In the know what ’ s happening in the world of food & Drink July 2011

1. In the knowwhat’s happening in the world of food & Drink July 2011

2. Hello... ...and welcome to the very first issue of The Missing Ingredient’s monthly selection of trends and news stories hitting the world of food & drink. We hope that this report stimulates ideas for new, exciting and inspirational products and services that will help grow and promote your brand. In the Know brings to you a short roundup what’s hot, new, interesting, radical and inspirational on the global food scene. As this scene is ever changing we bring this thought provoking information to you each month. This is your report and so we want you to cut it, past it, copy it and use it as a source of inspiration within your business. We’ve also included some of our own food discoveries. We hope that you find it useful.

3. exec summary • Functional foods • Skint Britain • Relaxation brownies • Ipad menus • Posh crisps • Curried snack bars • Flavoured spreads • McTaxi • Fast Food gets healthy • Ice Cream Innovation • What We Know

4. Functional Foods Set To Increase Pregnant women have become another target for functional food manufacturers. One ingredient in particular - docosahexanoic acid or DHA - has been generating buzz in paediatric nutrition for helping foetal development and is being experimented in snack bars and other foods for expectant women. Consumers have also been driving the market for natural ingredients that double in function, flavor and health. Ingredients like green tea, green coffee, and guarana are increasingly being used in a swath of products. Consumers can expect to find more "functional foods" on the supermarket shelves in the coming year. Functional foods - foods that boast direct health benefits - have been growing globally by about 14% YOY since 2003, and are expected to grow even stronger in the US and Europe. Dairy products with digestive benefits have been the most dominant player on the market, but consumers can expect a wider range of health claims on an equally expanding range of products. Bakery and cereals, for instance, that aid digestion; Immune System supports such as Green Giant’s range of frozen vegetables ‘Immunity Boost’, which claim to support a healthy immune system. While functional foods have traditionally been breakfast-oriented, they're also beginning to show up in other categories like snack foods. Nestlé's Skinny Cow, for example, sells low-fat ice creams with added fibre. More than 80 percent of proposals for health claims are rejected by the European Food Safety Authority.

5. Skint britAIn Many millions of people are not protecting themselves in the unfortunate event of illness, an accident or death of the main breadwinner, which is leaving them vulnerable and in many cases unable to afford to support their families. This is probably due to the fact that doing this also costs, and when times are hard, it’s food on the plates where families need to see the money going. Sainsbury’s supermarket is trying to help with it’s new ‘Feed the Family for £50’ promotion. As the government’s austerity measures start to kick in, the majority of families in the UK struggle with the cost of every day living. With a rise in VAT and National Insurance, families are on average £54 a week worse off. Only really splashing the cash on payday, there’s evidence to suggest that they are cutting expenditure on days out, trips to the cinema and sporting events. A poll conducted by Scottish Widows revealed A third of households would not be able to cope financially if they lost their main source of income

6. Relaxation brownies Remember melatonin? In the 1990s, this drug was all the rage as the miracle cure for jet lag. Now an increasing number of manufacturers are adding it to desserts and baked goods in the USA. With names like Lazy Cakes, Kush Cakes and Lulla Pies, these products are making melatonin back in vogue. But adding the drug to cakes is making it much more difficult for the consumer to recognise that they are taking a drug which could be dangerous. According to scientist, only a third of the population is susceptible to its effects in a supplement. Lazy Cakes are baked with all natural ingredients including melatonin, valerian root, passion flower and of course lots of rich chocolate. http://lazy-cakes.com/ Kush Cakes are a premium relaxation brownie that will melt in your mouth and give you complete relaxation! These cakes are baked with love and a proprietary blend of all natural ingredients, featuring Melatonin and Valerian root as the key active ingredients as well as chocolate! They also have Downie Brownie for the hyper active people

7. Ipad menus In the last few years, the explosion of smartphones and tablets has been extended beyond the individual consumer and are rapidly being adopted by entire industries including the restaurant business. A new restaurant in Guangzhou's Heng Bao Plaza has come up with a very modern way to spend less on traditional waiting staff: each table orders their meal using an Apple iPad provided by the restaurant. Even better, diners can continue to use the iPad to browse the Internet and/or play games while they enjoy dinner, dessert and drinks. According to restaurant manager Wang Hong, “iPad helps us lower the costs, make the ordering convenient and brings fashion to the restaurant.” About 25 iPads are already in use at the restaurant and each has been protected with an anti-theft system.

