GroceryGlobe

NOVEMBER 9th, 2015

Chinese Mandarin Crop Coming Up Short

Chinese mandarin-producing provinces have been severely affected by adverse weather conditions, resulting in a short crop. “The crop in Hubei and Hunan is terrible; there is a decrease in production of over 40% on average,” one China-based source told FOODNEWS this week. He explained that this year’s acute production shortage is due to poor weather, pests and crops being neglected by farmers. “Production has already started in those areas and a few canners are no longer packing mandarins,” he noted.

In the Zhejiang province, the production is expected to be similar to last year. Since Zhejiang grows 50% of Chinese mandarin oranges, overall harvest is expected to be 30% down.

As for carryover stocks, there has been rising speculation on how much volume of old pack Chinese packers kept since the news of a short season. There seems to be some inventory in the A10 can size, but it is supposedly for re-pack use only. On the other hand, there are strong rumors that EU and US importers and distributors have significant stock in their warehouses.

Eating More Fruits, Veggies In Youth Linked To Healthy Heart Decades Later

Researchers found that eating more fruits and vegetables as young adults was associated with less calcified coronary artery plaque 20 years later. Previous studies have shown a strong association between healthier eating and the reduction in heart disease risk among this group. However, this is the first study to examine whether eating more fruits and vegetables could produce a measurable improvement in the health of their heart and blood vessels years later.

These findings support public health initiatives aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable intake as part of a healthy dietary pattern. Further research is needed to determine what other foods impact cardiovascular health in young adults.

The American Heart Association recommends filling at least half your plate with fruits and veggies in order to make it to the recommended 4-5 servings of each per day. The good news is that all produce counts, which means canned, dried, fresh and frozen varieties can help you reach your goal.

Tip: When buying canned, dried or frozen vegetables and fruit, be sure to compare food labels and choose the products with the lowest amount of sodium and added sugars.

How to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Breakfast

Eat melon, grapefruit or other fruit.
Add bananas, raisins or berries to your cereal.

Lunch

Put vegetables on your sandwich, such as cucumber, sprouts, tomato, lettuce or avocado.
Have a piece of fruit or raw veggie sticks instead of chips.

Snacks

Keep raw veggie sticks handy, such as green or red bell peppers, green beans, celery or carrots.
Carry dried fruit, such as raisins, dates or dried apricots, in your purse or pocket.

Dinner

Add a side of steamed or microwaved vegetables – frozen veggies are fine!
When you use the oven to cook your meal, put in a whole potato, sweet potato or yam at the same time.
Add chopped vegetables like onions, garlic and celery when cooking soup, stew, beans, rice, spaghetti sauce and other sauces.

Source: American Heart Association

APPLES
Chinese fresh apple prices are up and supplies are limited. The fruit is not reaching the processors due to lack of trucks making deliveries to the apple juice concentrate (AJC) plants. Processors are hopeful that more fruit will be released.

MANDARIN ORANGES
Reports continue to come from China that harvest will be 30% down versus previous year. This is due to frost during the blooming period and typhoons in recent months. Prices are expected to be slightly higher than last year. Carry over inventory may play a role in price increase.

OLIVES
Olive market is really short. Producers are anticipating a drastic decrease in supply by new year with the pricing to increase up to $5 per kilo in some cases. A major issue is that table olives are the secondary market for producers, the primary is the olive oil market because of the higher margins growers are able to receive. Egyptian product is well stocked and will remain competitively priced.

Another major contributor affecting this new crop is due to the bacteria (Xylella Fastidiosa) that caused a large portion of the olive trees in Italy to be destroyed. Most olive oil producers are turning to Spain (which is the largest olive producing country in the world) and Portugal to purchase the olives directly from farmers.

