March 16, 2007

Convention sets registration record - Thank you for helping us set a registration record for the Canola Council's 40th annual convention! More people than ever from around the industry are making Growing Great 2015 their destination of choice to hear about the industry's plans for success in the next eight years. You will learn about the strategy for advancing to 2015 and have the opportunity to participate in the discussion yourself. This event has the speakers you want to hear and the players you want to meet. As well as an opportunity to play a little golf on a course designed by the man known as the Golden Bear. Refresh your memory about why you have chosen to attend by visiting http://www.canola-council.org/conference/index.htm

Australian food industry pledges to cut trans - Amidst pressure from government and food safety officials, the Australian food industry has vowed to significantly reduce trans fat within its products by the end of the year. Companies such as McDonald's, KFC, Krispy Kreme and Hungry Jack's have agreed to find solutions to cutting trans from their products by September. The Aussie government has been considering compulsory labelling of trans fat content. Currently, Australian food processors must reveal information about the presence of trans fat only in relation to a particular health claim. Christopher Pyne, minister for health and ageing, welcomed the decision and said it would set an example for all processors. "There are some companies that have moved to remove all saturated fats, and I think most other companies will follow suit."

Chicken Shack chucks trans fat - Chicken Shack has announced its chain of 19 U.S. restaurants has made the switch to a canola-based cooking oil. The company reportedly tested between 15 and 20 different oils over a period of about six months before settling on canola oil.Neil Sobeck, Chicken Shack's communications manager, whose grandparents founded the restaurant in 1956, said the change would be complete by March 15.
"Not all oils are created equal," says Sobeck. "First, you want to see if it has the same great taste. Secondly, you want to see if it breaks down. There's so many different types and they all react a little differently to your product."

Mary Galle, 84, a Chicken Shack customer, said she couldn't tell the difference. "It tastes good to me. I wouldn't know the difference if you didn't tell me," Galle said. "If it's better for us, I don’t know why they didn't do it a long time ago."

Website to help Americans choose healthy restaurants - Americans eat out an average of four our five times a week, and two organizations have teamed up to help them make healthier choices. Healthy Dining and the National Restaurant Association have unveiled http://www.healthydiningfinder.com/site/ which includes nearly 30,000 popular restaurant locations nationwide and will be a resource for those looking to make more informed food choices when dining at their favourite restaurants.
Burger King, PF Chang's, Buca di Beppo and Au Bon Pain are some of the restaurants participating in the website, which is partially funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Korean canola seminars well attended - Canada's ambassador to Korea, Marius Grinius joined Dr. Bruce McDonald and Dr. Linda Malcolmson at a March 8 canola oil seminar held in Seoul at the Canadian embassy. The three Canadians, along with Lee Tae-Ho, president of Jinbo International Corporation, shared the health benefits of canola oil with a crowd of journalists, university professors and food and health related company representatives."The demand for health products among South Korean people has dramatically increased during the last 20 years. Heart disease is the second most common cause of death among South Koreans. One of the reasons for this is that most people overtake saturated fat. Because of the low amount of saturated fat in canola oil, it can help Korean people to live healthier," Lee told The Seoul Times.
Jinbo International is a major importer of Canadian products such as canola oil.

Dairy Fresh milk improves shelf life - Dairy Fresh Farms Inc. has announced it is ready to launch its milk products across Canada after a successful plant trial production of chilled extended shelf life and shelf stable milk. Dairy Fresh Farms takes whole milk, skims off the fat, then adds canola oil and other ingredients to produce a milk beverage equivalent to 2% milk. The result is that saturated fat is replaced with unsaturated fat from canola oil.
"Because of the geographic distance constraints in bringing a new product to market in Canada, the ability to utilize the longer shelf life packaging techniques will allow Dairy Fresh Farms to market our products from the Atlantic to the Pacific in an organized and efficient manner," says Robert Harrison, CEO and director of Dairy Fresh Farms.

For more information, check out http://www.macreport.net/todaysMarkets.asp?id=6895

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