This program is for present and next generation leaders in the Australian and New Zealand food, grocery, beverages and FMCG industry. The course provides a unique opportunity for managers across all industry segments to network, learn new management skills and address current issues with an informed international faculty, recognised industry leaders and other participants from throughout the supply chain.

“The program is fully residential and has limited places available, no more than 36, to create an ideal learning environment. The faculty works with participants intensively in small groups and are available for individual discussions throughout the week to create the kind of learning experience that makes a real difference,” said Dr Melinda Muth, Co-Program Director and Managing Director of IFGM.

Guest speakers on this year’s course include senior executives from the likes of Costco, Manassen Foods, Metcash, P&G and Woolworths. Former CEO of The Kellogg Company, David Mackay will also attend as an Executive in Residence along with former Gillette and P&G executive, John Bower to provide comment and counsel to participants during the week.

IFGM is offering an early bird discount of 10% off the course fee for participants that register and pay by the 1st of June. For more information visit: www.ifgm.com.au/fgep.

MPI has released test results from the second and third quarter of the annual Food Residue Surveillance Programme (FRSP). This programme targets locally-produced and imported crops prone to exceeding the maximum residue limit (MRL) set for agricultural chemicals, and crops where little data is available on chemical use. MRLs are used to determine whether growers have followed GAP.

This year’s focus is on asparagus, eggplant, feijoas, hops, lemons, olive oil, persimmons, pumpkins, spring onion, sweet corn, tamarillos and walnuts. In total, more than 350 chemicals are being tested for.

The commodities sampled in the second and third quarter included eggplant, lemons, walnuts, hops, spring onion, pumpkin, asparagus, and olive oil. No residues were found in hops and residue results for eggplant, pumpkin and lemon samples tested were all within the acceptable MRL.

Of all 247 samples tested in the two quarters, only 11 contained residues that did not comply with the relevant MRLs and none of the residues found posed health or food safety concerns.

“These results indicate that most growers are using pesticides responsibly in the recommended manner,” Manager Food Assurance Paul Dansted says.

The samples that had residues over the MRL or allowable limit were:
• three out of 24 spring onion samples that contained non-compliant levels of the fungicide triadimenol.
• one out of 24 asparagus samples that contained non-compliant levels of the fungicide metalaxyl and the herbicides bromacil and diuron.
• one out of 48 walnut samples contained residues that indicate it may breach the NZ default MRL for dithiocarbamates.
• two out of 48 samples of olive oil that contained levels of the fungicide difenoconazole which – when taking the processing factor into account – indicate that the raw olives would have likely breached the MRLs for those compounds.
• four out of seven tamarillo samples contained non-compliant levels of the insecticide deltamethrin.

This is in line with results from quarter one. MPI staff have followed up with the non-compliant growers identified and the industry to ensure future product is compliant.

“While the non-compliant residues do not cause human health concerns, they suggest GAP may not have been followed in these instances and as a result we are following up with the growers,” Dansted says.

A compound which is an indicator of dithiocarbamates was found in seven samples of walnuts sold as organic produce. However, the researchers have been unable to determine the cause of these low residue levels as they can be generated by some naturally occurring chemicals in plants. Therefore it is not possible to ascertain whether the levels detected were the result of agricultural chemical use or a naturally occurring phenomenon.

Although there were no non-compliances among the lemon samples, residues of the insecticide malathion was found in one sample which was sold as organic produce. MPI has alerted the Commerce Commission to these findings.

The results for seven tamarillo samples and 24 hops samples collected in quarter one were included in the second quarter report. This is because the results for these samples were unavailable when the quarter one report was published.

Join us for a night not to be missed where you will be hosted by former 60 minutes journalist Tracey Curro. Be entertained by the likes of Mr Percival, a talented jazz artist currently on Channel 9′s ‘The Voice Australia’ along with String Diva, an act comprising three stunning young musicians performing music hits from the world over.

