation and competition."

Even so, he views any plant-based alternative as "a positive step," adding that bigger players can bring "economies of scale" to producing these plant-based products, therefore reducing prices.

"They quit talking about themselves as meat companies, they now call themselves a protein company," Martin said.

Related Article:

Vegetarian Butcher to supply 2,500 Burger Kings with meat-free patties

Generation healthy: alcoholic seltzer craze sweeps US

Yahoo – AFP, Peter HUTCHISON, September 15, 2019

Cartons of White Claw, Truly and Bon & Viv spiked seltzer are on display at the
Round The Clock Deli in New York -- the alcoholic beverage is all the rage
in the United States (AFP Photo/TIMOTHY A. CLARY)

New York (AFP) - Health-conscious American millennials have found their drink of choice: alcoholic carbonated water that is lower in calories and carbs than beer and wine.

A hard seltzer craze is sweeping the United States as Generations Y and Z pursue healthier lifestyles, influenced by viral trends on Instagram and YouTube.

US sales of the bubbly booze, also called spiked seltzer, have soared almost 200 percent this year compared to 2018, according to research firm Nielsen.

"It has replaced other canned alcoholic drinks for me," says Hannah Stempler, a 25-year-old living and working in New York.

Stempler drinks White Claw, the brand at the forefront of America's beverage fixation this summer.

The company said sales were up over 265 percent on-year at the beginning of September and that it holds 61 percent of market share.

Truly, another brand, saw sales spike 163 percent in Q2, according to Macquarie market research.

From beaches and parks to house parties and boat trips, youngsters were seen drinking White Claw across the Big Apple and other major cities.

Panic even struck this month when shopkeepers and retailers reported shortages and the manufacturer said it was working overtime to keep up with demand.

Stempler, who works in television, told AFP that one of the reasons she drinks it is because she is "health-conscious."

A 12-ounce can of White Claw contains 100 calories and a maximum two grams of carbs. It is also gluten-free.

An average beer, in comparison, usually packs 140 calories and five times the number of carbohydrates.

Beer slowdown

The hard seltzer has five percent alcohol, which comes from fermented sugars. That equals the strength of Budweiser but is considerably less than the 12 percent commonly found in wine.

Alcoholic sparkling water comes in several flavors, including mango and cherry, appealing to customers seeking convenient, ready-to-drink cocktails on the go.

Sanjiv Gajiwala, White Claw's senior vice president of marketing, thinks young consumers are turning to hard seltzers because of their moderate alcohol levels and variety of tastes.

"Millennials are consumers that grew up on 10 different flavors of Gatorade and cuisines from around the world. When they come to the legal drinking age, they are looking for more," he told AFP.

White Claw sales have surged every year since it launched in 2016 but seems to have captured the imagination this summer in part thanks to YouTube influencer Trevor Wallace.

A video of him drinking White Claw has been watched more than 2.5 million times in two months. The clip spawned memes and hashtags that went viral on social media.

The trend for hard seltzers, which include malt beverages, is shaking up the US alcoholic drinks industry and fueling a slowdown in overall beer sales, analysts say.

Beer manufacturers are rolling out their own seltzers to try to lure customers away from White Claw and Truly.

Anheuser-Busch, which makes Budweiser, has launched Natural Light Seltzer.

Fad?

Aaron White, of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is pleased youngsters are mindful of what they drink but warns that fewer calories does not mean less alcohol.

He worries that people may consume more alcohol because fruity seltzers don't taste like traditional booze, and is especially concerned by the Four Loko brand's plans to launch a seltzer with 14 percent alcohol by volume.

"The alcohol is the drug. Everything else is just the way it's delivered," White told AFP.

Other types of drinks have been the subject of similar crazes in the past, notably wine coolers in the 1980s and Zima, a malt beverage that was all the rage in the 90s.

Rob Fink, a 29-year-old living in New York, believes spiked seltzer is here to stay but says it won't usurp beer and other liquor for him.

