APC NewsletterJune/July 2015

75 YEARS

DOMESTICNEWS

1 Peanut Congress

2 George Birdsong

3 Lifetime Achievements

4 Trade Advisory Appointments

5 Flood Relief

6 NPB & Golin

7 Mickey Hughes

8 Karl Zimmer

9 Tomra Award

INTERNATIONAL

10 IPF 2016

11 Snack Pack Trend

12 EU Aflatoxin Amendment

13 eTDE

13 Websites

13 Totebags

PEANUT FOUNDATION

14 Updates

NUTRITIONNEWS

15 Food Allergy Myth- Busting

18 Allergen Thresholds

18 Infant Peanut Introduction

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

19 Eurolog Packing Group

NEW MEMBERS

20 Meristem Packaging

CONTENTS

DOMESTIC NEWS

2015 USA PEANUT CONGRESS

Over 280 industry members attended this year’s industry convention held at the beautiful

Grove Park Inn in Ashevile, NC. A mixture of business meetings and social networking events provided the background for another successful meeting. We were fortunate to have a wide array of speakers to update members on some of the most important topics in the industry today. Hugh Nall, APC Chairman, moderated the first day’s session. Kevin Rabinovitch, Global Sustainability Director of Mars, Inc. talked about the growing importance of sustainability in our business and how it is a win-win for the bottom line and the environment. Anne Alonzo, Administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, updated the audience on a various regulations and USDA programs affecting peanuts. Joe Stanziano, Vice President and General Manager for Peanut Butter, J.M. Smucker Company, and Sean Marks, Vice President of Marketing for Planters/Kraft Foods, gave outstanding presentations on the peanut butter and peanut markets and entertained members with new or recent advertisements for their products.

Chad Chandler, Vice Chairman of APSA, opened the second business session where Dr. Darlene Cowart, Chairman of The Peanut Institute, informed everyone about the exciting new nutritional research. Bob Parker, President & CEO of the National Peanut Board, updated the group on the success of The Perfectly Powerful Peanut campaign. Kris Balkcom, Extension Agronomist at Auburn University provided a review of the crop status in each peanut producing state.

With 2015 marking the 75th Anniversary of the American Peanut Council, the APC sponsored the Monday night reception which included a slide show of photos from the past seven and a half decades. We would like to thank all of our sponsors, especially our Platinum Sponsors – Hormel Foods & the J. M. Smucker Company for their generous support of this meeting. Next year’s congress will be in Charleston, South Carolina.

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The Peanut Hall of Fame is one of the highest honors in the pea-

nut industry and is not necessarily awarded every year. It is only given to those individuals who have made sig-nificant lifetime contributions to the peanut industry and to the American Peanut Council. No one inducted is more deserving than this year’s re-cipient, George Birdsong.

George Yancey Birdsong is CEO and General Counsel of Birdsong Corpo-ration. George did not start out in the family business. After complet-ing his education, he practiced law with the Godwin & Godwin law firm in Suffolk, VA. However, in 1965 his talents were needed and he went to work for Birdsong Peanuts as Secretary-Treasurer and held various officer positions before becoming CEO in 1999. Birdsong Peanuts celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2014. He has been involved in U.S. Peanut industry organizations and issues throughout his career including the Virginia-Carolina Shellers Association, American Peanut Shellers Association, Southwest Shellers Association, American Peanut Council, The Peanut Foundation, The Peanut Institute and many other peanut industry activities. He has served on and often chaired many com-mittees and task forces, too numerous to list. Not only did he selflessly give of his time to the industry, but he has been involved in many local civic organizations and he has been active in regional and state organizations such as Virginia Wesleyan College, Virginia Manufacturers Association, Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, Chesapeake

GEORGE BIRDSONG INDUCTED INTO THE PEANUT HALL OF FAME

• Unique signature identification• Huge contrast between good and bad• Ultra minimal false reject• Stable and reliable detection• Very easy to set and operate

• High resolution: detection of smaller defects• Modular: in combination with other detection modules on the same platform

WINNER OF THE INC AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AT THE INC CONGRESS AWARD 2015

PRESENTING THE NIMBUS BSIOUR AWARD WINNING SORTER

Interested in a free demonstration with your own products? Then visit our website or contact us directly:

www.tomra.com/nimbus-bsifood-sorting-us@tomra.com

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Bay Foundation, Nansemond River Preservation Alliance and Business Consortium for the Arts. He has received many awards and recognitions for his activities over the years. Some of the more notable ones include Humanitar-ian Award of the Tidewater Chapter of the National Confer-ence of Christians and Jews in 1997; First Citizen of Suffolk in 1997; Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011, and just this year he received the very prestigious Lenora Mathews Lifetime Achievement Award which honors the Hampton Roads re-gion’s outstanding leaders in community service.

George Birdsong continues to be a leader in our industry and sets a high standard for all of us to emulate. We con-gratulate him on this honor and thank him for his service to the American Peanut Council.

GEORGE BIRDSONG INDUCTED INTO THE PEANUT HALL OF FAME, continued

On June 15, Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to two individuals who have served the industry for decades. The awards were presented by Hugh Nall, Chairman

of the American Peanut Council.

