CP+Group+4

=Product Analysis: Kashi Chewy Granola Bars Cherry Dark Chocolate= ==

**Nutritional Analysis**


Per bar nutritional claims are:
 * [[image:kashi_nutrition.jpg align="center"]] ||

Low in fat Trans fat free Low in saturated fat source of fibre source of iron no artificial colors/flavors/preservatives/or sweeteners ||  || 
 * __Nutritional Benefits:__ **

In going through the ingredients on the back of the packaging the snack bars have the following ingredients. Ingredients listed are ones that an average person may or may not be able to recognize as to what they are or what they do.

Inulins --> belong to a class of fibre, and can be used to replace sugar, fat and flour. It increases calcium absorption and promotes growth of intestinal bacteria. Eating large amounts can lead to gas and bloating. Has a minimal impact on blood sugar which makes it ok for diabetics.

Soy Protein Isolate--> May reduce risk of heart disease, help prevent osteoporosis, reducing the risk of certain cancers, free of aspartame, cholestrol, artifical sweetener.flavor, and is ranked #1 in protein digestibility. Contains all of the essential amino acids our bodies need for functioning.

Soy Lecithin --> used as a emulsifier to stop the cocoa butter from separating. It is a fatty substance occurring in plant tissues. Study shown that it lowers cholesterol and triglyceride, while increasing HDL (good cholesterol) levels in the blood. 

Evaporated Cane Juice--> healthy alternative to sugar. It doesn't go through the same degree of processing as refined sugar. It retains more of the nutrients found in the sugar cane. While use of evaporated cane juice makes the bars appear to be healthier they actually make the food high in sugar

Soy Grits--> are soybeans which have been toasted and cracked into small pieces that contain high protein and low carbohydrates. They are an excellent addtion to any diet.

Glycerol--> solvent, sweetener, preservative. It is a filler in commercially prepared low fat foods but does not raise blood sugar levels. 

__**Modified ingredients:**__

Triticale --> A genetically modified ingredient. It is a hybrid of wheat and rye that combines high yield potential and good grain quality of wheat, with the disease and environmental tolerance of rye. It is mostly grown for animal feed.

Milk Ingredients--> umbrella term for any variety of milk ingredients where components have been concentrated or removed so can not be called milk. 

__**Dietary Risks**__

Chocolate Liquor --> contains cocoa solids and 53% cocoa butter and is a liquid form of chocolate.  Cocoa Butter--> is a pale yellow, pure edible veg fat. Used to make chocolate, pharmaceuticals, ointments, and toiletries. It has a low melting point, and is solid at room temperature, but melts at body temperature. The most stable fat known because it has a storage life of 2 to 5 years and contains natural antioxidants that prevent rancidity. 

Natural Flavors--> Is a term for anything approved for use in foods for flavoring rather than nutrients.   Expeller pressed canola oil--> refined, bleached and de-oderized to maintain the natural nutritional value for food applications. Zero Trans fat. Low in sat fat, high stability, high in omega 3 fatty acid.  <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Annatto Color--> Food additive. It is a natural colorant that has a yellowish-orange color. linked to many cases of food related allergies. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Sesame ingredients--> Is an umbrella term that could be anything that has sesame ingredients .//

While most of the ingredients appear to be beneficial to the consumer, there are several ingredients that are unclear. While Kashi claims that the snack bars do not contain artificial flavors, they do contain natural ones that when defined, fall into an umbrella term meaning just about any ingredient. This vague description of the contents makes it harder for concerned or diet restricted consumers make informed decisions.

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Analysis of manufacturer
= = <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(255, 0, 255); line-height: 19px;">

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">__**<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Their Mission: **__

Kashi Company was founded in 1984 on the belief that everyone has the power to make healthful changes. The company states that at Kashi Company, "our mission is to provide good tasting and innovative foods, made with all-natural ingredients, that enable people to achieve optimal health, wellness and weight management goals" . __**Claims:**__

All **Kashi*//** products are minimally processed and free of artificial additives and preservatives**.** Kashi products target consumers who want to eat healthier and make healthier choices for their families. When the Kashi sold their company, they claimed they chose Kelloggs over Post because Kelloggs would further enhance Kashi's company mission