"There's a time and place for both," he told AFP.

The alcoholic soda industry is worth $550 million and could grow to $2.5 billion by 2021, according to a UBS analyst recently quoted by Business Insider.

Gajiwala notes that White Claw has not even reached six percent of American households yet.

"There is a great opportunity for us to continue to grow," he said.

Amsterdam wants to bring in ‘no junk food zones’ around schools

DutchNews, July 15, 2019

Photo: Depositphotos.com 

Officials in Amsterdam wants to restrict the number of snack bars and fast food joints near schools in an effort to reduce obesity rates among the city’s children. 

A campaign launched in 2012 helped reduced the percentage of too-heavy children in the Dutch capital from 21% to 18% over a three-year period but the decline has since halted. 

Now alderman Simone Kukenheim plans to take further action to improve the health of the city’s school going children. She wants to introduce a ‘healthy belt’ around schools without snack bars to prevent children filling up on chips and sweets during their breaks, the Parool reported at the weekend. 

Kukenheim hopes new zoning legislation which will come into effect in 2021 and which aims to ensure a ‘safe and healthy physical environment’ will help reduce the number of snack bars near schools. ‘We are researching how these new rules can be used to encourage a healthier supply of food,’ the alderman said. 

The city has also recently expanded the number of water fountains in the city to encourage children to ditch fizzy drinks. 

Minister 

The alderman has appealed to health minister Paul Blokhuis, urging him to get tougher on the sugar, salt and fat content in food. She also wants him to clamp down on the way unhealthy food is marketed at children. 

Socio-economic status and cultural background also play a role in childhood obesity and the problem is largely confined to poorer parts of the city and among immigrant communities. 

The 2012 campaign included advising schools to ban fruit juices, and unhealthy treats for at birthday celebrations and introduced a ban on fast food sponsorship of council events involving children. 

Amsterdam already bans cannabis cafes, or coffeeshops, from being within 250 metres of a school.

Overproduction threatens Andes superfood haven

Yahoo – AFP, Ana FERNANDEZ, 25 March 2018

An array of Andean ingredients considered superfoods are shown at the
food lab of La Molina agrarian university in Lima

From atop the Andes mountains to the depths of the Amazon rainforest and frigid Patagonia, indigenous people have long eaten quinoa, camu camu and calafate, a healthy diet that has become a global phenomenon now threatened by overproduction.

Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, minerals and fiber, the grains of the high plains (quinoa, amaranth, kaniwa), roots (cassava and yacon) and berries (calafate, Chilean guava) offer new hope to prevent cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer.

Consumed for thousands of years by indigenous people, these superfoods have only recently been widely popularized and made accessible to international markets.

Between 2011 and 2015, these ancient natural products saw their prices jump 202 percent, according to Promperu, Peru's export and tourism commission.

There was a 10 percent increase from January to November 2017 in the exports of these foods, such as the sacha inchi nut rich in fatty acids and the high-vitamin lucuma fruit, Promperu said.

The growing consumption of these health foods praised by foodies, vegetarians and dietitians has led producers to try to align their annual yields with demand.

Between 2012 and 2017, exports of Peruvian quinoa, the "golden grain of the Incas," have quadrupled in value from $34.5 million to more than $124 million, data from Promperu showed.

Sacha indi exports increased 116 percent last year.

Detrimental processing

But the soil composition and the processing the superfoods undergo to be sold commercially and exported can alter or destroy their unique properties, warned Marcela Zamorano, a chemist specializing in food analysis at the University of Santiago, Chile.

Quinoa is often processed using high temperatures.

"The main challenge is to make sure the nutrients of an industrialized product don't decrease compared to the original grains," said Finnish food chemist Ritva Repo of La Molina agrarian university in Lima, who has written several books about quinoa.

Finnish food chemist Ritva Repo warns that quinoa grown outside its natural 

habitat in the Andean Plateau loses some of its nutrients

Originally from the Andean Plateau of Bolivia and Peru, quinoa is now also grown in China, India, the Netherlands and the United States, among others.

