Research Finds Soda Tax Does Little to Decrease Obesity

Extra sales taxes on soda may not do anything to improve people’s health, according to new research from health economist Jason Fletcher of the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
“Some older studies suggest taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages will reduc...
Read more Soft Drink Tax Is Not A Way To Combat Obesity

Kellys Sausage Roll Products Recalled

IRELAND – Various Kellys Sausage Roll products, sold in Aldi, have been recalled because the products contain sulphites and sulphur dioxide. Sulphites were not declared on the label of all batches of the sausage rolls listed above. This may make them unsafe for consumers who are allergic...
Read more Kellys Sausage Roll Products Recalled

UF/IFAS Finds Way to Reduce E. coli in Cows, Improving Food Safety

A new biological treatment could help dairy cattle stave off uterine diseases and eventually may help improve food safety for humans, a University of Florida study shows.
Kwang Cheol Jeong, an assistant professor in animal sciences and UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute, examined cattle uterine ...
Read more Researchers Find Way To Reduce E. coli in Cattle

Teagasc Research Automatic Milking Systems

In an automatic milking system a robot undertakes the manual work traditionally associated with milking a herd of cows. The system is set up to guide individual cows to come to a milking stall on a voluntarily basis on up to three occasions per day. A study is currently being conducted at...
Read more Irish Researchers Study Automatic Milking Systems

High-tech answer to fat analysis in meat industry

For decades, the meat industry has made good use of laboratory analysis. Now the focus is shifting to rapid analytical methods on the production floor and meat producers are perhaps spoilt for choice in terms of rapid analytical options. But which is the right solution for that all important...
Read more EU Project To Help Meat Processors With Automatic In-Line Fat Analysis

Pathogens in Cheese – Researchers Follow the Traces of Deadly Bacteria

Listeria is a rod-shaped bacterium highly prevalent in the environment and generally not a threat to human health.  One species however, Listeria monocytogenes, can cause listeriosis, a very dangerous disease. This pathogen can be present in raw milk and soft cheeses, smoked fish, raw meat and ...
Read more Researchers Follow the Traces of Listeria Monocytogenes

Cold short-cut to CO2 storage

Core participants in the “Cold CO2 Capture” project discuss their results. From the left; chief scientist Petter Nekså, research scientist Kristin Jordal and David Berstad, MSc, all of SINTEF Energy Research. Photo: SINTEF/Thor Nielsen

All over the world, scientists are on the hunt for solu...
Read more Cold Technology Could Reduce Energy Consumption And Cost Of CO2 Capture

When air quality governs traffic management

Poor air quality costs Europe more than €700 million per year, in health expenditures and loss of economic performance, according to official EU sources. To tackle such major issue, the EU-funded MACC-II research project, due to be fully operational in 2014, aims at delivering accurate air qua...
Read more EU Funds A Research Project To Help Managing Traffic

A Little Planning Helps Your Heart - and Your Budget

Convinced that eating a healthy diet will take a big bite out of your budget? Put the brakes on your next fast food trip, because food that comes through a window may be low in cost but high in fat and calories. And your health will pay the price!
“Many unhealthy foods are high in c...
Read more Plan Your Grocery Shopping For Your Health

RASFF Food Alerts, Week 12

Here is the summary of food alerts issued by Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) last week
On 19/03/2014, too high count of Escherichia coli (1700 MPN/100g) was identified in organic mussels (Mytilus edulis) from Ireland. The product was distributed to France. RASFF reference No.:...
Read more RASFF Food Alerts, Week 12

Deep Ocean Current May Slow Due to Climate Change

Far beneath the surface of the ocean, deep currents act as conveyer belts, channeling heat, carbon, oxygen and nutrients around the globe.


A new study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Irina Marinov and Raffaele Bernardello and colleagues from McGill University has found that recent climate c...
Read more Deep Ocean Current May Slow Due to Climate Change

FSIS Educates Kids Food Safety

A core mission of The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is educating the public on proper food handling practices. The agency ensures that meat, poultry, and processed egg products are safe and wholesome. Recently, FSIS has implemented education food safety programmes for children....
Read more FSIS Educates Kids Food Safety

DSAS Recalls Dés de Saumon Atlantique Fumé

FRANCE – DSAS is recalling Auchan Dice Atlantic Smoked Salmon (Auchan Dés de Saumon Atlantique Fumé) 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 pr...
Read more Auchan Dés de Saumon Atlantique Fumé Recalled

Illegal waste shipments: Environment Committee backs plan to step up checks

An Environment Agency worker inspecting a shipping container filled with refuse in Felixtowe, Suffolk, returned to Britain from Brazil. Businessmen who helped illegally ship 1,500 tonnes of household waste to Brazil are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey.