The first recipient was Dr. Timothy H. Sanders who essentially created the science of peanut flavor and has worked tirelessly to improve peanut quality and by extension, the whole peanut industry. Dr. Sanders recently retired as the Research Leader of the USDA, ARS, Market Quality and Handling Research Unit, and as a Professor of Food Science at North Carolina State University. Dr. Sanders’ previous assignment at the USDA, ARS, National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, Georgia included research in the development of preharvest aflatoxin and food and flavor quality effects of variety,

maturity, curing, warehouse storage, handling, production stresses, and disease. Dr. Sanders transferred to Raleigh, NC in 1991 where he conducted research on quality and nutritional aspects of peanuts and peanut products. His research encompassed flavor and flavor chemistry, shelf life, the isolation and identification of nutritional and bioactive components, and various phases of roast processing of peanuts. Dr. Sanders’ most recent research demonstrated the preventive effects of peanut consumption on atherosclerosis in an animal model system and identified specific biochemical and gene activation mechanisms responsible for those findings. Tim has authored or co-authored over 275 published manuscripts, over 350 published abstracts, ten invited book chapters, and has delivered about 400 national and international scientific and industry presentations.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDED TO DR. TIM SANDERS AND HOWARD VALENTINE

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Howard Valentine has also dedicated his professional life to the U.S. peanut industry and has served in a variety of roles. Howard’s father worked in the industry and Howard literally grew up around the industry and he has seen it change dramatically. Since 1997, Howard Valentine has served as Executive Director of the Peanut Foundation and Director of Technology and Research for the American Peanut Council. Before joining APC, Howard was Vice President for Marketing at Golden Peanut Company where he marketed peanuts and peanut products

to U.S. manufacturers. From 1982 to 1987, he served as Vice President for Sales and Procurement at Archer Daniels Midland. He got his start in the industry as Director of Engineering and then Vice President of Operations for Columbian Peanut Company in Ozark, Alabama where he designed equipment, storage buildings, processing plants and systems layout. He served as chairman of USDA’s Multi-crop Aflatoxin Working Group for four years. After retiring from Golden Peanut Company, he joined the APC and the Foundation, where he has made some of his biggest contributions to the advancement of the industry. Howard has also tirelessly led the effort to develop a system to convert paper quality and trading documents to an electronic format that will facilitate both domestic and international sales and trade. He has worked hard to improve the tote bags that now transport most of our peanuts. It is the area of research that has been the most fruitful. He helped organize an international group of over 135 peanut researchers to sequence the peanut genome with the goal of finding genetic markers for resistance to the key peanut diseases and the key quality factors and served as the Director of this effort’s international Peanut Genome Consortium.

We salute these two gentlemen for their many contributions to our industry.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and United States Trade Representative Michael Froman recently announced the appointment of Brenda

Morris, peanut farmer from Ocilla, Georgia, to the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC). Industry members appointed to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts (ATAC) are Don Koehler, Georgia Peanut Commission executive director; Evans Plowden, General Counsel, APSA; Patrick Archer, president, APC; and Rick Pasco, American Peanut Product Manufacturers, Inc. The appointments are effective until June 15, 2019.

Congress established the advisory committee system in 1974 to ensure a private-sector voice in establishing U.S. agricultural trade policy objectives to reflect U.S. commercial and economic interests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S.

TRADE ADVISORY APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED BY USDA

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDED TO DR. TIM SANDERS AND HOWARD VALENTINE, continued

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Trade Representative jointly manage the committees.

The APAC provides advice and information to the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative on the administration of trade policy; including enforcement of existing trade agreements and negotiating objectives for new trade agreements. The ATACs offer technical advice and information about specific commodities and products.

TRADE ADVISORY APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED BY USDA, continued

Peanut Butter is a highly appreciated and loved snack across the country. Whether it is included in popular candy pieces or paired with jelly in a sandwich, peanut butter is a

staple in 94 percent of American homes.

With the recent flooding that has occurred in Texas, food banks have been working overtime to try to provide for displaced community members, in addition to the those who were already in need. One way Texas Peanut Producers Board (TPPB) helped in the emergency relief areas was teaming up with Peanut Proud to donate peanut butter to the region’s food banks. “When a natural disaster strikes the U.S. or surrounding countries,” TPPB Executive Director Shelly Nutt says, “The whole peanut industry comes together to donate peanut butter. Peanut butter has over 30 enriching nutrients that can provide multiple healthy meals for a family in need.”

TPPB and Peanut Proud donated peanut butter to three different Texas food banks in areas impacted by recent floods: Capital Area Food Bank in Austin, San Antonio Food Bank, and the Houston Food Bank. San Antonio and Houston Food Banks received 7 pallets while Austin received 6 pallets of peanut butter. Each pallet contains 1,440 jars of peanut butter, bringing the total donation to 28,800 jars of peanut butter. These jars can make approximately 362,880 peanut butter sandwiches for those in the disaster area.

Peanut Proud is an organization working to unite the peanut community through humanitarian efforts and recognition of excellence. The organization is affiliated with a variety of commodity groups and organizations across the country.

PEANUT BUTTER DONATIONS FOR FLOOD RELIEF

Employee of the Capital Area Food Bank getting ready to distribute jar of peanut butter for families affected by the floods.