Tickets are priced at $290 each (incl. GST) and include pre-dinner drinks, 3 course meal, entertainment and the awards presentation. Tables of 10 can be purchased and are priced at $2700.00 (incl. GST).

New to this year is the very first Supplier Expo which will be held prior to the Gala Dinner. Join a select member of suppliers showcasing their products and services from midday. Light snacks and beverages will be served during this time.

The judging of the Peter Jowett industry Award finalists will commence at 2pm. Members are encouraged to attend the judging where the winners will be revealed later that night, as will a number of Retailer and Supplier winners for excellence in their categories. One vote per Member Company is allowed. We encourage you to bring along others to support the finalists and to participate in the judging.

AACS have negotiated a very special accommodation rate of $275 per night with the Park Hyatt. Accommodation rooms can be booked during the registration process.

If you have any questions or are uncertain about your table entitlements please feel free to contact Jeff Rogut at jeff@aacs.org.au or on 0467 873 789 at any time.

Book your tickets now and be sure to indicate your attendance at the Supplier Expo, judging of the Peter Jowett awards and the Gala and Awards Dinner.

**Mr Percival, String Diva and Ms Tracey Curro appear by arrangement with Saxton Speakers Bureau (Syd)

Taking on the responsibility for local distribution and marketing of Gatorade® is a great opportunity for Frucor, and one that Mark Callaghan, CEO of Frucor New Zealand is extremely excited about.

“Gatorade® is an iconic global brand, and we are very excited about the opportunity to grow it in our part of the world. Frucor has well-established networks and a proven understanding of the impulse beverage channel, which is an important area of future growth for Gatorade®. Our people bring first-class expertise in beverage marketing and distribution, and as a business we have a strong reputation and long-term commitment to the beverage market in NZ,” he said.

Gerard Smith, Managing Director of Bluebird Foods, said, “We were delighted by the positive response to Gatorade® from both New Zealand consumers and retailers. Gatorade® has quickly established its position as a strong local player and proven it has a clear role in the New Zealand sports drink market. We believe the transition to Frucor Beverages Ltd will provide continued focus and investment to ensure the long-term success of Gatorade® in New Zealand.”

Brad Van Dijk, Senior Director Beverages PepsiCo Australia & New Zealand, commented “Frucor currently manufacture, sell and distribute a range of PepsiCo brands, and have proven to be a strong partner. They are a market leader in beverages, have solid local expertise, and capability for the long term expansion of Gatorade® in New Zealand. We look forward to expanding our partnership with Frucor through the addition of one of our flagship brands, Gatrorade.”

A smooth transition from Bluebird to Frucor is anticipated as a strong relationship has already built between the two companies, as evident by the recent successful joint promotion “Cool the Burn’. This featured Pepsi Max ‘Ceasefire’ Lime marketed and distributed by Frucor and Bluebird’s Doritos ‘Burn’ Corn Chips.

The Panel’s opinion, delivered 17th May is “… a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of glucosamine and maintenance of normal joint cartilage in individuals without osteoarthritis.”

The opinion is the latest campaign by large pharmaceutical companies to undermine the market for alternative medicines, which has become more active since the passing of the EU Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive which EFSA oversees.

But not quite, as new research published this week by the Dendrochronologia journal shows that the trees are a mere 700 or so years old. The oldest of them is 627, making it one of the oldest living things in the Mediterranean eco-system.

Olive horticulture is estimated to be 6000 years old in the Mediterranean region, and the species share with just 17 others the potential to age longer than 1000 years. New Zealand kauri Agathis australis is one of these, but the oldest Olea europaea in this country is thought to be one of the trees in Auckland’s Cornwall Park, at a mere 150 or so years old.

According to study authors, Aner Sela (University of Florida), S. Christian Wheeler (Stanford University), and Gülen Sarial-Abi (Koç University), terms as subtle as, “… using ‘we’ versus ‘you and the brand,’ can have both positive and negative effects on people’s evaluations of real-world brands with which they have working relationships”.