Draft EU rules that would require...
Read more Draft EU Rules To Clamp Down On Illegal Waste Shipments

A diet to make you fat or fit? The role of 'sumo stew' in shaping a sumo wrestler

A recent study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Sport and Social Science, ‘Bodies steeped in stew: sport, tradition and the bodies of the sumo wrestler’ by R. Kenji Tierney (Anthropology Department, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA), explores the meanings of ...
Read more A Diet To Make You Fit Or Fat?

Web Tool Successfully Measures Farms’ Water Footprint

A new University of Florida web-based tool worked well during its trial run to measure water consumption at farms in four Southern states, according to a study published this month.
The system measures the so-called “water footprint” of a farm. In the broader sense, water footprints account for...
Read more New Tool Developed For Measurement Of Water Footprint

Not Just What You Eat

Over 35 percent of American adults and 17 percent of American children are considered obese, according to the latest survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even certain types of cancer, obesity places a major...
Read more Not Just What You Eat

E3-production – sustainable manufacturing

Scarce and expensive raw materials, rising energy prices, climate protection and demographic shifts leave industrial production with a lot to contend with in the coming years. In the “E3-production” lighthouse project, Fraunhofer researchers are laying the groundwork needed to achieve sus...
Read more E3-Production Project To Achieve Sustainable Production

Ancient food webs show modern structure after mass extinction

Visualizations of the Messel lake and forest food webs: (left) lake food web, (right) forest food web. Spheres represent species and lines represent feeding links. Links that loop indicate cannibalism. The vertical axis corresponds to trophic level, with plants at the bottom level. Colors of...
Read more Researchers Analysed Ancient Feeding Relationships

When your water is contaminated

Every year 300.000 Europeans are falling ill because of contaminated drinking water. A new high-speed test is being developed to identify the contamination of drinking water much faster than today and thus reduce the number of victims considerably.
Statistically, drinking water in Europe is...
Read more High-Speed Test To Identify The Contamination Of Drinking Water

Climate Change Could Increase Thunderstorm Severity

This spring may be more like a lion than a lamb.
John Harrington Jr. is a synoptic climatologist and professor of geography at Kansas State University who studies weather events, how often they occur and the conditions when they occurred. He says climate change may be increasing the severity...
Read more Climate Change May Increase The Severity Of Storms

Research reveals true value of cover crops to farmers, environment

Planting cover crops in rotation between cash crops — widely agreed to be ecologically beneficial — is even more valuable than previously thought, according to a team of agronomists, entomologists, agroecologists, horticulturists and biogeochemists from Penn State’s College...
Read more What Is True Value Of Protected Crops To Environment And Growers?

'Breaking bad': Insect pests in the making

Of thousands of known species of Drosophila fruit flies, just one is known as a crop pest, depositing eggs inside ripening fruit so its maggots can feed and grow. New research from the University of California, Davis, shows the similarities and crucial differences between this pest and its...
Read more One Of Fruit Flies Identified As A Pest

Harsh Weather Conditions Increase Cost of Food

Many of your favorite products at the grocery store are going to cost more, according to Glynn Tonsor, associate professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University.
“When consumers walk in the grocery store, they are going to have to continue to juggle what they put in those b...
Read more Bad Weather Influences Food Cost

The Precise Reason for the Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate: Mystery Solved

The health benefits of eating dark chocolate have been extolled for centuries, but the exact reason has remained a mystery –– until now. Researchers reported here today that certain bacteria in the stomach gobble the chocolate and ferment it into anti-inflammatory compounds that are good for th...
Read more Dark Chocolate And Bacteria, A Perfect Match For Your Heart?