8. Posh crisps Are these the world’s poshest crisps? San Nicasio seem to think so. Since the beginning, the aim was to develop a new concept of premium crisp, using state-of-the-art culinary techniques and the best ingredients in the world. San Nicasio potato chips are made with extra virgin olive oil from the Almazaras de la Subbética (Olive Oil Mills), a cooperative that has Denomination de Origen, cold pressed oil that is the natural juice of the region’s olives. The potato chips are made with the sour type of non-transgenic potatoes of Spanish origin exclusively, which guarantees a maximum quality, a delicious palate and a crunchy texture, in keeping with the expectations of the most discerning consumer and connoisseur. They have been a sell-out success at the Cheshire Smoke House, one of the most popular high-end retailers in the 'golden triangle' of Cheshire, frequented by footballers and local business men. They hope to get them into Harrods and Harvey Nichols too. With this pedigree, we see no problem.

9. Curry in a snack bar Fancy a snack bar, but don’t want anything sweet? House Foods, a large Japanese foodstuffs conglomerate, is hoping these exotic flavoured bars which contain 10 different vitamins and minerals will hit the spot. “Power Lunch” bars look a little like a fig roll. Both the Curry and Spicy Curry bars are flavoured with pepper, cumin and cardamom and the Pizza Ranch bar promises “A perfect balance of flavours - cheese and sour tomato pizza is the familiar taste.”

10. Flavoured spreads The world is waking up to honey! More and more honey related products are appearing, perhaps in a bid to boost the honey industry or simply just to help the little bee flourish. Either way, it’s good news. New Kerrygold Honey Spread has launched is a sweet alternative to butter. The product can be used spread on toast or mixed with vegetables for a sweet, salty taste. It’s also low in fat.

11. Mctaxi Fast food doesn’t get any more convenient than this. To launch the NYC burger into Hong Kong, McDonalds recruited a fleet of taxi cabs that were covered in yellow vinyl, much like the iconic taxis that roam the streets of New York. The traditional Hong Kong taxi cab is red, so the McDonald’s Yellow Cab stood out. The taxis offered free rides to the nearest McDonald’s so consumers could try out the New York-style burger. The campaign was a huge success, and the burger became the fasting-selling burger at launch ever.

12. Fast food gets healthy A California-style restaurant chain has revamped its menu with healthier options for the summer. California Pizza Kitchen, which serves pizzas, salads and sandwiches plans to overhaul its menu with a bigger emphasis on health and wellness. The revamp will see 21 items disappear to be replaced by nine new items launched in time for the summer holidays. The new dishes will highlight natural chicken, turkey, pork and sausage products. Gluten-free pizza crusts will be an added option and the menu will also introduce new salads that clock in at about 600 calories. Sodium and calorie levels have also been reduced across the board. CPK's shift towards health and wellness is in line with a growing trend towards calorie-conscious menu options. A survey of more than 1,500 professional chefs predicted that hyper-local, healthy, gluten-free foods would become restaurant food trends this year. McDonald's also started rolling out oatmeal in January as a healthy alternative to their sausage biscuits and McMuffins. The 253g cup comes in at 290 calories.

13. Ice cream innovation Frozen desserts have been awhirl with development of late. Here are just some of them. Heston’s Hot mustard-flavoured ice cream is to hit supermarket shelves in June, the first savoury flavour to be sold commercially. Just what the world’s been waiting for, peelable ice cream. This playful eating experience can be enjoyed in the form of an innovative, fun and unusual ice cream stick, which is about to be rolled out across the globe this year, after its successful launch in Thailand as Eskimo Monkey. Just when you think that all new cup-cake ideas had been exhausted, along comes the ice cream cupcake. A cupcake but with an ice-cream topping! Wendy’s Supa Sundaes launched to 35 Wendys stores in NZ in June For those who can still afford it, the Marquis Los Cabos resort in Baja California Sur, Mexico is offering a $1,000 popsicle made from 24 ct. gold flakes and Tequilas Premium Clase Azul Ultra, which goes for $1,500 a bottle.

14. WHAT WE KNOWA ROUND-UP OFTHE THINGS WE’RE LOVING THIS MONTH

15. lovebites A friend of The Missing Ingredient recently introduced us to ‘dry ice’. Discovered while visiting a cocktail bar in Old Street it has a powerful effect and certainly makes your drink the centre of attention! Pretty tough to pitch up at a food festival with a product no-one can try. That’s why a Jersey Royal’s grower decided to make the first and only crisps made from the golden spuds just for the show. Nifty idea and something tells me that he could be on to a good idea! Who doesn’t love popcorn? The clever people at Joe and Sephs have managed to get not only the flavour of their ingredients into their product but also the texture. The creamy goats cheese and black pepper was our favourite. After years of eating diet yoghurt we’ve recently discovered the joys of the real creamy stuff. Current faves are The Collective Russian Fudge and Little Melton Passionfruit. There’s no going back now!

16. Get in touch We’re always keen to meet with new food businesses to see how our creative marketing strategies could help grow your business. We’re happy to meet for an informal coffee or even a quick chat over the phone. becky@themissing-ingredient.com - 01628 66 678 – 07768 910521 www.themissing-ingredient.com