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These sizeable donations were made possible by a couple of organizations donating time and money to the cause. One organization was Tara Foods, an affiliate of Kroger, who provided peanut butter at a $1 per jar discount. Another organization was Southern Ag Carriers, who donated all shipping of the pallets.

“It is great to see a whole industry come together to help those in need,” Nutt says. “Texas Peanut Producers Board is thankful to Peanut Proud and the other companies that helped with this initiative.”

To find out more about the initiatives supported by TPPB and Peanut Proud, check out the organizations’ websites. TPPB can be found at www.TexasPeanutBoard.com. Peanut Proud can be found at www.PeanutProud.com.

San Antonio Food Bank worker getting over 10,000 jars of peanut butter ready to distribute to families for consumption

PEANUT BUTTER DONATIONS FOR FLOOD RELIEF, continued

After 15 years working with Golin as its public relations agency of record, the National Peanut Board (NPB) today announced the agency will expand its role to include advertising and marketing, following a competitive review that included agencies from every discipline.

Founded in 2001, and funded by America’s 7,000 peanut farming families, the board funds production research, stimulates new uses for USA peanuts and drives demand. The expanded scope of work focuses on both consumer and trade engagement, and includes content creation, digital and traditional advertising, and business development ― in addition to earned and social media, special events and issues management. Work officially begins Nov. 1.

“We started this process to grow peanut passion among new generations of Americans and build on the critical work we’ve done around peanut allergies,” said Bob Parker, NPB president and CEO. “Since our board was formed, Golin has been a trusted and valued partner; we look forward to consolidating our work with them.”

For Golin, the expanded role with NPB is another in a growing list of integrated client engagements that includes earned, owned, shared and paid media.

“Nothing is more exciting than an important long-time client inviting us to help them tackle new challenges with an innovative, integrated approach,” said Fred Cook, Golin CEO.

NATIONAL PEANUT BOARD “GOES ALL IN” WITH GOLIN FOR INTEGRATED MARKETING

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“For us, this opportunity validates our relentless focus on insights, ideas and engagement these past few years.”

About the National Peanut BoardThe National Peanut Board represents USA peanut farmers and their families. Through research and marketing initiatives, the Board is finding new ways to enhance production and increase consumer demand by promoting the great taste, nutrition and culinary versatility of USA-grown peanuts. For more information about the board, visit www.NationalPeanutBoard.org.

About GolinGolin is a global communications firm with 50 offices around the world. In 2014, Golin rebranded from GolinHarris to reflect the evolution of the brand and its commitment to “Go All In” for clients and employees. For almost 60 years, it has been committed to delivering the deepest insights, boldest ideas and broadest engagement to the world’s leading brands through seamless integrated communications. McDonald’s, Unilever, Toyota and Nintendo of America are just a few of the brands the agency represents. Within its revolutionary g4 model, specialist communities use proprietary tools to plan and execute powerful campaigns designed to create positive change for clients. Golin is a member of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). Learn more at www.golin.com.

NATIONAL PEANUT BOARD “GOES ALL IN” WITH GOLIN FOR INTEGRATED MARKETING, continued

Southern AG Carriers and NationWide AG Logistics is proud announce that Mickey Hughes is joining our team as Blakely Terminal Director and NationWide AG Director. He has been involved in the peanut industry for 35 years . This peanut experience will be a huge benefit in serving the many Buying Points, Sheller’s and Manufacturer’s within the peanut industry that Southern AG and NationWide AG serves. We welcome Mickey and look forward to working with him!

MICKEY HUGHES JOINING SOUTHERN AG CARRIERS AND NATIONWIDE LOGISTICS TEAM

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Premium Peanut, LLC is pleased to announce Karl Zimmer as its new President and Chief Executive

Officer. Karl will assume this position in July 2015.

Karl previously spent nearly 14 years with General Cable, a Fortune 500 global manufacturer of copper and aluminum wire and cable products, where his last

assignment was as Senior Vice President Sub-Saharan Africa, Global Supply Chain, and Europe & Africa Product Supply. In these roles, during which he and his wife lived in Barcelona, Spain, he had general management responsibility for the estimated $250 million business in sub-Saharan Africa while also overseeing all manufacturing, engineering and supply chain for the $2 billion Europe and Africa regions, encompassing 12 plants and over 3,000 associates.

Karl began his career at General Electric in 1999, after completing six quarters of co-op assignments with GE Aircraft Engines, including a six-month assignment in Munich, Germany. He then completed GE’s Operations Management Leadership Program (OMLP) prior to moving into a SixSigma Black Belt role.

Karl received a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and is actively involved in a wide range of activities with his alma mater, as well as the Boy Scouts of America. Karl and his wife, Joan, will be relocating to Douglas, Georgia in the summer of 2015.

Premium Peanut, LLC was formed in the fall of 2014, in part to provide a stable and accessible market for peanut growers in South Georgia. A brand new, $50 million state-of-the-art shelling facility will be located on the outskirts of Douglas, Georgia. Shelling will start with 110,000 tons for the 2015 crop and is expected to grow to 140,000 tons within the first three years while capacity to shell 200,000 tons will be available.