Taken out of its natural habitat, this Andean grain loses some of its nutrients, according to Repo.

"The quinoa that grows at 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) is the most nutritious," said Promperu director Isabella Falco, who is pushing for labeling the grain by origin so the consumer can identify Peruvian products.

Amaranth, which is richer in calcium and protein than quinoa, and kaniwa, which contains more fiber and iron than amaranth, could eventually join other ancient Andean grains in meeting the same fate as quinoa.

Experts say these grains, fruit and berries can help prevent or slow the progress of non-communicable chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Disease prevention

But they can't replace medicine if you're sick, stressed chemist Marcela Zamorano.

"Usually, superfoods don't fight a particular pathogen, but they prevent the development of certain diseases," she told AFP.

An industry has now been built around cakes, jellies and energizing drinks using ingredients like maca (a root vegetable nicknamed the Incan Viagra), camu camu (an Amazonian fruit that contains as much vitamin C as 60 oranges) or the ultra-nourishing coca leaf.

At the University of Chile, researchers are examining the anti-obesity properties of the calafate berry, which grows in southern Chile and Argentina.

"Our idea is that this could serve to supplement a weight loss diet," said Diego Garcia, who is heading the project.

Garcia is also studying the anti-inflammatory properties of Chilean guava, wild strawberries and the midnight blue-hued maqui, or Chilean wineberry, used to tint wine and that boasts anti-oxidant properties.

In La Paz, Lima and Santiago, these superfoods are given the place of honor in a growing number of restaurants, some of which have obtained top gastronomical rankings, such as Santiago's Borago, Amaz in Lima and Gustu in Bolivia's capital.

Overproduction threatens Andes superfood haven https://t.co/IXkO9Ds0MO pic.twitter.com/fZmPAJHg4Y

— AFP news agency (@AFP) March 25, 2018

Supermarket fruit and veg will be ‘PlanetProof’ from next year

DutchNews, March 2, 2018

Fruit rose in price 4.3% last year Dutch supermarkets are poised to launch a new quality label for fruit and veg which will require growers to use fewer pesticides and fertilizers and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases. 

The new label PlanetProof, which will replace the current Milieukeur label from next year, was two years in the making, Trouw reported on Friday. 

Participating supermarkets include Jumbo, Aldi, Lidl and Superunie outlets such as Spar, Plus and Coop, who share two thirds of supermarket sales between them. Market leader Albert Heijn has not opted into the new system because it has its own, comparable, agreements with environmental organisation Natuur & Milieu, Trouw said. 

Gijs Dröge, director of Milieukeur, which formulated and checks the new PlanetProof requirements, said AH’s stance complicates matters for growers. ‘If a grower sells to Albert Heijn as well as to other supermarkets and both have different sets of requirements then that is not straightforward,’ he told Trouw. 

Dröge says the new label will be an important step towards sustainable agriculture in the Netherlands. Until now, less than 10% of potatoes, fruit and vegetables carried sustainability labels, such as the Max Havelaar label for sustainable bananas. Dutch produce, of which 80% is exported, will also carry the label abroad. . 

Greenpeace said the new label is a step in the right direction but would prefer if consumers opted for organic produce which has to comply with even more stringent requirements. 

Not all farmers are happy either because the requirements came late and were communicated to them when the growing season was about to begin, Trouw said. 

PlanetProof is another addition to a growing number of sustainability labels consumers have to contend with. According to Milieu Centraal, there were some 90 at the last count.

Two tomatoes a day may keep lung disease at bay: study

Yahoo – AFP, 21 December 2017

Adults who ate more than two tomatoes a day had a slower rate of natural lung function decline, with ex-smokers seeming to benefit most of all, scientists said Thursday.

Similar benefits, they said, were observed for people who ate more than three portions of fresh fruit a day, especially apples.

