Farmed Salmon Pose Threats To Wild Gene Pools

Farmed salmon show full reproductive potential to invade wild gene pools and should be sterilised – according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Findings reveal that, while farmed salmon are genetically different to their wild counterparts, they are just as...
Read more Farmed Salmon Pose Threats To Wild Gene Pools

Agroforestry Can Ensure Food Security And Mitigate The Effects Of Climate Change In Africa

Agroforestry can help to achieve climate change mitigation and adaptation while at the same time providing livelihoods for poor smallholder farmers in Africa.
Scientists at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) say agroforestry – which is an integrated land use management technique that...
Read more Agroforestry Can Ensure Food Security And Mitigate The Effects Of Climate Change In Africa

In Grasslands Remade By Humans, Animals May Protect Biodiversity

A comparative study of grasslands on six continents suggests there may be a way to counteract the human-made overdose of fertilizer that threatens to permanently alter the biodiversity of the world’s native prairies.
The solution is one that nature devised: let grazing animals crop the...
Read more In Grasslands Remade By Humans, Animals May Protect Biodiversity

The Five-Second Food Rule Exists, Researchers Prove

Food picked up just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria than if it is left for longer periods of time, according to the findings of research carried out at Aston University’s School of Life and Health Sciences.
The findings suggest there may be some scientific b...
Read more The Five-Second Food Rule Exists, Researchers Prove

Healthy Dietary Choices In Midlife May Prevent Dementia

Healthy dietary choices in midlife may prevent dementia in later years, according a doctoral thesis published at the University of Eastern Finland. The results showed that those who ate the healthiest diet at the average age of 50 had an almost 90 per cent lower risk of dementia in a 14-year...
Read more Healthy Dietary Choices In Midlife May Prevent Dementia

Sucralose Is A Biologically Active Compound

The artificial sweetener sucralose is a biologically active compound according to an extensive review published by Taylor & Francis in the recent issue of Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B: Critical Reviews.  “Sucralose, A Synthetic Organochlorine Sweetener: Overview Of...
Read more Sucralose Is A Biologically Active Compound

Nature Could Clean Up Itself After Oil Spills

Norwegian researchers in Trondheim have achieved surprising results by exploiting nature’s own ability to clean up after oil spills.
We all know that marine bacteria can assist in cleaning up after oil spills. What is surprising is that given the right kind of encouragement, they can be...
Read more Nature Could Clean Up Itself After Oil Spills

Service Is Key To Winery Sales

To buy, or not to buy? That is the question for the more than 5 million annual visitors to New York’s wineries. Cornell University researchers found that customer service is the most important factor in boosting tasting room sales, but sensory descriptions of what flavors consumers might d...
Read more Service Is Key To Winery Sales

Understanding Consumer Responses To Health Claims

Health claims and symbols on food products could improve public health. At least, that is according to consumer researchers. But how they can best do that as effectively as possible is still a mystery. The EU-funded project CLYMBOL hopes to have the answer by the time it is completed in 2...
Read more Understanding Consumer Responses To Health Claims

Fisheries Affected More By Over Demanding Market Than Climate Change

Fisheries that rely on short life species, such as shrimp or sardine, have been more affected by climate change, because this phenomenon affects chlorophyll production, which is vital for phytoplankton, the main food for both species.
Disclosed by the research “Socioeconomic Impact of the gl...
Read more Fisheries Affected More By Over Demanding Market Than Climate Change

International Partnership To Promote Sustainable Fishing And Tourism Launched

A €300,000 international partnership to promote sustainable fishing and tourism in the UK and parts of Europe is being led by the University of Greenwich.
Known as TourFish, or Tourism for inshore fishing, food and sustainability, the partnership brings together two existing European projects f...
Read more International Partnership To Promote Sustainable Fishing And Tourism Launched

Traffic-Related Air Pollution Associated With Changes In Right Ventricular Structure And Function

Exposure to high levels of traffic-related air pollution is associated with changes in the right ventricle of the heart that may contribute to the known connection between air pollution exposure and heart disease, according to a new study.
“Although the link between traffic-related air...
Read more Traffic-Related Air Pollution Associated With Changes In Right Ventricular Structure And Function

Research Into Sustainability Within Supply Chains

Researchers from the University of Huddersfield are working with leading companies to help them ensure that supply chains remain intact in a world beset by risks that range from extremes of climate to economic upheaval and political unrest.
Professor Dani states that companies need to be...
Read more Research Into Sustainability Within Supply Chains

New Discovery Improves Checking Toxicity Of Mussels

A new discovery made at the University of Oslo, Norway, can make it far easier to check whether mussels are poisonous.