Premium Peanut is grower-owned and committed to delivering the very best peanuts possible. The company has partnered with seven buying points, all within a 60-mile radius of the shelling facility, to handle the farmers’ stock purchases and storage. Premium Peanut is looking forward to being a vital part of the peanut industry.

Visit http://premiumpeanutllc.com/ to learn more about Premium Peanut, LLC.

PREMIUM PEANUT LLC HIRES NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

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TOMRA Sorting Solutions is proud to announce that it has been presented with the 2015 Innovation Award at the World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress which took place

last month in Antalya, Turkey.

Bjorn Thumas, director market development, says, “We are delighted to have won this prestigious Innovation Award, which recognizes the latest innovative technology in the world of nuts and dried fruits. An award voted by the industry we work for and with is a confirmation we are on the right path. We believe that TOMRA’s Nimbus BSI is a breakthrough for nuts and raisin processors.”

With a combination of various sorting technologies, the Nimbus free fall sorting machine with Biometric Signature Identification (BSI) meets the continuously high requirements of the food industry and individual processors for safe and excellent food quality by removing unwanted material.The BSI technology detects the biometric characteristics of nuts, dried fruits and potatoes and is the next generation of spectral imaging, introduced to identify the material’s unique fingerprint. This creates a new range of never before seen sorting opportunities. All information detected in a specific spectrum of light is analysed by TOMRA’s in-house designed sensor module, compared and classified; all at the speed of light.

The INC (International Nut and Dried Fruit) Conference, held last month in Antalya, Turkey is the most important conference worldwide on nuts and dried fruit. It welcomed almost 1000 participants from over 60 countries.

Watch the video footage of TOMRA winning the 2015 INC Innovation Award: http://youtu.be/sZ5c2AWzPco

For further information please contact Marijke Bellemans, Marketing Communication Coordinator, on T: +32 (0)16 74 28 17, M: +32 (0)476 74 19 18, E: marijke.bellemans@tomra.com | www.tomra.com/food

TOMRA WINS THE INNOVATION AWARD AT WORLD NUT AND DRIED FRUIT CONGRESS

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

We invite you to SAVE THE DATES for the 2016 International Peanut Forum! This key networking and conference event will be held during Wednesday 13th – Friday 15th

April 2016 at the N H Collection Madrid Eurobuilding Hotel in Madrid, Spain.

For a brief video introduction to the 2016 IPF, please visit www.peanutsusa.com/ipf2016 .

An opportunity to meet with farmers, shellers, exporters, brokers, dealers, manufacturers, testing laboratories and equipment suppliers from around the world, this key peanut event is one not to be missed! The Forum will follow the outline of previous years, with plenty of time for

networking at the evening receptions and for business meetings in the afternoons. The conference sessions will run on the mornings of the 14th and 15th April and will cover a diverse range of topics from food safety and latest research to social media marketing in this fast moving digital age. The exhibition will be open throughout the event for delegates to view the latest products and innovations from supplier companies.

The NH hotel is a stylish retreat in the city’s financial district and only ten minutes from the historic centre of the city. The hotel is surrounded by restaurants and boutiques, is right by one of the city’s main avenues and (for football fans) is a few minutes’ walk from the famous Real Madrid Bernabeu Stadium. The hotel underwent a major refurbishment and recently reopened in September 2014. The hotel offers plenty of space to network, spacious, comfortable bedrooms, a Fitness Center & Spa and gastronomic treats such as the 3 Michelin Stars DiverXO, DOMO and the 99 Sushi Bar, as well as 3 paddle courts for the sportsmen/women located up by the Beach Club Terrace.

Being held in the capital city of Spain, why not extend your visit to enjoy the sights, events, museums and nightlife of Madrid? The hotel is offering our IPF discounted rates pre and post the event for those who want to stay a little longer. Those of you wishing to book your hotel room early can do so via the following link http://www.nh-hotels.com/events/en/event-detail/22089/international_peanut_forum_madrid.html Please note that those wishing to extend their stay pre or post the IPF will need to e-mail the contact listed on the booking site to book additional days.

Registration for the event will not open for a couple of months yet, but please put the date in your diary now if you wish to attend! We anticipate that attendance will be even higher than last year, when 330 delegates from 35 countries attended this ‘peanut only’ event. The Forum has proved a popular event for suppliers and buyers to meet and conduct business.

Further information on the planned programme, sponsorship and exhibition opportunities will be available in due course – in the meantime, we invite you to SAVE THE DATE!

2016 INTERNATIONAL PEANUT FORUM, Madrid, Spain

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What we’ve seen:● In the UK RM Curtis launched ‘Snack Shots’, a four-strong range of calorie-controlled fruit, nut and seed snacks in May 2015.● 73% of snackers eat dried fruit/nuts/seeds at home, however only 9% of snackers eat them on the go.● Smaller pack sizes are becoming more common in nuts. Packs of 50g or less grew from 4% of all nut launches in 2011 to 13% of all nut launches in 2014.

Smaller packs have become more common in new launches of dried fruit and nut snacks in the UK market.

Smaller nut snacks have been attracting more activity in recent years, with smaller pack sizes becoming more common in new launches in similar snacks. For example, just 4% of new nut launches were in packs of 50g or less in 2011 versus 13% in 2014, as recorded by Mintel’s GNPD. The trend for smaller pack sizes doesn’t seem to be slowing either as 16% of all new nut launches so far this year (Jan-June 2015) have been 50g or less.

