World Cocoa Foundation Research Update: February 2008
Rising mood food segment led by chocolate, analysts said. By Alex McNally 2/18/2008- Chocolate has come out on top as the star of the emerging mood food category - but its future maybe under threat if companies fail to win health claims for their products. Frost & Sullivan has said the segment has emerged as companies attempt to cash in on food's ability to stimulate neurotransmitters and help induce a good mood. Market analysts at the firm said chocolate has now elevated itself to becoming a "psycho-active" food. This is good news for chocolate manufactures that will be able to tap into the emerging segment with products aimed at making people feel happy. But the analysts give one word of warning. As the segment is so new, it could be another "passing fad" unless these products achieve health claims status in Europe. Under health claims legislation, companies which wish to make a claim about a foods' physiological effect must have scientific documentation to support their claims. "While there is abundant research backing these foods, it appears so far to be quite subjective and generalised," the analysts agreed. Frost & Sullivan said that research has found the answer to chocolates feel good factor. It contains anandamide like ice-creams and other positive neurotransmitters such as oleolethanolamine and N-linoleoylethanolamine, caffeine and theobromine. All these chemicals have been detemined to have active psychological effects. Chocolate is also rich in tryptophan, an essential amino acid which is connected with the production of the mood-modulating neurotransmitter serotonin. Chocolate also contains the amino acid gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that is said to reduce anxiety. Full article.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Ph.D. PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT: From Jan Engels j.engels@cgiar.org. Pleasesee below the call for applications for an international PhD programme in the Netherlands. EPS International PhD Programme 2008: 4-year PhD projects in Experimental Plant Sciences. The Graduate school “Experimental Plant Sciences” offers eleven 4-year PhD positions in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Entomology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Plant Cell Biology, Plant-Microbe Interactions and Plant Physiology. The selected candidates will be fully funded with a fellowship of € 1300 per month, a traveling allowance and reimbursement of visa costs.
Location: Wageningen University, the Netherlands
Who can apply? PhD candidates from non-EU member states
Deadline for application: 15 April 2008
Start of the Programme: September-October 2008
The Graduate School 'Experimental Plant Sciences' (EPS) is a collaborative research and teaching institution of Wageningen University (WU), Radboud University (RU), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), Leiden University (LU), University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Utrecht University (UU).
EPS was founded in 1992 in order to organize and coordinate the fundamental and strategic plant research of the collaborating universities. EPS also facilitates the training and teaching of PhD students in these fields by organizing PhD courses, seminars and summer schools. All information about the EPS International PhD Programme 2008 can be found at www.graduateschool-eps.info.
FUNDING FOR IR-4CROP PROTECTION PROGRAM: USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is accepting applications for the IR-4 program, which facilitates minor/specialty crop protection by providing expert assistance with product development and registration. Summary: CSREES announces the availability of grant funds and requests applications for the Interregional Research Project #4 Minor Crop Pest Management Program (IR-4) for fiscal year (FY) 2008. For FY 2008, CSREES is soliciting applications to fund five projects including an IR-4 National Headquarters (HQ) and four geographically-based Regional IR-4 Centers corresponding to the four USDA administrative regions: North Central, Northeastern, Southern, and Western. The primary goal of the IR-4 program is to provide safe, effective and economical pest management solutions for growers of minor/specialty crops. Successful applicants to this program will demonstrate the capacity and commitment required to achieve the following goals which are regionally oriented:
1. Accelerate the registration of newer, reduced risk pest management tools.
2. Expedite access to these pest management tools for minor/specialty crop growers.
3. Conduct efficacy research to identify new and more effective minor/specialty crop pest management solutions. The IR-4 program will focus the majority of its efforts on reduced risk products, bio-pesticides and other chemicals with characteristics that are deemed lower risk to humans, non-target organisms, and the environment. Contact: Dr. Monte Johnson; National Program Leader for Environmental Toxicology; CSREES, USDA; telephone: (202) 401-1108; fax: (202) 401-4888; e-mail: mpjohnson@csrees.usda.gov. This article (#4059) was distributed by e-mail on February 21, 2008 to those whose names are on the FIEN, LLC Subject Matter Distribution Lists for Agricultural Research; Crop Protection; Fruits, Vegetables and Nuts; Grains; Organic Food; Pesticide Registration; Sustainable Development, Cindy Roberts, Food Industry Environmental Network, LLC, 1464 Harvard St. NW, Suite 14 Washington, DC 20009-4610
Phone: 202-669-6951 --- E-Mail: CAR@fien.com
MEETING:
From Jan Engels (Bioversity International) J.ENGELS@CGIAR.ORG. The West African CFC/ICCO/Bioversity Project Workshop took place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from 18 - 23 February 2008. The workshop focused on cacao breeding and research, including farmers’ participation in West African countries related to the CFC/ICCO/Bioversity Project “Cocoa Productivity and Quality Improvement, a Participatory Approach,” Also, presentations were given on the “Role of CacaoNet to efficiently conserve and use genetic diversity for the creation of new varieties,” as well as a discussion held during an evening session on “CacaoNet and the Establishment of a Global Strategic Cacao Collection”.
RECENT CACAO PUBLICATIONS:
**Alemanno, L.; Devic, M.; Niemenak, N.; Sanier, C.; Guilleminot, J.; Rio, M.; Verdeil, J-L.; Montoro, P. Characterization of leafy cotyledon-1-like during embryogenesis in
Theobroma cacao L. Planta, vol.227, p. 853-866, 2007. Genomincs&Physiology&Biochemistry1300KB.
**Cooper, K.A.; Campos-Gimenez, E.; Jimenez, A.D.; Rytz, A.; Nagy, K.; Williamson, G. Predictive Relationship between Polyphenol and Nonfat Cocoa Solids Content of Chocolate. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 56, p.260-265. HumanNutrition Phytonutrients162KB.
**Henderson, J.S.; Joyce, R.A.; Hall, G.R.; Hurst, W.J.; McGovern, P.E. Chemical and archaeological evidence for the earliest cacao beverages. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 104, p. 18937-18940,2007. Socio-Economic512KB.
**Mollea, C. Chiampo, F.; Conti, R. Extraction and characterization of pectins from cocoa husks: A preliminary study. Food Chemistry, vol. 107 (3), p. 1353-1356, 2007. PostHarvestProcessing118kKB.
**Mounjouenpou, P.; Gueule, D.; Fontana-Tachon, A.; Guyot, B.; Tondje, P. R.; Guiraud, J-P. Filamentous fungi producing ochratoxin a during cocoa processing in Cameroon. International Journal of Food Microbiology, vol. 121, p. 234-241, 2008. Diseases&PestsBiology257KB.
**Sukha, D.A.; Butler, D.R.; Umaharan, P.; Boult, E. The use of an optimised organoleptic assessment protocol to describe and quantify different flavour attributes of cocoa liquors made from Ghana and Trinitario beans. Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung. A, European Food Research and Technology, vol. 226, p. 405-413, 2008. PostHarvestProcessing259KB.
**Van Bael, S.A.; Bichier, P.; Greenberg, R. Bird predation on insects reduces damage to the foliage of cocoa trees (Theobroma cacao) in western Panama. Journal of Tropical Ecology, vol. 23, p. 715-719, 2007. Environment&SustainabilityBiodiversity92KB.
**Van Mele, P. A historical review of research on the weaver ant Oecophylla in biological control. Agricultural and forest Entomology, vol. 10, p. 13-22, 2008. Diseases&PestsBiologicalControl 151KB.
These articles are made accessible to the cacao research community for research purposes only.
Contributions to the UPDATE may be sent to robert.lumsden@ars.usda.gov and/or rdlumsden@msn.com. News items will be included in the next month’s update.
Anyone interested in subscribing or unsubscribing to the monthly World Cocoa Foundation Newsletter as well WCF Research Update, send complete name, company/institution, mailing address and e-mail address to Robert Peck, World Cocoa Foundation, robert.peck@worldcocoa.org.
RDL –February 29, 2008.
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