"This study shows that diet might help repair lung damage in people who have stopped smoking," study co-author Vanessa Garcia-Larsen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore said in a statement.

"It also suggests that a diet rich in fruits can slow down the lung's natural ageing process even if you have never smoked."

In the study published in the European Respiratory Journal, researchers analysed data from 680 people in Germany, England and Norway who signed up for a health survey in 2002.

Participants answered a questionnaire and underwent two types of lung-function tests at the start, then again 10 years later.

One test measures how much air a person can expel in a second, the other how much they could inhale in six seconds.

Other factors, such as the participants' age, height, weight, gender, income and level of physical activity, were taken into account in analysing any association between diet and lung health, the team said.

They found that the rate of lung decline, which happens normally in people from about the age of 30, was slower in those who ate more tomatoes and other fruit.

Among former smokers, the link was "even more striking," implying their diet was helping to repair damage done by tobacco, the team said.

The effect was observed only with fresh fruit and vegetables, not processed.

"The findings support the need for dietary recommendations, especially for people at risk of developing respiratory diseases," Garcia-Larsen said.

These included Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), caused mainly by smoking.

"Diet could become one way of combating rising diagnosis of COPD around the world," she added.

One weakness of the study was that participants' diets were assessed only at the start of the study.

Adults who ate more than two tomatoes a day had a slower rate of natural lung function decline, with ex-smokers seeming to benefit most of all: scientists https://t.co/RgpHLrlMEc pic.twitter.com/JfStGQ18FG

— AFP news agency (@AFP) December 21, 2017

Dutch food producers agree to stop adding sugar to jars of vegetables

DutchNews, June 27, 2017

Photo: Despositphotos.com

Food producers have reached agreement with supermarkets to stop putting sugar in jars of summer vegetables from next year, following pressure from consumer groups. 

Jars of sweet corn, peas, carrots and marrowfat peas currently have added sugar but this will stop next year. Producers have also agreed to reduce the salt content of jars of French and runner beans and look into reducing the amount of sugar and salt added to winter veg such as red cabbage. 

The deal covers both branded and own label products. 

Food lobby group Foodwatch published research last year showing sugar was added to 79 out of 170 different jars and tins of vegetables found in Dutch supermarkets, including organic products. 

Absurd

The organisation welcomed the industry change of heart, describing it as ‘absurd’ to add sugar to the most healthy part of a meal. 

The sugar reduction is part of a wider agreement between the food industry and government to reduce the amount of sugar, salt and fat in processed food. 

The agreement is self-regulatory and in April, the public health institute RIVM said not enough had been done to cut back on salt, despite earlier pledges.

Trump downshifts Michelle Obama's healthy school food scheme

Yahoo – AFP, May 2, 2017

Donald Trump's administration backtracks Michelle Obama's 2012 Healthy,
Hunger-Free Kids Act (AFP Photo/CHRIS KLEPONIS)

Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump's administration on Monday put the brakes on a scheme championed by former first lady Michelle Obama meant to ensure healthier meals in schools through lower salt, fats and sugar.

The Agriculture Department said in a statement the change would give American schools "greater flexibility" and stop kids from throwing out the less appetizing food mandated under the scheme.

Forcing schools to adopt better nutritional standards under the 2012 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act if they wanted federal subsidies for meals was one of Michelle Obama's key achievements.

Lauded by supporters in the US as crucial in the fight against childhood obesity, the initiative put restrictions on sodium and sweetened milks, and required school lunches to increase the amount of whole-grain foods they contained.

The Trump administration's backtrack on the measure came the same day as a study suggesting that if American children exercised more, tens of billions of dollars in medical costs could be saved over their lifetimes.

The finding was made by researchers at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in six American children are overweight or obese.

The Agriculture Department said the nutritional requirements imposed on schools in the past five years had added $1.2 billion in costs to school districts and to states.

It said easing those rules would decrease costs, give back greater control to local authorities, and see children eating more enthusiastically.