RM Curtis, a leading supplier of dried ingredients, has launched a four-strong range of fruit, nut and seed snack packs under its Snacking Essentials brand. The calorie-controlled snacks became available in May 2015, to both the on and off-trade, with an RSP of 59p per pack. The first four flavors to hit the shelves include Pomegranate Promise, Fruit & Nut Fusion, Choccy Orange Cheer and Sinless Seeds, each with no more than 110 calories per pack. The 25g ‘shots’ come in horizontal packaging designed to be opened along the side. The aim is to allow them to be merchandised alongside cereal bars, chocolate bars and other snacks with the same landscape-shaped packs.

Another interesting introduction has been from Sargento Foods in the USA launched in May 2015, which should translate into European markets. The range has been successful since launch of $9.5m and continuing to grow. The product comes in a multipack format perfect for on-the-go.

Across France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain, between 35-55% of consumers see single serve bags as more convenient.

UK Consumers eat nuts at home much more than out of home: 73% of UK adults who snack eat dried fruit or raw nuts/seeds at home, while just 19% of adults who snack eat them at work/place of study, and 9% eat them on the go. That the uptake out of home is so much lower than at home suggests that nuts and dried fruit are missing out on out of home purchases.

SNACK PACK TREND CONTINUES IN DRIED FRUIT, NUTS AND SEEDS

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Although the availability of snack packs in this product segment is growing, it is still limited. Meanwhile, visibility could be boosted through co-promotions. For example, 21% of adults who buy snacks on impulse are prompted to buy a snack when it is part of a meal deal. Sitting either with chocolate bars or at the till would also help to drive their visibility in the out of home space, supporting impulse buys.

The low price point of the new range should also help to boost its appeal, putting the snack packs in close competition with for example chocolate bars. Meanwhile, some 44% of people think that busy lifestyles make it difficult to eat healthily. That the on-the-go packs have a front of pack calorie label should help draw shoppers’ attention to them as a healthy choice.

What it means:● The Snack Shots’ horizontal pack design could offer Snacking Essentials an edge over its competitors, enabling them to be stocked with some of the most popular out of home snacks such as chocolate bars.

● Visibility of dried fruit and nuts as an ‘out of home’ snack could be boosted by co-promotions, as meal deals prompt snack purchases among 21% of adults who buy snacks on impulse.

● The low price point of the new Snack Shots range should also help boost their appeal, putting the snack packs in close competition with for example chocolate bars.

SNACK PACK TREND CONTINUES IN DRIED FRUIT, NUTS AND SEEDS, continued

AMENDMENT TO EU PRE-EXPORT AFLATOXIN CHECKS REGULATION, EFFECTIVE 9th JULY 2015

The EU Commission recently published the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/949 approving pre-export checks for the presence of mycotoxins. Since almonds have now been approved

for pre-export checks, the Commission decided to issue a new regulation that covers all three commodities (US peanuts, Canadian wheat and now US almonds). The regulation can be read here, but in summary the key points of relevance for our industry are:

• The taric codes have been amended to reflect those currently in use• Frequency of checks is now stipulated at less than 1%• On the Annex documents, there is a change to the text and information needed at the top of page 2. Also, the notes for box 1.20 now specifies that total weight should be indicated (previously this box asked for total gross weight and total net weight)

Documents within the eTDE system are currently being updated to reflect the latest Annex document.

As a reminder, this Regulation is not mandatory; peanuts can still be exported without pre-export checks and will then be subject to random testing at 10% or less. Please note that new exporters, or exporters whose products have recently been denied access to the EU, may be subject to increased checks until the EU is happy that EU standards are being met. We would strongly suggest that if you are exporting without pre-export checks that you state this fact clearly on your export documentation – there have been issues with some port personnel in the EU assuming that pre-export checks are mandatory.

eTDE

Discussions continue with USDA-AMS to define a fee system to sustain eTDE past July. The fee will have two parts, one to cover maintenance of the system and another when

there is a need to make changes to the peanut documents or add a new peanut document. All major functions are working successfully with over 7,305,000 documents uploaded to date.

Discourse is ongoing between USDA-FAS, Japan and Canada to begin using the system in 2015 and discussions are continuing with Mexico to add their border crossings over the next few months. Mexico is working with USDA-APHIS to get the initial system working for APHIS documents, peanut documents will be added. Mexico is still finalizing their system to receive the data and documents.

All peanut exporters to the EU should now have access to an electronic copy of all docu-ments needed to enter major EU ports. There are 7 primary ports that are now testing these documents. They will require both a paper copy and an electronic copy for a few months until they are comfortable with the new electronic system. Meetings with the

Dutch port authorities will be held this month to resolve a few mi-nor issues about data transmission. Please notify Howard Valentine (hvalentine@peanutsusa.com) of any issues with acceptance of the electronic documents.

If you need assistance in getting registered with eTDE or need infor-mation, please contact Steve Calhoun (calhoste@bellsouth.net).