The study found that successful use of ‘we’ depended on how close consumers already feel to the corporation that owns the brand. For example, it was found that people feel closer to banks than to insurance companies.

While food companies are more likely to have a close relationship with their customers, too much familiarity can still prompt a negative reaction. It is particularly important for the corporations involved to maintain a socially friendly persona if they want to build a positive relationship with consumers.

Aner Sela, S. Christian Wheeler, and Gülen Sarial-Abi. “‘We’ Are Not the Same as ‘You and I’: Causal Effects of Minor Language Variations on Consumers’ Attitudes toward Brands.” Journal of Consumer Research: October 2012. For more information, contact Aner Sela (aner.sela@warrington.ufl.edu) or visit http://ejcr.org/.

While the Fair Go story is just a local extension of recent research that damns the international olive oil business, particularly in the Mediterranean region of Europe, these findings are an extra challenge to the credibility of olive oil producers and importers.

The finding by MAF states: “Residue levels found in two samples of olive oil, taking into account processing factors and measurement uncertainty, indicate that it is likely the raw olives would have breached the NZ default MRL for difenoconazole. Non-compliant residues could suggest that good agricultural practice (GAP) has not been complied with but none of these non-compliances posed a risk to human health.

The findings do not specify whether the oils at fault are local or imported.

The insect, known as the tea shot hole borer, has been found on backyard avocado trees in several Southern California communities, where it’s spreading a fungus that’s scarring tree bark and causing branches to shrivel and die.

The plant ailment, known as ‘Fusarium dieback’, was identified recently by a plant pathologist who said that since February, the disease has been spotted in various locations in Los Angeles County.

It’s not clear how the beetle, Euwallacea fornicatus, which is native to Sri Lanka, India and other parts of South Asia, arrived in Southern California. But other imported pests have arrived on shipping crates or in plants smuggled in by travellers.

California’s commercial avocado groves so far have been spared. But the state’s growers are concerned enough that the California Avocado Commission has provided $100,000 in emergency funds to get a handle on the scope of the infestation.

“The challenge with the beetle is that it lives right inside the tree,” said Jonathan Dixon, research programme director at the commission. “There is very little you can do about it.”

California produces more than 90% of US-grown avocados. Last year’s crop was valued at $460 million, Dixon said.

California’s industry has good reason to be worried. Tea shot hole borers travel fast — they can easily fly 500 yards at a stretch. And Fusarium dieback already has wreaked havoc on avocado groves in Israel, where scientists have yet to find a predator or poison to neutralise the beetle.

California is already battling the Asian citrus psyllid, which spreads a disease that is threatening the state’s $2-billion citrus industry.

The tea shot hole borer is an ambrosia beetle about the size of a sesame seed. It carries the Fusarium fungus in its mouth. When the beetle burrows into an avocado tree, it infects the plant with the fungus. Fusarium then attacks the tree’s vascular tissue, interrupting the flow of water and nutrients.

Telltale signs of an infestation include dead or dying branches, as well as beetle exit holes on the bark of the tree’s trunk or main branches. The wood near these exit holes may be discoloured, wet-looking or be coated with a white, powdery substance.

Other than those approved, no other health claims about a food will be permitted in either advertising, promotion or labelling.

Monique Goyens, director general of BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, said of the decision, ” The food industry has long used false or exaggerated claims as a means of attracting consumers’ attention. It’s high time that such misleading and unsubstantiated claims are taken off the market and we welcome today’s publication of the list as an important step in this process.

“For consumers, it means that, by the end of the year, they should be provided with clear and accurate information when choosing what foods to buy and should be able to trust in the claims which appear on food products.”

The charitable programme raises money via a voluntary additional $2 being added to the bottom of bills at participating restaurants throughout New Zealand.

Goodman Fielder NZ’s managing director Peter Reidie said of the deal, “We are proud to be the principal sponsor of DineAid and look forward to supporting the excellent work that they do in the community. As New Zealand’s largest food manufacturer, we fit naturally in an initiative that works closely with the country’s leading restaurants to support city missions and regional foodbanks.”

Mark Gregory MCA, DineAid trustee and director added, “The three previous annual DineAids held in the run up to Christmas each year have raised over $316,000, handing over 100% of table donations paid by customers to City Mission Food Banks, and relief for Christchurch would not be possible without the support of a socially aware and caring business like Goodman Fielder.”

The original flagon, or half-g as it was also called, was actually 2.25 litres, but the new version being released through a number of liquor outlets around the country this week, is only 2 litres. However the flagons, called Growlers by the marketing wizzes at Moa, will have some real beer in them rather than the weak suds that once occupied the space inside flagons.

The full range of Moa beers will be available in Growlers, and they can be refilled. Moa has also introduced a ‘kegerator”, a modile keg to allow drinkers to take home the favourite Moa in bulk.

“We will do better by exporting high quality agricultural products and marketing them as such, but a race to the bottom undermines that export strategy,” Browning says.

“We are already seeing the dropping of standards with the Government having just put our domestic pork industry at huge risk by lowering health import standards, so that now we are in danger of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) being introduced to our pig herds, and potentially writing off the domestic pork industry.

“We have already seen the disastrous effects that new diseases can have on our food industry, with new figures showing that the PSA kiwifruit virus will cost us nearly $900 million over the next 15 years.

“Trade agreements shouldn’t be a race to the bottom of food standards.”

Public support for such a tax varies between 37% and 72% in the United States and there is growing attention on tax as a solution in European nations.

Summarising the conclusions of the research he led, Oxford University’s Oliver Mytton commented that health-related food taxes do have the potential to improve public health.

His paper has been supported by results from the Centre for Food Policy at City University London that show governments around the Western world are increasingly interested in legislating to tax unhealthy food.

Unfortunately the professionals at Kellogg’s agency actually spelled Achatz’s name wrong, claiming the snack was the work of one chef Grant Actatz.

The recipe for pureed sweet potatoes included bourbon soaked raisins as part of a Snackpicks brand promotion. Snackpicks is owned by Kellogg’s.

Achatz is reportedly hot about the breach, not only because his name is spelt wrongly, and his intellectual property has been stolen – the real blow is to his credibility. How come the founder of Chicago’s famous Alinea restaurant has put his name to Snackpicks?

Insiders in London say that a deal has just been done for Diageo to take over the entire business for US$3 billion, strengthening Diageo’s position in the US spirits market where José Cuerva is one of the strongest growing brands.

Chris and Karren Biddles, from Te Atarangi Angus, won Producer of the Decade while Alex Macmillan from Pipiwai in Northland took home the prize for 2012 Steak of Origin Grand Champion.

Head judge, Graham Hawkes, says this 10-year celebration has made the competition one to remember.

“There’s been a real festival feel to this year’s contest, with 10 judges from across the decade involved,” says Hawkes.

“The competition has certainly come a long way from its humble beginnings but one thing’s for sure, the steak has always been incredible,” says Hawkes.

The subject of science’s interest in this particular case is not food so much as greenhouse gas emissions, but at the heart of it is the frightening challenge of meeting the world’s escalating food needs, even as the natural environment on which everything we eat depends is increasingly compromised. Humanity is between the devil of environmental destruction and the deep blue sea of starvation and social collapse.

The reality, of course, is much more complicated. On one hand the industrialists argue, with assistance from an adept body of public relations expertise, that only by increasing the intensity of farming and bio-science can we meet the challenge of global hunger. On the other, science and environmental advocates argue that only by working in harmony with the natural environment can we hope to extract the maximum from our agricultural practice.

But there is another way, and one which the latest research from Edinburgh  suggests, the option of reverting to the life values of an earlier Western civilisation, when food was accorded more respect. A time when a greater proportion of personal income was spent on food than on any other share of living costs; a time that was destroyed by ideas that food should be cheap in a brave new world of industrial farming and industrial retail.

