MushroomCouncil.org: Home

The Mushroom Council

Research and

Information Website

November 2008 Industry News

Foodservice_Newsletter-2008_Qtr_3 E-mazing_newsletter_11-13-08
The most recent Foodservice & Nutrition Newsletters

SHIPMENT SUMMARY

Mushroom Council First Handler Reports (millions of pounds; totals may not match due to rounding).
Current Charts

	Aug-08	Aug-07	% change	YTD 08	YTD 07	% change
Total Shipments	56.82	60.80	-6.55	494.61	500.31	-1.14
Domestic Shipments	50.50	53.74	-6.04	439.27	446.26	-1.57
Region 2	30.00	31.67	-5.27	254.95	258.01	-1.19
Region 3	9.13	9.48	-3.69	81.63	79.20	+3.08
Region 1	11.36	12.60	-9.84	102.68	109.06	-5.84
Imports	6.32	7.06	-10.54	55.34	54.05	+2.39

COUNCIL UPDATE

Nominations are coming up in February. Please note that the USDA encourages all eligible producers including women, minorities and individuals with disabilities to participate in the nominations and seek nomination to serve on the Council.

The next Council meeting is scheduled for February 23, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas. If you are planning on attending let Cheryl at the office know so that arrangements can be made.

It is time to apply for 2009 assessment exemptions. Exemption applications can be downloaded from the website. Call Cheryl at the Council office with any questions or to obtain an application.

Need information about mushroom nutrition? Go to http://www.mushroomcouncil.com/nutrition/research.html where you will find the latest research, resources and newsletters. In addition, for brochures that highlight mushrooms nutrition information go to http://mushroomcouncil.org/Resources/ and look for “A Guide to Mushroom Nutrition” as well as the array of other consumer, retail and foodservice brochure pieces. For recipes go to http://mushroomcouncil.org/Recipes/ and http://www.mushroomcouncil.com/recipes/.

New postings to www.mushroomcouncil.org include:

VITAMIN D

The US Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine is now seeking suggestions for individuals to serve on a study focused on Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for vitamin D and calcium. The goal of the study is to assess current relevant data and to update as appropriate the DRIs for these nutrients. Here is the link: http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3788.aspx

'Call to action' issued for raising vitamin D levels

Recommended daily intakes of vitamin D should be raised to 2,000 International Units, says a group of 18 scientists from the University of California.

The “call to action” by the UC scientists, led by Anthony Norman, echoes a number of others from leading academics across the globe, and may increase the need for policy makers to review current guidelines for the vitamin. Such increases could also open opportunities for food fortification and supplements.

Current recommended daily intakes (RDIs) of vitamin D are 200 IU for people up to 50 years of age, 400 IU for people between 51 and 70, and 600 IU for over the 70s years.

“The consensus among UC scientists who signed this statement is that 2000 IU per day of vitamin D3, a form of vitamin D, is the appropriate intake for most adult Americans,” said Norman. “This intake is the National Academy of Sciences/Institute of Medicine’s upper limit for daily intake, and is 400 IU less than the National Academy of Sciences/Institute of Medicine’s ‘no adverse health effect’ level. Scientific concerns about this level of intake are minimal, based on the findings of the National Academy of Sciences.”

To read the rest of this article click here.

Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children, and Adolescents

American Academy of Pediatrics statement:

Rickets in infants attributable to inadequate vitamin D intake and decreased exposure to sunlight continues to be reported in the United States. There are also concerns for vitamin D deficiency in older children and adolescents. Because there are limited natural dietary sources of vitamin D and adequate sunshine exposure for the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D is not easily determined for a given individual and may increase the risk of skin cancer, the recommendations to ensure adequate vitamin D status have been revised to include all infants, including those who are exclusively breastfed and older children and adolescents. It is now recommended that all infants and children, including adolescents, have a minimum daily intake of 400 IU of vitamin D beginning soon after birth. The current recommendation replaces the previous recommendation of a minimum daily intake of 200 IU/day of vitamin D supplementation beginning in the first 2 months after birth and continuing through adolescence. These revised guidelines for vitamin D intake for healthy infants, children, and adolescents are based on evidence from new clinical trials and the historical precedence of safely giving 400 IU of vitamin D per day in the pediatric and adolescent population. New evidence supports a potential role for vitamin D in maintaining innate immunity and preventing diseases such as diabetes and cancer. The new data may eventually refine what constitutes vitamin D sufficiency or deficiency.