__**Company Information:**__

Kashi was founded in 1984 by Philip and Gayle Tauber and purchased by Kelloggs in 2000 <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. While it continues to be based in La Jolla California, the Kashi company grew more than 100 percent in the first fiscal year

In buying Kashi, this has given Kelloggs leadership in ready to eat cereal category. Kashi continues to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary but falls under Kelloggs Natural and Functional Foods umbrella

=Description: Farm to Table and Methods required with each part of chain=

It’s difficult to find out much about Kashi’s ingredients, beyond catch phrases like “Food for change,” “7 whole grains,” “nothing artificial” and “food the way nature intended it.” A glance at the nutritional information would appear to support these assertions. Nowhere on the label can you find artificial sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils, everyone’s favourite bad guys. In fact, they don’t even use white or brown sugar, opting instead for brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice crystals, and honey to sweeten their product.

Most Kashi cereals and snack products, including the Cherry Dark Chocolate Bars, contain the Seven Whole Grains & Sesame blend, which was invented in 1984 in an effort to produce a vegetarian “energy-sustaining complex carbohydrate, protein and fibre source”.

In the afore mentioned press release, Kashi describes all of the ingredients used in this blend, including Hard Red Winter Wheat, Long Grain Brown Rice, Oats, Barley, Triticale, Rye, Buckwheat and Sesame Seeds. But the sources of the ingredients are never stated, more implied. For example, the press release states that “Hard Red Winter Wheat” is grown in the Untied States, in the Ohio Valley, the prarie states, and Eastern Oregon and Washington and Kansas. However, they do not say that their Hard Red Winter Wheat is sourced from the US. Rather, their website states: “We try to source most of our ingredients domestically as much as possible.” This focus on locally sourced ingredients would seem to be in direct contrast to their most recent commercials, which feature Karen Moyer, a Food Developer at Kashi. The commercial shows Karen scouting out vanilla, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon that she scrapes off a tree with the help of locals in India (?) But “no matter where our ingredients are grown, Kashi ensures that all of our suppliers meet stringent quality and food safety requirements.”

Apparently this may not be the case. Kashi and Kelloggs have been accused of buying their ingredients from the cheapest supplier possible, a practice that landed them in hot water in 2007 because the peanuts they were buying were contaminated by salmonella. The outbreak was exasperated by the fact that this cheaper peanut supplier, The Peanut Corporation of America, conducted its food inspections internally, and Kellogg conducted no further inspections of their supplies themselves. Unfortunately for Kellogg’s, The Peanut Corporation of America gave its plant in Georgia, the source of the contaminated peanuts, “superior ratings” in the most recent inspections before the outbreak was discovered. None of the recalled products were distributed in Canada. “But give Kellogg credit for admirable behavior,” says Marion Nestle, in her blog, Food Politics. “The company recalled its products the minute it heard about the potential problem. By the time the FDA’s tests came back positive, Kellogg had already recalled the products.”

Marion Nestle also said, “I think food companies are in an enormously difficult position on this issue. Even if they want to do the right thing and really care about kids’ health, their primary responsibility is to meet stockholders’ investment expectations. If the reformulated products don’t sell, or if overall sales decline, the companies will be forced to find other ways to generate income”.

In their mission statement, they assert: “Everyone has the right to healthy food. Helping people make healthy changes is the reason we get up in the morning. We love being able to give people all-natural, minimally processed foods that are free of highly refined sugars, artificial additives, and preservatives. Because when we eat well, we feel well.”

In their company ‘Mantra,’ they further, “We are constantly evaluating and improving the environmental and social aspects of our ingredient sourcing, and our product production, packaging and distribution. We strive to not only minimize our impacts across our value chain, but to create positive impacts and positive change with everything we do, creating a legacy of sustainability and health. Simply put, we strive to improve the health of people and planet every place we do business.” However, finding these places of business is much more difficult than one would expect form a company that positions itself as being so naturally transparent about its ingredients, sources and company as a whole.

