Frito-Lay (Switzerland)

Postprandial glycemia has been implicated in the development of chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Foods with high contents of slowly digestible starch elicit lower glycemic responses have been proposed as better choices to help decrease postprandial glucose excursions and thus to improve glycemic control and health, For this reason, there is a growing interest in developing foods with slowly digestible starch, particularly for snacks. A low moisture, low temperature process was developed to produce a savory cluster snack (test‐cluster) containing nuts and grains and bound together with wheat starch and soluble fiber which is slowly digested in‐vitro. The objective of this study was to compare the glucose and insulin responses elicited by the test‐cluster to those of a control‐cluster made with ingredients commonly used in commercially available snacks or bars including oats, peanuts, puffed rice and corn syrup and an available‐carbohydrate matched portion of white‐bread in healthy subjects. Healthy men and women (n=25) were studied on 3 occasions using a randomized, cross‐over design. After 2 fasting finger‐prick blood samples, subjects consumed 1 serving (56g) of the test‐ or control‐cluster or 47g white‐bread and had blood glucose and serum insulin measured at intervals over the next 4 hr. Each serving of test‐cluster, control‐cluster and white‐bread, respectively, contained: 5, 5 and 4g protein; 12, 11 and 0.5g fat; 24, 33 and 24g available‐carbohydrate; and 10, 2 and 1g dietary fiber. The blood‐glucose peak‐rise and incremental area under the curve (AUC) after test‐cluster were significantly lower than those after both control‐cluster and white‐bread (mean±SEM; peak‐rise, 1.24±0.09 vs 2.27±0.13 and 2.27±0.16 mmol/L; AUC, 67±8 vs 117±10 and 114±9, respectively). The serum‐insulin peak‐rise and AUC after test‐cluster, 128±13 pmol/L and 6.10±0.73 nmol×min/L, were similar to those after white bread, 141±20 pmol/L and 6.47±1.11 nmol×min/L, but significantly less than those after the control‐cluster, 205±26 pmol/L and 9.60±1.31 nmol×min/L. It is concluded that a serving of test‐cluster elicits lower glucose and insulin responses than a serving of a similar control‐cluster. The results support the hypothesis that the carbohydrates in the test‐cluster are slowly digested and absorbed in‐vivo.Support or Funding InformationThis study is funded by PepsiCo, Inc.

The US population is changing dramatically, e.g. aging, migrating, becoming more racially diverse and overweight, etc. We examine how these major shifts affect snack consumption and, therefore, how Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturers should adjust their business-as-usual practices. We present the development and implementation of DemoImpact, a consumption forecasting model and decision support system for all snacks available on the US market (900+). It captures the effects of 48 demographic variables (age, gender, marital status, obesity, education, income ), and accounts for the effects of significant holidays and seasons. DemoImpact is built on 6 years of historical snack consumption and uses the US Census demographic predictions to forecast consumption frequency and volume. The model was implemented at a leading CPG company and forecasted consumption well. The DSS enables top and mid-level managers first to understand how the consumer is changing, and then how to prepare for the change in tastes and how to develop accurate forecasts. DemoImpact has been used, validated and extended since 2006. We show how the CPG manufacturer embraced the results of the model, adjusted its business strategy and impacted retailers in its sales channel.

Abstract The frying performance of low‐linolenic acid soybean oil from genetically modified soybeans was examined. Partially hydrogenated and unhydrogenated low‐linolenic acid soybean oils were compared to two partially hydrogenated soybean frying oils. Frying experiments utilizing shoestring potatoes and fish nuggets were conducted. Frying oil performance was evaluated by measuring free fatty acid content, p‐anisidine value, polar compound content, soap value, maximal foam height, polymeric material content, and Lovibond red color. The hydrogenated low‐linolenic soybean oil (Hyd‐LoLn) consistently had greater (P<0.05) free fatty acid content and lower p‐anisidine values and polymeric material content than did the other oils. Hyd‐LoLn generally was not significantly different from the traditional oils for polar content, maximal foam height, and Lovibond red color. The low‐linolenic acid soybean oil (LoLn) tended to have lower soap values and Lovibond red color scores than did the other oils. LoLn had consistently higher (P<0.05) p‐anisidine values and polymeric material content than did the other oils, and LoLn generally was not different (P<0.05) from the traditional oils for polar content, maximal foam height, and free fatty acid.

The genetic base of the Tuberosum germplasm pool is believed to be quite narrow. To broaden it, the Cornell potato breeding program has been adapting to North American conditions a population based on Andigena introductions made in the 1960’s. The adapted population has been termed ‘Neo-Tuberosum’. When individuals from the early Andigena population were used as males in crosses to Tuberosum, most of the offspring were male sterile. This did not occur in the reciprocals. In the transformation of this population from Andigena to Neo-Tuberosum, significant unexpected changes occurred in its ability to induce this cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS).

We describe a production allocation problem which was worked on at Frito-Lay and an integer programming model formulated for its solution. In connection with model formulation, we discuss estimation and collection of the required cost coefficients. Finally, we report on the use of two different linear programs, representing the same integer problem, which gave dramatically different running times to solve the integer programs. Some reasons for the improved running times are given.