The effects of Soda

Researchers at Rutgers University have found drinking soda which contains high-fructose corn syrup could contribute to the development of diabetes, especially in children.

Scientists tested beverages containing the syrup and found high levels of reactive compounds that previous studies have found have the potential to trigger cell and tissue damage which can cause diabetes.

“People consume too much high-fructose corn syrup in this country,” lead researcher Chi-Tang Ho, professor of food science at Rutgers University, said. “It’s in way too many food and drink products, and there’s growing evidence that it’s bad for you.”

The findings were first reported at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Robert Ancill, CEO of Food Consulting Group, The Next Idea, comments that the large restaurant groups need to begin acting responsibly, and pressure the two main soda companies; Coke & Pepsi into developing beverage products that have improved nutritional qualities, and have a less damaging effect on consumers.

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The ”Healh Food” dilema

There’s currently a rising popularity in “healthy” foods, but obesity rates are going up at the same time. Why?

Researchers Pierre Chandon (INSEAD, France) and Brian Wansink (Cornell University) set out to deter­mine why we are eating healthier food and still gaining weight.

Chandon and Wansink found that it’s most likely due to the “health halo effect”, meaning when consum­ers hear that there’s a fast-food restaurant that has “low-calorie” foods, they overgeneralize that all or most of the foods in the restaurant are “healthy.” And that’s just not the case.

In fact, consumers estimated that sandwiches from “healthier” fast-food restaurants contained 35 percent fewer calories than they actually had. And not only that, but as a result of their underestimation, consumers then felt it was okay to load up on beverages, side dishes and desserts containing up to 131 percent more calories when the main course they ordered was advertised as “healthy” as compared to when it was not .

But in their study, Chandon and Wansink found the sandwiches positioned as healthy already contained 50 percent more calories than the “unhealthy” sand­wiches.

What’s a consumer to do? One strategy is to examine whether “low-calorie” claims by restaurants apply to the particular foods you plan on ordering. Learning to think of food in terms of the number of calories rather than whether it is a “good food” or a “bad food.”

Restaurant Consultants, The Next Idea, reported in 2004, that the larger Fast Food and restaurant chain operators, were unlikely to truly recognize the impact their products were having on the population at large. The Next Idea, CEO, Robert Ancill says, ‘since 2004 not too much has changed, and while operators are more inclined to place Healthy Options on their menus, many [operators] still provide over sized portions, questionable ingredients, along with unhealthy desserts and soda drinks’. Ancill goes on to say that; ‘only when restaurant groups demand more from their food vendors, and help educate their customers to eat a balanced meal, will the consumer begin to benefit from Health foods’.

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Business Plan

Business planning is more than just creating a roadmap or preparing for financing. It relates to attracting top talent, looking for prospective investors, competing for large contracts and presenting a credible face to prospective suppliers, strategic alliance partners and more?

A well-constructed business plan is useful for other things besides raising money. It’s a way to inspire confidence in your venture—you can use it as a selling mechanism for any number of things. You’re selling the company when you hire top executives and others, if you’re trying to get involved with a major corporation in any ongoing relationship, etc. In those cases, the plan offers a form of credibility enhancement.”

Putting the plan to work

Robert Ancill, CEO of Start Up Consultancy, The Next Idea, (www.thenextidea.net) There are a variety of situations in which your business plan can play a role. Examples include:

1 Obtaining bank financing—For most banks, it’s usually enough that an applicant provide past and current financial statements to book a formal meeting for a loan. But in today’s world a meeting is no longer isn’t enough. Given that more companies are now seeking bank financing than banks have money available, only those businesses that present the best case will receive funds. A business plan helps set you apart from the crowd. A written business plan presents an important message even before its read: essentially it demonstrates that the company’s executives are serious enough to do formal planning. That message is paramount as bankers, who are notoriously risk adverse believe that those individuals who plan are lower financial risks than those who don’t, and therefore are more deserving of bank support.