"If kids aren't eating the food, and it's ending up in the trash, they aren't getting any nutrition –- thus undermining the intent of the program," Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said.

At the same time, the Trump administration discontinued another signature program by Michelle Obama and her husband Barack Obama.

The 2015 scheme designed to promote educational opportunities for adolescent girls in developing countries, called "Let Girls Learn," was being immediately scrapped, CNN reported on the basis of an internal email it had obtained.

The email, sent to members of the US Peace Corps, a US government overseas volunteer program, said some parts of "Let Girls Learn" would continue, but the name was being dropped along with its standalone status.

Ban sugary drinks in primary school, says food advice body

DutchNews, June 21, 2016

Photo: Despositphotos.com 

The government-backed food advisory centre Voedingscentrum has welcomed the decision by dozens of primary schools to ban sugary drinks on their premises, saying the measure will help cut obesity among children. 

The organisation says pupils in primary schools should be restricted to water and milk with their packed lunches in an effort to boost healthy eating. 

One school in Dordrecht, where one in three children is overweight, has already taken the ‘drastic step’, the AD says on Tuesday.

‘We are doing nearly all we can to keep a healthy school,’ director Mark van der Sluijs told the AD. ‘Children get fruit and milk during the morning break… but bring sugary drinks for lunch. Not everyone realises it, but those packets of drink are very unhealthy and full of sugar.’ 

Voedingscentrum spokeswoman Danielle Wolvers said in a statement that if all schools took such a step it would send out an important signal. ‘Children influence each other, so such a rule helps to stimulate healthy behaviour,’ she said.

So far, 94 of the country’s 6,700 primary schools have signed up to the Voedingscentrum’s ‘healthy school’ programme, the AD says.

Dutch told to eat more legumes, avoid processed foods

DutchNews, March 22, 2016

The Dutch diet should include less meat and more legumes such as kidney beans and lentils according to new recommendations from the Dutch dietary advice centre Voedingscentrum. 

The new advice was drawn up following the publication of new recommendations by the national health council last year. 

The previous recommended Dutch diet dates from 1981 and is based on the five main food groups, known as the ‘schijf van vijf’. 

The five food types remain central to the new recommendations and people are advised to eat lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grain products. Meat consumption should be reduced and replaced by legumes, nuts, eggs or tofu. Water, coffee and tea remain the best sources of liquid, the recommendations state.

‘Processed products generally contain too much salt, sugar or saturated fats and are not included in the list,’ the website says. Sweets, snacks, biscuits, sauces, processed meats, fruit juices and sweet spreads for on bread ‘may be eaten but in limited quantities and not often’. 

The centre’s website includes a new online tool so that people can draw up their dietary programme based on their likes and dislikes.

Related Article:

Kryon Q&A

(13) Question: Dear Kryon, I’m very concerned about the obesity epidemic, particularly in the U.S. Around me I see people getting bigger and more unhealthy, all for the sake of convenience and saving time. You mentioned at one point a famine, and I suspect the famine won’t be from a lack of food, but from an abundance of food that has no nutritional value.

I wonder how we can honor the Earth by eating nothing that comes straight from it? Of course this involves caring for the lands and oceans as part of a bigger issue and making that connection, too. Is this what it will finally take for people to switch to a healthier way of living?

Its amazing how detached people are from the food they eat. We don’t even honor our digestive processes, the way we combine foods. Whatever happened to nutrition? Atkins is no solution; there is no balance in it. Gastric bypass is all about quantity reduction, not quality increase. When will people make the direct connection between what/how they eat and their health? Is a change in diet and lifestyle part of the upcoming shift?

Answer: The shift has little to do with it. It’s a culture-specific problem and has to do with consciousness of health. Go study the cultures on your planet that have very few overweight Humans. Start with the Japanese. They have some of the same western work ethics and live in very sophisticated industrial-based environments. Yet they aren’t overweight. It’s about the core food groups and the combination of them.

