Watts Witit

ONE truth that emerges clearly from the recent history of Federal Reserve monetary-policy action is that changing central bank policy goals is like steering the Titanic. You can see where the ship ought to go, and the captain himself might do his best to pilot it there, but the nature of the beast is that it simply wont turn on a dime. There are too many extremely cautious people influencing policy decisions and too much political and market scrutiny for that.

All the same, the ship has turned and is likely to continue altering its heading. Early in the crisis, the Fed reached for the relatively conventional tools at its disposal–reductions in its target for the federal funds rate and emergency liquidity provision. As the recession dragged on and the rate target approached zero, however, it became clear that more would be necessary to prevent a deep, depression-like downturn in the economy. The Fed initiated a series of asset purchases, focusing at first on restoring some level of function to critical markets, including that for home mortgages. Later, expansion of the Feds balance sheet became an explicit goal, in hopes of reducing long-term interest rates and supporting spending and investment in the economy. These efforts helped shepherd the economy into expansion and reversed a worrying fall in inflation expectations toward deflation. But the economys recovery path remained a disappointing one, of which too-low inflation and too-high unemployment were persistent features.

Seeing the need to do more and worrying, one presumes, about the effectiveness and political consequences of a much larger package of asset purchases, the Fed began feeling its way toward greater use of communication in easing policy. Last summer, it provided additional clarity about the path of its short-term rate target in changing the language of its statement. Where once the Fed indicated that rates were likely to remain low for an extended period, it began saying that rates would likely be low through at least 2013. Amid signs of continuing economic weakness, the central bank opted to make purchases designed to shift the compostion of its balance sheet in a stimulative way, but it continued to push toward greater easing through communication. And Ben Bernanke took a large step forward with this strategy at the conclusion of the Feds January meetings in Washington yesterday.

There were several important firsts in yesterdays announcement. To begin with, the Fed changed the language of its statement to indicate that low rates would likely be justified through at least late 2014. Second, Mr Bernanke said quite plainly that the Fed had adopted an inflation target of a 2% annual change in the price index for personal consumption expenditures. And finally, the Fed released new information alongside the standard economic projections, which showed the distribution of the committees views on when rates ought to rise. So we learn now that a majority of the Federal Open Market Committee thinks that rates should remain at very low levels until 2014 or later.

Many Fed watchers were disappointed with the Feds actions. They note that the Feds economic forecasts seem to indicate both too-low inflation and too-high unemployment, of the sort that would seem to justify much more easing. Where is the QE3 announcement, in that case? Others also complain that the Feds choice to push out the horizon for low rates to late 2014 suggests an implicit acknowledgement that the economy will be weak through at least that year. I think these criticisms are somewhat misguided, for two reasons.

First, the Fed did ease; communication is policy. A promise to keep short rates low for longer should–and did–push down long rates, which is also one of the explicit goals of long-term asset purchases. It should raise inflation expectations, which will reduce real rates and boost economic activity. And the establishment of the 2% target for PCE provides a framework within which the Fed can more easily act to raise inflation. One was able to discern a shift in Mr Bernankes comments at yesterdays press conference. In response to questions, he was able to say clearly that it might be necessary to take steps to push inflation back to target–to raise inflation–which had been a difficult idea for him to express previously. Saying we need to raise inflation is politically fraught. The new target may also give the Fed more leeway to let inflation rise. Its the top end, for one thing, of the Feds previously assumed accepted inflation range of about 1.5% to 2%. Its also PCE inflation, which has tended to run below CPI inflation in recent years. A target may also make it easier for the Fed to let inflation run above 2% for a while, so as to hit the target on average.

Second, the decision to push out the horizon for a rate increase isnt simply an admission that the economy will be weak in 2014. With the target rate at zero, the Fed can only bring down the real interest rate by raising inflation expectations. To generate higher inflation expectations, the Fed may have to promise to be imprudent at some future date–like 2014. Essentially, the Fed is hinting that it wont stomp on a boom in 2014 even if its generating increases in prices and wages that might normally make the central bank a little uncomfortable. That, in turn, should make those deciding whether to invest now a little more bullish about the prospects for their investments. That will make them more likely to invest in the first place, helping to generate the near-term boom that the Fed would like to see.

To boost the economy now, the Fed needs to raise inflation expectations. At this meeting, it gave itself a couple of key tools to help it accomplish that: a target framework that should facilitate higher rates of inflation, and a message that tells markets that it will tolerate more inflation. Together, those steps should be quite powerful. They might not be enough, of course. The Fed does have to demonstrate that its commitment to boosting the economy is credible, and doing that may require it to announce further increases in the size of the Feds balance sheet. I wouldnt be surprised to see Mr Bernanke add more purchases to the policy mix in the future, particularly if the inflation outlook continues to moderate and the pace of decline in unemployment slows or reverses.

The pace at which all of these moves have come together has been excrutiatingly slow at times. The American economy has faced month after month of elevated unemployment and the risk of a double-dip recession, all alongside historically low inflation. The case for more Fed action has been strong for quite some time. As frustrating as the delay has been, it is now plain that the Fed is working its way toward a monetary policy that is more intellectually coherent and effective at the zero lower bound than was previously the case. But for this long march, the American economy would be in far worse shape. And if this evolution continues, Mr Bernanke may well be judged to have accomplished something truly remarkable and praiseworthy, all within a very difficult economic and political environment.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Jan 11, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) –
Northern Technologies International Corporation

/quotes/zigman/53882/quotes/nls/ntic NTIC
-0.28%

today reported its financial results for first quarter of fiscal 2012. Highlights of NTIC’s financial and operating results include:

— Net income attributable to NTIC increased 6.6%, to $958,757, or $0.22
per diluted common share, for the three months ended November 30, 2011
compared to $899,781, or $0.21 per diluted common share, for the three
months ended November 30, 2010.
— NTIC’s consolidated net sales increased 17.9%, to $4,832,114 for the
three months ended November 30, 2011 compared the three months ended
November 30, 2010. This growth was primarily due to increased demand
from NTIC’s existing customer base in the domestic industrial sector for
both established and new Zerust(R) brand products, as well as the
addition of new customers in new market sectors.
— NTIC’s consolidated net sales the three months ended November 30, 2011
included $604,920 of sales made by NTIC’s majority-owned subsidiary in
Brazil, and of those sales, $45,861 were made to the oil and gas
industry sector in Brazil compared to $517,140 of sales made by NTIC’s
majority-owned subsidiary in Brazil during fiscal 2010, including of
those sales, $26,822 to the oil and gas industry sector.
— Sales by NTIC’s joint ventures increased 6.3% to $28,795,232 for the
three months ended November 30, 2011 compared to $27,101,587 for the
three months ended November 30, 2010.

During the three months ended November 30, 2011, 92.1% of NTIC's consolidated net sales were derived from sales of ZERUST(R) products and services, which increased 14.9% to $4,452,646 for the three months ended November 30, 2011 compared to $3,875,428 for the three months ended November 30, 2010. This increase was primarily due to increased demand from existing customers and the addition of new customers.

"We were pleased with our quarterly sales growth considering that we did not have significant sales by our Brazilian majority-owned subsidiary to Petrobras during the first quarter of fiscal 2012. We believe that the majority of the phase 2 contract to supply $2.6 million dollars in ZERUST products to Petrobras likely will be exhausted in the second and third quarters of fiscal 2012 as Petrobras rolls the implementation of these products out to more of its off-shore platforms," said G. Patrick Lynch, President and Chief Executive Officer of NTIC.

During the three months ended November 30, 2011, 7.9% of NTIC's consolidated net sales were derived from sales of Natur-Tec(R) products compared to 5.4% during the three months ended November 30, 2010. Net sales of Natur-Tec(R) products increased 70.2% to $379,468 the three months ended November 30, 2011 compared to $223,013 for the three months ended November 30, 2010. This sales growth was due to increased customer demand for Natur-Tec compostable products, driven primarily by legislative mandates in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest and states such as Minnesota, that require the diversion of organic waste from landfills to centralized composting facilities, in order to significantly reduce the amount of green house gases emitted to the environment.

"We continue to see tremendous opportunities for finished bioplastic products; and, therefore, we continue to strengthen and expand our North American distribution network for finished Natur-Tec bioplastic products. We recently signed up Boulder, Colorado based Eco-Products as a distributor for our Natur-Tec finished products. We expect this alliance to expand and enhance our market reach into the large foodservice segment, where Eco-Products has a strong presence," said G. Patrick Lynch, President and Chief Executive Officer of NTIC.

NTIC participates in 24 active joint venture arrangements in North America, Europe and Asia. Generally, NTIC consolidates the proportional equity results of its joint ventures. NTIC's equity in income of joint ventures decreased 19.9% to $1,357,680 during the three months ended November 30, 2011 compared to $1,695,131 during the three months ended November 30, 2010 which was primarily a result of a 22.4% decrease in the profitability of NTIC's largest joint venture, EXCOR in Germany during the same time period. NTIC recognized a 0.4% decrease in fees for services provided to joint ventures during the three months ended November 30, 2011 compared to the three months ended November 30, 2010. This slight decrease was primarily a result of the devaluation of the EURO and other currencies compared to the U.S. dollar, partially offset by a 6.3% increase in total net sales of NTIC's joint ventures to $28,795,232 during the three months ended November 30, 2011 compared to $27,101,587 during the three months ended November 30, 2010.

Mr. Lynch continued, "Despite a devaluation of the EURO and other currencies compared to the U.S. dollar, as well as general economic concerns in Europe, sales at our joint ventures still increased 6% in the first quarter of fiscal 2012 compared to the same period last fiscal year. Although this growth percentage is smaller than in past, we are still encouraged by the results given the macro circumstances. Based on discussions with our joint ventures, each of them is still optimistic that growth will be consistent with past years. However, this is a situation that we will continue to monitor very closely."

NTIC's total operating expenses decreased 3.8%, or $132,329, to $3,393,068 during the three months ended November 30, 2011 compared to the three months ended November 30, 2010.

NTIC expenses all costs related to product research and development as incurred. NTIC incurred $814,305 and $1,193,456 of expense during the three months ended November 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, in connection with its research and development activities. These represent net amounts after being reduced by reimbursements related to certain research and development contracts. Such reimbursements totaled $197,000 and $25,992 for the three months ended November 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. NTIC anticipates that it will spend between $4,300,000 and $4,500,000 in total during fiscal 2012 on research and development activities related to its new technologies.

Net income attributable to NTIC increased 6.6% to $958,757, or $0.22 per diluted common share, for the three months ended November 30, 2011 compared to $899,781, or $0.21 per diluted common share, for the three months ended November 30, 2010.

NTIC's working capital was $11,359,574 at November 30, 2011, including $3,407,371 in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $9,085,748 at August 31, 2011, including $3,266,362 in cash and cash equivalents. On January 10, 2012, NTIC and PNC Bank, National Association extended the maturity date of NTIC's $3,000,000 line of credit to extend the maturity date of the line of credit from January 10, 2012 to January 9, 2013.

Outlook

For the fiscal year ending August 31, 2012, NTIC has not changed its previous guidance and expects its net sales to range between $23.0 million and $24.5 million, inclusive of sales made by NTIC's majority-owned subsidiary in Brazil, and expects net income of between $4.7 million to $5.0 million, or between $1.08 and $1.14 per diluted share.

Conference Call and Webcast

NTIC will host a conference call today at 8:00 a.m. Central Standard Time to review its results of operations for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 and future outlook, followed by a question and answer session. The conference call will be available to interested parties through a live audio webcast available through NTIC's website at
www.ntic.com or
http://ir.ntic.com/events.cfm where the webcast will be available archived and accessible for at least 12 months. The dial-in number for the conference call is (877) 670-9779 and the confirmation code is 40642344.

Financial Results

NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION AND
SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS AS OF NOVEMBER 30, 2011
(UNAUDITED) AND AUGUST 31, 2011 (AUDITED)
-------------------------------------------------------
November
30, August 31,

2011 2011
=========== ===========
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents $3,407,371 $3,266,362
Receivables:
Trade excluding joint
ventures, less allowance
for doubtful accounts of
$20,000 at November 30,
2011 and August 31, 2011 2,846,182 2,515,316
Trade joint ventures 1,005,509 1,149,666
Fees for services provided
to joint ventures 2,168,794 2,129,911
Inventories 3,967,254 3,842,854
Prepaid expenses 711,440 364,805

Deferred income taxes 221,600 221,600
----------- -----------

Total current assets 14,328,150 13,490,514
----------- -----------

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net 3,589,981 3,636,335
----------- -----------

OTHER ASSETS:
Investments in joint
ventures 18,763,038 20,559,509
Deferred income taxes 1,410,700 1,410,700
Patents and trademarks, net 909,027 903,038

Other 41,746 39,646
----------- -----------

21,124,511 22,912,893
----------- -----------

$39,042,642 $40,039,742
=========== ===========

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS'
EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Current portion of note
payable 76,119 76,119
Accounts payable 1,496,244 2,032,614
Income tax payable 160,420 195,762
Accrued liabilities:
Payroll and related
benefits 710,737 1,629,355
Deferred joint venture
royalties 288,000 288,000

Other 237,056 182,916
----------- -----------
Total current
liabilities 2,968,576 4,404,766

NOTE PAYABLE, NET OF CURRENT
PORTION 990,504 1,009,533

COMMITMENTS AND
CONTINGENCIES

EQUITY:
Preferred stock, no par
value; authorized 10,000
shares; none issued and
outstanding -- --
Common stock, $0.02 par
value per share;
authorized 10,000,000
shares; issued and
outstanding 4,397,324 and
4,353,058, respectively 87,947 87,061
Additional paid-in capital 10,847,692 10,137,809
Retained earnings 22,770,595 21,811,838
Accumulated other
comprehensive income 1,318,675 2,496,940
----------- -----------
Stockholders' equity 35,024,909 34,533,648

Non-controlling interest 58,653 91,795
----------- -----------

Total equity 35,083,562 34,625,443
----------- -----------

$39,042,642 $40,039,742
=========== ===========

NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION AND
SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED NOVEMBER 30, 2011 AND 2010
------------------------------------------------------

Three Months Ended
======================
November November
30, 30,

2011 2010
========== ==========
NET SALES:
Net sales, excluding joint
ventures $4,277,643 $3,446,303

Net sales, to joint ventures 554,471 652,138
---------- ----------
NET SALES 4,832,114 4,098,441

Cost of goods sold 3,209,476 2,690,705
---------- ----------
Gross profit 1,622,638 1,407,736

JOINT VENTURE OPERATIONS:
Equity in income of joint
ventures 1,357,680 1,695,131
Fees for services
provided to joint
ventures 1,445,252 1,451,780
---------- ----------
2,802,932 3,146,911

OPERATING EXPENSES:
Selling expenses 1,108,486 999,053
General and
administrative expenses 1,270,013 1,104,167
Expenses incurred in
support of joint
ventures 200,264 228,721
Research and development
expenses 814,305 1,193,456
---------- ----------
3,393,068 3,525,397

OPERATING INCOME 1,032,502 1,029,250

INTEREST INCOME 8,060 3,933
INTEREST EXPENSE (5,966) (23,234)

OTHER INCOME 6,825 6,925
---------- ----------

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAX
EXPENSE 1,041,421 1,016,874

INCOME TAX EXPENSE 106,000 122,000
---------- ----------

NET INCOME 935,421 894,874

NET LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO
NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST (23,336) (4,907)
---------- ----------

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO
NTIC $958,757 $899,781
========== ==========

NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE:

Basic $0.22 $0.21
========== ==========

Diluted $0.22 $0.21
========== ==========

WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES
ASSUMED OUTSTANDING:

Basic 4,355,666 4,264,187
========== ==========

Diluted 4,433,724 4,324,757
========== ==========

About Northern Technologies International Corporation

Northern Technologies International Corporation develops and markets proprietary environmentally beneficial products and services in over 55 countries either directly or via a network of joint ventures, independent distributors and agents. NTIC's primary business is corrosion prevention marketed primarily under the ZERUST(R) brand. NTIC has been selling its proprietary ZERUST(R) rust and corrosion inhibiting products and services to the automotive, electronics, electrical, mechanical, military and retail consumer markets, for over 35 years. NTIC also offers worldwide on-site technical consulting for rust and corrosion prevention issues. NTIC's technical service consultants work directly with the end users of NTIC's products to analyze their specific needs and develop systems to meet their technical requirements. In addition, NTIC markets proprietary bio-plastic technologies under the Natur-Tec(R) brand. Finally, NTIC's Polymer Energy(R) joint venture manufactures and sells advance waste plastic to fuel conversion machines.

The Northern Technologies International Corporation logo is available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=5481

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release that are not historical information are forward-looking statements as defined within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include NTIC's expectations regarding its future financial performance and other statements that can be identified by words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "continue," "potential," "outlook," "will," "would," "should" or words of similar meaning, the use of future date and any other statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of NTIC's management and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied. Such potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, in no particular order: NTIC's dependence on the success of its joint ventures and fees and dividend distributions that NTIC receives from them; NTIC's relationships with its joint ventures and its ability to maintain those relationships; risks related to the European sovereign debt crisis and the related economic and political unrest in Europe; risks associated with NTIC's international operations; exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the health of the U.S. and worldwide economies, including in particular the U.S. automotive industry; the level of growth in NTIC's markets; NTIC's investments in research and development efforts; acceptance of existing and new products; increased competition; the costs and effects of complying with changes in tax, fiscal, government and other regulatory policies, including rules relating to environmental, health and safety matters; and NTIC's reliance on its intellectual property rights and the absence of infringement of the intellectual property rights of others. More detailed information on these and additional factors which could affect NTIC's operating and financial results is described in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K. NTIC urges all interested parties to read these reports to gain a better understanding of the many business and other risks that the company faces. Additionally, NTIC undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements, which may be made to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire,
www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Northern Technologies International Corporation

CONTACT: Investor and Media Contacts:
Matthew Wolsfeld, CFO
NTIC
(763) 225-6600

(C) Copyright 2010 GlobeNewswire, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Volume: 24,135
Jan. 26, 2012 3:57p

As a culture that has survived 5,000 years of change and turmoil
—- yet retained its artistry throughout —- there is much to
tell about the story of China, its land and its people. Shen Yun
attempts that feat, and earns rave reviews and returning audience
members on its annual tours.

The troupe performs Thursday through Jan. 22 at the California
Center for the Arts, Escondido —- its seventh appearance at the
venue. Shen Yun, founded in New York City, emphasizes classical
Chinese dance. The elaborately costumed, well-trained troupe covers
more than 5,000 years of Chinese history with elegance and
grace.

Eye-opening backdrops (shown on a large digital video screen)
place the dancers in multiple Chinese locations, from serene
countrysides to busy cities. The troupe seeks to bring back to
prominence many of the original themes, styles and artistic
viewpoints thought gone forever after the Cultural Revolution.

Every year is a new production, with new sets and dances, said
Vivian Wang, the local promoter of the show. This is 5,000 years
of civilization, so there are many stories to tell.

Song is as much a part of the Shen Yun experience as dance.
Plaintive songs of personal experience are accompanied by piano,
with a full orchestra using all-original compositions to bring
forth a blend of Eastern and Western-influenced music. Strings,
percussion, woodwinds and brass are part of the mix.

If the real spirit of the culture has in some ways been lost,
this performance is a way to revive it, Wang said. There is not
only beauty, but universal values. Those values are recognizable
across many cultures, so audience members can relate to the
messages, no matter their ethnic or cultural background.

The 2012 tour will reach more than 3 million people in 30
different countries, with themes involving loyalty, compassion and
spirituality. Ethnic and folk dance are part of the mix. Shen Yun
also merges modern technology, such as digital projection, to help
enhance the human performances.

Children enjoy the colors and culture, while older audience
members enjoy the themes and lessons, Wang said.

From its starting point of about 90 dancers and musicians, Shen
Yun has grown to three full performance groups and orchestras,
filled with award-winning dancers and musicians from throughout
China and the world.

Many people think of Chinese culture as only involving things
such as the lion dance and dumplings and other familiar icons, but
there is so much more, Wang said. There is a reason the culture
has survived for so long and is still vibrant, and that is its
depth.

Dhaka, Jan 26 (bdnews24.com)?The central bank#39;s new monetary policy has once again exposed deep cracks in the economy, the BNP remarked on Thursday.

Announcing a contractionary monetary policy earlier in the day, Bangladesh Bank revised down its growth target and said inflation may shoot the estimated 7.5 per cent for the ongoing fiscal.

BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir issued a reaction hours later, saying, The nation is heading towards destruction.

The banks are broke from loaning out excessively [to the government], three million investors in the stock market have lost everything. The Bangladesh Bank policy reflects this scenario.

Fakhrul said the government and its wrong policies were to be blamed for inflation.

The food price inflation is already 13 percent. The growth target set in budget will not be attained, he said.

Industries are shutting down, the garment sector is becoming weak. Exporters say orders have gone down 17 percent. The labour market is also shrinking, the acting secretary-general added.

It central bank projects 6.5 per cent to 7 per cent growth and 9 per cent inflation, and private sector credit growth target at 16 per cent. The finance minister had set targets of 7 per cent growth and 7.5 per cent inflation for this fiscal in his budget speech. But average inflation stood at 10.7 per cent until December.

Fakhrul said the president#39;s opening speech for the year-opening session in parliament was #39;divorced from reality#39;.

We respect the president, but he does what Awami League says. He praised Awami League in parliament, reading from a speech like a parrot. It had no connection to reality, he said.

In fact, the ruling party was to be blamed for an #39;ongoing political crisis, the BNP leader said.

The fifteenth amendment abolished the neutral caretaker government system from the state, and yet the president is praising the fifteenth amendment, the former state minister added.

bdnews24.com/sm/sh/bd/2032h

China 2011 Fiscal Deficit CNY 519bln: Reports

(RTTNews.com) – China posted a fiscal deficit of CNY 519 billion in 2011, matching 1.1 percent of gross domestic product, reports said Friday citing data from the Finance Ministry.

The government targeted a deficit of CNY 900 billion in March last year. The Ministry also said that the fiscal revenue surged 24.8 percent to CNY 10.37 trillion during 2011.

Full-year fiscal expenditures were 21.2 percent higher than in 2010 and amounted to CNY 10.89 trillion in 2011.

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

http://www.rttnews.com

Greenspot – food trends for 2012

January 11, 2012 , 10:08 AM by La Vergne Lehmann

Something we are all interested in – at least to some degree – food! so what are some of the trends in food for 2012?Some of these relate specifically to sustainability while others are more about marketing and perception – but interesting nonetheless.

The top trends relate purity, authenticity and sustainability, as consumers continue to look for products with added value, despite the ongoing economic uncertainty.

1. Pure is the New Natural: Natural products are becoming the rule rather than the exception in most western markets, despite ongoing issues with a clear definition of what natural encompasses. One way around this has been marketing the purity of a product, reports indicate that the has been a doubling in the number of products using the word pure between 2008 and 2009, with a further third added in 2010 and considerably more in 2011.

2. Green is a Given: Corporate social responsibility and sustainability strategies have taken on an increasingly important role. The focus is on reducing carbon emissions or packaging, or creating higher welfare or fairly traded lines. The ingredientization of commodities is also moving forward, with previously untapped waste materials used for their potential functional and health benefits.

3. Location, Location, Location: Interest in where their foods are coming from has never been higher among consumers. This is being driven by an interest in supporting local suppliers, a desire for ethnic-foods, concerns over the quality and safety of imported products, or the demand for authenticity in terms of products from a particular country or region.

4. Premium Stands Out: Despite austerity measures topping the agenda yet again from mid-2011, a premium positioning provides many benefits. Consumers still have to eat and are likely to look increasingly to the extremes of discount or super-premium products.. A premium treat can be justified as an affordable indulgence during difficult economic times, particularly if it can also encompass a better-for-you element.

5. Seniors Draw Attention: Companies are starting to address the needs of an aging population, both in terms of packaging functionality and of general and specific health concerns. In the EU regulations on labelling have been initiated to help seniors by improving the clarity and visibility of nutritional information. Various recent moves have been made in US front-of-pack labelling.

6. Regulators Force a Rethink: The role that governments have in controlling dietary lifestyles continues to court controversy, particularly following Denmark’s pioneering and controversial introduction of the world’s first fat tax, applying a surcharge to high-saturated fat foods, aimed at helping combat obesity and heart disease..

7. Unmeasurable Niches: With modern communication methods, particularly through social media, small players in the food industry can compete more successfully with their larger, multinational rivals. The multinationals now also need to take a more multi-local approach to uphold a locally-sourced image and position in the community. More products are also being targeted at small groups or individuals with products that can be tailored for individual tastes and preferences.

8. Boom for Protein: New and existing sources of protein are being viewed on sustainability and health grounds, with developments in soy, wheat, lupin and other protein sources such as chick peas. There is also research into natural proteins from vegetable and animal origins that can replace fats, as well as into artificial meat replicating animal tissues

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 19 (UPI) — President Barack Obama, in a visit Thursday to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., joked it was nice to meet a world leader who has bigger ears than me.

It was Obamas first trip to the Florida theme park, press secretary Jay Carney said of the visit.

With Cinderellas castle as a backdrop, Obama spoke to an audience of about 150 people, including Disney employees, members of several unions and local politicians on Disneys Main Street.

Its always nice to meet a world leader who has bigger ears than me, said Obama, of a planned meeting with Mickey Mouse.

He added it was rare for him to do something that would make his daughters jealous.

Obama spoke about tourism and travel initiatives he planned to implement by executive order to make the United States the top tourist destination in the world and to signal America is open for business.

For the first time, the Greater Phoenix area will have its own Birthright Israel trip, with all 40 spots given to local young adults.

Birthright is a national nonprofit that sponsors men and women ages 18-26 to go on a free, educational 10-day tour of Israel.

In the past, spots reserved for Valley residents on a Birthright trip had to be shared with another city, such as Las Vegas, according to Tamar Farber, manager of the Israel Center in Scottsdale.

You can never guarantee anything … but the chances of getting on (our trip) are much better than the general pool, said Farber. Nationwide, the acceptance rate of applicants is about one in three, she said.

Farber said trip organizers are targeting people who are post-college who plan to stay in the Phoenix community. She said the goal is to have them return home passionate about Israel and to keep them connected to the Jewish community and the friends they make on the trip, through involvement in a range of pro-Israel, Jewish and young-adult activities.

In the past, it was very hard to do any kind of Birthright follow-up activities because we didnt have the names of the (Phoenix) alumni and they didnt necessarily know each other because they had gone on … different trips, said Farber.

Hillel and Chabad, both at Arizona State University, also organize Birthright trips for ASU students, with students typically sharing a tour bus with another universitys group, according to Jennifer Williams, administrative assistant at ASU Hillel. In May 2011, an ASU Hillel Birthright group shared a bus with students from the University of Pittsburgh.

A Valley-based delegation will allow the trip to be tailored to visit areas that are particularly significant to the Phoenix area, Farber said.

For example, stops could be made in the town of Kiryat Malachi and in the region of Hof Ashkelon, both areas of Israel that receive support from the Jewish Community Associations TIPS (Tucson, Israel, Phoenix, Seattle) partnership.

Farber said that a Birthright trip exclusive to the Valley was made possible by significant fundraising, as well as a grant from the Jewish Community Association of Greater Phoenix.

For now, she said, its a one-time opportunity. It was something we were able to get thanks to a lot of peoples hard (work), and well see if its going to be ongoing or not.

Details

• The trip is scheduled for June 10-21 and will depart from Los Angeles. Those accepted must provide their own transportation to and from Los Angeles.

• Registration opens Feb. 15 for first-time applicants, or Feb. 14 for anyone who has previously applied.

• Registration must be done via the Internet. Visit birthrightisrael.com and select the Phoenix Awesome Israel trip option.

• Upon acceptance, applicants must place a $250 deposit. The money will be refunded upon their return from Israel.

• For more information or to sign up for a registration reminder, contact Tamar Farber, tamarf@vosjcc.org, or Erin Searle, erins@vosjcc.org.
  

Thursday night a group of local doctors, nurses and volunteers were packing up suitcases with medical supplies, medicine and clothes. The group is headed to Grand Goave Haiti for a medical mission trip.

Organizers say this is the groups seventh time going to Haiti to help those in need. Seventeen people, including four doctors and several nurses, will help with everything from infections and broken bones to helping with dental needs. The group says it expects to help 1,200 to 1,500 people during the week.