Poisonous mussels contain the extremely dangerous and paralyzing neurotoxin saxitoxin. This neurotoxin is the cause of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). The first symptoms...
Read more New Discovery Improves Checking Toxicity Of Mussels

Hidden Variation Of Bacteria In The Gut Unravelled

Our intestines harbour an astronomical number of bacteria, around 100 times the number of cells in our body, known as the gut microbiota. These bacteria belong to thousands of species that co-exist, interact with each other and are key to our health. While it is clear that species imbalances...
Read more Hidden Variation Of Bacteria In The Gut Unravelled

RASFF Food Alerts, Week 10

Here is the summary of food alerts issued by Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) last week
On 04/03/2014, Salmonella infantis (presence /25g) was discovered in chilled chicken breast fillet from Italy. The product was distributed to Denmark. RASFF reference No.: 2014.0290.
On...
Read more RASFF Food Alerts, Week 10

Microdosing Fertilizer Improves Productivity For Less Money

Crop yields in the fragile semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe have been declining over time due to a decline in soil fertility resulting from mono-cropping, lack of fertilizer, and other factors. In collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT),...
Read more Microdosing Fertilizer Improves Productivity For Less Money

Good Hospital Food Safety Measures Minimize Risk To Food Handlers, Staff And Patients

A new study found more than 80 percent of raw chicken used in hospitals in food for patients and staff was contaminated with a form of antibiotic resistant bacteria called extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing E. coli. While sufficient preparation eliminated the presence of ...
Read more Good Hospital Food Safety Measures Minimize Risk To Food Handlers, Staff And Patients

Salmonella Unlikely to Cause Food Poisoning When Eating Unbaked Cake

Making a cake, licking a spoon, eating raw dough or consuming some of the uncooked mixture, have you ever thought of food poisoning caused by bacteria in raw eggs?
It might be a bit of a relief as Salmonella is unlikely to cause the food poisoning when enjoying eating, licking your unbaked...
Read more Salmonella Unlikely to Cause Food Poisoning When Eating Unbaked Cake

50 Years Of Studying Diet, Lifestyle Related To Cardiovascular Diseases In One Spot

At the 50th anniversary of the Seven Countries Study (SCS) a website with all kind of information about this study is launched. The Seven Countries Study explored in detail the associations of diet, lifestyle, other risk factors and cardiovascular diseases between and within populations. The...
Read more 50 Years Of Studying Diet, Lifestyle Related To Cardiovascular Diseases In One Spot

Salt Awareness Week Launched

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging people to discover the benefits of reducing salt in their diet during National Salt Awareness Week.
The theme for this year’s awareness week (10-16 March) is “Switch the Salt” and highlights how eating less salt can lower blood pressure, a condi...
Read more Salt Awareness Week Launched

Laguna Nourriture Flottante En Sticks Recalled

FRANCE – Laguna Nourriture Flottante En Sticks (Laguna Food Sticks) have been recalled because elevated levels of cobalt have been detected in the product. Therefore the product may pose a health risk.  Cobalt is a trace element that forms part of the structure of vitamin B12, one of the B ...
Read more Laguna Nourriture Flottante En Sticks Recalled

Human Activity Influences Beach Bacterial Diversity

High beach bacterial diversity may contribute to less water contamination


Human activity influences ocean beach bacterial communities, and bacterial diversity may indicate greater ecological health and resiliency to sewage contamination, according to results published in the open access...
Read more Human Activity Influences Beach Bacterial Diversity

EFSA Updates Its Analysis Of Arsenic Occurrence In Food

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has updated its analysis of the occurrence of arsenic in food in Europe. The analysis includes around 3,000 data samples on inorganic arsenic, which is more toxic than organic compounds. The Authority’s data specialists have also refined their e...
Read more EFSA Updates Its Analysis Of Arsenic Occurrence In Food

Spring Allergies On The Rise?