Spending on organic food rises 6% to €1.1bn

DutchNews, October 28, 2015

Consumer spending on more ‘sustainable’ food rose 18% last year and now accounts for 7% of the national groceries bill, according to a new economic affairs ministry report. 

In total, consumers spent €2.6bn on more animal and environment friendly foodstuffs, of which €1.1bn went on organic food. This is a rise of 6% on 2013, the report said. 

The rise was biggest – 74% – in the contract catering sector and in cafes and restaurants. 

‘People are increasingly prepared to spend more money on honest and equitable products,’ junior minister Sharon Dijksma said in a statement. ‘That is not only good news for animal welfare and the environment but for all food producers who are making the change.’ 

Sales of fair trade and organic coffee rose 52%, while egg sales were up 40%. There was a slight drop in the sale of more animal friendly meat but this is most likely due to an overall drop in meat consumption, the ministry said.

Related Article:

Supermarkets eat away at specialist store organic food sales

Vitamins against violence: aggressive Dutch inmates to get health kick

Yahoo – AFP, 9 Sep 2015

Prisoners at seven institutions in the Netherlands who show violent tendencies

 will receive added vitamins, minerals and fish oil, to see if it helps lessen agression 

(AFP Photo/Catrinus van Der Veen)

The Hague (AFP) - A Dutch study aims to get a grip on violence in prisons by prescribing vitamins and minerals for inmates with anger management issues, justice officials said Wednesday.

Starting early next year prisoners at seven institutions who show violent tendencies will receive added vitamins, minerals and fish oil, the justice ministry said.

"Two previous experiments have shown that aggressive prisoners who receive food supplements show less aggression than those who do not," said Ap Zaalberg, a researcher at the ministry.

A British study carried out in the late 1990s showed violent incidents in prison dropping by at least a quarter after supplements were added to prison food, Zaalberg told AFP.

A similar study of 200 prisoners in the Netherlands in 2006-2007 showed a drop of 34 percent in incidents, Dutch daily De Volkskrant recently reported.

"We are now checking whether the addition of food supplements can be introduced in prisons as common practice, including as a form of treatment for aggression," said Zaalberg.

Boys and men at five prisons and two youth detention centres, aged from 12 to "quite old", would take part in the study, he said, adding "the aspect they'll have in common are anger issues."

Aggression is a feature of prison life in many countries.

Roughly a quarter of prison workers in the Netherlands experience threatening behaviour by inmates, De Volkskrant reported.

Food scientists at Wageningen University near Utrecht however said although supplements could have a positive effect, Dutch prisons should instead focus on improving prison cooking.

A positive effect on prisoners "really starts in the kitchen," nutritional scientist Frans Kok told NOS public broadcaster.

Low heart rate in teen boys linked to violent crime http://t.co/Unlvl8Aa8r pic.twitter.com/LdxhicTJ8r

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) 10 september 2015

Liver sausage firm moves into vegetarian burgers

DutchNews, August 10, 2015

Photo: Zwanenburg.nl

One of the Netherlands’ biggest meat processing companies has moved into vegetarian food, Trouw reports on Monday. 

Zwanenberg Food, which makes liver sausage and other meat products, has launched a corn burger, beetroot burger and a pea and bean burger on the Dutch market, the paper says. 

The company, which books annual sales of some €350m, says it has noted that meat consumption is declining in the Netherlands and that it does not expect further growth ‘given attitudes in society’. 

Rather than opt for meat replacements, Zwanenberg has chosen to process vegetables because ‘the Dutch don’t eat enough greens’. ‘Less than 5% of Dutch adults eat enough vegetables,’ spokesman Tjeerd van der Laan told Trouw. ‘That got us thinking. Could this be something for us?’ 

The company’s veggie burgers are sold via Jumbo supermarkets, contract caterers and Ikea, Trouw says. Zwanenberg is now developing burgers made of celeriac, cauliflower, carrot and tomato.