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IMPORTANT INDUSTRY RESEARCH WEBSITES

Information on peanut genomics: http://www.peanut.bioscience.com

Peanut Research Data Base: http://www.worldpeanutinfo.com/publications.html

Peanut genomic data is now available at: http://www.peanutbase.com

TOTE BAGS

The revised APC totebag specification with the addition of elongation of the bags and polypropylene fraze specifications has been approved by the Taskforce members and

the APC Board of Directors. Two additional documents were approved for totebag sup-pliers to complete on each shipment: a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and a Declaration of Compliance. All three of these documents are available from Howard Valentine (hvalen-tine@peanutsusa.com) or Christina Taylor (ctaylor@peanutsusa.com).

Chris Butts, USDA-ARS, continues working with several of the cold storages and shellers to analyze changing the recommended temperature. Cold storage maximum temperatures up to around 55 degrees F are thought to virtually eliminate condensation in totes loaded into trucks for shipment during the summer months. The results of this work were dis-cussed at the June meeting in Asheville.

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THE PEANUT FOUNDATION

The Peanut Foundation Board of Directors, with Victor Nwosu from Mars serving as Chairman, met at the Ameri-can Peanut Congress in June. Among other business, the Board approved the 2016 Foundation budget. Many thanks to those that give their time to serve on the Board and direct the business of the Foundation. Also thanks to the many industry and grower groups that continue to financially support the Foundation so that research critical to the future of the peanut industry can continue.

Foundation-funded research, including $1.2M in recently funded 2015 projects, is in full swing now. Progress is continuing on the genome initiative with submission of the diploid progenitor publication imminent. This publication promises to be the authoritative scientific evidence of how the modern day domesticated peanut arose from two wild species. Any day now, we’re expecting final data from Hudson-Alpha on construction of the tetraploid ge-nome from smaller sequence fragments. A field day demonstrating the work being done on phenotyping of the core peanut germplasm collection was recently held at the Citra Florida Research Center. Being able to match phenotypic traits with known genetic markers is the ultimate goal and we are making very good progress in that direction.

July will be a very busy month for researchers in the field and the lab, but they will also take time to attend the American Peanut Research and Education Society (APRES) meeting in Charleston, SC. Prior to the start of that conference, there will be a special session where sci-entists participating in the genome initiative can get together and discuss future plans. There will also be a Seed Summit where peanut breeders will have the opportunity to sit down with industry representative to discuss current breeding efforts and new releases. The confer-ence itself will offer an opportunity for scientists from all disciplines to present their latest research results. Also in July, I look forward to attending the Southern Peanut Growers Con-ference where there will be numerous relevant presentations and panel discussions.

I am currently serving on search committees for three key USDA positons affecting peanut re-search. Interviews for the Peanut Curator position in Griffin, Ga, the Research Leader for the Crop Protection and Management Unit in Tifton, Ga, and a Peanut Food Technology position in the Market Quality and Handling Research Unit in Raleigh, NC are all being held during the month of July. We look forward to filling those positions with high quality scientists so vital research can continue.

If you’re not involved in research activities, it may sometimes seem that research is painful-ly slow and not in touch with current needs. I assure you that the research funded by the Foundation is extremely active and very much in touch with the needs of our industry. We are in exciting times and new discoveries are literally happening every day.

APC Newsletter

NUTRITION NEWS YOU CAN USE with Dr. Andrew Craig

How much do you know about food allergies? The field is changing rapidly and there is a lot of misinformation around, especially online. Can you recognise myths about

food allergy when they pop up in the media or in conversation? To help sort things out, Australian allergists recently devised a “top 10 food allergy myths” list. We thought you’d like to test your knowledge by tackling them and also share them with other people who are interested in food allergy. “Myth busting” can be everybody’s business. If you want to know why these are all myths about food allergy, see the answers later in this newsletter.

Myth #1A positive allergy test means a clinical allergy.Myth #2Allergy tests can predict anaphylaxis.Myth #3You cannot have an allergic reaction on the first known oral exposure to a food allergen.Myth #4Allergic reactions get worse with each subsequent oral exposure.Myth #5Only children who have had a history of anaphylaxis need an adrenaline (epinephrine) autoinjector.Myth #6Hypotension (sudden drop in blood pressure) and collapse are common signs of anaphy-laxis in children with food allergy.Myth #7Antihistamines and/or steroids if used quickly at the first sign of an allergic reaction can prevent food anaphylaxis.Myth #8Ara h2 is a good test to determine whether or not a child with a positive peanut allergy test has definite clinical peanut allergyand/or is at risk of anaphylaxis.Myth #9IgE based allergy tests are useful to identify food triggers in childhood eczemaMyth #10Oral desensitisation is a cure for food allergy.

Ref: Nickolls C, Campbell DE (2015). “Top 10 Food Allergy Myths”. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health; 1-5

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APC Newsletter

Top 10 Food Allergy Myths - the Facts

How did you do busting the food allergy myths? Below are the facts about each one, sum-marised from the article in Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health

#1. A positive skin prick test for a specific allergen like peanut can produce a misleading result – a “false positive”. If IgE (Immunoglobulin E) is produced in response to the test it means the individual is sensitised to the allergen, but it does not reliably predict or confirm a clinical allergy. To do that an “oral food challenge” in a clinically safe setting is needed. Over-diagnosis, unnecessary treatment and food restriction are linked to wrongly-inter-preted skin prick test results, especially if these are done with “over the counter” kits or by insufficiently qualified people.

