Baking & Snack - September 2009 - 15

NEWSFRONT

Cereal, popcorn contain plenty of polyphenols
ls
Breakfast cereals and snack foods such
as popcorn contain large amounts of
healthful antioxidants called polyphenols, according to scientists who spoke
at the 238th National Meeting of the
American Chemical Society in Washington, DC, in August.
"We found that, in fact, whole-grain
products have comparable antioxidants
per gram to fruits and vegetables," said
Joe Vinson, PhD, a chemist at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. "This is
the first study to examine total phenol antioxidants in breakfast cereals and snacks,
whereas previous studies have measured
free antioxidants in the products."
Polyphenols are traditionally associated with fruit, vegetables, chocolate,

wine, coffee and tea. They are known for
their potential role in reducing the risk of
heart disease, cancer and other diseases.
Whole-grain cereals have been known more
for their fiber content.
"Early researchers thought the fiber was the
active ingredient for these benefits in whole
grains, the reason why they may reduce the
risk of cancer and coronary heart disease,"
Dr. Vinson said. "But recently, polyphenols
emerged as potentially more important.
Breakfast cereals, pasta, crackers and salty
snacks constitute over 66% of whole-grain
intake in the US diet."
Whole-grain cereal made with wheat
contained the most antioxidants, and it was
followed in descending order by corn, oats
and rice cereals, Dr. Vinson said. Raisin bran

had the highest amount of
antioxidants
per serving, primarily because of
the raisins. Bran cereals made from wheat
do not have more antioxidants than wheat cereals, but they do have
more fiber.
Whole-grain flours are high in antioxidants, according to the study, which was
funded internally by the University of Scranton. Whole-grain snacks have slightly lower
levels of antioxidants than cereals, with popcorn having the highest level of antioxidants
among all snacks. The amount of antioxidants in each class of cold cereal varies.

Sara Lee, mom bloggers gather for back-to-school summit
The Internet, social media and technology
continue to increase the speed of information sharing. While almost old school in the
technology timeline, blogs are transitioning from personal platform to prime space
for word-of-mouth marketing practices. As
company reputations can be created or destroyed in the blink of a 140 character tweet
on Twitter or an angry blog post, it's more
important than ever to know who's talking
about you and what they are saying.
While not all bloggers have a readership
that could prove influential, one group, collectively known as mom bloggers, have attracted the attention of a growing number
of corporations. In July, Sara Lee, Downers
Grove, IL, gathered 13 influential mom bloggers at the Kitchens of Sara Lee for the first
Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Back-to-School Nutrition Summit. At the summit, Sara Lee advised moms on preparing easy lunches that
incorporated whole-grain nutrition. The
summit was an opportunity to understand
the nutrition challenges moms face when
sending their children back to school, according to Heather Collins, director of marketing, Sara Lee Fresh Bakery. Ms. Collins
said more than 23 million women interact
through blogs on at least a weekly basis.
Tara Ziegmont, author of the Feels Like
BAKING & SNACK / September 2009

Home blog, was one of the 13 bloggers participating in the Sara Lee nutrition summit. Ms.
Ziegmont began blogging in 2007 as a way to
record her daughter's first moments. What Ms.
Ziegmont initially thought would only be read
by friends and family began to garner interaction from strangers in the blogosphere. The blog
ᮤ Registered
dietitian Connie
Diekman is
photographed by
Kristina Sauerwein
as she discusses
the importance of
labels at the Sara
Lee Soft & Smooth
Back-to-School Nutrition Summit in
Downers Grove, IL.
Sara Lee/Todd Rosenberg/O'Malley Hansen

soon evolved from an account of her daughter's
life into a forum for ways to make home and life
more enjoyable. Entries include recipes, craft
ideas, and home and cooking tips.
"Ever since I was in college, I've looked to the
Internet for advice, resources, camaraderie and
friendship," Ms. Ziegmont said. "Blogging was a
natural progression for me."

The bloggers team with Sara Lee to sample
products, offer opinions and talk candidly with
others about Sara Lee products in a natural and
authentic way. Sara Lee sponsored Ms. Ziegmont, among others, to attend the Chicagobased Blogher conference in July. In exchange,
Ms. Ziegmont spoke about her experiences
using Sara Lee products to fellow attendees.
"Making a relationship is the first thing a
company needs to do," Ms. Ziegmont said.
"Companies should look closely at the blogger's
writing and style to determine if they have the
same goals in common."
By exploring the ever-evolving opportunities of social media, Sara Lee anticipates
a better understanding of the blogosphere,
enabling growth and the ability to create conversations and innovate in a way that directly
connects with mom as a consumer, according
to Ms. Collins.
"We've been investing in educating moms
about whole-grain nutrition for years, but this
is the first time we've been able to actually meet
with them one-on-one, engage them in dialogue,
learn from them and work with them to help
us share our message more impactfully," said
Tim Zimmer, vice-president, Sara Lee North
American Fresh Bakery. "What we learned at
this summit will help us be a better, more viable
and approachable resource to moms."

Baking & Snack - September 2009

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