Distinctive Contributions to ChinaInnovation is the soul of a company and the whole industry, and the original driving force spurring its growth and development

RINGIER Publishing Company is honoring innovations in plastics, metalworking, packaging and food processing, and ingredients. The "Ringier Technology Innovation Awards 2008 ?Food & Beverage Industry " cite technologies, products and people for their outstanding contribution toward the advancement of China's food and beverage processing industry. The purpose of the award is to recognize those who have made most significant contributions to the advancement of the industry through productivity increase, economic efficiency, market opportunity creation, and production process. Food Pacific China Food Manufacturing Journal, the leading food industry trade magazine in China and our sister publication, led the search and invited renowned food industry specialists to join its panel of judges. The awarding ceremony takes place in Shanghai this month. Improvements through Ingredients Rising disposable incomes in China mean that a certain segment of consumers can afford to be more selective about their food purchases. Urban residents in particular are shopping more in supermarkets and hypermarkets to purchase packaged foods and beverages. While brand loyalty is not a factor in most purchases, Chinese shoppers do look for added value and are influenced by what their peers are buying. Products that offer better nutritional advantages are well accepted because the relationship between food intake and health is well established in the Chinese culture. Phytosterol ester and heart health In western countries, coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of mortality. The incidence of CHD is also increasing in many Asian countries and experts predict that by 2030, 6 million deaths worldwide will be due to heart disease of which half will die from CHD, especially those over 40 years and older. To obtain heart health, more and more consumers are turning to healthier foods, especially those containing natural compounds known to reduce blood pressure, lower total cholesterol and increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, the so-called "good cholesterol"). Among the better-documented heart-healthy components are phytosterols, which have been found to reduce plasma total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The chemical structure of phytosterol and phytosterol ester, which are present in many fruits, vegetable, beans, nuts and cereals, is similar to cholesterol. During digestion, phytosterol ester can be hydrolyzed into phytosterol, which then inhibits the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine. To achieve the cholesterol-lowering benefits of phytosterol, 1g/day of plant sterols need to be consumed -- whereas the average dietary intake of plant sterols in the United States is between 200-400mg/day. The addition of phytosterol ester in everyday foods such as margarine, breakfast foods, dairy and dietary supplements, therefore serves a nutraceutical purpose. To make it simple to fortify such foods, Cognis has applied in China to classify its Vegapure phytosterol ester as a "new source food" for functional food products. Sourced from non GM soy, Vegapure offer significant economical advantages because the excellent product stability and free-flowing properties mean it can be easily formulated without lumping or dusting into baked good, cereals, nutrition bars, dairy applications as well as 2-piece hard shells and tablets. Functional sweeteners with extra benefits Functional sweeteners or sugar replacers can replace all or part of sucrose in foods and offer consumers low sugar alternatives that can help them improve their health. In China, modern lifestyles with reduced physical activity and westernized diets are leadiMen's Tops