The All-in-One Congress will include an International Peanut Seminar, which will review financial facts and insurance policies within the commodity, allergy litigation and health issues. Tree Nuts will be highlighted in its traditional Working Groups, where key players in the industry will examine the latest market developments, consumption trends and new crop estimates. An International Dried Fruit Seminar will tackle regulatory issues on contaminants, pesticides, as well as worldwide markets dynamics.

REGISTRATION FORMS WILL BE SENT OUT SOON, so put the dates in your diary

Join us on May 21-23, 2010, in Beijing, China!

In order to facilitate and improve the access to the private area of the INC website www.nutfruit.org, we have changed the system of passwords which will allow you to enter the private area by choosing your own password and using your name as follows:

• Login: the first letter of your name and your full surname (there will be a login for each user).
  Example: Goretti Guasch = gguasch

• Password: each user will receive a random password, and will be able to change it through the INC website.

Your old login and password will work until January 11th, 2010.

You will shortly receive by separate e-mail your new login and password.

If you have any question or need further assistance on this matter please contact Ms. Mar Ribé at mar.ribe@nutfruit.org.

The INC has recently published a new version of the brochure “Go Nuts Go Healthy” in Chinese. The brochure features nutritional information on nuts and dried fruits, health benefits and cooking tips. All nutrient values have been updated based on the latest release of the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

Printed copies may be provided to INC members upon request subject to availability.

You can now download the Chinese version of our brochure at: www.nutfruit.org/go-nuts-go-healthy

The INC participated in the 13th International Exhibition for Food, Drink, Hospitality, Foodservice, Bakery and Retail Industries (FHC CHINA), one of the largest trade fair in China for imported food, beverages and hospitality equipment.

FHC CHINA was held from 18th to 20th November 2009, at the New International Expo Centre in Pudong, Shanghai, and attracted more than 820 companies from 61 countries and 28 national pavilions. According to the organization, the fair gathered 20,810 visitors.

INC’s booth received a large number of visitors, providing a great opportunity to reach new business contacts, while giving valuable information about nuts and dried fruits, and meeting INC members.

We thank all visitors to our stand, and hope you had a successful fair.

Picture: from left to right Ms. Irene Gironès, Mr. Jack Mariani, Ms. Goretti Guasch and Ms. Chen Ying.

The INC, represented by Mr. Pino Calcagni, Chairman of the Scientific and Government Affairs Committee, and Mr. Antonio Pont Soriano, member of the same committee, attended the 65th Session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards, held in Geneva, November 5-6, 2009.

Representatives of the following countries attended the session: Australia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and USA. Representatives of the European Commission, the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, and the OECD Scheme for the Application of International Standards for Fruit and Vegetables, also attended the meeting.

Revised Standard Layout for UNECE Standards on Dry and Dried Produce
The Working Party adopted the revised text of the Standard Layout. The delegation of France indicated that they would submit a request for revision in 2010 concerning the use of the crop year.

Revised Standard for Blanched Almond Kernels
The Working Party adopted the revised text of the Standard for Blanched Almond Kernels.

Revised Standard for Pistachio Kernels and Peeled Pistachio Kernels
The Working Party did not approve the revised text of the Standard for Pistachio Kernels and Peeled Pistachio Kernels because some technical aspects needed to be revisited. The text was returned to the Specialized Section for revision, and the trial period of the Standard was extended for one further year.

Revised Standard for Hazelnut Kernels
The Working Party did not approve the revised text of the recommendation for hazelnut kernels and the text was returned to the Specialized Section for revision. The trial period of the Standard was extended for one further year.

Revised Recommendations for Dates
The Working Party adopted the revised texts of recommendations for dates for trial use until the end of 2010. The delegation of Switzerland maintained their reservations regarding tolerances for pest damage in the recommendation for dates.

Revised Recommendations for Inshell Macadamia Nuts and Macadamia Kernels
The Working Party adopted the revised texts of recommendations for inshell macadamia nuts and macadamia kernels for trial use until the end of 2010.

Brochure for Walnut Kernels
The delegation of the United States informed the Working Party that their experts had started work on the explanatory brochure for walnut kernels.

All documents are available at: www.unece.org

The INC participated in the 24th European Dried Fruit Meeting, held on November 20th, 2009, in Hamburg, Germany, represented by Mr. Pino Calcagni, Chairman of the INC Scientific and Government Affairs Committee, and Ms. Goretti Guasch, Executive Director. Representatives from national and international associations of producers, importers and exporters of nuts and dried fruits met to examine scientific and regulatory issues. Some INC Board members and INC members were also present representing other companies like the Treasurer Mr. Jordi Martí, and Board members Mr. Pino Calcagni, Mr. Helmut Dankert and Mr. Erdinç Kapkaç.