Research reveals the power of vitamin D

Studies point to health benefits, but a nutrition board may take two years to issue new intake levels

(Foodbusinessnews.net, November 11, 2008)

by Jeff Gelski

Scientific studies published this year have linked vitamin D intake to potential benefits in bone health, heart health, reducing the risk of breast cancer and reducing the risk of Parkinson’s disease.

"It’s the hottest area of research in nutrition," said Dr. Connie Weaver, Ph.D., professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. "That kind of excitement generates more grants. There will be even more research projects."

A nutrition board eventually may increase the adequate intake (A.I.) levels of vitamin D, but the ruling may take a year or two, she added.

Dr. Weaver in 1997 was on the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, which is part of the National Academy of Sciences. That board set A.I. levels of vitamin D ranging from 200 International Units (I.U.) to 600 I.U., depending on a person’s age. Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (U.L.) ranged from 1,000 to 2,000 I.U.

Nominations for panelists on the next Food and Nutrition Board are being taken now, Dr. Weaver said. Recent science gives credence to the view that both the A.I. and U.L. levels of vitamin D should increase. However, it might take a year and a half to two years for the Food and Nutrition Board to release new guidance levels, Dr. Weaver said.

She said food and beverage companies may need to wait on increasing the amount of vitamin D fortification in some products until the U.L. moves up from 2,000 I.U.

"They can’t do much until the upper level goes up," she said. "It’s equally important for the upper level to change for fortification to occur. There is such a gap between what the upper levels are and what the new dose-response studies say are toxic."

Dr. Weaver also would like to see a Recommended Dietary Allowance (R.D.A.) for vitamin D instead of an A.I. The R.D.A. implies scientists have more evidence for their ruling, she said.

"It will be interesting to see if they are more comfortable with an R.D.A. now," she said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics on Oct. 13 recommended all children receive 400 I.U. of vitamin D daily, up from its previous recommendation of 200 I.U. Dr. Weaver said this recommendation may have little influence on the Food and Nutrition Board, which will examine its own scientific evidence.

"There is very little data on children of any ages," she said.

Dr. Weaver said she did not want to speculate on any future A.I., U.L. or R.D.A. levels for vitamin D because she does not know what scientific evidence the Food and Nutrition Board will examine.

Dairy products remain a good avenue for vitamin D fortification with milk generally offering 100 I.U. per cup, Dr. Weaver said. Cereals and some baked foods also have vitamin D fortification.

"It’s generally like 40 I.U. or less in a serving, so that’s pretty small," Dr. Weaver said.

Lallemand, Montreal, now offers Eagle VitaD yeast with high levels of vitamin D. The yeast may be used to fortify bread, a staple item.

"It’s a good idea to have a staple fortified," Dr. Weaver said.

A fall flurry of Vitamin D research

Several scientific articles published this fall stuck to one theme — Increasing vitamin D intake may improve the health of humans:

August

The article "Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations and Risk for Hip Fractures" appeared in the Aug. 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study followed 800 women from the ages of 50 to 79 for a median of 7.1 years and found that women with hip fractures had lower levels of vitamin D.

The article "Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Mortality Risk" appeared Aug. 20 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers from John Hopkins University analyzed vitamin D levels in 13,331 healthy men and women by using data from the third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES III) for nearly nine years. Of the 1,806 documented deaths in that time, 777 were related directly to some form of cardiovascular disease, with 400 of those being deficient in vitamin D. The results suggest all men and women concerned about their health should monitor blood pressure levels of vitamin D more closely.