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">**Food Safety** <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> While Kashi’s publish policies are quite vague, they do make the following statements regarding food safety:

·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">All natural ingredients with domestic sourcing as much as possible ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Suppliers meet “stringent quality and food safety requirements” ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">These quality and safety requirements “include third party audits, food safety and compliance to all applicable regulations, regardless of the country of origin” ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Kellogg’s, Kashi’s owners, make similar food safety claims: Many of Kellogg Canada's standards are even more stringent than those required by the government. Kellogg Quality Assurance personnel regularly visit suppliers' plants to assure that proper sanitation procedures are being followed and that the raw materials they supply meet Kellogg Canada's rigid specifications” ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The following ingredients may be sourced from outside of the US, from countries including China “Vitamins, Xanthan gum, Konjac gum, honey, cinnamon, water chestnuts, green beans, mushroom extract, garlic powder, herb cream cheese sauces, buckwheat groats, sorbic acid, enzyme tablets, and freeze dried strawberries” ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Only Kashi’s Organic lines of food are guaranteed not to contain GMOs ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Kellogg’s uses an “extensive training program for [their] employees based on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Program, a systematic and preventive food-safety approach adopted by the FDA and the USDA” ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">All of Kellogg’s food sources must meet or exceed internationally developed standards ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">All raw materials are checked as they are unloaded or stored.

Recent Food Safety Issues

·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Like its parent company, Kellogg’s, Kashi did issue a voluntary recall of all products containing peanuts or peanut paste from a plant in Georgia where salmonella contamination had occurred. This recall was issued February 2, 2009 and included all products manufactured since January 1, 2007. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The recall caused 691 sicknesses and 9 deaths, although no reports were made of sickness resulting from Kashi products directly. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Interestingly, Kellogg’s CEO, David Mckay, recently asked for a restructuring of the American Food Safety system, after Kellogg’s lost $70 million dollars worth of products in the recent recall. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> On June 12, 2008, the Organic Consumer’s Association threatened Kellogg’s with a public boycott if it went ahead with its plans to use sugars from genetically modified beets in its products. Kellogg’s responded that they would do so if the market allowed for it: “Being a global organization, our focus has always been on meeting the needs of our consumers worldwide and being responsive to a variety of consumer preferences. Our decisions on whether or not to use biotech ingredients are made on a market-by-market basis and depend on a variety of factors specific to each market.Consumer preference is the critical factor Kellogg uses in determining the products being provided in each market, and those preferences are not the same in every country. ...Public acceptance of biotechnology in Europe is lower than in the United States. As a result, all Kellogg products sold in Europe are free of any ingredients derived from biotech sources”

=Prevalence of product in market=

<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">When contacted by e-mail regarding market prevelacnece Kashi responded by stating:

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“In 2000, Kellogg Company was looking to expand its brand portfolio to include a leading natural brand focused on positive nutrition. They purchased Kashi from the original owners and Kashi has continued to operate independently following the original business philosophy of providing great tasting, all natural seven whole grain foods to help you live your best life... <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Kashi consumers have benefited through greater availability of our products due to Kellogg Company’s nationwide distribution centers which allow us to bring Kashi products into more of your local stores and spread “Kashiness”. We do not unfortunately have specific information that we can provide to you.” <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> General sources show that:

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Breakfast and nutrition bars have seen sales increases of 20% per year for the past five years ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">They are one of the fasted growing sectors in the food market. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">20% of people who consume breakfast bars use them as a meal replacement. Women are more likely to use bars as a meal replacement. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Increasing specialization of bars for specific sports and dietary needs is on the rise. ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Kellogg’s is leading the pack in sales: “Segment leader Kellogg, Battle Creek, Mich., totaled $316.9 million in the segment, a 20.3% sales gain. Part of this resulted from $26.9 million in sales of the new Nutri Grain Yogurt bars--which are filled rather than coated with yogurt--and a new cinnamon apple addition to the Rice Krispies Treats marshmallow squares line. However, Kellogg also is cultivating the fertile field of functional foods through the Kashi line, already well positioned with its long list of health-oriented cereals. Kashi GoLean Snack Bars are formulated with seven whole grains, sesame, and both soy and whey protein. While Nutri-Grain and Rice Krispies Treats occupy the lower end of the price spectrum, Kashi GoLeans go for $20 per 12-pack.” <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">