Several factors determine the severity of allergy season


The spring 2014 allergy season could be the worst yet, or at least that is what you might hear. Every year is coined as being the worst for allergy sufferers, but are spring allergies really on the rise?
“A number of factors, such as we...
Read more Spring Allergies On The Rise?

New Insights Into Ancient Pacific Settlers' Diet

Researchers from New Zealand’s University of Otago studying 3000-year-old skeletons from the oldest known cemetery in the Pacific Islands are casting new light on the diet and lives of the enigmatic Lapita people, the likely ancestors of Polynesians.
Their results—obtained from analysing ...
Read more New Insights Into Ancient Pacific Settlers' Diet

UK and China Agree New Low Carbon Innovation Programme

A new £20 million three-year programme that will support research to develop new low carbon manufacturing processes and technologies, low carbon cities and offshore renewables in the UK and China was agreed on Wednesday 5th  March 2014.
Representatives from the National Natural Science Fo...
Read more UK and China Agree New Low Carbon Innovation Programme

Eating Red And Processed Meat Linked To Gut Cancer

Recent perspective paper in Meat Science cautions about uncertainties in scientific evidence


Recent reports warn about a link between eating red and processed meat and the risk of developing cancer in the gut. These reports have resulted in new nutritional recommendations that advise people to...
Read more Eating Red And Processed Meat Linked To Gut Cancer

New Poll Examines Consumer Confusion Over Grocery Labels

Ever stood in the aisle of a grocery store completely overwhelmed by the claims jumping out from the labels? You may not be alone. Health advocacy groups have long decried America’s nutrition labeling system as misleading, confusing and, ultimately, inaccurate, and the FDA recently...
Read more New Poll Examines Consumer Confusion Over Grocery Labels

Diet Rich In Animal Proteins May Be As Bad For You As Smoking

That chicken wing you’re eating could be as deadly as a cigarette.


In a new study that tracked a large sample of adults for nearly two decades, researchers have found that eating a diet rich in animal proteins during middle age makes you four times more likely to die of cancer than...
Read more Diet Rich In Animal Proteins May Be As Bad For You As Smoking

Turn Old Milk Jugs Into 3D Printer Filament

Making your own stuff with a 3D printer is vastly cheaper than what you’d pay for manufactured goods, even factoring in the cost of buying the plastic filament.
Yet, you can drive the cost down even more by making your own filament from old milk jugs. And, while you are patting yourself on the ...
Read more Turn Old Milk Jugs Into 3D Printer Filament

Hop Leaves Could Fight Dental Diseases

Beer drinkers know that hops are what gives the drink its bitterness and aroma. Recently, scientists reported that the part of hops that isn’t used for making beer contains healthful antioxidants and could be used to battle cavities and gum disease. In a new study in ACS’ Journal ...
Read more Hop Leaves Could Fight Dental Diseases

Stricter Controls Of Wastewater Reuse On Crops Needed To Meet WHO Guidelines

Wastewater used to irrigate agricultural crops in countries where water is scarce may contribute to significant public health risks such as diarrheal disease in children from rotavirus. A new study of these risks found that wastewater used to irrigate vegetable plots in Asian countries poses...
Read more Stricter Controls Of Wastewater Reuse On Crops Needed To Meet WHO Guidelines

New Technique Allows Frequent Water Quality Monitoring For Suite of Pollutants

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique that uses existing technology to allow researchers and natural resource managers to collect significantly more information on water quality to better inform policy decisions.
“Right now, incomplete or infrequent w...
Read more New Technique Allows Frequent Water Quality Monitoring For Suite of Pollutants

Banana Plant Fights Off Roundworms

The banana variety Yangambi km5 produces toxic substances that kill the nematode Radopholus similis, a roundworm that infects the root tissue of banana plants – to the frustration of farmers worldwide. The finding by an international team of researchers that includes professors Rony Swennen a...
Read more Banana Plant Fights Off Roundworms

Beet Juice, A Solution For Icy Roads

Beet juice is currently used as a supplement by public works to reduce ice accumulation on roads. Many towns are running low on road salt, while other towns are concerned about the harmful effects of salt accumulating in soil and waterways.
Salt lowers the freezing/melting temperature of ice....
Read more Beet Juice, A Solution For Icy Roads

