Tolland, CT (March 29, 2007) – Nationally known author and dietician Liz Weiss joins Nerac Food Science Analysts Coreen Reed and Shanon Trueman to talk about what food companies can do to address national concerns about childhood obesity. They address the challenges the industry faces to produce foods for picky young eaters that time-stressed parents can be confident won’t contribute significantly to obesity.

Among the topics they cover are:

Food companies are finding innovative ways to re-label and reposition products from cereals to yogurts and even chocolates to promote functional ingredient content.

• What contributes to children’s obesity and why we should worry.
• For time-stressed parents, mealtime too often means making something quick when they can’t create home-cooked meals. What food companies can do to improve children’s prepared meals available in grocery stores.
• Parents are willing to pay a premium if the meal is something their children will eat, that is nutritious and does not contribute to obesity.
• What food companies can learn from kids about what they will eat and how to market to them.
• Where the opportunities lie in a vast market that smart companies can develop and take the lead in providing healthy meals that will address the obesity epidemic.

An audio podcast of their discussion is available at www.nerac.com.

About Liz Weiss

Liz Weiss, M.S., R.D., is co-author of The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time (Broadway Books), one of three finalists for the 2005 International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Cookbook Award in the Health & Special Diet category. She is also the co-founder of www.MealMakeoverMoms.com and the free online “Meal Makeover Moms’ Club,” now over 8,000 members strong. Ms. Weiss is an expert in the field of family nutrition and a sought-after speaker and cooking instructor. She regularly lectures to professional groups across the country and conducts cooking classes (called Meal Makeover Mom Cooking Parties) for mothers’ groups, PTAs, and community groups. She wrote the monthly column, “Meal Makeover,” for Nick Jr. Family Magazine, and contributes to other national magazines and websites including Better Homes & Gardens and AboutSeafood.com. Her advice has been featured on hundreds of TV and radio programs including “The Today Show,” “The CBS Early Show,” and “Good Morning America.” The former CNN and PBS broadcast journalist was co-host of “Recipe Rescue,” a 30-minute PBS cooking special that aired nationwide in late 2006. For 2007, she and her co-author, Janice Newell Bissex, M.S., R.D., will launch MealMakeoverTV.com, a web destination for busy parents to watch the dietitian duo cook their favorite “makeover” recipes and offer practical mealtime tips to help families eat a healthier diet.

About Nerac

Nerac Inc., based in Tolland, CT, is a research and advisory firm for companies developing innovative products and technologies. Nerac Analysts deliver custom assessments of product and technology development opportunities, competitor intelligence, intellectual property strategies, and compliance requirements through a proven blended approach to custom analysis: review of technical knowledge, investigation of intellectual property, and appraisal of business impacts.
Nerac deploys analysts in diverse disciplines to help clients discover new applications, serving as a catalyst for new thinking and creative approaches to business problems or identifying strategic growth opportunities.

Contact:

Richard Urban
Business/Marketing Editor
Nerac, Inc.
One Technology Drive
Tolland, CT 06084
860-872-7000, ext. 1061
rurban@nerac.com