Found myself guilty of one of the worst of human qualities — contempt prior to investigation. They say if there’s ever a trait designed to keep a person in ignorance, that’s the one. This confession compels me to carry forward the conversation on nutrition facts tables. I went on and opined before we generated the tables from the Genesis computer program. It is a beauty of a program, where you input your specific food formulation, and it generates the ingredient list, the nutrition tables in a variety of formats and lists the claims the company can make about the product based on the formula. This last characteristic was a pleasant surprise since it smoothes out one of the bumpier regulatory hurdles.
Prior to being able to use the computer program, we had to manually calculate the protein content by source and volume in relation to product weight. Since we use three different protein sources in our BoldRush bars — soy protein crisps, whey protein concentrate and whey protein islolate — the calculation was a little cumbersome. The percentage of protein is what allows producers to make claims such as “good source”, “high in protein”, or “excellent source” of protein. By regulation, these levels determine other phrases or claims that can be made about food products.
With 12 grams of protein in a 55 gram bar, BoldRush powerfood bars are “high in protein”. This means that we can say that our product “helps build and restore muscle tissue” and “helps build antibodies”.
The Genesis program also generated the fact that BoldRush protein bars are a “good source of iron”. However, only Apricot Lightening (apricot and cranberries) can make the claim that it is “low in cholesterol” and “low in saturated fat”. The chocolate chips in our Chocolate Determinator bar took that one over the “low” claim limit for fat. The chocolate chips add 10 calories per bar and just over 1 gram of fat to the slightly healthier apricot-cranberry protein bar. Here’s how the facts table turned out for Apricot Lightening.
So what do I know without fully checking things out! The Genesis program is a great compromise between regulation and expensive product testing. We are very fortunate that our local processors were trained and that the Yukon Food Processors Association (YFPA) was able to purchase the program (with the generous support of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada). YFPA is an amazing group of determined and productive people with some truly great Yukon food products. Look for more from this group in the future.
So I’ve eaten a bit of humble pie… but I still think I’m right on the functional food and drink debate of two blogs ago. Controversy is heating up in America . It’s unfortunate that regulations are always touted as a solution. What ever happened to integrity, honesty and manners? Raising the regulatory bar makes compliance (or standards) so expensive that only the mega- companies can afford to be in business. We have created a world where Red Bull was one of the first products certified as a natural health product and the first product certified for sport.
Unfortunately warding off the crooks often means weeding out the little guys.