Most Parents Don’t Favor Bans on Nuts in Schools, Including Those with Allergic Kids

Parents of nut-allergic kids more likely than other parents to want a lunchtime without restrictions, according to U-M’s National Poll on Children’s Health
Most parents of kids with and without nut allergies don’t support schoolwide bans on nut-containing products, according to a new Unive...
Read more Parents Of Nut-Allergic Kids Don’t Support School Bans On Nut Products

Fried foods may interact with genes to influence body weight

People with a genetic predisposition to obesity are at a higher risk of obesity and related chronic diseases from eating fried foods than those with a lower genetic risk, according to a new study from researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard M...
Read more Obesity From Fried Foods Consumption May Depend On Genetic Predisposition

Study examines pesticide poisoning of Africa's wildlife

Poisons are silent, effective and cheap, making the especially dangerous in Africa where they are used for both pest control and illegal poaching. However, as a new study in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences reveals, they also kill un-intended wildlife.
Africa has a long history of...
Read more Pesticide A Silent Killer Of Un-Intended Wildlife in Africa

Arla Organic Skimmed Milk Recalled

DENMARK – Arla Foods a.m.b.a. is recalling Harmonie Organic Skimmed Milk (Harmonie Økologisk Skummetmælk) because some of the batches may be contaminated with pieces of glass. Therefore the product may pose a health risk to consumers.
The recalled product is Harmonie Organic Skimmed Milk (...
Read more Arla Foods Recalls Organic Skimmed Milk

Nutrition Education Programs Bolstered by New, Evidence-Based 'GENIE' Tool from Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation

Effective nutrition education programs are key to improving the nation’s health, and a new tool from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and its Foundation is available to strengthen nutrition education programs.
The Guide for Effective Nutrition Interventions and Education (GENIE), a v...
Read more New Tool Developed To Help Nutrition Education Program Planners

Study looks at calcium in canola meal as part of pig diet

When formulating diets for pigs, it is more accurate to use values for standardized or true nutrient digestibility than values for apparent nutrient digestibility because the former are additive in mixed diets. Research at the University of Illinois is helping to determine the true...
Read more True Digestibility Of Calcium In Pig Diets

Crop intensification and organic fertilizers can be a long-term solution to perennial food shortages in Africa

Farmers in Africa can increase their food production if they avoid over dependence on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and practice agricultural intensification – growing more food on the same amount of land – using natural and resource-conserving approaches such as a...
Read more Food Production Can Be Increased By Agricultural Intensification Through Agroforestry In Africa

GlassGuard BlackBand® fragment retention lamps installed at German food factory

GlassGuard BlackBand® fragment retention lamps have been installed at raw meat supplier Heinrich Manten in Germany following an accidental lamp breakage. The installation safeguards Manten’s production site against glass contamination and also protects against injury to personnel. Whilst ch...
Read more GlassGuard® Fragment Retention For Glass Control?

Children’s Preferences for Sweeter and Saltier Tastes Are Linked to Each Other and to Measures of Growth

Scientists from the Monell Chemical Senses Center have found that children who most prefer high levels of sweet tastes also most prefer high levels of salt taste and that, in general, children prefer sweeter and saltier tastes than do adults. These preferences relate not only to food intake...
Read more Children Prefer Sweeter And Saltier Tastes Than Adults

Knowing whether food has spoiled without even opening the container

A color-coded smart tag could tell consumers whether a carton of milk has turned sour or a can of green beans has spoiled without opening the containers, according to researchers. The tag, which would appear on the packaging, also could be used to determine if medications and other perishable...
Read more Detecting Spoiled Food Without Opening Packaging

New evidence raises questions about the link between fatty acids and heart disease

A new study raises questions about current guidelines which generally restrict the consumption of saturated fats and encourage consumption of polyunsaturated fats to prevent heart disease. The research was published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.


An international research...
Read more Researchers Question The Link Between Fatty Acids And Cardiovascular Disease

Tips for Reading Food Labels

We encourage people to think more about what they eat on a daily basis. We realise that some of consumers are not sure what they should be eating. We recommend that nutritional information included on food labels or provided by manufacturers are to be a good base for monitoring the consumers’ d...
Read more How To Read Nutritional Food Label Information

Bergpracht Milchwerk GmbH Recalls Organic Cheese

GERMANY – Bergpracht Milchwerk GmbH & Co.KG is recalling Bioland Bio Hofkäse (organic farmhouse cheese) and Unsere Heimat Hofkäse (Our home farmhouse cheese) because some of the batches may be contaminated with Listeria.
Listeria is the name of a bacteria found in soil and water and so...
Read more Bioland Bio Hofkäse and Unsere Heimat Hofkäse Recalled

Why Eating a Diet Very Low In Nutrients Can Extend Lifespan

A new evolutionary theory in BioEssays claims that consuming a diet very low in nutrients can extend lifespan in laboratory animals, a finding which could hold clues to promoting healthier ageing in humans.
Scientists have known for decades that severely restricted food intake reduces the...
Read more A Diet Very Low In Nutrients Can Extend Lifespan

