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USDA awards $25m grant to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for E. coli research

24-Jan-2012 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a $25m research grant to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to tackle Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in the beef supply chain.

Purdue meta-analysis supports ‘modest’ weight management benefits of capsaicin

20-Jan-2012 - Capsaicin, the main pungent compound in hot peppers, and capsiates, non-pungent compounds in sweet peppers, show ‘modest’ weight management potential, says a new meta-analysis from Purdue University.

Plant ‘nourishing’ gene could help boost global crop yields

19-Jan-2012 - The discovery of a 'nourishing gene' that controls how nutrients are distributed in plants and crops could offer hope for improved crop yield and increased food production, say researchers.

Academic: Government sodium targets are incompatible with rest of dietary guidelines

19-Jan-2012 - Further evidence that government healthy eating guidelines are more ‘aspirational’ than achievable has been uncovered by researchers testing how easy it is to meet low sodium targets and get the rest of the nutrients we need.

Gulf seafood ‘as safe as before the spill’, says FDA

18-Jan-2012 - “Gulf seafood is as safe to eat now as it was before the spill,” FDA deputy commissioner for foods Michael Taylor has said, as government agencies continue to try and reassure the public about seafood safety in the region.

DRI president leads 2012 dairy charge to spotlight ‘total nutrient package’

18-Jan-2012 - Reflecting on a successful last year in research terms, US Dairy Research Institute (DRI) president Gregory Miller told Dairy Reporter.com about the key challenges facing the industry in 2012.

The Delboeuf illusion: Why expanding dinner plates are expanding our waistlines

18-Jan-2012 - An optical illusion documented by Belgian philosopher Franz Joseph Delboeuf in the 1860s could help to explain why smaller plates could help us battle the bulge, according to a new study.

Experts clash over how to measure livestock’s impact on GHG emissions

17-Jan-2012 - Debate is heating up over how to calculate the proportion of greenhouse gas emissions from meat and dairy production, with ongoing disagreement among academics over varying study methodologies.

Salt increases blood pressure by adrenalin, not volume expansion

16-Jan-2012 - It has long been thought that excessive salt consumption raises blood pressure by increasing blood volume, but researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine have conducted a research review that suggests another mechanism may be at work.

One more cup of coffee for the (non-diabetic) road?

16-Jan-2012 - Heavy coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study by Chinese researchers published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Ethical claims create health halos, study suggests

16-Jan-2012 - Ethical production claims such as ‘fair trade’ may influence how consumers perceive calorie content, according to new research published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Fatty taste receptor may explain fatty food preference: Study

16-Jan-2012 - Scientists claim to have discovered a fatty taste receptor in humans, which could make people more or less sensitive to the fat content of food and influence food preference, according to a new study published in the Journal of Lipid Research.

Food presentation could affect kids’ food choices, suggests study

12-Jan-2012 - Food choices are influenced by presentation for children as well as adults – but what appeals to kids may be quite different from what appeals to their parents, suggests new research published in the journal Acta Pædiatrica.

New mechanism reveals link between maternal diet and diabetes

10-Jan-2012 - Mothers who consume a poor diet through pregnancy risk leaving their children less able to store fats correctly in later life, leading to a higher risk of diabetes, according to new research in rats.

Sucralose may not affect blood sugar or insulin resistance, study suggests

09-Jan-2012 - Sucralose may not raise levels of blood sugar or increase the likelihood of insulin resistance, according to the results of a new study published in the journal Nutrition Research, comparing the body’s response to sucralose and sucrose.

News in brief

Red meat link to kidney cancer

09-Jan-2012 - Red and processed meat consumption can increase the risk of kidney cancer, according to a new study by US researchers.

Gum derived from cress seed could have thickener potential

09-Jan-2012 - Cress seed gum (CSG) could be an interesting and promising thickener in food formulations, finds a new study from Iran.

Starch intake may raise breast cancer recurrence risk: Study

06-Jan-2012 - High consumption of starchy foods may be linked with an increased risk of breast cancer tumours returning in women who have already had breast, according to a new study.

New research combats technical challenges for lemon oil emulsions

05-Jan-2012 - Research into the production of colloid systems with lemon oil could have “important implications” for the production of more economical emulsions in the food and beverage industry, say researchers.

Better knowledge of natural sugars could lead to ‘designer sweeteners’, say researchers

04-Jan-2012 - Better defining the relationship between chemical structure and digestibility of under-used natural sugars could help industry to produce a new generation of “designer” sweeteners, say researchers.

Calories alone, not protein, responsible for body fat increases, says research

04-Jan-2012 - Calorie consumption alone is responsible for increase in body fat, whilst protein intake may contribute to changes in energy expenditure, according to new research.

Trans fats and nutrient intake linked to Alzheimer’s brain shrinkage

02-Jan-2012 - Consumption of ‘junk food diets’ containing high levels of trans fats may lead to brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s, whilst consumption of foods high in vitamins may offer protection, says new research.

Soft drink sales stalled when clear caloric information given, Johns Hopkins study

22-Dec-2011 - Sales of soft drinks to adolescents in Baltimore City nose-dived when study participants were exposed to ‘easily understandable’ information about calorie content, according to a new US study.

Preference for salt may begin in the cradle, scientists warn

22-Dec-2011 - Early dietary exposure to foods containing added salt shapes a greater preference for salty tastes throughout infancy and childhood, suggests a new study.