Interview with an Olive Oil Expert (2): Sensory Aspect

Everything you need to know about Olive Oil
(Part 2)

We continue in this post, part 2 of the Interview series with the Olive Oil Expert.

This time it covers the topic of the sensory evaluation of Olive Oil.

Sensory Aspect of Olive Oil

Olive Oil tasting should be done in tapered (Dark Blue) glasses.

WHAT COLOR IS GOOD OLIVE OIL?

The color of olive oil is not an indication of quality. Choose olive oil for taste not for its color.

Interview with an Olive Oil Expert (1): Health Aspect

Everything you need to know about Olive Oil
(Part 1)

“And a tree (olive) that springs forth from Mount Sinai, that grows (produces) oil, and (it is) relish for the eaters.( Quran 23:20 )”

Today’s contribution comes straight from the Olive Oil industry!
Pearl’s interviewed an avid experienced Food scientist who has been working in the olive oil production for 6 years. It is important for consumers like us know briefly about olive oil production, the sensory characteristic of the best olive oil, and how can we detect the differences or how can they choose the best olive oil brand from the market. We will be covering a week of posts about Olive oil, so stay tuned!

Mr. Mohammad Kobayter is the Quality Assurance and Logistics Manager at KOBAYTER S.A. in Malaga -Spain. Kobayter holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Management from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and he is a certified expert in virgin olive oil tasting (from the University of Jaen, Spain). He previously worked as a Production manager assistant at KOBAYTER FRERES S.A.L. in Lebanon. (Alwazir historic Ad ) 

Mohamad, undergoing a sensory test on the olive oil

The Illusion of Food Choice

The Disturbing Truth About The Food We Eat :

Did you know that:

1. Quaker Oats, which you may view as a healthy food, is produced by PepsiCo, a company which is known for its notorious production of junk food.
2. ​91% of the soda market is owned by only Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Group?
3. Nestle is the world’s largest food company and owns almost 8,000 brands?

Check out from the infographic below that it actually doesn't matter which brand we choose, because at the end, it all ends up for the same company.

Do you actually have a choice on choosing?

The solution usually lies in buying local, buying from the brand that a local food factory produces, buy the fruits and vegetables from the farmer market, buy from the food prepared by local women.

Localization is a key not just for securing your health but also for empowering local and small brands.

Source:

Alex Hillseberg analyzed food reports from US Department of Agriculture and other credible sources and gathered the findings in our newest infographic that paints a very grim picture of the food industry today: http://comparisons.financesonline.com/top-grocery-brands-comparison/.

Pearl's Powder Interviewed in Le Commerce Du Levant

Le Commerce Du Levant magazine*, published its 2013 “Restos, bars, cafes”  special edition for the Food and Beverage Industry in Lebanon in July. ( Read Key Findings Below**)

Cover Page of the Magazine : Juillet 2013

 Luckily, Mr. Thomas Dayer, interviewed me back in April 2013. And I couldn't retrieve a copy of the magazine as I was out of Lebanon. Sweet enough, the media team immediately handed my part of the interview on the same day( yesterday) when I asked for it! :) So...Thank you ALOT! 

I was interviewed among Top Lebanese Food Bloggers such as (No Garlic No Onion, The Burger Tribune, The Permanent Hunger...etc)

Below is my part! .... Now you know a little bit more about me :)

Should we Give Processed Food Another Chance?

This is one of the posts I wrote last year and I forgot to press the " Submit" button :(

The content is still valid and  irrelevant of time though.

“Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.” Michael Pollan.

As extreme as this notion might be, it does hold some truth. The debate about processed and wholesome (natural) food has always been raised. Some scientists claim that processed food offers convenience, saves time money, transportation costs and makes food available all year around over all the globe. While others argue that processed food has been the major cause of diseases due to their low nutrient content, high artificial ingredients, and high caloric value. World health organization states that the increase in obesity levels and chronic diseases (diabetes, heart diseases) are attributed to processed foods. Increased risk of cancer is also due to the amount of chemicals in these types of food. Also hyperactivity and attention deficiency disorder in kids were caused by consuming food loaded with artificial colorants and flavors such as candies and soda drinks.

Saudi HORECA 2012...Not as good as the Lebanese

 

Saudi HORECA  is one of the region's largest trade show for both the hospitality and food and beverage service industry in Saudi Arabia. (For Arabic: Check Alsharq Article http://www.alsharq.net.sa/2012/09/15/488657 للعربي)

International Coffee and Tea Festival-Dubai

 October 30 to November 2, 2012, at the Meydan Grandstand and Convention Centre in Dubai

  Coffee and tea consumption in the Arab world has more than tripled over the last decade with the UAE registering an 85 per cent increase during the last three years alone.

