Food science news with IFT

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Guenther offers food safety advice for successful Thanksgiving

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A few years back, a group of weed scientists showed that soil-applied herbicides are less effective against agricultural weeds in the context of our changing climate. Now, the same research group, led by the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has shown the same is true of post-emergence (POST) herbicides.

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Meals at Thanksgiving and other holidays serve as great social occasions for catching up with family and friends — and for the sake of all gathered, the culinary delights on the table should be delicious, sumptuous, and most importantly, safe.   Melissa Wright, director of Virginia Tech’s Food Producer Technical Assistance Network, and Lester Schonberger, associate Extension specialist, are both faculty members in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Department of Food Science and Technology and know exactly what you can do to reduce your risk of foodborne illness this holiday season.

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The World Institute of Kimchi(WIKIM) has announced that the regular consumption of kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food, is effective in reducing body fat and may serve as a promising dietary strategy to combat obesity.

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Alternative proteins—meat made from plants, cultivated from animal cells, or produced via fermentation—offer consumers the foods they love made with more sustainable protein sources. To evaluate the potential of plant-based meat to reduce the environmental impacts of the food system, the Good Food Institute commissioned EarthShift Global to complete a comprehensive, ISO-certified life cycle assessment (LCA). This LCA is the most comprehensive, open-access LCA conducted to date (2024).

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SLAC’s SSRL helps pin down key players in the microbial production of methylmercury, a poison that can accumulate in fish.

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The researchers verified that a LFMF promoted the inward absorption of iron ions and inhibited iron ion excretion, resulting in an elevated iron ion concentration within the cell. This, in turn, stimulated carotenoid synthesis by R. mucilaginosa.

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Cadet Wright is a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program member and a senior studying Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). She’s combining her two passions of serving her country and nutrition by learning how to properly meet soldiers’ dietary needs.

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In 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service reported that 13.5% of U.S. households were food insecure at some point during the year. The USDA defines this as households that were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members due to insufficient money or other resources for food.

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A new editorial – published in Nature – suggests that frequent fluctuations in diet, commonly known as "yo-yo dieting," can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The authors, from the University of Pennsylvania Schools of Nursing and Medicine, describe how cycling between high-fat and low-fat diets in mice led to a substantial acceleration of atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by the buildup of plaque in arteries.

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Results from a study in Malawi showed that chewing gum containing xylitol, a naturally occurring alcohol sugar, was associated with a 24% reduction in preterm birth. The findings were published today in Med (a Cell Press journal). Researchers found that the group of pregnant individuals randomized to receive chewing gum also saw a 30% drop in low-birthweight babies, when compared with the control group which did not receive xylitol gum, noted lead author Dr. Greg Valentine, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

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A research team has conducted a comprehensive study on the effects of various sterilization methods on the quality of Aronia melanocarpa juice (AMJ).

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Disrupted sleep cycles are a well known concern for human health and function, and now researchers have found similar impacts on insects. A new study has found that artificial light disrupts the circadian rhythms of honey bees and poses a threat to their essential role as pollinators.

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Researchers have pinpointed a critical gene, SmDDA1b, in eggplants that boosts resistance to bacterial wilt, a major threat to solanaceous crops. The study demonstrates that SmDDA1b degrades the SmNAC protein, triggering the plant’s immune defenses against this pathogen. This breakthrough could facilitate the breeding of more resilient eggplant varieties.

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Environmental sustainability isn’t a major factor influencing meat consumption decisions for most Americans, despite increasing awareness of the climate impacts of red meat production, according to Rutgers researchers.

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Eating a balanced diet is essential for everyone in the family, but nutrition can feel overwhelming to navigate. From food costs to food allergies, every family has unique challenges. To help guide you in making healthier food choices, Lurie Children’s Registered Dietitians Maggie McKay and Lisa Sharda teamed up with our Director of Food, Activity and Nutrition Initiatives Stephanie Folkens (who also holds a culinary arts degree!) to answer some common questions about how to make eating healthy, fun and affordable.

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Key highlights from the event, which included two panel discussions with nutrition experts from across the country, included:...