The problem is, cheap food means cheap environment, and as the costs of compromised farming rise, democratic communities are less inclined to meet these out of their taxes. To be blunt, it is either higher tax or more expensive food, in this there is no choice because the environment needs to be kept healthy if we as a species are to eat and survive.

One of the Edinburgh team’s proposals is that the world eat less chicken, around the same per capita as the Japanese, or just 46% of what Western markets now consume. In terms of   nitrous oxide emissions, this would not only reduce the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the global chicken business, it would continue to do so even when developing nations get their share of chicken, the same per person as the West.

You could say that is one of those remarkable win-win solutions, but it will only come with improved farming, and increased costs for poultry. More expensive farming practice will make for happier chickens, and happier foodies, as improved farming will deliver better flavour. But higher chicken prices will make a feed of chicken an event as it was in 1959, not the subject of a drunken nosh-up in the slip way of a deep fry facility.

Now extrapolate chickens out to sheep and beef, goats, vegetables, fish, fruit and the consequences of the world eating with respect, and paying a bigger share of its income to do so, becomes obvious. It transforms our daily meal into something special, and makes eating it the way we keep our world healthy, people and planet.

The remarkable thing about our current condition is that the smart arse compromisers who argue that carbon trading is an option for environmental balance are unable to see the way for profitable farming to gain a vested interest in better land care and better quality eating in the age of obesity.

Even more remarkable is the obsession most of the big players in our food industry have with minimising margins for the very people who are charged with keeping the globe healthy. Yes, farmers. Maybe our waterways would be cleaner if farmers made healthier profits.

When I arrived here from Europe, New Zealand’s culinary culture was just beginning. Eating out was considered to be an indulgence and even in Auckland there was nowhere you could go to buy a decent cup of coffee. As a young newbie ‘fresh off the boat’, I remember vividly trying to order an espresso in one of the very few Auckland restaurants one afternoon. The waitress informed me with a surly smile that “filtered coffee can only be served if you order a meal as well”; and dinner service was going to be available in two hours . . .

True story!

This was 20 years ago – and things have most certainly improved. The quaint tea shops that dotted the towns and cities have morphed into chic cafes, now offering good coffees all day and quality food that is second to none in the world. Predictable pies, greasy fish and chips and other questionable British fare have been given a sexy make-over and are now mingling with new and exciting foods inspired by vibrant cuisines from all over the globe.

To be fair, some food was always fantastic here in New Zealand. From honest home-cooked roasts and stews, to zingy relishes, the best ever fresh fruit and heavenly pavlovas; to this day, high quality local ingredients remain our strength. We are extraordinary food producers. We have completely nailed the supply of tender beef and lamb, can offer the most succulent seafood and have gained a reputation for making some of the best wines in the world. We no longer need to look outwards for excellence, deferring to Britain and France as our main points of reference.

In just a few years we have embraced a myriad of new ideas for cooking at home and created a New Zealand food culture that can stand proud as more and more top chefs emerge. They have all helped to propel this country to the lofty heights of international acclaim: Simon Gault; Al Brown; Martin Bosley; and Samoan born Michael Meredith with his amazing Pacifica-inspired flavours; Charles Royal with his vast knowledge of Maori food and Peter Gordon who brought us fusion cuisine.

There are so many more heroes in our food industry, dreaming up exquisite vanilla products, perfecting the art of smoked seafood, promoting native herbs and producing unique condiments too numerous to mention. And not to forget our brilliant, local coffee roasters. Aaah, that elusive espresso finally reached our shores and I am convinced that New Zealand’s coffee quality is now right up there among the very best you will ever find.

I am looking forward to testing this theory next month, while sipping on coffees in Austria, Germany and Italy, in the name of research.

I’ll let you know how it all turned out.

Tamara Rubanowski
Editor, FMCG

According to the latest release of data from the International Coffee Organisation, the composite price for all traded coffee in April 2012 was 160.46 US cents/pound, compared with 231.24 in April 2011. This is a fall of 30.6% and has the price already below the average for all of 2011 of 210.39 at the time of year when coffee prices are traditionally at their highest.

