In the spring of 2019, the Almond Board of California (ABC) launched a “Back to Basics” campaign to offer product developers and food scientists guidance, insights and technical resources around using almonds as an ingredient. To kick-off the campaign, an “Ask ABC” panel of technical experts comprised of in-house experts provided guidance on topics ranging from nutrition studies to roasting, pasteurization and more.
The three experts – Guangwei Huang, Associate Director of Food Research & Technology; Swati Kalgaonkar, Associate Director of Nutrition Research; and Tim Birmingham, Director of Quality Assurance and Industry Services – took part in a series of interviews to share their expertise on a variety of topics like heart health and shelf life. The interviews resulted in a curated article series, “ABC’s Q&Almonds,” and include industry best practices and answers to commonly asked questions from the food industry. The articles can be found on ABC’s Food Professional webpage.
Most recently, the three experts participated in an ABC-sponsored webinar titled “What You Need to Know: Formulating with Almonds.” The webinar targeted food professionals and emphasized maximizing the use of almonds as an ingredient, offering participants the chance to submit their own questions and engage ABC’s resources live through the online portal. In the format of a panel discussion moderated by Harbinder Maan, Associate Director of Trade Marketing and Stewardship, Huang, Kalgaonkar and Birmingham answered various technical questions sourced from the food professional audience. Whether it was a commonly asked question around the health benefits of almonds or something very specific around pasteurization, ABC experts shared their key insights to help guide manufacturers in product development and position the Almond Board as an ongoing resource and partner. The webinar is available and free to view, on-demand, on the Food Navigator website.
To learn more about the “Back to Basics” campaign, check out Almonds.com/Food-Professionals, where you’ll find key resources from each expert as well as more information on your ABC representatives on Huang, Kalgaonkar and Birmingham.
