The United Nations, led by its Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has launched the 2016 International Year of Legumes under the slogan “nutritious seeds for a sustainable future”. The objective is raising awareness about the protein power and health benefits of all kinds of dried beans and peas, boost their production and trade, and encourage new and smarter uses throughout the food chain.
Clearly we want to eat better. Healthier, more natural, more plant products even more sustainable. We are conscious of what consumption of certain nutrients means for our health, such as dietary fiber that is known to be beneficial for health because affects in the intestinal function, weight control, reduce the risk of certain heart diseases and type II diabetes. And the fashionable proteins (even better if they are from plant origin) play a structural function in our body. We want to consume more vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds that help to prevent some diseases, to have good health and even delay cellular aging. Moreover, we know the benefits of following the Mediterranean Diet pattern; rich, varied and healthy in which the consumption of our typical food products and ways of cooking are included.
However, even though we have all this knowledge, according to data recently released by the World Health Organization (WHO), consumption of fast food in Spain has increased in recent years and, even worse, this data is expected to increase to 50 % over the next five years.
But… consumers, we’re in luck! We have within our reach tiny packages with all those nutrients that we are asking for. Their name are pulses and are considered gluten-free and functional foods that exert a positive effect on certain metabolic functions such as the cholesterol levels, the glycemic index, reduces lipid accumulation in the body, promote intestinal transit and can prevent the occurrence of certain types of cancer, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. What´s more, they are sold at the supermarket and have a very affordable price.
Undoubtedly, legumes should be an important part of the diet because they are a great source of proteins and carbohydrates. The average protein content of legumes varies between 17 and 40%, considerably higher than the cereals (3-7%) and are considered proteins of high biological value and approximately equal to the protein content in the meat. They are also rich in complex carbohydrates, including significant amounts of dietary fiber (9-27 %) and a low fat content.
Moreover, the legumes are very important from the point of view of maintaining the agricultural ecosystem due not only to the cultivation area occupied worldwide, but also to the ability for fixing atmospheric nitrogen increasing soil fertility and reducing the use of nitrogen fertilizers. Waste footprint (carbon footprint + water footprint) of legume crops is lower than other crops, so it promotes sustainability and contributes to mitigate climate change. And last but not least, legumes are even more important in developing countries for their good shelf life and low cost.
It´s clear that legumes are an essential part of many diets in the world including the Mediterranean. Not in vain, in the new healthy eating pyramid, legume consumption is recommended at least twice a week. The new pyramid considers the importance of consuming traditional, local and friendly products with the environment, such as legumes.
For all this reasons, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has launched the 2016 International Year of Pulses. Nevertheless, despite its importance and the growing of legumes has increased by 20% over the last 10 years (mainly due to animal feed demand) its consumption has declined in favor of other protein sources such as meat. This decline is due to social and cultural reasons; from our new life style (we are cooking less and less), to a perception of legumes as “poor food” or even the rejection of their consumption because they produce flatulence.
Challenges in innovation to boost consumption
It is very clear: food industry must innovate to cover this demand through ready-to-eathigh quality dishesbased on legumes that meet with a good nutritional profile, or, for example, legumes in the form of flour.
Pulse flours are a very good alternative to increase consumption of legumes, especially in children. With an appreciable nutritional value, good dietary fiber source, and gluten-free, these ingredients just need a little imagination, a little technology and a big desire to investigate to get very good products such bread, biscuits, pasta or snacks.
We like food. We like eating. The gastronomy is fashionable. TV channels and programs dedicated exclusively to cookery, children chefs, kitchenware that before only used to have the chefs come to our homes, blogs with a plenty of recipes, and culinary criticisms, even TV programs about the science of food or how do it. We can make our own beer, wine or cheese at home, buy us a bakery machine, any of us have access now or all kinds of ingredients to emulate our favorite chefs. So how can we explain that every year tons of food are thrown away?
From this perspective starts the plot of the movie Just eat it, a 2014 documentary which attempts scrutinizing the causes of the current global problem of food waste.
Currently all groups of experts, scientists and government agencies agree that the food losses and waste (FLW) as one of the great problems of our planet, and we have to solve it right away because of its ethical, environmental, social and economic implications.
If in the world, 800 million people go hungry, being the cause for the death of 3 million children per year, while we throw tons of food (about 1.3 billion tons per year), something is not working well. This is the first fact that alarms us and hurts us morally regarding to the FLW, thinking about how many people could be fed with the food we throw away.
But there are other concerns and impacts associated with the problem of the food losses and waste, such as environmental implications. Overexploitation of natural resources in the process of production, processing and distribution, such as salinization and soil erosion or abusive use of rivers and groundwater, besides the externalities due to the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, like air pollution and water or health problems for workers and consumers.