2 Seeking investment funds—Venture capitalists and other investors also require a formal business plan from any company that is seeking to be taken seriously for investment. It’s the first thing most ask for, much as a personnel manager asks job applicants for a resume. Investors use business plans as a screening device, looking for a business opportunity with significant growth potential. When something catches their eye, they read more carefully and, if they’re still intrigued, they’ll come back to the executives for further discussion.

3 Arranging strategic alliances—For small companies, arranging a strategic alliance with a large company can mean gaining access to important financial, distribution, technology. exposure and other resources. But in advance of a large company even considering a strategic alliance, its executives will expect to examine a smaller company’s business plan or business proposal.

4 Winning large contracts— Equally smaller businesses looking to attract a a business relationship with a major corporation can encounter a common obstacle. It comes when the corporate representative says something like: “Everyone knows who we are, but very few people know who you are. More important, we don’t know whether you’ll be around long enough to fill all the obligations we expect for the big bucks we’ll be paying you.” At this point, producing a business plan can alleviate fears and reassure your potential client or customer that you are a serious operator and the longevity of the agreement will be of benefit to both parties.

5 Attracting key employees—For a smaller company going after a top-notch employee, there’s often a two-way due diligence process going on. The company wants to be sure the person is as good as presented and the prospect wants to be sure the company is right for his or her talents. A business plan can save a lot of conversation, besides instilling the necessary confidence to snare that hotshot.

6 Completing mergers and acquisitions—Whether selling your company or acquiring another one, a business plan is the primary tool that will be scrutinized to establish credibility. And in today’s world of mergers and acquisitions, that can be very important. When you go to sell your company, you’ll be scrutinized by potential buyers who are looking at many companies.

When you do issue your business plan – be careful. A plan can consist of a variety of trade secrets and or proprietary information – ensure it is correctly protected. Choose carefully who you want to read the plan and how much information they may need. The point is to be able to give people a sense of your strategic direction and the process you follow in optimizing your product or service. It’s typically a good idea to gauge what you’ll show anyone to a specific circumstance. For example, you may not want to show someone with whom you’re developing a strategic alliance what your sales plan might be, especially if they’re in any way considered competitors. Or you may not want to divulge your financials to a prospective new hire.

For example; if you have a new restaurant concept or restaurant start up, remember that your idea can be copied. For this type of plan you may be well advised to hire professional, restaurant business plan writer, who can guide you through the restaurant funding maize, and protect your idea or new concept. Restaurant consultants are not necessarily cheap, but they are worth their weight in gold if you win the funding you are looking for.

Above all remember, this a selling and confidence-building tool. You need to let people know you’ve considered not just the good things that will happen, but the challenges you face, such as the strengths and weaknesses of the competition, or acknowledging that you’re having trouble finding the top salesperson you want. I would want to know that, if I’m going to get involved with you, that you have a handle on every aspect of the business and that nothing has been glossed over.”

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Food Labeling

Food labeling in restaurants could be ineffective

Researchers at the University of Vermont say that significant numbers of people don’t review food labels, and many don’t know how to use the information that is there.

In a Market Research program over 900 calls were made to 600 adults and 300 college students. Researchers found that one-third of adults do not look at the labels, while more than half of college students ignore them. Here are some results:

• Two-thirds of the participants were unable to identify the number of calories they should consume in a day.

• Forty-four to 57 percent of the whole sample said they were not likely to use restaurant food caloric information if it was provided.

The study suggests that labeling restaurant foods may not be the best way to educate people about nutrition.

“While it is always better for consumers to have access to more rather than less information, these preliminary results indicate that public health efforts to control obesity perhaps should first focus on an education campaign designed to teach appropriate calorie intake values and food label reading skills to the general public,” researchers say. The results were published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Restaurant consultants, and eating trend Gurus, The Next Idea, see things differently: In a comment to the media, The Next Idea’s CEO was reported to say ‘it’s not so much about labeling food, it’s about the food itself………………the consumer needs to be far more inquisitive about the source of the product than the product itself’ ………………’The US consumer has opted for convenience foods but it has been at an incalculable price, the time is now to work with the food industry to develop fast food that is actually healthy…………..equally; the consumer must be given access to, not just nutritional information, but honest information about the source of the ingredients”

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