Mr. Martin Rome, Chairman of FRUCOM, and Ms. Sylvie Mamias, Secretary General, gave a lecture on FRUCOM activities in 2009 and announced its priorities for 2010. Mr. Pino Calcagni, Chairman of the Scientific Committee, presented the latest developments in the EU legislation on aflatoxins (maximum levels and sampling plan), and Ms. Christine Moser, Food Law Adviser, gave a presentation about the EU aflatoxin official controls on nuts and dried fruits.

Mr. Sezmen Alper, Secretary General of the Aegean Exporters’ Association, presented the report of the 2009 International Seedless Dried Grapes Producing Countries Conference (see previous INC newsletter), as well as an update on the EU sulphite maximum levels under discussion as regards dried apricots.

Mr. Ilhami Sahin, Head of Food Control Department, General Directorate of Protection and Control, Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, presented a report on the use of pesticides.

Mr. Michael Hurley, Lab Director at DFA of California (American Council for Food, Safety and Quality), gave a speech on food safety in the United States, highlighting issues and challenges related to Salmonella.

Dr. Daniel Scharlau, Department of Food Science and Toxicology, University of Jena, provided a review of the health aspects of nuts consumption.

The meeting finished with the Traditional Annual Dinner, hosted by the Waren-Verein der Hamburger Börse e.V., where Mr. Pino Calcagni was recognized for his continuous and enthusiastic work on aflatoxin issues and extensive service to the nut and dried fruit industry.

The INC participated in the I International Seminar on Raisins, held in Los Andes, Chile, on November 5th, 2009, represented by Mr. Erdinç Kapkaç, member of the Board of Directors. The meeting focused on market perspectives, technical aspects of production, quality requirements, and technical developmets. Mr. Kapkaç gave a presentation on the recent developments in production and trade of seedless dried grapes in the global market.

If you’re interested in reading the presentation, please contact us at inc@nutfruit.org

The China Tree Nut Association has been receiving some comments from the overseas customers complaining the bitter taste from some shipments of Chinese pine nut kernels. This issue draws a serious attention to the China Chamber of Commerce for Imports & Exports of Foodstuffs (CFNA) and the Chinese pine nut processors, as well as pine nut exporters. Based on this special case, CFNA held a national pine nut conference on November 24th, 2009, to discuss this outstanding issue and try to find out where the bitter taste comes from. According to the discussion and information from the participants, CFNA came to following results:

1. To deliver the pine nut Huashan variety (Pinus Armandi) and pine nut from North Korea to the Chinese Lab to analyze whether the bitter taste is coming from and what component causes the bitter taste.
   
2. In many years some overseas customers have been inquiring pine nut kernels Huashan variety (Pinus Armandi) as a kind of paste material for some food ingredient. The China Tree Nut Association suggests overseas importers, distributors and consumers no to utilize the Huashan variety as a snack, food for salad, bakery or confectionary, and appeals Chinese producers not to mix the Huashan variety with other pine nut varieties in order to avoid any unnecessary quarrel in business in the overseas markets.
   
3. To strengthen the management of the food safety and food quality control for all pine nut producers, and have CIQ quality controlled for the export of pine nut kernels against the blending of different varieties and off-taste quality products.

The Chinese pine nut industry believes that pine nut exports will come back to a normal position through the efforts of producers and mutual understanding of the overseas buyers, and overseas costumers will continue to enjoy good and nutritional Chinese pine nuts.

The International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) published the volume “Following Pistachio Footprints” last year, within the series Scripta Horticulturae which is devoted to specific horticultural issues such as position papers, crop or technology monographs and special workshops or conferences.

The volume “Following Pistachio Footprints (Pistacia vera L.) Cultivation and Culture, Folklore and History, Traditions and Uses” originates from the collaboration of Dr. Damiano Avanzato from CRA Centro di Recerca per la Frutticoltura (Agricultural Research Center), Italy, with different international colleagues and with the Region of Sicily under whose responsibility the printing was realized. The book, entirely bilingual (English/Italian), provides information on research, experimentation, cultivation techniques, the origin of the cultivars, the distribution, history, traditions and utilization in most of the producing countries.

ISHS also published the volume “Following Almond Footprints” in December 2006 (Scripta Horticulturae Number 4) and “Following Chestnut Footprints” (Number 9) in September 2009.

Researchers from the Nutrition Department at Loma Linda University School of Public Health emphasize the immense potential of only one handful of nuts. Don’t miss this video post in Youtube about some of the major health benefits of nuts consumption:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k3R0jGp-aM&feature=related

Another video on Youtube “Eat Nuts, Lose Weight”, by nutritionist and regular on Australia's Sunrise morning television show Matt O'Neill, shows how eating nuts helps you lose weight 3 ways:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ7F0FSu8Xc