PEACHES
Industrial peach production in Argentina topped 139,000 metric tons during the 2014/15 season, heralding a recovery to normal production volumes around the 150,000 metric ton mark. This strong result ensued after a disappointing 2013/14 harvest. Growers harvested harvested only 60,000 metric tons, due to a crop loss from an early frost in September

PINEAPPLE
Raw material prices are reported to be reaching (Thai Bhat) TBT 15/kilo compared to TBT 12.50/kilo a month ago, compared to the normal price of TBT 5/kilo. El Niño (extremely dry weather in Asia) is the main reason for this price surge causing the fruits to be smaller with higher percentage of nitrates.

TOMATOES
Prices of Italian chopped tomatoes for both retail and foodservice have slowed down compared to summer months and against last year. The lack of inventory and staggeringly high prices for pulp products in most of 2014-15 should have led to prices increasing this season, instead the industry in Italy witnessed an opposite trend. This is attributed to factors other than supply and demand patterns. We will keep you updated.

Snowdonia Burger Fit For Royalty

This burger has become a popular choice in restaurants recreating one of Prince William's favorite meals during his time in the Royal Air Force (RAF). This delicious recipe features ground lamb, mint sauce, and is topped with award winning Black Bomber Extra Mature Cheddar.

Ingredients:

Burger mix:
1 lb ground lamb
1 red onion (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp. mint sauce
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 tbsp herbs de provence
3 tbsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Toppings:
4 - 6 slices Snowdonia Black Bomber
4 - 6 slices of Celebrity Sliced Bacon (fry or broil until crisp)
4 - 6 eggs (fried)
1 - Tomato (sliced)
Romain lettuce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F
Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with hands well. Form into patties and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 mins or until golden brown.
Fry bacon or place under broiler on medium heat 5-7 minutes until crisp .
Serve on a toasted brioche bun and top with Snowdonia cheese and Celebrity Canadian bacon.

Serves 4

Understanding the Market: Tuna

Tuna:
Skipjack
Raw material has continued to steadily soften and is now trading at levels between $1100 and $1130 per metric ton CFR Bangkok for 1.8kg size fish. Overall raw material supply continues to outpace demand which remains slow amongst the major consuming markets.

Yellowfin
Trading continues to remain steady at $1600-$1650 per metric ton CFR Bangkok.
Fishing in the Philippines has shown some slight improvement over the past two weeks. Boats have been able to head back out after several weeks of heavy storms in the region. Hopefully by year end yellowfin raw material supply from this area will allow for more regular shipments of finished goods. (Up until now supply has been extremely tight out of the Philippines).

Tongol
Supply out of all major source areas (Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia) continues to be very limited, with no sign of improvement. Thailand continues to struggle with fish supply. They have lost access to the supply out of Indonesian waters because the government cracked down on foreign fishing vessels in their waters. This has caused an impact on overall catch results and tongol remains in short supply.

Albacore
Albacore continues to trade at levels ranging between $3100 and $3200 per metric ton for limited long line supply and the expectation is for pricing to remain fairly steady at least through November.

Around the Industry: Trends & Forecasts

Millennials Shake Up Snacking

Much attention is being paid to the state of savory (and sweet) snacks and their place in today's tumultuous food landscape. It becomes clear that millennials are responsible for much of this turbulence and could be the key to thriving in this new landscape.

This young generation, spanning the ages of 18 to 34, is currently coming into its own in purchasing power and surpassing baby boomers in numbers. While they are the most highly educated of any generation, they are also deeper in debt than any other. However, while low-paying jobs and high debt may be keeping millennials from traditional life steps such as getting married, buying homes and having children, they are ready to spend the money they do have on food.

Growing up in a time of increased concern over obesity has driven this generation to have a preoccupation for healthy foods, particularly in snacks. Millennials’ diversity also has influenced their snacking tastes. Being the most ethnically diverse generation and growing up in an increasingly global society, these young people are looking for interesting flavor combinations. No longer are they satisfied with simple pepper, these shoppers look for jalapeño, chipotle and habanero.

Trends revolve around healthy eating, home cooking, gourmet ingredients, innovative flavor combinations, on-the-go eating and snacking as meal replacement. It’s in these trends that the snack industry can — and has — found continued growth in the past few years.

Click here for full article

Source: Food Business News (foodbusinesnews.net)

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