Regardless Of Where You Live Allergy Prevalence Is the Same

In the largest, most comprehensive, nationwide study to examine the prevalence of allergies from early childhood to old age, scientists from the National Institutes of Health report that allergy prevalence is the same across different regions of the United States, except in children 5 years...
Read more Regardless Of Where You Live Allergy Prevalence Is the Same

Global Food Security Expert To Become Chief Scientific Adviser To FSA

Professor Guy Poppy, one of the UK’s leading experts on food systems and food security, has been appointed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as its Chief Scientific Adviser.
Professor Poppy will take up his part-time role with the FSA in August this year. He will continue with his research in g...
Read more Global Food Security Expert To Become Chief Scientific Adviser To FSA

Remote Sensing Moisture Model Could Aid Farmers

Global farmers could get better decision-making help as refinements are made to North Alabama soil moisture modeling research being done by an atmospheric science doctoral student at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).
The models indicate how much added moisture would be needed in a...
Read more Remote Sensing Moisture Model Could Aid Farmers

Bath Products Pollute The Great Lakes

Following the introduction of legislation to ban the sale of products containing plastic microbeads in New York State, Motoko Mukai, a veterinarian and toxicologist at Cornell University comments on the negative impact the tiny plastic pellets, found in many bath products, have on the Great...
Read more Bath Products Pollute The Great Lakes

Lange Lümmel Frischgereifte Rohwurst Recalled

GERMANY – Reimann Wurstliebhaber GmbH is recalling  Lange Lümmel Frischgereifte Rohwurst (freshly ripened raw sausages), loose sale (service counter) because some of the batches may be contaminated with Salmonella.
Salmonella, the name of a group of bacteria, is one of the most common c...
Read more Lange Lümmel Frischgereifte Rohwurst Recalled

New Gas-Phase Compounds Form Organic Particle Ingredients

Scientists made an important step in order to better understand the relationships between vegetation and climate. So-called extremely low-volatility organic compounds, which are produced by plants, could be detected for the first time during field and laboratory experiments in Finland and...
Read more New Gas-Phase Compounds Form Organic Particle Ingredients

Fancy Hot Peppers? Now Even Spicier

The new genome, detailed in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could pave the way for even more mouth-numbingly hot peppers.
“The findings will provide foundation for further developing molecular makers and [incite] research on related pepper agronomy traits, ...
Read more Fancy Hot Peppers? Now Even Spicier

Pulses Of Light Could Make Leafy Vegetables More Nutritious

Exposing leafy vegetables grown during spaceflight to a few bright pulses of light daily could increase the amount of eye-protecting nutrients produced by the plants, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder.
One of the concerns for astronauts during future...
Read more Pulses Of Light Could Make Leafy Vegetables More Nutritious

Canned Fruit And Vegetables Better Than Fresh?

A new study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine addresses the common call to action from public health experts to improve access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables. Findings from the Michigan State University (MSU) study show that canned foods deliver on nutrition,...
Read more Canned Fruit And Vegetables Better Than Fresh?

High Consumption Of Fish Oil May Benefit Cardiovascular Health

Eating fish in amounts comparable to those of people living in Japan seems to impart a protective factor that wards off heart disease, according to an international study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public...
Read more High Consumption Of Fish Oil May Benefit Cardiovascular Health

Mood Impacts How Much Food You Eat

Looking to loose weight? Think a happy thought before you eat. A new study has found that mood and food do more than just rhyme – your mood impacts what kind and how much food you eat.
“People use food to either maintain a good mood or regain a good mood, and if you’re already in a good mood, y...
Read more Mood Impacts How Much Food You Eat

Plants Convert Energy At Lightning Speed

A new way of measuring how much light a plant can tolerate could be useful in growing crops resilient to a changing climate, according to scientists from Queen Mary University of London.
“This is the first time we have been able to quantify a plant’s ability to protect itself...
Read more Plants Convert Energy At Lightning Speed

Increasing Homogeneity Of World Food Supplies Warns Of Serious Implications For Farming And Nutrition

New study: Worldwide spread of a standard globalized diet is putting more food on the dinner table, but at the expense of diverse local crops; global uniformity heightens the risk of food crises due to climate change


A comprehensive new study of global food supplies confirms and thoroughly...
Read more Increasing Homogeneity Of World Food Supplies Warns Of Serious Implications For Farming And Nutrition

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Increased By New School Meal Standards

Concern from lawmakers and the public regarding possible food waste unfounded, according to new data published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine


With nearly 32 million American students receiving government-subsidized meals every day, getting children the nutrition they need is a...
Read more Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Increased By New School Meal Standards

Plants Are Able To Make Complex Decisions

Plants are also able to make complex decisions. At least this is what scientists have concluded from their investigations on Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), which is able to abort its own seeds to prevent parasite infestation. Approximately 2000 berries were collected during this study from...
Read more Plants Are Able To Make Complex Decisions

Innovative Food Safety Management System Developed By Students

Sandeep Sharma, who is currently completing a Master’s degree in Advanced Computer Science with Industry at the University of Leicester, has successfully completed a graduate internship with the European Safety Bureau (ESB), helping to develop an online food management system.
The ESB is an i...
Read more Innovative Food Safety Management System Developed By Students

As One Food Allergy Resolves, Another May Develop

Some children who outgrow one type of food allergy may then develop another type of allergy, more severe and more persistent, to the same food. A new study by pediatric allergy experts suggests that health care providers and caregivers carefully monitor children with food allergies to...
Read more As One Food Allergy Resolves, Another May Develop

Entomologists Update Definitions To Tackle Resistance To Pesticides

Resistance to pesticides has now been recorded in nearly a thousand pest species, including more than 500 insects, 218 weeds, and 190 fungi that attack plants. The recorded cases of resistance in insects, mites and other arthropods, which include resistance to multiple pesticides per species,...
Read more Entomologists Update Definitions To Tackle Resistance To Pesticides

European Flood Risk Could Double By 2050

Losses from extreme floods in Europe could more than double by 2050, because of climate change and socioeconomic development. Understanding the risk posed by large-scale floods is of growing importance and will be key for managing climate adaptation.
Current flood losses in Europe are likely...
Read more European Flood Risk Could Double By 2050

FSA Shuts Down Illegal Meat Plant In The Northern Ireland

Food Standards Agency (FSA) in cooperation with The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Stormont’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has shut down a suspected illegal animal slaughter house and meat cutting plant in the Newry and Mourne area in the Northern...
Read more FSA Shuts Down Illegal Meat Plant In The Northern Ireland

How Much Human Food Has Contributed To The Diets Of Yosemite Bears

Management strategies implemented since 1999 have successfully limited the availability of human food to black bears in Yosemite, but problems remain


Black bears in Yosemite National Park and elsewhere are notorious for seeking out human food, even breaking into cars and cabins for it. A new...
Read more How Much Human Food Has Contributed To The Diets Of Yosemite Bears

Consumption Of Fatty Fish Can Boost Good Cholesterol Levels

Increasing the intake of fatty fish increases the number of large HDL particles, according to a recent study completed at the University of Eastern Finland. People who increased their intake of fish to a minimum of 3-4 weekly meals had more large HDL particles in their blood than people who...
Read more Consumption Of Fatty Fish Can Boost Good Cholesterol Levels

Los Ecosistemas Forestales Españoles Podrían Emitir En El Futuro Más Dióxido De Carbono Del Que Absorben

Existe un riesgo elevado de que parte de los ecosistemas forestales españoles se conviertan en emisores netos de carbono durante la segunda mitad del siglo XXI, según un informe que revisa los resultados obtenidos de aplicar el modelo de simulación forestal GOTILWA+, una herramienta capaz de si...
Read more Los Ecosistemas Forestales Españoles Podrían Emitir En El Futuro Más Dióxido De Carbono Del Que Absorben

Food Allergy Nearly Doubles Among Black Children

Children’s food allergies are gradually increasing, but they may be as much as doubling among black children. According to a study published today in the March issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the scientific publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and I...
Read more Food Allergy Nearly Doubles Among Black Children

Global Warming Felt To Deepest Reaches Of Ocean

Study shows climate change has put a freshwater lid on the Antarctic ocean, trapping warm water in ocean depths


In the mid-1970s, the first available satellite images of Antarctica during the polar winter revealed a huge ice-free region within the ice pack of the Weddell Sea. This ice-free...
Read more Global Warming Felt To Deepest Reaches Of Ocean

Less Snowpack Will Harm Ecosystem

A new Boston University study shows that the consequences of milder winters – a smaller snowpack leaving the ground to freeze harder and longer – can have a negative impact on trees and water quality of nearby aquatic ecosystems far into the warmer growing season.
In a paper in the jou...
Read more Less Snowpack Will Harm Ecosystem

Peat Soils As Gigantic Batteries

Researchers from ETH Zurich and the University of Tubingen describe a process that suppresses the formation of methane in soils that are rich in humic substances. For this process to work, the soils need to switch between having no oxygen and having oxygen.
Wetlands, including peatlands, have...
Read more Peat Soils As Gigantic Batteries

Researchers As Icebreakers

Conflicts concerning water, food and natural resources are due to sectorial misconception, poor governance and stakeholders with their own interest in sole focus.


