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The Future on Aisle 11

TORONTO - At the 2005 Grocery Innovations Canada, a major grocery industry trade exposition in Toronto, companies were providing a sneak peek of offerings soon to be on supermarket shelves. Health and convenience were definitely the buzzwords as companies strutted all manner of goods. Whole grains, fortified foods, ethnic eats and meal replacements were among the items that food manufacturers envision on the wish lists of consumers. While some products definitely offer consumers savvy nutritional choices, judging by a few of the selections at the show, the buyer-beware credo still holds.

For the first time, whole grains were a very high-profile commodity at the show. Even the perennial favourite, pasta, which has been available in whole wheat, is now appearing in whole grain formats containing assorted varieties of grains including whole grain barley flour, whole rye flour, buckwheat flour and ground flaxseed. 
Bread companies are also providing more kid-friendly products with milder and less grainy tastes to appeal to both parents and youngsters alike. Snack foods are getting in on the whole grain act with products like Quaker's Crispy Minis introducing a version with ingredients like brown rice along with whole grain corn and barley flour. Reaping the potential nutritional perks of whole grains with their anti-cancer and heart healthy attributes is becoming less difficult as these products become more of a mainstay on store shelves. 
Looking at the various booths at the show it was also apparent that soup's hot. From various types of broths, which can be used as a foundation for an assortment of homemade dishes, to individual sized containers, soup was definitely a popular item. A new product that should be a brisk seller is Campbell's Soup at Hand, a single serving sized microwavable cup which contains a whole serving of vegetables. But why not introduce a lower sodium or sodium-reduced version as the new product provides a hefty 780 milligrams of sodium per container?

Eggs are getting a different nutritional profile with the introduction of Naturegg Omega Plus. These eggs in the shell have twice the DHA, the same type of omega-3 fatty acid in cold water fish, compared to a regular omega-3 egg. In addition, because the hens are fed marigold flower extract, the eggs contain twice the amount of lutein, the yellowish pigment or carotenoid associated with a decreased risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

Assorted varieties of beverages, from various kinds of milk and milk replacements to juice blends and energy drinks, were also being sampled. Forget about the days of selecting milk by opting for chocolate or white or by assessing the fat content. Fortified rice beverages, no added sugar soy drinks, organic milk in single serving containers and cow's milk with added omega-3 fats are now part of the dairy case offerings.

And juices are no longer just juice. Minute Maid's Solutions Fruits has added soy protein isolate along with vitamins and minerals. But the question has to be asked -- why add the soy protein? It's a mere three grams --not much in the big nutritional picture.

And then there are the energy drinks like Full Throttle, containing the amino acid taurine, caffeine, B vitamins niacin, B6 and riboflavin, and Rock Star, also containing taurine, caffeine-packed guarana, ginseng and vitamin C along with a range of B vitamins. Why do the makers of these drinks promote these added nutrients, suggesting that consumers are drinking for their health? On the label, it states, "Recommended Use: Developed for periods of increased mental and physical exertion. Helps temporarily restore mental alertness or wakefulness when experiencing fatigue or drowsiness."

It comes in sugar-free or sugar- laden form and in a double format of 432ml just in case you need that extra kick of stimulant.

How do products like these fit into a grocery show? When food products start looking like they belong on a pharmacy store shelf, then consumers should sit up and take note.

But fortified food appealing to consumers is something that manufacturers are banking on. There are vitamins and minerals added to all kinds of products, some of which are pitched as meal replacements. Cereals that are no longer just a serving of the grain food group but instead are supposed to cover the nutritional bases of other food groups.

One is being promoted for kids as a product that provides "the balanced nutrients of a meal in one bowl and has just the right sweetness for a taste kids love." Childhood is supposed to be a time of teaching youngsters about how to balance meals by choosing selections from at least three out of four food groups at each meal. 
Even chocolate flavouring powder for milk is getting in on the act. Nesquik Vitamin Enriched, in its two-tablespoon serving of powder, provides 100 calories and 21 grams of sugar along with nutrients like vitamins A, C and iron. It sounds very much like a vitamin supplement and sugar.

Food fortification certainly has its place in our food supply. There's a long history here in Canada where scientists debated the issues of nutrient deficiencies decades ago. The most recent large-scale and well-researched fortification program deals with the addition of folic acid to grain products as one of the measures in preventing the incidence of birth defects such as spina bifida in infants.

It appears that the initiative is working as the number of babies born with these neural tube defects has recently declined. But adding vitamins and/or minerals to everything from chocolate powder and energy drinks to throat lozenges makes you wonder if food manufacturers know that you can get too much of a good thing. 
Visibly absent from the show were low-carb products. Taking their place were a variety of sugar-reduced and sugar-free offerings. But here's where consumers need to take special care in reading labels. Sugar-free does not mean calorie free and in the case of some chocolates, the sweetening agents used add almost as many calories as sugar.

Throughout the exhibition, the Health Check logo was also very visible. This symbol, part of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's food information program, helps to guide consumers toward choosing nutrient-dense foods. The Health Check symbol on the package means that the product's nutrition information has been reviewed by the foundation and it meets specific nutrient criteria. The increased number of products bearing the logo is evidence that food manufacturers are definitely interested in capturing the nutrition-conscious shopper.

A preview of supermarket experiences of the future was also in evidence. The new in-store cart is the first one with an interactive, touch-screen display that provides a barcode scanner and a wireless transmitter affixed to the shopping cart handle.

Customers can transfer their own shopping lists from home to the cart via the Internet. An interactive store directory map system, timely information on the new product screen and running total calculator to help with budgetary matters are all on the display unit.

Getting home and unpacking the groceries only to realize that you forgot the very item that you went to the store for in the first place may soon become a thing of the past.??Note: nutrition@nationalpost.com Rosie Schwartz is a Toronto-based consulting dietitian in private practice and is author of The Enlightened Eater's Whole Foods Guide: Harvest the Power of Phyto Foods (Viking Canada).