The effect of walnut consumption on cardio-metabolic profiles of individuals with abnormal glucose homeostasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.
Findings on the effect of walnut consumption on cardio metabolic profiles in individuals with abnormal glucose homeostasis are conflicting. We summarized earlier data in this regard. A systematic literature search of relevant reports published in Medline/PubMed, ISI web of Science, EMBASE, SCOPUS and Google Scholar up to October 2020 was conducted. Randomized trials that enrolled individuals with abnormal glucose homeostasis in which the main intervention was walnut consumption were included. Abnormal glucose homeostasis was defined as a spectrum of impaired glucose tolerance or pre-diabetic status that is associated with insulin resistance. Twelve studies were included in systematic review and eight in meta-analysis. No significant effect of walnut consumption on anthropometric measures, including weight [WMD: -0.13; 95% CI: -0.64, 0.39 kg], BMI [-0.08; -0.47, 0.32 kg/m2] and waist circumference [0.01; -0.50, 0.52 cm] was observed. Although walnut intake did not influence on lipid profiles (including triglyceride, total- and HDL-cholesterol levels), individuals in the intervention group tended to have lower levels of LDL-cholesterol than those in the control group [-0.10; -0.20, 0.01 mmol/L; P=0.06]. Other cardio-metabolic factors including markers of glycemic control [fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C levels], blood pressure and stimulus-adjusted response measure (a parameter of endothelial function) were not significantly affected. However, walnut consumption resulted in a significant increase in flow-mediated dilation [0.93%;: 0.16, 1.71%]. Summarizing earlier evidence, we found that walnut consumption might influence FMD and LDL-cholesterol levels in individuals with abnormal glucose homeostasis. It did not affect other cardio-metabolic profiles in these individuals. 10.1017/S0007114521004414
Looking Towards the Future of Nuts and Dried Fruits, Exclusive Insights from the INC Executive Committee
Global Demand and the Lingering Impact of COVID-19
Considering other regions of the world, Managing Partner of Vijayalaxmi Cashew Company in India, Pratap Nair pointed out that India, which faced some of the strictest lockdowns, is now improving and he believes demand for nuts and dried fruits will remain solid. Mr. Nair pointed to an aggressive vaccination campaign and government stimulus as part of the reason India is “learning to live with COVID.” Antonio Pont, INC Honorary President, and Honorary President of Borges in Spain commented on the psychological effect and the shift toward more health-based foods as a positive sign for consumption of nuts and dried fruits in Europe, but also throughout the world. Given the increased consumption throughout the pandemic, and looking towards the coming months, Mr. Pont said he expected these new trends to stay.
Sustainability in the Nut and Dried Fruit Industry
With this in mind, there is a growing necessity for the nut and dried fruit industry to promote and support sustainable activities within the sector. Bill Carriere, President/CEO of Carriere Family Farms in the US started the conversation on sustainability during the webinar; he discussed the state of the drought in California, and how it has impacted growers all over the state. According to Mr. Carriere, as of this past September, the California water reservoirs were at significantly lower levels compared to previous years. However, he highlighted that in California, the agricultural sector continues to face this issue head-on and proactive steps are being taken to ensure sustainable usage of water throughout the state.
Turning to Pino Calcagni, 2nd INC Vice Chairman and Honorary President of Besana Group, the discussion moved to a broader look at what steps the INC is taking with regards to sustainability. Mr. Calcagni announced the formation of a new Sustainability Working Group that will advise and oversee the good development of the INC Sustainability Agenda, and that will work to identify, promote, and support the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations.
Later in the discussion, Ashok Krishen, 1st INC Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Edible Nuts at Olam Food Ingredients in Singapore, dove into some specific areas that the sector could impact. Among these areas were livelihoods, human rights and inclusion, health and nutrition, the living world, and greenhouse gas emission.
Supply and Shipping Outlook
Global shipping has impaired the global economy significantly since the start of the pandemic, with the price of containers and shipping routes skyrocketing to around 300% higher than pre-pandemic. At the time of the writing of this article, some shipping companies announced that they did not plan on increasing rates further, providing some hope that the prices are set to decrease.
Despite these breaks, prices still have remained significantly higher than pre-pandemic times. The elevated prices have also been accompanied with record delays and waiting times for container ships at some of the world´s largest ports, such as the Port of Los Angeles. Giles Hacking, Managing Director of CG Hacking and Sons Limited in the UK pointed out during the webinar that the logistic problems are not only coming from inflation on containers but also massive labor shortages across the globe. As fewer and fewer workers are available for transport and unloading in warehouses, the wait times may continue to build, causing disruption of the supply chain just ahead of and into the holiday season.