Senior researcher Per Stålnacke from Bioforsk conducts research on integrated water resources management in Europe and Asia. He ...
Read more Researchers As Icebreakers

Food Production In The Northeastern U.S. May Need To Change If Climate Does

If significant climate change occurs in the United States it may be necessary to change where certain foods are produced in order to meet consumer demand. In a paper published online this week in the journal Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, researchers at the Friedman School of ...
Read more Food Production In The Northeastern U.S. May Need To Change If Climate Does

'Dinner Tonight! Program Promotes Family Nutrition, Togetherness

The percentage of the family food budget spent on away-from-home food has steadily increased since the 1970s and so has the amount of calories families consume, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service family and consumer sciences expert in Dallas.
“When dining out, there is a tendency t...
Read more 'Dinner Tonight! Program Promotes Family Nutrition, Togetherness

Aoste chez Auchan Apérisec Nature Withdrawn

FRANCE – Apérisec Nature pure pork dry sausage has been withdrawn because the product contains walnuts, which is not mentioned on the label. This makes the product a possible health risk for anyone who is allergic or has an intolerance to nuts.
The withdrawn product is Aoste chez Auchan ...
Read more Aoste chez Auchan Apérisec Nature Withdrawn

Antarctic Circumpolar Current Carries 20 Percent More Water Than Previous Estimates

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current transports water around Antarctica and into the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, transferring heat and energy around the globe. Quantifying how much water it carries is an important step in understanding climate change and validating the accuracy of...
Read more Antarctic Circumpolar Current Carries 20 Percent More Water Than Previous Estimates

Scientists To Map Genes Controlling Heat And Drought Tolerance In Cowpeas

Cowpeas, known as black-eyed peas in the U.S., are an important and versatile food legume grown in more than 80 countries. Texas A&M University scientists are working to map the genes controlling drought and heat tolerance in recent varieties.
New and improved varieties of cowpeas have...
Read more Scientists To Map Genes Controlling Heat And Drought Tolerance In Cowpeas

RASFF Food Alerts, Week 9

Here is the summary of food alerts issued by Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) last week
On 27/02/2014, norovirus (GII) was discovered in frozen clams (Venus gallina) from Vietnam. The product was distributed to Italy. RASFF reference No.: 2014.0283.
On 24/02/2014, glass fragments...
Read more RASFF Food Alerts, Week 9

Coffee Recycling Keeps Community Grounded

More than eight tons a month, that’s how much organic material in the form of spent coffee grounds the Austin-based Ground to Ground program diverts from area landfills and makes available to people in the community as compost.
Since its inception last year, the not-for-profit, volunteer-based ...
Read more Coffee Recycling Keeps Community Grounded

New Calorie Counts Proposed By FDA Will Draw Attention to Health Problem

New nutrition labels proposed by the Food and Drug Administration will make it easy for consumers to spot just how many calories are in a candy bar or a bag of chips. The changes require the calories per serving be prominently displayed in bold font. Ruth Litchfield, an associate professor and...
Read more New Calorie Counts Proposed By FDA Will Draw Attention to Health Problem

Alternative Methods To Control Zebra Chip Disease In Potatoes

Zebra chip disease in potatoes is currently being managed by controlling the potato psyllid with insecticides. But one Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist is trying to manage the disease symptoms with alternative methods and chemistries.
The disease is caused by a bacterium,...
Read more Alternative Methods To Control Zebra Chip Disease In Potatoes

Quality Of The Living Environment Linked To Diabetes And Obesity

Living in a socioeconomically deprived region is a risk factor for being affected by diabetes mellitus and obesity. This holds true regardless of the individual social status of the inhabitants. This is the conclusion reached by scientists from the Institute of Health Economics and Health Care...
Read more Quality Of The Living Environment Linked To Diabetes And Obesity

Cow Fertility – Not So Black And White

Holstein cattle – the black-and-white dairy cows you might see in a child’s picture book – have been bred in northern Europe for hundreds of years. Over the last few decades, better management and selective breeding of the most productive cows have led to steady increase in milk p...
Read more Cow Fertility – Not So Black And White

New FDA Nutrition Labels Will Help Consumers Choose More Wisely

Now when Americans pull a product from the supermarket shelf, they will have a clear idea of how much sugar that product really contains.


