Food & Beverage Reporter August 2018

BRIEFS
BREWED ICE TEA IS A RISING STAR
In line with the global shift away
from sugary drinks, brewed ice
teas have become a rising star,
and the latest entrant into the
market is Sir Fruit.
Brand manager Taryn van Zyl
says: “We’ve done our best to add
as little as possible to our ice tea.
The result is a natural taste with
one of the lowest sugar levels on
the market today. It retains that
home-brewed feel but with a
refreshing crispness.”
The new range is available in
four flavours – apple and mint,
cranberry, lemon and lime, and
peach in 500ml and 1,5L variants.
www.sirfruit.com
150 (VERY) HOT YEARS
TABASCO is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
And it has a lot to celebrate: more than 164 million
bottles of the iconic hot sauce are consumed each year!
Made from three key ingredients – tabasco peppers
(capsicum frutescens), salt and vinegar, TABASCO was
launched by the Louisiana-based McIlhenny Company
in 1868.
The family-owned business produces 750 000
bottles of sauce a day and it’s sold in more than 195
countries and labelled in 25 languages.
www.tabasco.com
‘BLOODY’ FAKE MEAT IS SAFE, SAYS FDA
The US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has finally declared Impossible
Food's plant-based “meat” safe.
The company had submitted the
product for FDA review back in 2014
but it was rejected over concerns that
soy leghemoglobin, the fake meat's
key ingredient which “bleeds” when
cooked, might cause allergies and
other unwanted effects.
But the FDA has now expressed
its full confidence in the product.
"We have no questions at this time
regarding Impossible Foods’ conclusion
that soy leghemoglobin preparation is
GRAS under its intended conditions of
use to optimize flavor in ground beef
analogue products intended to be
cooked,” the FDA stated.
“Getting a no-questions letter
goes above and beyond our strict
compliance to all federal food-safety
regulations,” said Impossible Foods
CEO Dr. Patrick O. Brown, also
Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry
at Stanford University, who added:
“We have prioritized safety and
transparency from day one, and they
will always be core elements of
our culture.”
The news comes at a good time as
vegetarianism and veganism are on the
rise globally. Impossible Foods claims
that producing their veggie burgers
generates 87% fewer greenhouse
gases than getting beef from cows.
The process is also said to use
75% less water and 95% less land.
An assessment by the FAO concluded
that emissions from the production
of beef and lamb are 250 times higher
per gram of protein than those
from legumes.
www.impossiblefoods.com
4 AUGUST 2018 | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za