My first thought is I get anxious, I still have that Midwestern mentality where I want to be busy I dont want to have to have people wait. I am always apologizing because people do have to wait and yet they dont really have anything else to do. So yes, its a great sense of sadness these people have to wait, they have nothing, and they come from long distances to see a doctor and they will wait long hours in the hot sun if they have to, just to see a doctor, says Kathy Kivlin, who is a Foreign Travel Nurse with Marshfield Clinic.

Heading on the trip with the medical team are two parents who arent strangers to helping out in Haiti. They adopted a daughter about a year ago after the devastating earthquake in the country. Now the couple is in the process of bringing home three more children.

Little Mazie Grace is right at home here in the Chippewa Valley now. However a little over a year ago she was still in Haiti, waiting for this new life to start.

It was just a few weeks in and we noticed a huge change for her and shes adjusted great. Shes darling and wonderful and determined and she loves life and shes excited about every aspect of her life, shes got zest, says Sandi Polzin.

It was a long process to bring Mazie to the states, but adoptions were sped up after the earthquake. John and Sandi Polzin, who already have two sons in their 20s, cant believe how much their family will be growing. Theyre trying to bring home three more children from Haiti.

It was a huge shock when we got matched with the two older siblings, we said yes to them, then a few weeks later they said by the way we didnt know but theres a baby. Would you be interested or will you consider taking their baby sister, says Sandi.

She and John are headed to Haiti with the medical mission. Along with medicine and a new water filtration system the couple will take some time to see their new children. However it will be at least two years before Schneider, Mila Rose, and Merci will be home in Wisconsin.

Waiting will be difficult but weve done this before so we know what it will take, even though its agonizing we understand now that weve been through it. The cost will be an issue for us because we didnt expect to pay for three adoptions so we were financially surprised but god can help take care of that too, says Sandi.

She says waiting is hard and mission trips can be stressful but says when you see the great need of the people there, you cant help but try to make a difference.

Were excited its an intense trip when you take that many but its so worth it and you see lives changing all around you, says Sandi.

The mission trip starts early Wednesday morning. This will be the second time the Polzins have seen their new children. They took a trip this past fall to Haiti to see them. Sandi says if you want to help with the effort or learn more about Haiti adoptions you can get a hold of her through her store Down to Earth Gardens on Highway 93 in Eau Claire.

Click here for contact information

Jan. 6, 2012

• Kentucky had the highest number in the US of background checks for firearm permits, according to a report from the FBI.
  Kentucky requested 9,630,654 background checks from the FBI from Nov. 30. 1998- to Dec. 31, 2011. The next highest number of requests was from Illinois, with 5,107,408.
  According to notes in the report, these statistics represent the number of firearm background checks initiated through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. They do not represent the number of firearms sold. Based on varying state laws and purchase scenarios, a one-to-one correlation cannot be made between a firearm background check and a firearm sale.

• The Drive-Thru Gourmet, Ken Hoffman of the Houston Chronicle, features hush puppies, the unsung hero of the seafarin side-dish industry, at Americas No. 1 fishmonger drive-through,#xA0;Long John Silvers.This is not health food: Who cares? Theyre greasy, they taste like fried corn muffins, theyre filling, they go great with fried fish hellip; and theyre#xA0;addictive, and are 60 calories per pup.
  The restaurant chain that began in Lexington was recently sold by Yum Brands to LJS Partners.

• A factory in California that makes Hot Pockets for Nestle Foods is laying off 103 workers who make the product, reports the Los Angeles Times. Consumers are a little more frugal and competition is continuing to be very heated, Nestle spokeswoman Roz OHearn said to the Times. Its very unfortunate, but it is necessary to keep the business healthy and continuing. Hot Pockets are also made at a plant in Kentucky, but it has not had any layoffs.
• An exhibit of photography by Lexingtons Ralph Meatyard is on display in Sacramento, Calif., at the MH de Young Museum, in San Francisco. The art critic for the Sacramento Bee, Victoria Dalkey, said of Meatyard, one of the strangest and most original artists ever to pick up a camera. … Though Meatyards name is not as well known as Ansel Adams or Edward Westons, he has a firm place in the history of photography.