#2. Even if the IgE response to a skin prick test is large or strong, that alone cannot predict that an individual will have an anaphylactic reaction if the food allergen is consumed. Even an oral food challenge cannot predict anaphylaxis. The converse is also true: someone who has a mild reaction to an oral food challenge, may go on to have a serious anaphylactic re-action to a food on subsequent exposures.

#3. This myth is particularly dangerous, because more than one-third of IgE-mediated al-lergic reactions occur to a foodwith no known prior ingestion. This may result from what is termed “dual exposure”: for example, an impaired skin barrier because of a child’s severe eczema may allow a food al-lergen like peanut, which is widely present in house dust, to cause sensitisation without any sign this has occurred. Once sensitised, the first time a child knowingly ingests the food, a full blown clinical allergic reaction occurs “out of the blue”.

#4. You cannot predict that symptoms will worsen on each exposure to a particular food allergen. That is because food allergic reactions in the same individual are variable and unpredictable in response to a range of factors. Conversely, just because a food allergic individual’s symptoms have hitherto been “mild”, this does not mean that a subsequent reaction will not be more serious or even become life-threatening. This message is espe-cially crucial for children and young adults to learn so that they may protect themselves in a range of real life situations, where knowing how to use and having available at all times automatic adrenaline (epinephrine) injectors could be crucial.

#5. You do not have to have experienced anaphylaxis before to be assessed clinically as being at risk for it. It is a clinical judgement for an experienced allergist to make and no test can predict it. National food allergy and immunology bodies have recommendations about who should carry adrenaline (epinephrine) autoinjectors and these should always be followed. Recent good practice recommends that two AAI/EAI should be carried because one may not be enough if severe anaphylactic symptoms return before clinical help can be obtained.

#6. If these signs occur at all, they are later in the allergic reaction. The earlier and more dangerous sign of food-related anaphylaxis especially in children is respiratory distress

FOOD ALLERGY MYTH-BUSTING, continued

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APC Newsletter June/July 2015Page 17

(worsening wheezing, coughing, gasping for breath) and possible failure. Prompt treatment with injectable adrenaline (epinephrine) can be delayed if it is - wrongly - believed that antihistamines or inhaled steroids (asthma treatments) are first required for the respira-tory symptoms. Adrenaline (epinephrine) is the only first line treatment for food-induced anaphylaxis.

#7. Current recommendations are that antihistamines and/or steroids are not first-line treatments for food-induced anaphylaxis and may if used initially cause fatal delay the ad-ministration of injectable adrenaline (epinephrine). In some individuals, they may however be used to help alleviate respiiratory symptoms after adrenaline (epinephrine) has been administered. Many individuals suspectible to serious food allergic reactions also have asthma and are prescribed inhaled steroids. Young adults in particular need to learn how anaphylaxis symptoms are different from asthma so they do not use the wrong medication and allow the allergic attack to worsen.

#8. A skin prick test using Ara h2 (which is only one of 11 peanut proteins to whch a person may be allergic) is not a good test for who will or who won’t develop a clinical allergy to pea-nut. A “negative” test for Ara h2 could not therefore exclude the chance that an individual would develoop a sensitivity or a later allergic reaction to another peanut protein. Looking worldwide, it has been found that people living in different locations can react differently to the same allergen, so results from one part of the world may be unreliable for individu-als living elsewhere. Oral food challenges remain the gold standard, under proper clinical supervision, for establishing how a potentially allergic individual will react to the food con-taining a specific allergen.

#9 IgE based allergy tests have limited value in predicting food triggers for eczema (atopic dermatitis), which is a condition related to food allergy and quite common in infants in “western” countries. The availability of these test kits over the counter can lead to inap-propriate diagnosis and food restriction. Children with severe eczema should be seen and evaluated by a paediatric allergist before any conclusions about food allergy are made. A specialist dietitian can then advise about appropriate food choices.

#10. Recent studies are very positive about the potential of oral immunotherapy (OIT) to reduce the number and severity of reactions to foods such as peanuts, milk and wheat. But it is too early to speak of this as a “cure” as it is not known how long this effect lasts in individuals. The Learning Early about Peanut (LEAP) trial was very successful in reducing responsiveness to peanut allergen in high risk infants who had eczema and egg allergy. The results of the one-year LEAP-On trial are awaited to see if this “non-responsiveness” lasts or not. OIT is not yet available in everyday clinical practice but only in specialist centres. It must never be tried at home.

FOOD ALLERGY MYTH-BUSTING, continued

APC Newsletter June/July 2015Page 18

DO YOU KNOW THE LATEST ON ALLERGEN THRESHOLDS WHICH MAY AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS?

Rene Crevel, Science Leader at Unilever, addressed this rapidly developing subject in an industry webinar recently sponsored by well-known diagnostics company Romer Labs.

APC submitted three questions for the discussion which all got answered with very useful information. Here’s what we asked:

1. There is good peanut threshold work from Nebraska and Manchester which is largely in agreement about levels. Is this enough to move forward to establishing reliable reference levels that industry can use? If so, who should lead this work and how should industry be involved in it? If not, what else needs to be done?

2. What’s the link between using reliable allergen thresholds to reduce use of precautionary labelling and unnecessary product recalls? Will this be safe for 100% for, say, peanut allergic consumers?

3. There is good peanut threshold data, but what about other nuts? Recent findings of al-mond false positives in spices suggest that almond data is not very strong. What about data for walnut, pistachio and cashew?

If you want to know the answers to these and lots of other questions about where we are with thresholds and where the science is going in terms of practical uses by the food indus-try, then have a look at the slides and audio from the webinar on You Tube ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTQ2v-AaLn8) We are grateful to Romer Labs for organising and supporting this discussion of an essential topic.

WHEN TO INTRODUCE PEANUT TO PREVENT PEANUT ALLERGY IN HIGH-RISK INFANTS

Following the ground-breaking LEAP (Learning Early about Peanut Allergy) trial results published earlier this year, the world allergy community has come up with a consensus

statement reflecting this advance in knowledge. All clinicians, patient-led organisations as well as the peanut industry need to know about this consensus position and ensure that it is widely disseminated, understood and followed. “Consensus communication on early peanut introduction and the prevention of peanut allergy in high-risk infants” is free to download from the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at this link www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(15)00785-X/pdf. The consensus statement is brief, clear and easy to follow for non-specialists. It does not answer all the questions which the LEAP trial raised, but it is a sound start towards more nuanced guidance which will benefit everyone affected by peanut allergy.

APC Newsletter June/July 2015Page 19

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Welcome to new APC member, Eurolog Packing Group North America (EPGNA). An inter-view with Mr. Cal Cleary of EPGNA:

1. How can EPGNA best serve the peanut industry?

We offer a number of intelligent solutions to improve the way that goods are shipped and stored. But what we are really focused on bringing to the peanut industry at the moment is our Hydry® range, which tackles the problem of moisture damage in different ways at various stages of the logistics chain. The standout product of this range is the Hyblanket®.

2. Tells us about Hyblanket®?

The Hyblanket® is a new product that we have designed ourselves. The reason for developing it was because we realized that exporters continued to experience problems with moisture dam-age despite taking other preventive measures, like desiccant bags.

The key to what makes it so special is that it works by acting as an ever present absorbent shield during the moments when cargo is most at risk. This is when drops of condensation form on the ceilings of shipping containers or trailers and then fall onto the goods below. This is known as “container rain” and is the greatest cause of fungus and mold growth. By combining a high absorption capacity (30 gallons) with safe and easy to use qualities, the Hyblanket® offers unri-valled protection and practicality to customers.

3. How can this system benefit the transport of peanuts?

We have a lot of experience with peanuts, particularly in South America. And what we have discovered is that peanuts are a cargo that is at risk to damage. Mainly due to its own high mois-ture content. This moisture will evaporate from the peanuts with warm periods during the day and condense when the temperature falls at night. This is how “container rain” is formed. This will happen cyclically day after day. Often for weeks at a time.

It is also important to keep in mind that peanuts are usually grown and loaded into contain-ers at locations where humidity and temperature are high. These factors contribute greatly to “container rain”.

The Hydry® products interrupt this condensation cycle in a number of different ways to ensure that cargo remains dry and protected.

4. What other products and services do you offer that would be of interest to the peanut industry, and what other in-dustries do you serve?

EPGNA develops shipping solutions to benefit the specific needs of the indus-

APC Newsletter June/July 2015Page 20

tries we serve. Our Hydry® products are all widely used in the peanut, powdered milk, grain and coffee industries to name a few. In addition to the Hyblanket®, we also have the Hybags® which absorb three times their weight in humidity. And the Hypad is ideal for using tote bags. Our Temcore® products work well with some of our other clients that need to protect their cargo against extreme temperatures and fluctuations and are popular with peanut butter com-panies. The Kit Kraft® range ensures that goods can be shipped in food grade conditions. We have always worked closely with our clients and understand their needs well.

5. How has becoming a member of APC helped grow your company?We have made a good start with APC by attending the USA Peanut Congress. This allowed us to get to know the community and give others an opportunity to find out more about us. We hope to use our membership to be able to help other members find solutions to their problems. We look forward to working together and solving your shipping and storing issues.

For more information, please contact: Cal ClearyEurolog Packing Group North America2035 Westwood Boulevard, Suite 216.Los Angeles, CA 90025+1 (310) 800 1940cal@epgna.comwww.epgna.comwww.hydry.com

EPGNA’S CAL CLEARY INTERVIEW, CONTINUED

NEW MEMBERS

Meristem Packaging Company, LLC is a Georgia-based supplier of top-quality and innovative packaging solutions. Founded in 2009, Meristem has a team of professionals who are

knowledgeable and experienced in the packaging industry. Meristem takes pride in the respect-ful and resourceful way we strive to engage with our clients. We consider those with whom we do business not only as customers, but as collaborative partners.

With our close attention to detail and exceptional customer service, Meristem promises un-matched quality and highly-competitive pricing. If you’re looking for a supplier who can take a project and run with it -- from ideation to design to completion -- we are 100% committed to its success!

We welcome the opportunity to build a lasting relationship with the members of APC by provid-ing high-quality tote bags and specialized pack-aging designed to your specifications. Thank you for this opportunity to work with you.

MERISTEM PACKAGING COMPANY, LLC