The exactly numbers of the quantity of food that it is wasted are currently estimated data, but the FAO estimates that we waste a third of the food that we produce, ¡¡a third!!, this is equivalent to about 1.300 millions of tons, and in every stage of the chain, from the primary production to the consumption of these at households.
The reasons for this food wasting are many, lack of adequate infrastructure in the producers’ storage, mismanagement during transport, high standards of market (fruits and vegetables with an “imperfect” or “ugly” appearance are discarded), excessive size the portions in restaurants, lack of planning on shopping by consumers, etc …
It is true that governments, institutions and citizen groups are beginning to worry and launch initiatives to change this situation, but it is necessary that all the actors involved go in the same direction and begin to act immediately.
If you have not decided yet what will be your food trend for 2016, here there are some clues.
When the year ends, a lot of studies appear and predict annual trends in every sector. In the food industry, lists are published on what will be in style next season, have turn into a tradition. Knowing trends is fundamental because it allows us to know what kinds of food will be part of the consumers’ diet, the key to develop new products, the technology needed in processes, etc.
Using like reference some studies by specialized consultants in market research and analysis, as Mintel (Global Food Report and Drink Market in 2016), Innova Market Insights, The Special Food Association, and the products introduced last October in Anuga Fair, it is possible to anticipate healthy tendencies for 2016.
Undoubtedly, this year, there is no excuse for not consuming vegetables because we can find them in all types of products like tea, yogurt, ice cream, etc.
Our concern for health, sustainability and animal welfare causes us to eat less meat, and we are becoming a kind of part-time vegetarians, which has been called ‘flexitarians’ (until now, we say flexitarian to refer to the people who be vegetarian until a jamón serrano appears on the table). This will involve the technological development of products in order to recall the texture of the meat, the search for alternative proteins and more respectful processes.
According to experts, this is an ideal moment for takeoff of organic food, to be considered by consumers as a common property for the planet. We demand ‘real food’, that is food without preservatives, artificial flavors or additives, produced using traditional techniques. In this sense, the ‘Clean Label’, a tendency of 2015, has turned into the ‘Clear Label’, that is we want that the label would be as clear as possible. In addition, we are interested in knowing the food origin, who makes them, how food is prepared, its properties, etc. Throughout 2016, we let ourselves be captivated by foods with message (‘food telling’).
This year, initiatives will grow in order to seek to convert waste into products with higher value added, and there will be more alternatives to transform these products which are ready to expire.
On the other hand, we are being witnesses the increase of allergen free products, especially without gluten. Nowadays, there are a lot of people who consume foods without gluten, in spite of not suffering celiac disease, only because they think that these kinds of products are healthier. Keeping it in mind, the food industry has had no choice to respond to a consumer demandingfor quality products, sustainable production and wider choice in this field. It is increasingly common for brands to develop products under the slogan ‘triple free’, that is these products which obey several requests at the same time, for example, food without gluten, sugar and lactose.
During 2016, the image of snacks will change, and it will occupy positions as an option for healthy food specially for breakfast and lunch. Consumers know that all the nutrients are not equal, so they will choose products with healthy fats, fiber and protein sources (specially peas and quinoa). It is expected that the moringa be the next ‘superfood’, the broccoli be the fashionable vegetables and millet grain the last alternative.
Gradually we will be immersed in an increasingly personalized nutrition in order to choose these products that are good for our lifestyle. Marketing departments feel that millennians, muppies or foodies will be the future. The milleannians look for natural food, produced in a sustainable way; muppies want all kind of food that give them the nutrients needed to face the physical exercises; finally, foodies rely on private label products. Defrauding these groups can have serious consequences because their opinions will spread like wildfire through social networks.
In 2016, easy or pre-cooked products will have a great success, and better if they are individual packages (single dose), because there are a lot of people who live alone or in smaller families.
The countdown has begun and CARTIF goes on to innovate in healthy eating. We wish this year would be a very innovative year.
From November 30 to December 11 was celebrated Paris the COP21, the twenty-first conference on climate change. One of the objectives of this summit was to reach agreements between the participating countries, which allowed limit global warming to a level below 2 ° C.
When we consider man’s contribution to climate change, in particular emissions of greenhouse gases, we are thinking about the big electricity companies, energy production or emissions from transports, but our diet and the way in which we consume our food have an important role in contributing to climate change.
Food systems worldwide are responsible for up to 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. (FAO). Furthermore, 2050 is forecast population growth, which will require an increase in agricultural production and will therefore increase pressure on natural resources.
We must find a more sustainable way of feed the world, looking healthier diets and friendly nature. Recently Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs), non-governmental non-profit organization that works to build a sustainable world, has published a report which concluded that a diet change is needed to reduce global warming.
In this report, it is concluded that we keep too carnivorous diets, which contribute directly to global warming and that the livestock sector is responsible for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions. The meat is the least efficient food exists to feed the planet, the amount of arable land that is dedicated, limiting itself to other crops, and by the enormous expense involved water per kilo of meat produced.
Reduce meat consumption could reduce gas emissions by 25%, and switching to Mediterranean diets based on fish or vegetarian would have a considerable reduction in these emissions.
Accordingo to Gidon Eshel, the beef uses 28 times more land and 11 times more water than production chicken or pork. And compared to the production of potatoes or rice, the impact of beef per calorie, used 160 times as much land, besides the greatest emissions of greenhouse gases.
David Tilman, ecologist at the University of Minnesota, says that “global emissions of greenhouse gases would be reduced by an amount equivalent to the current emissions of all cars, trucks, trains, ships and airplanes. Moreover, this change in diet could prevent the destruction of tropical forests and savannas of a size equal to half of the US “
We must be aware of the impact our everyday actions have on greenhouse gas emissions, to make sustainable environmental choices. Choices to the time of making the shopping will be from now essential, if we want a sustainable planet for all, to feed the whole population (currently around 900 million people go hungry each day) and respect all living organisms.
Much of consumers think that the greatest effect of food contaminants, are the packaging and not the food itself. From now on, they will be necessary awareness campaigns, to inform consumers of the importance of the diet on the climate change.
We must walk towards more sustainable food systems, with less impact on the environment, acquiring the healthier diet patterns, that prevent diseases such as type II diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular diseases associated with diet.
The World Health Organization recommends reducing the red meat consumption and avoid processed meat intake, after the report of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
For many years, it has been recommended to consume the red meat in moderation. So far, these suggestions were associated with risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity… However, for the first time, its massive intake has been related with the horrible cancer. This piece of news has spread panic in the society.
According to experts, potentially carcinogenic substances ingested with meat are heme iron (which brings its characterisitic red colour), nitrosamines (substances created when meat amines bind with nitrites and nitrates, used as preservatives), and certain chemicals substances, which are formed in the process of cooking.
What news for our country! Spain is mainly carnivore and the best hams of the world are produced here. According to the Report of Food Consumption in Spain, published in 2014 by the MAGRAMA, the Spanish consume every day about 50 grams of red meat and about 32 grams of processed meat.
Are we at risk?
At the beginning, red meat is not a problem in our country. On the one hand, the consumption does not exceed the amount recommended by WHO. On the other hand, there is not evidence between red meat and colon cancer. However, the situation changes with processed meat. In this case, according to WHO, there are solid evidences of its relationship with this kind of cancer. In addition, they warn that the risk increases with consumption and portions of 50 grams per week mean high risk.
In Spain, the processed meat consumption is almost five times higher than recommended amount. This could increase the danger to suffer a cancer. But it is necessary to know the significance of absolute and relative risk, in order to avoid mistakes. The best way to take in these concepts is with an example:
50 of 100 CARTIF researchers drink a coffee for breakfast. The other half choose a cocoa drink. Throughout the day, 5 of the researchers who have taken coffee and 2 of those have taken cacao feel dizzy. In terms of absolute risk, we would say that 10% of the first group and the 4% of the second have dizziness. So the absolute risk of feeling dizzy after coffee is 6% higher than after cocoa. In fact, the absolute risk is small.
On the other hand, the relative risk is also the difference between the percentages of both groups. Therefore, it is 2,5 times more likely to feel dizzy if we choose coffee rather than cocoa, or the risk of dizziness with coffee is 60% higher than with cocoa. Of course, using relative risk, percentages increase creating a bigger impact. Normally, media use it in their headlines in order to create more interest and excitement, and this is just what has happened wih the WHO information. The headlines have emphasized the relative risk (18%), in spite of the fact that the risk of developing cancer by eating red meat is only 5%.
However, stopping eating meat or eating raw meat are not the best solution. According to WHO, the raw meat can cause infections. Moreover, according to a study published in the journal BioMed in 2013, the relationship between meat consumption and mortality has chart ‘type j’, so it is worse not eat meat than eat a small amount. Meat is a fundamental source of nutrients, proteins, iron, zinc, vitamin B, vitamin A and essential fatty acids.
The meat sector is aware of the negative influence of this kind of information and how it could affect the sale of their products. In the CARTIF area of Agrofood, we are cooperating with manufacturers of pork sausage to improve the nutritional profile of these products. Getting healthier meat products without its losing organoleptics properties is one of our challenge in CARTIF.