 Last year, the world consumed more than eight million metric tons of coffee -- that's 2.4 percent more than the previous year. According to the latest coffee statistics from the International Coffee Organization (ICO), on a global scale, about 1.4 billion cups of coffee are poured a day.

 Jose Settee, Head of Operations at the ICO said; “It's that new consumers are being turned onto the bean. Even when times are hard, people still drink coffee. And the growth in coffee consumption these days occurs much more in emerging markets, which are bearing up much better under this economic turbulence than in the developed world.”

The Sweet Paradox: Natural or Artificial Sweetners?

Sugar in Drinks!

A girl in a restaurant orders a burger with fries, and then orders a diet coke. “Do the calories really matter when you are eating all this food?” her friends around her claim. Yes it does. One can of regular coke contain, more or less, 38 grams of sugar.

 Scientists have all agreed about the malicious effect of consuming lots of sugar. Unfortunately, sugar is embeded in almost all of all food . Sugar plays a major role in the production of thousands of food products from cured meats through preserves and frozen fruits to confections.

Reading list for this week!

I will be collecting interesting and important articles about food science and nutrition.Though  I usually share them on my facebook page but it gets overwhelming for my fans who are on facebook for fun.
So, if you are seeking abit of education, you may check my blog frequently ( I will be launching the Reading list section soon  )

• PRESERVED FOOD

Ever wondered why canned food tasted bad? And why it would never be like fresh food? What do you know about Autoclaves and retort machines in food preservation? Here is an article that simply explains why preserved foods' flavors are not that delicious>

• Better Nutrition

In Copenhagen Consensus 2012, researchers and Nobel laureates were looking at the smartest solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. A research paper released on hunger and undernutrition by researchers from the International Food Policy Research Institute, proposed that decision-makers prioritize micronutrient interventions. A better nutrition would help the world's biggest problems: Hunger and malnutrition. Read more here How Better Nutrition for Children Helps Solve Two of the World’s Biggest Problems

Picture from Slate.com

• The Organic Dispute

  Why do people still dispute about organic and the "not-organic" farming? What is the major difference  between both? And why do media have discrepancies when it comes to this subject?Here is an interesting read by  the Atlantic about the War between the organic and conventional farming

• Coco Cola Ethics

  After the PR crisis of Coco Cola that unethically treated migrant workers for picking up the oranges in southern Italy, some have demanded that their sponsorship for the London Olympics should be halted.  Read more about this argument from the Ecologist :Should Coca Cola be allowed to sponsor the London Olympics ???

All pictures were attributed to their owners and were searched for from creativecommons.org

Latest Food Products and News: March-April

Mango or even green tea flavored Oreo ???? 

Kraft Foods - Corporate are in the step for localizing Oreo to suit the global taste!

Whether it’s green tea Oreos in China, a chocolate and peanut variety in Indonesia, or banana and dulce de leche Oreos in Argentina, a lot rides on Kraft’s efforts to develop alternatives to the iconic cookie-and-cream combination. The 100-year-old sandwich cookie, a $2 billion brand, is going global in a big way (More from the Business week)

HERSHEY'S simple Pleasures to be launched :

 Cream-filled chocolates that have 30% less fat than other milk chocolates. More from Adage 

Edible Packages:

These are dissolvable-packaging for Oatmeal, Cocoa... from MonoSol. Might be edible, sustainable but are they efficient in reducing wastes?

Brewed Cocoa!

Coffee for Chocoholics: Roasted & ground cocoa beans that can be brewed just like coffee! Making our hearts happier :)

PEPISCO and Almarai Joint Ventures: 

المراعي - Almarai raises stakes in PepsiCo joint venture. I wonder which company is benefiting the other? what do you say? Business Source: 

Toshiba's Supermarket Non barcode Scanner

In the latest food News, #Toshiba developed a Supermarket Scanner that can recognize food without the need for Barcodes! How about that? Read more from Forbes : 

Planter's new packaging: less material, made of 100 %recyclable, BPA-free plastic==> requires 25% fewer trucks for transportation than the old jars!! Great environment initiative ! Source: Environment Leader 

PEPSI NEXT! 

Pepsi Next : a cola that has 60 calories & natural sugar. This will be the largest product launched since years by PepsiCo. ! Getting healthwise finally! Article: Portland Press Herald

The Paleo diet: Would you eat like your ancestors?