Rounding up the webinar, Michael Waring, the INC Chairman gave a brief overview of the topics discussed, mentioning that as an industry, we must work together to ensure that nuts and dried fruits can reach consumers and that consumers understand the importance of their health benefits.
He also brought up the importance of investing in sustainability within the sector, saying, “at this point, we know that we need to continue to invest our time and our efforts in sustainability and working on these questions that are put to us as an industry”.
Considering shipping and looking to the future, Mr. Waring reminded that while it is difficult to know where things might go over the coming months, with time, we can hope to see this situation return to a sense of normalcy.
If you would like to watch the on-demand version of the webinar, you can visit the Member Area of the INC Website. For more information on this webinar series, please visit the INC website.
Pecans May Have Cardioprotective Properties
Both studies were randomized controlled trials with a portion of the participants consuming pecans as a part of their diet for 8 weeks. In both trials, it was found that the groups who consumed pecans, either as an addition to their diet or as a substitute for isocaloric foods in their diet, experienced improved postprandial blood lipids and postprandial lipid peroxidation. It was also found in one of the studies that those in the pecan consumption group saw a significant reduction in fasting cholesterol.
In conclusion, these two studies suggest that including pecans in your diet daily, can help protect against oxidative stress, improve postprandial blood lipids, and reduce fasting cholesterol in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Guarneiri, L. L., Paton, C. M., & Cooper, J. A. (2021). Pecan-enriched diets decrease postprandial lipid peroxidation and increase total antioxidant capacity in adults at-risk for cardiovascular disease. Nutrition Research, 93, 69-78.
Guarneiri, L. L., Paton, C. M., & Cooper, J. A. (2021). Pecan-Enriched Diets Alter Cholesterol Profiles and Triglycerides in Adults at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease in a Randomized, Controlled Trial. The Journal of Nutrition, 151(10), 3091-3101.
Global Statistical Review, Special Report on China Nut and Dried Fruit Trade
California Agriculture Exports Disrupted by Supply Chain Issues
Apart from the growing stress on the food supply chain, some are fearing another problem in the near future: a maritime labor shortage. Throughout the pandemic, maritime workers have been some of the most affected, oftentimes having to spend extended times at sea, in some cases well over one year, due to restrictions, lockdowns, and other pandemic-related problems. Moreover, many maritime workers have reported declining mental and physical health, limited access to medical care, and growing tension among crew members, all leading some industry professionals to believe that it will be more difficult to hire workers in the future.
In a glimpse of better news, Drewry announced that their World Container Index saw prices fall by 4.9% this past week. Although this is a significant decrease, the index still remains 252% higher than one year ago. According to their spot freight rates across eight major East-West routes, rates for Shanghai to Los Angeles decreased 10%. The next largest drop was from Shanghai to New York at 7%, followed by Shanghai to Genoa at 3%. Shanghai to Rotterdam rates was 2% lower than the previous week. Rotterdam to New York, and Los Angeles to Shanghai both decreased week over week 1%, and Rotterdam to Shanghai and New York to Rotterdam remained unchanged.
Global Statistical Review, Dried Figs
Turkey Dried Figs
The 2021/2022 production is forecasted at 75,000 metric tons. With a carry-in of 7,000 MT, total supply is estimated at around 82,000 MT. Exports between September 30, 2020, and September 25, 2021, reached 70,850 MT, the top markets being Germany, USA and France.
Global Statistical Review, Dried Apricots
Turkey Dried Apricots
Global Shipping Challenges Persist, Adding to Worries for the Holiday Season
According to Drewry, their World Composite Index remains 276% higher than one year ago. Spot freight rates for Shanghai to Rotterdam, Shanghai to Genoa, and Shanghai to New York all saw the largest drop in price, 3%, while Los Angeles to Shanghai fell by 1%. Rotterdam to Shanghai and Los Angeles to Shanghai both rose 1%.
Bogged down with shipping delays and cargo that continues to pile up, officials from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have announced a new fee for those containers that are lingering around the docks. Starting from November 1, carriers will be charged $100 per container with an additional $100 per container per day.
This new fee will not be assessed until November 15. Mario Cordero, the Port of Long Beach Executive Director said, “The terminals are running out of space. We need to make room in our terminals, approximately 530,000 container units are sitting on those waiting ships.” The hope is that this new fee may clear up the terminals to allow for more containers to be unloaded, easing the bottleneck.
As many ports face long delays, there is a growing fear that the holiday season will be severely impacted. According to an article from ABC News Australia, around 90% of all goods in the world are transported on ships, and shipping delays and container shortages are threatening to make this a holiday season like no other in recent years.
Moreover, manufacturing in China has been hit hard by the shipping delays, rising inventories, and an energy crisis. An article from CNN Business reported that the month of October was the worst month for Chinese factories since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. For a second consecutive month, a government survey of manufacturing activity has shown a contraction.
Global Statistical Review, Brazil Nuts
Brazil nut season 2020 was characterized by lockdowns, production starting and stopping, poor yields and falling export prices. The expectation was that 2021 would see a pickup in demand, a smaller crop and a return to more sustainable pricing levels. Expectations were overstepped.
Although 2021 saw the lowest starting crop price for more than 10 years, this did not last long. Demand was reactivated and increased buying of raw material by many actors across multiple countries quickly pushed raw material prices higher. This increased buying, alongside information from the forest of a reduced harvest, further strengthened the force with which buyers covered raw material. In parallel, exporters were almost unanimously withdrawn from offering. Lack of supply meant that those who could offer were able to achieve higher export prices which reflected the cost of raw material. As the season progressed the pattern remained the same. Increasing raw material prices, withdrawal of factories and an increasing export price. Added to this, the deterioration of yields meant higher costs.
By mid-September, the end of the harvest was well passed and factories were clearing their final balances before shutting their doors for maintenance and preparation for the next season. The expectation is that, given the high price of raw material, collectors will be eager to start the season as early as the weather permits. Normally this is November/December. Depending on how much factories can gather in that time will determine when they will have sufficient volume to start cracking and exporting. In a normal year that is normally not before March.
Global Statistical Review, Pecans
North America Pecans
While the 2021 US crop is expected to be similar in size to the 2020 crop, severe drought conditions in Mexico reduced their projected crop by 30%. Assuming the figures remain as projected, this would be the first time since 2013 that the US could out-produce Mexico.
With North American pecan consumption expected to exceed 272,158 metric tons, supplies are very tight, especially for larger halves. Based on the most recent cold storage figures and American Pecan Council reported commitments, the tight supply situation has left most US shellers unable to quote halves. Further, the supply of good-quality pieces is also dwindling. The foodservice industry, severely affected by the pandemic, continues to rebound which is expected to put additional pressure on an already tight supply situation.
According to the final US Customs figures, 2020 crop imports were down 12.1%, the lowest since 2016. However, even with the continued trade tensions between the US and China, US overall pecan exports were up approximately 11% from a year ago and up approximately 65% to China.
South Africa Pecans
Estimated at 16,500 MT, in-shell basis, from which about 15,000 MT are bounded for export, the 2021 crop has turned out to be considerably lower than initially anticipated. This is largely attributed to a very cold spell during flowering in 2020.
The shortage of containers and the various problems experienced at the ports resulted in shipping bottlenecks. However, it is expected that the shipping situation will improve and autumn’s demand in China will be met in time.
Brazil Pecans
Harvest 2021 concluded last September hitting a historical record of 6,000 MT in-shell basis. Weather conditions were favorable, with rainfall well distributed throughout the growing cycle, especially in the largest producer state, Rio Grande do Sul. For the next season, the crop is forecasted down to 4,000 MT, mainly due to La Niña, which is anticipated to bring drought to southern Brazil, where most of the pecan orchards are located.
Although the domestic market is somewhat retracted by the pandemic, exports are growing, especially in-shell. In the last four years, more than 700,000 pecan trees have been fielded.
China Pecans
The harvest started in September and the current estimation is 100% up from the early forecast. The growing area currently adds to over 80,000 hectares, with many 8-10 years old trees coming into production.
Australia Pecans
The 2021 crop harvest started later than usual this year, following an autumn warm spell during final maturity. Now, after a rain-disrupted harvest, the best crop-set in many years is in-the-barn. The in-shell yield has produced full and heavy pecan halves, which have clearly benefited from a perfect (mild) summer growing season. This was Australia’s best season after 3-4 years of severe drought conditions.