With a small crop across all producing countries predicted for this year there is a little hope that prices are gradually stabilising, but declining demand in major markets through 2011 has created a negative market.

Steeply climbing prices in major coffee consuming countries in 2011 (USA +31%, UK +22%, Italy +16%) also prompted a fall in volumes. In the United States the market remained relatively static, down just 1.2%, but in the United Kingdom consumption fell 6.7% and in Spain by 2.6%.

Only French consumption grew by any significant amount during 2011, by 4.3%. Shipments fell by even more dramatic degrees in emerging countries such as Korea (-17%).

In New Zealand imports increased from all three of our major suppliers, Vietnam, PNG and Brazil, with Brazil imports up 29.9% in 2011, and PNG by 51.5%.

Thanks to continued increase in consumption in coffee growing countries, global consumption declined a mere 1.7% in 2011.

While rennet-casein rose 0.7%, anhydrous milk powder dropped sharply by 11.9% and whole milk powder by 8.9%, leading the overall fall. Since a peak 14 months ago, the index has steadily fallen from a high on 1st March 2011 of 1420 to last night’s close of 837.

This is a decline in the value of commodity dairy of 41%, putting Fonterra and its farmers into hope mode, primarily that the NZ$ will continue its recent fall in value to shore up their international returns.

Branded GS1 GoScan, the application has been developed by supply chain organisation GS1 Australia in collaboration with industry stakeholders including major retailers, food companies, the Australian Food and Grocery Council, Australian universities and several national health organisations.

The new app enables consumers to scan the bar code on a food product and receive comprehensive product data, including allergen information, ingredient lists, nutritional content, daily intake information, dietary information, as well as ‘colour’ about the product, from its back-story to storage reccommendations.

“Brand owners can be sure that consumers will be accessing up-to-date and accurate information about their products – thereby building brand trust and loyalty,” GS1 Australia’s CEO Maria Palazzolo says.

The risks of poor welfare in intensive calf farming systems (EFSA, 2006) has been upated and recent scientific evidence on the topics reviewed. Risks of poor welfare are identified using a structured analysis, and issues not identified in the SCAHAW (2001) beef Opinion, especially effects of housing and management on enteric and respiratory diseases, are reviewed.

The Opinion covers all systems of beef production, although the welfare of suckler cows or breeding bulls is not considered. The chapter on beef cattle presents new evidence and recommendations in relation to heat and cold stress, mutilations and pain management, digestive disorders linked to high concentrate feeds and respiratory disorders linked to overstocking, inadequate ventilation, mixing of animals and failure of early diagnosis and treatment.

According to the report summary, “Major welfare problems in cattle kept for beef production, as identified by risk assessment, were respiratory diseases linked to overstocking, inadequate ventilation, mixing of animals and failure of early diagnosis and treatment, digestive disorders linked to intensive concentrate feeding, lack of physically effective fibre in the diet, and behavioural disorders linked to inadequate floor space, and co-mingling in the feedlot.”

Current plans are for a localised release of Sprite Select and Fanta Select to measure responses, but there is no longer-term consideration of a national launch until the results are in.

Both the new formulas have 70 calories per 12-ounce (340 ml) can. In comparison, standard Sprit and Fanta have 140 calories and 160 calories respectively.

The trial is seen by the beverage trade as a response from Coca-Cola to Pepsi’s release earlier this year of mid-calorie, Next versions. These, however, are just lower total sugar products, not sugar replacement options using natural sweeteners, truvia and erythritol, as Coca-Cola has.

The researchers estimate that if per capita global poultry consumption was the same as Japan at half those of Western nations, developing nations would be able to increase their consumption to an equivalent level, and global nitrous oxide emissions would actually fall.

The paper, Global agriculture and nitrous oxide emissions, by Dave S. Reay, Eric A. Davidson, Keith A. Smith, Pete Smith, Jerry M. Melillo, Frank Dentener6 & Paul J. Crutzen, has been published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Climate Change this month (May).