New reason to eat oats for heart health

Eleven top scientists from around the globe presented the latest findings on the powerful compounds found in oats in a scientific session titled, Physicochemical Properties and Biological Functionality of Oats, at the 247th Annual Conference of the American Chemical Society in Dallas, TX. ...
Read more Phenolic Compound In Oats Helps Protecting Your Heart

High-Tech Materials Purify Water with Sunlight

Sunlight plus a common titanium pigment might be the secret recipe for ridding pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other potentially harmful pollutants from drinking water. Scientists combined several high-tech components to make an easy-to-use water purifier that could work with the world’s most b...
Read more Sunlight To Purify Drinking Water

Tequila Plant Could Lower Blood Glucose Levels And Help Lose Weight

A sweetener created from the plant used to make tequila could lower blood glucose levels for the 26 million Americans and others worldwide who have type 2 diabetes and help them and the obese lose weight, researchers said.
The main reason it could be valuable, they explained, is that agavins,...
Read more Tequila Plant Could Lower Blood Glucose Levels And Help Lose Weight

Better-tasting reduced-fat desserts, dressings, sauces: Coming soon?

Adjusting the calcium level and acidity could be the key to developing new better-tasting, more eye-appealing and creamier reduced-fat sauces, desserts and salad dressings that could be on the market soon, researchers reported here today.
To date, a major problem with removing fat from these...
Read more Researchers Develop Better-Tasting, Creamier Reduced-Fat Sauces, Desserts And Salad Dressings

Honey is a new approach to fighting antibiotic resistance: How sweet it is!

Honey, that delectable condiment for breads and fruits, could be one sweet solution to the serious, ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, researchers said here today.
Medical professionals sometimes use honey successfully as a topical dressing, but it could play a larger...
Read more Honey To Combat Bacterial Resistance To Antibiotics

Climate change will reduce crop yields sooner than we thought

A study led by the University of Leeds has shown that global warming of only 2°C will be detrimental to crops in temperate and tropical regions, with reduced yields from the 2030s onwards.
Professor Andy Challinor, from the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds and lead ...
Read more Crop Yields Will Be Reduced Due to Global Warming From The 2030s

Nectar: A sweet reward from plants to attract pollinators

Evolution is based on diversity, and sexual reproduction is key to creating a diverse population that secures competitiveness in nature. Plants had to solve a problem: they needed to find ways to spread their genetic material. Flying pollinators—insects, birds, and bats—were nature’s sol...
Read more Nectar Produces Perfumes And Sugary Rewards To Attract Pollinators

Bionic plants

Plants have many valuable functions: They provide food and fuel, release the oxygen that we breathe, and add beauty to our surroundings. Now, a team of MIT researchers wants to make plants even more useful by augmenting them with nanomaterials that could enhance their energy production and...
Read more Plants To Monitor Environmental Pollutants

10 Facts about the Changing Fast Food Industry

There is no question that dieting and healthy eating has become a greater topic of conversation in recent years and the fast food industry has taken notice. Lower-calorie Satisfries at Burger King, no GMOs at Chipotle Mexican Grill, meals of less than 500 calories at El Pollo Loco, and locally ...
Read more Changes In Fast Food Industry

Researchers Find High Acceptability of Three-Colored Raspberry Jelly

Raspberries are among the most popular berries in the world and are high in antioxidants that offer significant health benefits to consumers. The red raspberry is most commonly used in processed products like juices, jams, jellies and preserves because of its short shelf life. A new study in...
Read more Mixed Raspberries Jelly, A Good Good Alternative To One-Colored Jelly

Gluten-Free Crackers Made with Hemp Flour and Decaffeinated Green Tea Leaves

A team of food scientists from University of Novi Sad in Serbia and Guelph Food Research Centre in Canada found that hemp flour, a by-product of cold-pressed hemp oil, in combination with decaffeinated green tea leaves could be used to develop a gluten-free snack cracker with functional...
Read more Hemp Flour And Green Tea Leaves Used To Develop A Gluten-Free Snack

Study suggests potential association between soy formula and seizures in children with autism

A University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher has detected a higher rate of seizures among children with autism who were fed infant formula containing soy protein rather than milk protein.
The study found excess seizures among girls and in the total sample of 1,949 children. The soy-seizure...
Read more Soy Protein Linked Seizures In Children With Autism

Concerns raised about using beta agonists in beef cattle

Use of certain animal drugs known as beta agonists in cattle production has received considerable national attention.
A Texas Tech University veterinary epidemiologist has found that although there are significant societal benefits to the practice, an increase in death loss of cattle raises...
Read more Are Beta Agonists Safe For Beef Cattle?

