Long revered for their flavor, but also maligned for their fat and sodium content when salted, nuts are starting to be seen in a new light both as a snack food and a food formulation agent.
Skins in the GameFunctionality Still KeyPlaying the Nutrition AngleThat quality is becoming more relevant as food companies react to growing consumer concerns over issues of weight control and overeating. By incorporating protein- and fiber-rich nuts into smaller-portioned, reduced-calorie or low-carb foods, processors can tout their products as more filling, but waistline-friendly. And the industry also has a ready answer for those who correctly say almonds contain fat: 70% of its 14g-per-oz of fat content is of the friendlier monosaturated variety.Catechumen is a computer game in the "first-person shooter" genre of Quake and Halo, but with a Christian flavor. As a new convert, the player's mission is to navigate the catacombs of ancient Rome, past legions of demon-possessed soldiers, to rescue one's catechist from prison. The player carries the Sword of the Spirit-which shoots balls of spiritual light at soldiers who, overwhelmed, kneel in prayer to the soundtrack of the Hallelujah chorus. At each new level the player acquires more-powerful swords-or even the Staff of Moses-to more quickly dispense the, er, gospel.Newer clinical research developed after the FDA claim was secured appears to bolster the view that almonds fit into a group of foods that can lower cholesterol."We have more than 10 years of nutritional research showing that almonds offer outstanding health benefits, from the possible control of cholesterol to a good source of vitamin E to being very nutrient-dense," says Guangwei Huang, the almond board's technical manager. "As a result, more food technologists are now trying to enhance products' nutritional profile by adding almonds."Products For MedicineOf all the reasons for nuts' surge in popularity, improved knowledge and leveraging of their nutritional profile, along with a new appreciation for the dietary value of their unique nutritional qualities, may be the most notable. And, in that respect, almonds and walnuts are good proxies for how well positioned the entire category is today."We state up front that there's no violence against human beings in our games," said creator Ralph Bagley in an interview in Willamette Week Online. "These are all demons that get vaporized." Bagley's N'Lightning software company describes its corporate vision as based on Acts 26:16-18, a call to turn people "from the power of Satan unto God." They also want the gaming world to know that "God is for them, not against them."The same satiety quality also is enjoyed by walnuts, a nut that, like almonds, has a steady following in some time-tested food applications. Like the almond industry, walnut producers are playing up the nutritional profile of the product as part of a pitch to encourage more inclusion in foods."There have been some inquiries from ingredient companies interested in possibly using the bran to develop a powder that could be incorporated into baking mixes and promoted as a high-fiber, antioxidant-rich ingredient," he states. "We're studying some different applications along those lines here that would allow producers to harvest the skins and sell them rather than throw them away. One of the challenges is how to make it easier to mix them with dough."Perhaps the greatest food formulation coup of late for the walnut industry is the decision by fast-food icon McDonald's to make walnuts a central ingredient in its highly successful walnut and apple salad. Paired with apple slices, vanilla yogurt and grapes, walnuts were selected partly because they are a nutrient-dense, "filling product.""Omega-3s are key components for food producers interested in nutritional content, and walnuts' big point of difference is that they're the only nut that has it," Myrdal points out. "We're in the very early stages of looking at the positive impact that omega-3s have on preventing breast cancer and boosting metabolism so more calories can be burned."Thanks largely to aggressive research and positioning by the almond industry's chief promotional body, the Almond Board of California, almonds are basking in the glow of new findings about their healthful profile.Yet the apparent concentration of flavonoids in almond skins has heightened the almond industry's interest in promoting wider food-processing usage of that nut component. Routinely discarded or turned into animal feed after almonds are blanched, the skins may have greater value than once thought, says Huang.The claim allows marketers of foods containing at least 11g of almonds per serving, and which also meet standards for saturated fat and cholesterol content, to state on packaging that "scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1 1/2oz per day of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease."While nuts of all kinds are drawing more attention, a few of the more popular types that have long offered a particularly good fit as ingredients stand out. Almonds and walnuts are enjoying an especially strong surge in recognition for properties deemed valuable in today's food processing climate. From nutritional content to sensory properties to functional versatility, almonds and walnuts offer a grab bag of reasons for food formulators to tap them as role players."Although walnuts are part of the traditional Waldorf salad McDonald's tried to emulate, McDonald's decided to include walnuts partly because they wanted to give it a more balanced nutrient profile," says Amy Myrdal, marketing director-North America, for the Walnut Marketing Board. "By contributing protein, fat and fiber, walnuts add to the effect of feeling satiated."Nuts have risen to an enviable position on the list of trendy ingredients for a number of reasons. First and foremost, myths about nuts as being unhealthy are being debunked, as a better understanding of their true nutritional composition emerges. Producers are parlaying that information into more savvy marketing pitches to consumers and food technologists. The latter, of course, are focused on the ever elusive, great-tasting, yet healthful food product.InfoLINK 025-60701-265 or Call 800-441-6180It is thought that oxidization makes such "bad" cholesterol stickier and more likely to clog arteries. The Tufts research suggests ingesting almonds and the skin together produced a cholesterol-lowering benefit twice that of ingesting them separately. The findings may be most helpful in promoting whole almonds as snacks.Over the last decade, the board has spent some $7.5 million studying almonds' possible impact on controlling risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Its biggest success, to date, has been securing a U.S. FDA-approved qualified health claim for almonds--relating to their "heart-healthy" qualities.Flavonoids and vitamin E are thought to be the mechanisms behind almonds' abilities to lower cholesterol. Some 20 flavonoids--plant nutrients with antioxidant qualities--have been identified in almonds.Like almonds, walnuts have their own unique nutritional profile. Their biggest claim to fame is having the highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids in the broad family of nuts. With growing recognition of the role that omega-3s play in warding off a host of diseases and promoting development, walnuts have a card to play in the healthy ingredients game.Another almond attribute intriguing food formulators is nutrient density. While all nuts pack a powerful nutrition punch, almonds are considered the most nutritionally dense on a per-ounce basis.
While health attributes are becoming a potent new selling point for nuts in food formulation, marketers continue stressing their functionality as an ingredient. Capable of being delivered in many forms, nuts offer the food formulator versatility and flexibility of form and function, as well as flavor, texture and appearance, attributes that can subtly enhance foods.
Author: Tom Zind
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