In summary, research team leader, Dr David Reay says, “Nitrous oxide is the major greenhouse gas from agriculture. It stands out as the gas you can really reduce in terms of emissions if you can cut down on agricultural waste and increase agricultural efficiency. Eating less meat and wasting less food can play a big part in helping to keep a lid on greenhouse gas emissions as the world’s population increases.”

On the matter of industrial poultry farming, the research considers current levels of poultry farming world-wide produce emissions equivalent to 40 million cars.

As well as halving Western chicken consumption, other agricultural measures that should be utilised to reduce carbon emissions include reduction in the use of nitrogenous fertilisers.

Results of the project, headed by Assistant Professor Karolina Skibicka have been published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Before this trial, the drug was being used by diabetics to help them control their blood sugar levels, discovering the reduction in appetite.

“This is both an unknown and quite unexpected effect,” says Karolina Skibicka.

“Our decision to eat is linked to the same mechanisms in the brain which control addictive behaviours. We have shown that exendin-4 affects the reward and motivation regions of the brain.”

“The implications of the findings are significant,” says Suzanne Dickson, Professor of Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

“Most dieting fails because we are obsessed with the desire to eat, especially tempting foods like sweets. As exendin-4 suppresses the cravings for food, it can help obese people to take control of their weight.”

“Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think,” said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a professor of integrative biology and physiology in the UCLA College of Letters and Science. “Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain’s ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimise the damage.”

While earlier research has revealed how fructose harms the body through its role in diabetes, obesity and fatty liver, this study is the first to uncover how sugars influence the brain.

The UCLA team worked with high-fructose corn syrup, the most common sweetener in the US food manufacturing industry with a presence in processed foods from soft drinks to baby food. The average American consumes more than 18.1 kilos of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

“We’re not talking about naturally occurring fructose in fruits, which also contain important antioxidants,” explained Gomez-Pinilla, who is also a member of UCLA’s Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center. “We’re concerned about high-fructose corn syrup that is added to manufactured food products as a sweetener and preservative.”

The competition stretches over all three days of Fine Food New Zealand; New Zealand’s international trade exhibition for the foodservice, hospitality and food retail industries.

“Think of it as the Bledisloe Cup of cooking,” says NZ Chefs Association National President Anita Sarginson.

“Visitors to Fine Food NZ will witness red-hot competition between the finest senior and junior chefs from New Zealand and Australia. The Kiwi senior team won the inaugural Gourmet Pacific Challenge held at Fine Food New Zealand 2010 so the Australians will go all out to restore lost pride in 2012.

“These competitors will be judged against stringent World Association of Chefs Societies judging standards covering all aspects of food preparation – not just the taste and appearance of their dishes.”

Exhibitors and visitors can watch the competition unfold ‘live’ and also pre-purchase the dishes that will be produced to enjoy them on the day. And the final night of the show features a special ‘live kitchen’ dining experience at AUT’s two restaurants in Wellesley St, Auckland. Guests will be invited to wander through the kitchens, chat to the chefs, see the food being prepared – and then eat the results.

“There are great chefs throughout Australasia hard at work producing awesome food day after day. This competition is their chance to shine and demonstrate best practice while creating world-class cuisine,” says Sarginson.

“It’s also a rare opportunity for trade visitors and exhibitors to sample top quality cuisine while watching some of the Pacific region’s best chefs in action – but they’ll have to be quick to buy tickets because places are strictly limited.”

For Gourmet Pacific Challenge ticketing, please email info@nzchefs.org.nz. Entry to Fine Food New Zealand is for trade visitors only. Pre-register before 10 June 2012 at http://www.finefoodnz.co.nz for free entry.

Visitors to the show will also find fascinating live cooking demonstrations from superstar chefs, all the latest kitchen equipment and gadgetry, chef master classes and show-only specials.

The Food Show (Auckland) takes place August 2-5 at the ASB Showgrounds and in Christchurch September 14-16 at the CBS Canterbury Arena.

For more information:

http://www.foodshow.co.nz