Eating O' the Green for St. Paddy

St. Patrick’s Day has long been the day for the “Wearin’ O’ the Green” but Lisa Cimperman, RD, clinical dietitian at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, says it also makes a great time to think about the “Eatin’ O’ the Green.”...
Read more Eating Green On St. Patrick's Day

New wireless network to revolutionize soil testing

A University of Southampton researcher has helped to develop a wireless network of sensors that is set to revolutionize soil-based salinity measuring.
Dr Nick Harris, from Electronics and Electrical Engineering, worked with a group of professors from the University of Western Australia (UWA)...
Read more Soil-Based Salinity Measured By A Wireless Network Of Sensors

Plant biology discovery furthers scientists' understanding of plant growth and development

UC Riverside scientists discover auxin sensing and signaling complex on plant cell surface that explains why leaf epidermal cells have jigsaw puzzle-piece shapes.


Auxin, a small molecule, is a plant hormone discovered by Charles Darwin about 100 years ago. Over the years that followed it...
Read more Progressing In Understanding Of Plant Growth And Development

Eating green veggies improves immune defenses

Researchers reporting online in the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, have found another good reason to eat your green vegetables, although it may or may not win any arguments with kids at the dinner table.
It turns out that green vegetables — from bok choy to broccoli — are ...
Read more Eat Green Vegetables Not Just On St. Paddy Day

Rice experts roll out new stress-tolerant rice varieties for Africa under ARICA brand

The Africa-wide Rice Breeding Task Force, convened by the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), has recently nominated six varieties with improved tolerance to environmental stresses as ARICA, which stands for Advanced Rice Varieties for Africa.
“This is the second series of nominations since...
Read more New Stress-Tolerant Rice Varieties Selected For Africa

Asocian Aumento De Infecciones Por Salmonella Con Los Criaderos De Pollos Familiares

Las familias que poseenpequeños criaderos de pollos en sus viviendas estarían expuestasal riesgo de padecer salmonelosis, pero investigadores aseguranque podrían evitar la infección.
Un estudio demuestra que la campaña que promueve laproducción local de alimentos logró que cada vez más familia...
Read more Asocian Aumento De Infecciones Por Salmonella Con Los Criaderos De Pollos Familiares

Frozen Chicken Roulades Recalled

BELGIUM – Colruyt is recalling frozen chicken roulades (paupiettes de poulet surgelées) because some of the batches may be contaminated with Salmonella.
Salmonella is a group of bacteria which causes of food poisoning. Usually, symptoms last 4-7 days and most people get better without treatment. ...
Read more Colruyt Recalls Frozen Chicken Roulades

Offering Healthy Foods at High School Concession Stands

Pep-rallies, the marching band, cheers and chants, and savory, indulgent foods sold at the concession stand are all beloved features of the American high school sports tradition.
In contrast to the nutrition requirements on breakfast and lunches sold in school cafeterias, foods sold at...
Read more School Concession Stands Packed With Healthy Foods?

Food Alerts from Europe, week 11

Here is the summary of food alerts issued by Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) last week
On 11/03/2014, too high count of Escherichia coli (16.000 MPN/100g) was discovered in chilled clams (Tapes philippinarum) from Italy. The product was distributed to Germany, Netherlands, France,...
Read more RASFF Food Alerts, Week 11

Impacts of climate change in Switzerland: adaptation and climate change mitigation must go hand in hand

 
Cows will in future be at risk of heat stress. There are major regional differences, however, in the consequences of climate change. Tessin will be particularly affected by the negative consequences of a rise in temperature. (Picture: G. Brändle, Agroscope)

Southern Switzerland ...
Read more Researchers Report Impacts Of Climate Change In Switzerland

Pig farmers on red alert over Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv) is harmless to humans but is killing up to 100% of very young piglets on affected pig farms in the United States, says the National Pig Association (NPA). It is not yet known how the highly infectious virus spread to the States from China, and how it has...
Read more British Pig Industry On Red Alert Due To PEDv

New powers in food safety body bill

Food Standards Scotland (FSS), a new food safety body for Scotland which will replace the UK Food Standards Agency, will introduce extra measures as a result of the horsemeat scandal.
Food Standards Scotland will be given specific powers to seize food that does not meet labelling rules.
Public...
Read more Extra Measures In Scottish Legislation To Prevent Horsemeat Scandal

Spare Ribs Recalled

BELGIUM – Delhaize is recalling Spare Ribs Sate (froid) (cold) and Spare Ribs Sate Chaud (hot) because they contain mustard, which is not mentioned in the allergen information on the product labels. This makes the products a possible health risk for anyone who has an allergy or intolerance to m...
Read more Delhaize Spare Ribs Recalled

Mazza tinned sweet products recalled

UNITED KINGDOM – RS UK Foods Ltd is recalling two Mazza tinned sweet products because they contain wheat (gluten), which is not mentioned in the allergen information on the product labels. This makes the products a possible health risk for anyone who has an allergy or intolerance to wheat...
Read more RS UK Foods Recalls Two Mazza Tinned Sweet Products

Eating Fish, Nuts May Not Help Thinking Skills After All

A new research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may not benefit thinking skills. The study is published in the online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Omega-3s are found in fatty fish such as salmon and in nuts.
“There has been a lot of interest in...
Read more Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Not Benefit Older Women Memory

New Raisin Research Shows Several Health Benefits

There have been relatively few studies conducted on the health benefits of dried fruits; however, over the past few years there have been many advances regarding the health benefits of raisins.
The review showed that raisins contain significant amounts of the flavonols quercetin and kaempferol...
Read more Health Benefits Of Consuming Raisins

Gut Ponholz Delikatess Münchner Weißwurst Recalled

GERMANY – Südbayerische Fleischwaren GmbH is recalling Gut Ponholz Delikatess Münchner Weißwurst (Gut Ponholz Delikatess Munich white sausage) because some of the batches may be contaminated with foreign body, red plastic. Therefore the product may pose health hazard.
The recalled product i...
Read more Südbayerische Fleischwaren GmbH Recalls Gut Ponholz Delikatess Münchner Weißwurst

Herbal and Weight Loss Supplements, Energy Drink Associated with Liver Damage and Liver Failure

Severe liver damage, and even failure, has been associated with the consumption of weight loss supplements, an herbal supplement and an energy drink, according to four separate case reports presented at the American College of Gastroenterology. Use of herbal and dietary supplements is...
Read more Energy Drink Linked To Liver Damage

Tropical grassy ecosystems under threat

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that tropical grassy areas, which play a critical role in the world’s ecology, are under threat as a result of ineffective management.
According to research, they are often misclassified and this leads to degradation of the land which has a d...
Read more Ineffective Management Leads Tropical Grassy Areas To Degradation

Gut Ponholz Delikatess Teewurst Recalled

GERMANY – Windau GmbH & Co. KG is recalling Gut Ponholz Delikatess Teewurst because some of the batches may be contaminated with Salmonella.
Salmonella is a group of bacteria which causes of food poisoning. Usually, symptoms last 4-7 days and most people get better without treatment....
Read more Windau GmbH & Co. KG Recalls Gut Ponholz Delikatess Teewurst

Tart Cherries Linked to Reduced Risk of Stroke

For the millions of Americans at risk for heart disease or diabetes, a diet that includes tart cherries might actually be better than what the doctor ordered, according to new animal research from the University of Michigan Health System.
A class of drugs called PPAR agonists that help...
Read more Cherries Linked To A Reduction In Stroke-Related Symptoms

Recall of Shellfish De La Mer Cooked Mussel Meats Due to Associated Illnesses

IRELAND – Following reports of illnesses associated with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) in Ireland, Shellfish De La Mer, Castletownbere, Co. Cork is recalling the above two batches of frozen cooked mussel meats, which were sold by Dunnes Stores and Tesco Ireland.  The implicated ...
Read more Shellfish De La Mer Cooked Mussel Meats Recalled

Africa's pollution in the spotlight

Human activity in Africa significantly contributes to air pollution. However, no detailed data regarding country-by-country pollutant emissions in the continent was available until now. To remedy this, a joint French-Ivory Coast team headed by the Laboratoire d’Aérologie (CNRS / ...
Read more Researchers Map Pollution In Africa

Tabaluga Croissant Vanille Recalled

AUSTRIA – Chipita is recalling Tabaluga Croissant Vanille (Tabaluga vanilla croissant) because some of thebatches may be contaminated with mould. Therefore a potential health hazard exists and it is strongly advised against the consumption of this product.
The recalled product is Tabaluga C...
Read more Chipita Recalls Tabaluga Croissant Vanille

Heritable variation discovered in trout behaviour

Populations of endangered salmonids are supported by releasing large quantities of hatchery-reared fish, but the fisheries’ catches have continued to decrease. Earlier research has shown that certain behavioural traits explain individual differences in how fish survive in the wild. A new...
Read more Brown Trout Shows Personality

Healthy Food Options Trims Fat and Costs

Henry Ford Health System cut 7 tons of fat from food and increased fruit and vegetable purchases by 10 percent annually in an effort to offer patients more healthy food choices.
In addition, the hospital system removed all fryers and committed to removing all deep fried fat products, promotes...
Read more Henry Ford Health System Helps Promoting Healthy Food Choices

Blu-ray technology detects microorganisms, toxins

A novel adaptation of Blu-ray technology is enabling researchers at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (PUV), Spain, to discover if a sample contains Salmonella or other toxic substances. This simple and cheap analytical system can be applied to clinical diagnosis and environmental ...
Read more Pathogens Detected Using Blu-ray Technology

Azti-Tecnalia Desarrolla Una Metodología Para Autentificar La Especie De Atún En Conserva En 24 Horas

Azti-Tecnalia, centro tecnológico especializado en investigación marina y alimentaria, ha desarrollado un nuevo método para autentificar el atún en conserva que permite detectar en tan solo 24 horas si el producto se trata de bonito del norte, yellowfin o patudo. Hasta ahora, las metodologías g...
Read more Azti-Tecnalia Desarrolla Una Metodología Para Autentificar La Especie De Atún En Conserva En 24 Horas

Natural Product Found In Grapefruit Can Prevent Kidney Cysts From Forming

Naringenin, which is also present in other citrus fruits, has been found to successfully block the formation of kidney cysts, an effect that occurs in polycystic kidney disease, by regulating the PKD2 protein responsible for the condition. With few treatments currently available, symptoms...
Read more Grapefruit Can Block The Formation Of Kidney Cysts

Debunking Water Myths: Weight Loss, Calorie Burn and More

Drinking a lot of water is often advised to those who are trying to lose weight, but a nutrition expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham says it is not the magic bullet to weight loss.
“There is very little evidence that drinking water promotes weight loss; it is one of those s...
Read more Bottled Water Myths Debunked

Success Of New Bug-Fighting Approach May Vary From Field To Field

A new technique to fight crop insect pests may affect different insect populations differently, researchers report. They analyzed RNA interference (RNAi), a method that uses genetic material to “silence” specific genes – in this case genes known to give insect pests an advantage. T...
Read more Some Crop Insect Pests Resistant To Crop Rotation

AZTI-Tecnalia develops a methodology for authenticating canned tuna species within 24 hours

AZTI-Tecnalia, the R&D centre based on marine and food research, has developed a new method to authenticate canned tuna, which allows you to check if a product is albacore tuna, yellowfin or bigeye tuna, and others tuna species within 24 hours. So far, the genetic methods for establishing...
Read more Canned Tuna Species Authenticated Within 24 Hours

Feigen-Mandelbrot Recalled

AUSTRIA – Heiderbeck Käse Vom Feinsten GmbH is recalling Feigen-Mandelbrot (Fig and almond bread) because the product may be contaminated with plastic debris.
The recalled products are:
PAIARROP Feigen-Mandelbrot (fig and almond bread) packaged in 200 g with expiry date: 02/07/2014 and ...
Read more Heiderbeck Käse Vom Feinsten GmbH Recalls Feigen-Mandelbrot

Bucking Conventional Wisdom, Researchers Find Black Sea Bass Tougher Than Expected

Black sea bass are bottom-dwelling fish, and are often caught at depths of greater than 60 feet. When the fish are brought to the surface, the rapid change in pressure causes the fish’s swim bladder to expand. This forces other organs out of the way and can result in visible “barotrauma” – such...
Read more Black Sea Bass Survives Barotrauma

Tracking eating habits to promote healthier diets

Poor food choices, such as overconsumption of carbonated soft drinks, are an important factor driving the global obesity epidemic and have been linked directly to diabetes and heart disease. While public health agencies are working to help people to make healthier choices, monitoring the...
Read more Researchers Use Checkout Grocery Data To Combat Unhealthy Food Choices

Environment MEPs Clamp Down On Wasteful Plastic Carrier Bags

In 2010 every EU citizen used an estimated 198 plastic carrier bags, some 90% of which were lightweight; these are less frequently re-used than thicker bags and more prone to littering. In a business-as-usual scenario, consumption of plastic bags is expected to increase further. Estimates also...
Read more EU To Reduce The Consumption Of Carrier Plastic Bags By 80% By 2019

Meat Appeal High On Lamb Producer List

“Scientists aim at getting a balance between the sensory and the yield nutritional value of the meat,” Dr Jacob says. Credit: Stijn Nieuwendijk

Consumers’ want for visually appealing meat, and the genetic science behind producing such a trait has been explored in a recent summary paper ...
Read more New Study Focuses On Lamb Meat Quality

Fruit and Veggies Costs Too High for Schools

David Just, a behavioral economist and co-director of the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition, says that while the new Harvard School of Public Health study shows an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption at school, food waste and costs are too high.
Just recently...
Read more Fruit And Vegetables Too Expensive For School?

Don't Choose a Diet Based on What's Trending

Research published in the journal Cell Metabolism has made a lot of headlines with findings that show adults age 50-65 who ate more protein were more likely to die from cancer. That headline quickly spread across social media.
“I think the study is valuable because it does show we need...
Read more Don’t Rely On Headlines When Choosing A Diet

Feigen-Mandelbrot Recalled

GERMANY – Fa. Heiderbeck Käse Vom Feinsten GmbH is recalling Feigen-Mandelbrot (Fig and almond bread) because the product may be contaminated with plastic debris.
The recalled products are:
PAIARROP Feigen-Mandelbrot (fig and almond bread) packaged in 200 g with expiry date: 02/07/2014 and ...
Read more Fa. Heiderbeck Käse Vom Feinsten GmbH Recalls Feigen-Mandelbrot

Aerosols Tend To Weaken Hurricanes And Cyclones

Aerosols in the atmosphere produced from human activities do indeed directly affect a hurricane or tropical cyclone, but not in a way many scientists had previously believed – in fact, they tend to weaken such storms, according to a new study that includes a team of Texas A&M University r...
Read more Aerosols May Cause Opposite Effects To Hurricanes Than Greenhouse Gases

Morrisons Seafood Cocktail and Prawn Mayo Sandwich Fillers Recalled

UNITED KINGDOM – Morrisons is recalling its Seafood Cocktail and Prawn Mayo sandwich fillers, because some of the packs may contain undercooked prawns. Morrisons has recalled the listed products and will be displaying product recall notices in stores. These notices explain to customers why...
Read more Morrisons Recalls Seafood Cocktail and Prawn Mayo Sandwich Fillers

Concession Stands Can Benefit From Offering Healthy Foods

In the fall of 2008, the booster club in Muscatine, Iowa took a chance. Researchers from the University of Iowa asked whether the club would add healthy foods – from apples to string cheese – to its concessions menu. And, by the way, would it also consider putting healthier ingredients in big s...
Read more Healthy Food In School Booster Clubs Paid Off

Diagnosing Diseases In Real Time With Smartphone?

Smartphones are capable of giving us directions when we’re lost, sending photos and videos to our friends in mere seconds, and even helping us find the best burger joint in a three-mile radius. But University of Houston researchers are using smartphones for another very important...
Read more Diagnosing Diseases In Real Time With Smartphone?

Salmon Louse Delay Salmon

Salmon recaptured in the study with salmon louse on the gill coverings and head. The study shows that attacks of salmon louse on migrating smolt can increase mortality and change the age demographic of the spawning population. Individuals that are infected with salmon louse return at an older...
Read more Salmon Louse Delay Salmon

EASAC Recommends Urgent Action To Avoid Damage To Food Security And The Environment

Latest EASAC report on ‘Risks to Plant Health’ recommends urgent coordinated action to avoid damage to food security and the environment
Potentially devastating plant pests and diseases are highlighted in a new report from EASAC, the European Academies’ Science Advisory...
Read more EASAC Recommends Urgent Action To Avoid Damage To Food Security And The Environment

Healthy Diet Linked To Lower Risk Of Preterm Delivery

In the study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the participants completed a scientifically evaluated questionnaire about what they had been eating and drinking since becoming...
Read more Healthy Diet Linked To Lower Risk Of Preterm Delivery

Where Nothing Grows Anymore

The region known as ‘Crete Senesi’ between Florence and Grosseto. The small hills are typically characterized by erosion (photo: Beate Michalzik/FSU).

Vast fields of sunflowers, sprawling pine trees and slim cypresses, as well as vineyards as far as the eye can see – these are typical memor...
Read more Where Nothing Grows Anymore