The article "Vitamin D From Dietary Intake and Sunlight Exposure and the Risk of Hormone-Receptor-Defined Breast Cancer" appeared on-line Aug. 27 in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study considered 759 cases and 1,135 controls from a case control study in Ontario and suggested vitamin D is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

September

The Food and Drug Administration on Sept. 29 said it had amended its osteoporosis risk reduction health claim to reflect the importance of vitamin D, in combination with calcium, in promoting long-term bone health. The F.D.A. authorized the health claim, "Adequate calcium and vitamin D throughout life, as part of a well-balanced diet, may reduce the risk of osteoporosis."

October

The article "Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency in Patients With Parkinson Disease and Alzheimer Disease" appeared in the October issue of Archives of Neurology. Researchers from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta found significantly more patients with Parkinson’s disease had insufficient vitamin D levels than patients in a control group or patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers concluded the data support a possible role of vitamin D insufficiency in Parkinson’s disease but further studies are needed to determine contributing factors.

The American Academy of Pediatrics on Oct. 13 announced it was doubling the amount of recommended vitamin D for infants, children and adolescents. The clinical report "Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children and Adolescents" recommended all children receive 400 International Units (I.U.) of vitamin D daily, up from 200 I.U.

Click this link: http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/news/headline_stories.asp?ArticleID=97907 to the above article from FoodBusinessNews.net (this website requires registration).

MARKETING SUMMARY

TOTAL IMPRESSIONS/PLACEMENTS TO DATE:

October impressions overview:

Program	October 2008 Impressions	Total Year Impressions	% of Annual Goal	% of Last Year Same Time Period	% of Total Mushroom News
Consumer/Nutrition	64,480,819	710,661,135	178%	159%	69%
Foodservice	1,076,826	5,954,169	221%	281%
Retail	60,648	1,060,443	140%	62%

In October, Mushroom Council placements represented an average of 69 percent of total mushroom news, which is above the norm of 25 percent or less during a period of reactive outreach. For a full media update click here.

The Mushroom Council hosted an exhibit at the ADA’s Food & Nutrition Conference & Exposition October 26-28, which more than 10,000 registered dietitians attended.

Click here for the Mushroom Council’s fall E-mazing Newsletter. Here, you’ll find what the science says about mushrooms and immunity, cooking tips and a “Turkey Mushroom Soup” recipe—perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers.

New York Times online “Recipes for Health” series featured mushrooms the week of October 27, highlighting them as a nutrient-rich food for everyday recipes. B vitamins, selenium, copper and ergothioneine were some of the nutrients featured in the series. The feature resulted in 15.6 million impressions.

An announcement about the Mushroom Council’s $560,000 commitment to breast and prostate cancer research was distributed in October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to more than 700 food and nutrition editors and was covered by the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal and ecountrylifestyle.com.

Coverage of Mushroom Council-funded research on the weight management, of swapping mushrooms for meat, was highlighted in seven placements accounting for more than 7 million impressions in outlets such as the Houston Chronicle and Women’s World.

Throughout the month of September, the Mushroom Council sponsored online advertising on three food and nutrition-focused Web sites that highlighted mushrooms’ 0 fat, 20 calories, versatility, taste and natural vitamin D, garnering a total of 12 million impressions.

Web traffic update: Mushroominfo.com had the highest peak of visitors for the entire year in September with 27,192 people coming to learn more about mushrooms and download recipes. Click here for a full online report.

On the Foodservice front:

October was a key month for the Foodservice program as the Council geared up for the annual International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC) conference November 3-6, the most important media gathering for foodservice. This year, the Council held deskside meetings with 17 editors from 20 publications, pitching 80 stories and securing commitments for more than 60 placements throughout 2008, a 10% increase from 2007. Considering the limited number of target foodservice trade publications, IFEC allows the Council to reach over 90% of the available media outlets. Click here to view the conference recap report.

The Council’s participation in last year’s IFEC is still paying dividends, as shown by last month’s foodservice media coverage. In the month of October, Council efforts netted nine placements in trade publications, garnering almost 1.1 million impressions and bringing the total year impressions to nearly 6 million (221% of annual goal). As a result, mushrooms continued to be part of seafood and salad stories as well as articles related to Vitamin D.

The Council debuted the new foodservice collateral piece, “Discover Mushrooms…the hidden treasure of the Mediterranean,” at the Culinary Institute of America’s Worlds of Flavor conference in Napa, CA November 6-8. In addition to distributing the collateral piece, the Council also sponsored all three Marketplace events as well as an afternoon break that included dishes highlighting innovative mushroom applications in Mediterranean cuisine: Moroccan Mushroom Sliders with Chermoula Marinated Portabella and Tomato-Harissa Jam; Mushroom Arancini with Farro; Soup Pistou with Five Mushroom Broth, Rancho Gordo Beans and Creamy Garlic; and a Mushroom Cappuccino with Savory Bacon Cream and Pimentón Mushroom Crisps. Recipes are available on mushroominfo.com and click here to view the conference recap report. If you would like copies of this collateral piece, contact Cheryl at the Council office.

For an update on the status of the Council’s foodservice promotional pursuits, click here; to see new mushroom menu items for October click here.

On the Retail front:

Below is the September report of retail pounds sold by region.

Today is Tuesday, November 18, 2008. This cube contains data through 2008/09/28.
[All Geographies][All Products][All Forms][All Organic][All Pkg Sizes][All UPC/Codes][All Pkg Types][Last 4-13-26-52 Wks]Pounds
Pounds as values	Last 4 Wks, Curr Yr	Last 4 Wks % Chg, Yr-to-Yr	Last 13 Wks, Curr Yr	Last 13 Wks % Chg, Yr-to-Yr	Last 26 Wks, Curr Yr	Last 26 Wks % Chg, Yr-to-Yr	Last 52 Wks, Curr Yr	Last 52 Wks % Chg, Yr-to-Yr
California	1,802,492	7.59%	5,748,490	6.47%	11,571,329	3.23%	24,298,979	3.81%
Great Lakes	1,954,266	2.87%	6,513,910	7.96%	13,254,009	7.81%	26,593,658	9.85%
Midsouth	1,196,026	-2.38%	3,877,219	0.48%	8,032,864	2.05%	16,636,057	2.15%
Mountain	863,275	-5.99%	2,910,172	-4.68%	6,069,666	-1.37%	12,578,482	-1.52%
Northeast	3,025,371	-0.35%	9,686,982	2.01%	20,070,356	2.43%	43,513,636	3.94%
Pacific NW	617,592	-0.07%	2,039,225	1.98%	4,280,087	1.47%	8,778,310	1.71%
Plains	846,131	4.27%	2,654,708	-2.04%	5,260,219	-6.41%	11,236,155	-5.05%
South Central	834,164	-9.27%	2,773,467	-5.19%	5,724,726	-4.65%	11,985,529	-3.93%
Southeast	1,933,429	0.90%	6,082,740	0.44%	12,306,706	-0.43%	26,159,847	1.68%
Total U.S.	13,072,746	0.41%	42,286,913	1.82%	86,569,962	1.46%	181,780,652	2.58%

Click here for larger image

For a more comprehensive report click here.

This web site is paid for by the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990. This act allows commercial producers of fresh mushrooms the right to orderly collect assessments on domestic and imported fresh mushrooms. These funds are then used for the purpose of strengthening the mushroom industry's position in the marketplace, maintaining and expanding existing markets for mushrooms, and developing new markets and uses for fresh mushrooms.

The Mushroom Council Research and Information Website November 2008 Industry News

The Mushroom Council

Research and

Information Website

November 2008 Industry News