Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/694455
24 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 3, 2016 (June/July) Coffee Report: Jenny Neill Coffee-Cancer Link Not Supported? The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), an organization funded by member companies including illycaffè, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Lavazza, Nestlé, Paulig, and Tchibo, recently published summaries of several scientific studies. They reported, "[T]he scientific evidence suggests there is no association between moderate coffee consumption at 3-5 cups per day and an increased risk of developing cancer. Research to date also suggests that coffee consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of develop- ing cancer at a number of body sites." They cite as one of the bases of this statement in the European Food Safety Authority conclusion from 2015 that: "…caffeine intakes from all sources up to 400 mg per day (about 5.7 mg/kg bw per day for a 70-kg adult) consumed throughout the day do not give rise to safety concerns for healthy adults in the general population." Other research highlighted includes meta-analyses and population-based research. (Some have not yet appeared in peer-reviewed publications.) More details, including full citations to the underlying research, are available at: www.coffeeandhealth.org CANADA Higgins Brothers Honored In June, the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) launches the Canadian Grand Prix Lifetime Achievement Award and will present the award to Paul Higgins Jr. and Michael Higgins, the co-c.e.o.s of Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee. The award recognizes senior executive(s) who have demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to the Canadian grocery industry. Those considered for it have shown a commit- ment to innovation in the products their company offers to consumers and the leadership they provide within their organization. The Higgins' brothers guided expansion of the Mother Parker brands and private label offerings into many of North America's largest grocery and restaurant chains. Most recently, Mother Parkers introduced breakthrough innovation with the launch of RealCup single-serve capsules and the EcoCup recyclable capsule. Diane J. Brisebois, president and c.e.o, Retail Council of Canada said, "Over the course of their careers Paul and Michael have pushed the envelope to drive sustainable growth, champion innovation and exceed customer expectation, earning the respect of their peers and industry partners every step of the way. Paul and Michael Higgins are true innovators and their willingness to embrace change has cemented Mother Parkers as an internationally recognized industry leader." Learn More: http:// www.rccgrandprix.ca/ Zanetti Invests in Club Coffee Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA (MZB), the North American operating unit of the Italy-based global coffee roaster and marketer Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, has acquired a 15.1% equity stake in Club Coffee of Toronto, Canada. Originally announced in November 2015, the transaction closed at the end of April 2016. MZB retains an option to purchase an additional 10% for 13 months after this purchase was completed. MZB's collaboration with Club Coffee includes bringing the world's first certified 100% compostable single-serve hot beverage technology to the North American market. John Boyle, MZB USA's president and c.e.o. said, "Consumers want a more sustainable options for their single-serve coffee and we are confident that our BPI-certified 100% compostable pod is the right solution. This equity stake dem- onstrates our enthusiasm for Club Coffee's commitment to technology that delivers this simple solution. It also underscores our determination to build market leadership through the innova- tion and the quality our consumers demand and have grown to expect from us." Learn more: www.mzb-usa.com and www.clubcoffee.ca CUBA Cuban Coffee Ready for Export? The U.S. State Department added coffee to the Section 515.582 List, which identifies items allowed to be imported from Cuba into the US in 2014. Since then, some have speculated what companies are pursuing actually doing it. An analysis piece published by US Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc. is one example suggesting that Starbucks could do it. However, a spokesperson at Starbucks later denied the company was considering it to Politico, a political news outlet. And yet, when this news first broke, a report in the Boston Globe confirmed that George Howell had plans to go to Cuba. When might Cuban coffee return as a specialty coffee product in the US? A few issues stand in the way: what some consider the most productive areas for growing coffee became centers of resistance; and US trade rules allow coffee sourced from independent suppliers to be imported, however, with the rise of communism in Cuba, the government nationalized coffee farms. With low production and exports long diverted to other nations, odds are it will take years not months to rede- velop the links in a supply chain from Cuba to the US. Zanetti invests in Club Coffee Paul Higgins Jr. and Michael Higgins, co-c.e.o.s of Mother Parkers Tea Credit: Courtesy of Retail Council of Canada