New Food Issue 6 2019

CANNABIS is a word that has previously had negative connotations, but that’s been changing as of late. We are seeing a global shift in attitudes towards this substance; it began with debates over medicinal use and now it’s made its way into the food and beverage market with companies exploring cannabidiol or CBD (the naturally occurring compound found in the cannabis plant) as a potential new ingredient. But will this continue…?

I asked Marielle Weintraub, President of the US Hemp Authority: “Cannabis is not a fad that has popped up on the market only to disappear, it’s here to stay and make improvements in many fields.”

Weintraub is not alone in this assumption. For this issue, New Food spoke to several experts and they all agreed that cannabis is here to stay. But despite rising interest, cannabis, hemp and CBD remain a bit of an enigma. There is still a lot we must learn; not just in terms of cannabis’ suggested health benefits, but also the ways in which it will be used in food and drink in the future. I am excited to see how this industry develops, but I believe that, like any food or beverage product, care and caution must be taken.

A statement from the FDA sums it up nicely: “There are real risks that need to be considered. We recognise the significant public interest in CBD and we must work together with stakeholders and industry to fill in the knowledge gaps about the science, safety and quality of many of these products.”1

It’s an exciting time, but we must make sure that we take our time to properly understand the law, terminology and techniques, and ensure that the correct protocols
are followed.

New research and interesting developments are emerging every day, which are, in turn, raising new and intriguing questions. So, as I write the last Welcome of 2019, what better way to end than with a few of my own questions: What will we see from the cannabis market in 2020? What new innovations will emerge in 2020? And if a previously-negative substance like cannabis can successfully permeate the food and beverage industry, what else will the new year bring? I, for one, am excited to find out.

Included in this edition:

• LEADERS’ SERIES
  Dr Sylvain Charlebois, Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture, Dalhousie University, Canada
• CANNABIS, CBD AND HEMP
  New Food hears from a cannabis chef about this growing market, industry challenges and what’s to come.
• FOOD SAFETY
  Xiaowei Liu explains how antibiotics can be detected quickly and reliably in vegetables using QuEChERS and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.
• INGREDIENTS
  How is the role of food ingredient formulation adapting to meet ever-changing consumer demands? Susan Brownlow takes a closer look.
• CONFECTIONERY
  In an era that is waging war on sugar, a range of companies have started to experiment with alternatives. Jackie Bowen explores.