American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown made the following comments today on the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed rules for food nutrition l...
Read more New FDA Nutrition Labels Will Help Consumers Choose More Wisely

Nordic Food Partners Recalls Risotto Rice

DENMARK – Nordic Food Partners A/S (address: Vesterbrogade 149 1620 Copenhagen V) is recalling Princip risotto rice (Princip risotto ris) because some of the batches may be contaminated with larvaes.
The recalled product is Princip risotto rice (Princip risotto ris) packed in Bags of 500...
Read more Nordic Food Partners Recalls Risotto Rice

Moilas Recalls Frozen Oat Rolls

FINLAND – Moilas Ltd is recalling frozen Oat Rolls (Kauratyyny Oat Rolls) because some of the batches may be contaminated with deoxynivalenol, mycotoxins.
Mycotoxins are toxins produced by some species of mold (myco means fungal). These mycotoxins are some of the most toxic substances in...
Read more Moilas Recalls Frozen Oat Rolls

Recién Nacidos Con Bajo Peso, Más Propensos A Enfermedades Cardiovasculares

Expertos del Hospital Infantil de México “Federico Gómez” comprobaron que los niños con bajo peso al nacer tienen más probabilidades de desarrollar diabetes tipo II o enfermedades cardiovasculares, en comparación con los nacidos con peso normal.
Al termino del estudio los investigadores observa...
Read more Recién Nacidos Con Bajo Peso, Más Propensos A Enfermedades Cardiovasculares

Food Packaging: Experts Warn Against Nanosilver

Endocrine disrupters are not the only worrying chemicals that ordinary consumers are exposed to in everyday life. Also nanoparticles of silver, found in e.g. dietary supplements, cosmetics and food packaging, now worry scientists. A new study from the University of Southern Denmark shows that...
Read more Food Packaging: Experts Warn Against Nanosilver

Olive Pomace Oil Recalled

GREECE – Greek Food Safety Authority (EFET) Regional Directorate in Crete following Official Food Control Program and in collaboration with the General Chemical State Laboratory proceeded to official sampling of “olive pomace oil” product, in which Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH’s) were fo...
Read more Olive Pomace Oil Recalled

Why Dark Chocolate Is Good For Your Heart

New research in the FASEB Journal suggests that consumption of dark chocolate lowers the augmentation index, a key vascular health predictor, and reduces adhesion of white blood cells to the vessel wall.


It might seem too good to be true, but dark chocolate is good for you and scientists now...
Read more Why Dark Chocolate Is Good For Your Heart

Web-Based Tool To Help Unlock Genetics Behind Grapevine Development

University of Adelaide researchers have developed a new web-based tool to help unlock the complex genetics and biological processes behind grapevine development.
Published in the journal BMC Genomics, the researchers describe their online database that can be used to examine how almost 30,000...
Read more Web-Based Tool To Help Unlock Genetics Behind Grapevine Development

Unique Multi-Resistant Bacterium Difficult To Eradicate

A previously unknown multi-resistant bacterium has been sticking around at a Swedish University Hospital for ten years. The reason for this is deficient hygiene routines among the staff, a doctoral thesis at Linköping University shows.
During 2005-2006 Östergötland County suffered a major ou...
Read more Unique Multi-Resistant Bacterium Difficult To Eradicate

Microbiologist To Test Raw Pet Food for Salmonella

Americans embrace their pets as members of the family and, in an effort to provide a healthy, natural diet, may opt to use raw pet food. However, they could be putting themselves and their children at risk for foodborne illnesses.
A Center for Veterinary Medicine study showed that 7.6 percent...
Read more Microbiologist To Test Raw Pet Food for Salmonella

