FDIN Seminar June 2012 The Mediterranean Diet

The Next Big trend

“It seems that as an industry we’re always on the back-foot being blamed for making people fat and shortening their lives, but here’s our chance to get on the front-foot and run with a really good way-of-eating which ticks all the health boxes and is delicious and convenient.”

The Mediterranean Diet in context ; Past, Present and Future

Health and consumer demand

The “slow food” movement

“Field to fork”

Scratch Cooking

The more sophisticated customer

The olive oil experience and early adopters

The public health agenda

Opportunities....

The Mediterranean diet - endorsed by the UK’s leading health brand

And also in the USA.............................

Contradictions? Conspiracy?

The Real World – a Confusing Place

How do we make sense of the small print?

Sometimes there is no smallprint

And the yellow fatty stuff is just as confusing...

How much goes on my toast?

“healthy living” ?  “Healthy living” Chicken dish ingredients;

White rice, water, dehydrated chicken (20%), modified maize starch, salt, tomato ketchup, onion, sugar, red pepper (2%), pasteurised egg, vegetable oil, dried skimmed milk, potato starch, stabiliser, xantham gum, white pepper, pectin, light soy sauce, colour (capsanthin), sweetener (aspartame), chicken stock, duck fat, dextrin, flavourings, chicken skin, maltodextrin, chicken broth, molasses, acidity regulator, lactic acid, potassium sorbate, pork gelatine and caramelised sugar powder.

  And for desert – a “Healthy living” sponge pudding;

Water, raspberries(22%), sugar, wheat flour, pasteurised egg, modified maize starch, dextrose, humectant, milk protein, whey powder, wheat starch, disodium diphosphate, calcium phosphate, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, mono and di-glcerides of fatty acids, rice starch, guar gum, xantham gum, salt and citric acid.

 

Healthy Eating – a Recipe for Misery and Confusion?

• Current trends in healthy eating - negative messages - “25% less…” “Low in….”

• Discredited “science” • Compromise of taste in “healthy eating” foods• Ingredients in “healthy eating” products - consumer trust issues -

e.g. additives, high salt• Supplements and tablets to replace foods• Reactionary/ “fad diets” - e.g. Atkins• Uninspiring policies of “nudge” and “nannying” – or just

unimaginative.• ? The blame game and enforcement. Taxing fats?

The 50bn Dollar Supplements

Confused? Maybe our favourite celebrities can help

Our Confusing and Hostile Environment

Does it matter?

The Timebomb

And it’s certainly not just about obesity

• Diet is thought to be a causal or contributing factor in up to half of cancers.

 • Lifestyle (lack of exercise and dietary habits) is

thought to be a direct cause in over fifty percent of heart attacks.

 • Diet and lifestyle patterns have been shown to

reduce the risk of “cardiac events” by 76%and to potentially increase life expectancy free from heart disease by an average of nine years (Eurosciences Communicatons 2000)

“I am concerned about the safetyof food today”

Changing attitudes towards health –do consumers care?

Source: Homescan Survey February 2000 and February 2006

“It’s important forme to eat healthily”

“I often don’t eat as healthily as I think I should”

“I prefer foods that are natural”

% respondents

Source: Homescan Survey Nov 2006 and Feb 2008

People know what to do.“Which of these things would you be more likely to do to improve your diet?”

Source: ACNielsen 2007

IndulgentFocus on innovation, realness & integrity

Main ShopLow growth, range

rationalisation to maintain efficiency

High Frequency/Top UpFocus on price and availability

MaintenanceFeel betterFeel great!

Realness & integrity driving growth

Understanding The Simplicity of Excellent Nutrition - The Mediterranean Diet

1.Observational Study meets.....

2.Modern Science meets.....

3.Our Understanding of Nutrition meets.....

4.Causal Plausability.....and the Med Diet!

But Firstly, what the Mediterranean Diet is NOT

• A Single Defined Entity

• A Single Regional Diet

• A Single Defined Food

• A “Diet”

• A Passing Fad

• Just Food

• A Series of Complex Recipes

• Lasagne by the Swimming Pool!

So, what is the Mediterranean Diet?

• Dietary fat 25-35% (Crete 40%) - majority MUFAs/olive oil

• Fruit, vegetables, legumes and cereals• Fish• Nuts• Dairy products and alcohol in moderation• Low intake saturated fat compared with ‘western diet’• Naturally low saturated fat, cholesterol lowering, low GI,

low salt, high fibre, antioxidant diet.

= low sat fat, salt, sugar= high antioxidant, high protectionCalories in = Calories out

1.Observational Studies; Ancel Keys and Beyond...

1990s CHD Mortality /100,000

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Sweden UK Austria USA Greece Portugal

CHD Mortality rates

Merec National Prescribing Bulletin 1999 Vol 10 no.2

2.Modern Science

• Well established, evidence base increasing (NEJM Epic study and longevity, Nutrition Review February 2006, analysis of 43 intervention

studies, large scale meta analysis in the BMJ Sept 2008 by Sofi et al, further review published more recently by Kastorini 2011 in the Journal of American Cardiology with a study number total of over half a million relating more specifically to Metabolic Syndrome - the "epidemic of the 21st century".)

• Associated with decreased risk of chronic heart disease, cancers, obesity, metabolic syndrome, death and morbidity - positive association with increased longevity

(references and bibliographies available appendix www.tasteofthemed.com.)

• Studies robust & exclude confounding factors • Increasing scientific understanding of reasons/

traditional knowledge• “High protection/low damage” dietary factors• Inflammation, free radicals, antioxidants…• But it is not available in a pill……

It really does make a difference“Following Myocardial Infarction 14 people will need to begiven Mediterranean dietary advice to prevent 1 death”

(NHS Centre for reviews and dissemination Source British Dietetics Association)

And transposable - Australian & Danish studies - 25% reduction in mortality after 2 years (British Journal Nutrition 1999)

Evidence emerging every month ;July 2011; Journal of the American Medical Association; Study shows factors of

Mediterranean Diet, not smoking, exercise and healthy weight decreased risk of sudden cardiac death. Added together by 92%.

June 2011; study looked at about 8,000 people over 65 and finds that those who had larger quantities of olive oil in their diet had a 41% lower risk of a stroke The differences between the largest and smallest users was 78%. – Samieri Journal of Neurology

3.Our Understanding of Good Nutrition – Simple Rocket Science

• Carbohydrates, the GI Index and its influences

• Fats – the good the bad and the ugly

• Protein, Exercise and Calories

• Micronutrients

• Phytochemicals and Antioxidants

• Salt, flavourings, herbs

The beauty of colours – phytochemicals and antioxidants: preventing heart disease and cancer

Red: Lycopenes and AnthocyaninTomatoes, Red Peppers, Grapes, Red Onion

Yellow/Orange: Carotenoids and BioflavanoidsYellow Peppers, Carrots, Citrus Fruits

Blue/Purple: Anthocyanins and PhenolicsEggplant, Currants, Figs

Green: Lutein and Indoles– Broccoli, Lettuce, Cucumber

White: Allicins– Onions, Garlic

• Olive oil: cancer prevention - oesophagus, colon, breast, prostate (lignans cf tamoxifen, squalenes, phenols)

• Garlic: immunity, blood clot inhibition (allium compounds)

• Coloured vegetables: tomatoes, peppers - cancer

prevention (flavanols including lycopenes etc)

Good Health is about how we combine these ingredients

A new Trademark?

Introducing the Poole Patented.....

Logi-hifi-losat-losal-cholo-antioxi-himonos-exer-sizereducing diet”

Or Alternatively...It’s The Mediterranean Diet

4.Biological Plausibility - Our Natural Diet

Because it’s what of bodies have evolved for........

Traditional Mediterranean diet; healthy and palatable - whole and wholesome

Olive Oil – At the Heart of the Mediterranean Diet

• Not from Concentrate

• A Place in History

• Health Qualities as a single Ingredient

• Ubiquitous with Fresh Produce

• The UK Market

• EFSA and Health Claims

The Emerging Science of EVOO

Is all oil the same? – quality, taste and chemistry

The Mediterranean Diet and Commercial Opportunities

• Celebrating Good Food

• Eating to Enjoy

• The Health Message

• Combining “Pure” Ingredients and Natural Produce

• Supporting Scratch Cooking

• Or “Unprocessed” Ready Meals

Commercial Opportunities

Commercial Opportunities

Positively Good for You