Have you ever wondered what our ancestors used to eat? How male bodies were fit and masculine and females were of medium weight yet healthy?
They never counted the calories, and they ate whatever they liked without any dietician dictating those annoying “No carb”, “No fat”, sometimes “No eating” diets! The notion of " nutrition" , "diet", " nutrients"  just emerged in the last century.

So how would the next human be like?

HORECA :A Feast for the Senses

Horeca is the region's largest trade show for both the hospitality and food and beverage service industry. This is the 19th edition for HORECA.
 Date: Tuesday to Friday ( March 20-March 23)
Where: Biel, Beirut, Lebanon
What: More than 350 companies from Bahrain, Egypt, France, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, KSA, Lebanon, Poland, Sri Lanka,  Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Turkey and the UAE will participate in more
than 10 daily events.
Find the Full program here.

I will be attending Horeca 2012 ( As Al-Wazir invited me)  to check the latest news of the Food and Beverage industry in Lebanon and the region. Besides the companies' exhibting their products, there will alot of live shows, symposiums and contests ( Check the events  below). I will also be interviewing owners of Lebanese food industrialists to see their  future expectations, their fears and their innovations!
I think it is interesting that this show is taking place just recently after the scandals of selling expired food in the lebanese markets. So what will these exhibitors have to prove to the Lebanese? Let us wait and see these few days!

Latest Food Products :February Issue

2012 seems to be on fire for the latest introduction of food products, here is a list I collected of the top news of the Food and Beverage Industry , lead by the most renowned  world brands : Nestle, Pepsico, Kellog's, Mars.....etc
This is getting exciting. I hope more products will be launched, atleast I would love to venture trying them!
Which product do you like from below ?
And  do you think they will succeed?

1. "The Magic of Italian Cappuccino" Nestle's Research and developement team introduced this foam booster for all coffee lovers who would like their coffee to be somehow similar to the coffee they order at Coffee Shops:

 Nestle says that  "Foam Booster granules are tiny particles of carbohydrates and proteins that are full of minute holes. The holes are filled at high pressure with nitrogen gas – which is the main component of air. Nitrogen is trapped in the Foam Booster at about 35 times atmospheric pressure – 15 to 20 times the pressure in car tyres. The nitrogen is not released until it comes in to contact with hot water, lifting the creamer to the surface to form an instant milky foam. The coffee stays below to form the brown base. The result? A perfect cappuccino".

2.  " 7up Ten Just for Men" : Launching of 7Up-10!

The 10-calorie soft drink generated quite a bit of Internet buzz with a USA ad campaign that proclaims it is simply "not for women."

3. " Music's Halo Effect on Icecream!" : Mars has outlined a music-based experiential marketing strategy to revitalise its ice cream brands in a bid to re-connect with consumers, after a period of reduced marketing activity

Kashkaval Cheese Production in AREC

"Cheese - milk's leap toward immortality" Clifton Paul Fadiman

I have been always fascinated by cheese. Its hundred varieties, hundred of flavors and odors...Its texture , the way it melts , the way it squeezes between our teeth. 

And I always thought what had occurred to our ancestor's mind to get the rennet from the stomach of the calves and put in milk to do cheese. It was a Magical moment.

And truly as one said “I just don't see the point of not eating cheese. I mean, if God didn't want us to eat cheese, would he have let man invent it?” 

Even Charles de Gaulle , president of France after World War 2:" "How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?”  

Cheeses might be a mystery indeed. But not if one understands them.

Actually , cheeses with their different varieties are due to different processing methods. This post will be about Kashkaval ( Bulgarian) , which is commonly known in Lebanon as "Kashkawen".
Kashkaval is from the "Pasta Filata " style Cheeses . That is it is  basically like Mozarella, Cheddar cheese, ...etc

First, It was the Romans wanted a kind of cheese that can stretch , and the way they did it was through adding hot water to the cheese curd.

Mr. Samson Atamian* organized the workshop in cooperation with Farmer to Farmer (ftf) NGO and the Nutrition and Food sciences department of  Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences and hosted by AREC .  FtF had already invited Mr. Johnathan Metzig** for training other dairy companies . Mr. Atamian was given the chance to invite and host him for one day at the American University of Beirut. 

 The purpose of the workshop was broadening the knowledge of  the food technology graduate students in the field of  cheese making. Thus, to improve their skills and knowledge, inorder to be able to improve the local food industry .