Le Pain Delice 10 Pains Au Lait Recalled

FRANCE – Le Pain Delice 10 Bread pudding (10 Pains Au Lait) has been recalled because some of the batches may be contaminated with pieces of glass. Therefore the product may pose a health hazard.
The recalled product is Le Pain Delice 10 Bread pudding (10 Pains Au Lait) with Best before...
Read more Le Pain Delice 10 Pains Au Lait Recalled

Fish Tacos - A New Option For A Nutritional Lunch

Rob Handler harvested his research, but it wasn’t the usual kale, onions and basil that the operations manager of Michigan Technological University’s Sustainable Futures Institute grew in his greenhouse. It was the key ingredient for fish tacos, which were then served at a residence hall ...
Read more Fish Tacos - A New Option For A Nutritional Lunch

Brains, Bellies Battle For The Right Food Choices

Kelly Haws has keener insight into the world of marketing than most, with a job as an assistant professor of marketing at Mays Business School and a reputation as a top researcher of consumer behavior.
Yet, making the right choices when shopping for her family – especially for her young c...
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Cows Are Smarter When Raised In Pairs

Cows learn better when housed together, which may help them adjust faster to complex new feeding and milking technologies on the modern farm, a new University of British Columbia study finds.
The research, published in PLOS ONE, shows dairy calves become better at learning when a “buddy...
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Global Solar Radiation Map Available

Renewable energy sources play an important role in securing future energy supply and mitigating climate change. Even though the solar energy sector, so far, only contributes little to global energy production, it has grown faster than other energy sectors over the past years, according to a...
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Wheat Crops At Risk Of Disease Due To Climate Change

Fusarium ear blight on wheat crop Picture credit: Professor Jon West, Rothamsted Research
There is a risk that severity of epidemics of some wheat diseases may increase within the next ten to twenty years due to the impacts of climate change according to a study by international researchers...
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Sensor-Based Irrigation Systems Show Potential To Increase Greenhouse Profitability

Wireless sensor-based irrigation systems can offer significant benefits to greenhouse operators. Advances in sensor technology and increased understanding of plant physiology have made it possible for greenhouse growers to use water content sensors to accurately determine irrigation timing and...
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Sprouting Garlic Has Heart-Healthy Antioxidants

Sprouted garlic — old garlic bulbs with bright green shoots emerging from the cloves — is considered to be past its prime and usually ends up in the garbage can. But scientists are reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that this type of garlic has even more hea...
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Is Premium Honey Worth The Price You Paid For?

Consumers buying honey might not be getting what they pay for according to a Texas A&M University professor and one of the world’s leading honey experts, who is supporting a U.S. Senate bill that would, if passed, put more stringent requirements on the federal government to ensure...
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Harvested Rainwater Harbors Pathogens

South Africa has been financing domestic rainwater harvesting tanks in informal low-income settlements and rural areas in five of that nation’s nine provinces. But pathogens inhabit such harvested rainwater, potentially posing a public health hazard, especially for children and...
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Auchan Recalls Morbier au Lait Cru

FRANCE – Auchan is recalling Morbier au Lait Cru because some of the batches may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria is the name of a bacteria found in soil and water and some animals, including poultry and cattle. It can be present in raw milk and foods made from raw milk. It c...
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Climate Change Causes High Extinction Risks

Judging the effects of climate change on extinction may be easier than previously thought, according to a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Although widely used assessments of threatened species, such as the IUCN Red List, were not developed with the effects of climate...
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Usan Desechos De Plátano Y Aguacate Para Acelerar El Crecimiento De Plantas

Generar compuestos que estimulen el crecimiento de plantas, elaborar biocombustibles y retirar contaminantes del agua a partir de residuos orgánicos son algunos procesos en los que trabajan investigadores del Cinvestav, Unidad Irapuato, con la práctica de la biología sintética. Esta esp...
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Ordinary Conditioner Removes Head Lice Eggs

Eggs from head lice, also called nits, are incredibly difficult to remove. Female lice lay eggs directly onto strands of hair, and they cement them in place with a glue-like substance, making them hard to get rid of. In fact, the eggs are glued down so strongly that they will stay in place...
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Fructose Not Responsible For Increase In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common chronic liver disease in developed countries, affecting up to 30 per cent of their populations.
Since the disease is closely linked to obesity and Type 2 diabetes, there’s a growing debate in the medical community about whether diet...
Read more Fructose Not Responsible For Increase In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease