The Food & Nutrition Research Briefs, published by USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), have already been available in English for over 20 years.
The newsletters, which can either be accessed via the ARS website or received directly by e-mail, have now been added to other Spanish products provided by the agency.
Findings outlined in the current issue include a blueberry compound that shows promise for fighting cancer as well as research indicating that frequent consumption of 'fatty' fish such as salmon or sardines may help forestall mental deterioration.
In addition, the current Food & Nutrition Research Brief indicates that egg processors may be able protect in-shell eggs from pathogens such as salmonella, campylobacter and listeria through the use of a second rinse, which is cooler than the first.
The brief also outlines that a plump, juicy and seedless grape called Autumn King may extend – into early winter – the season for US-grown white seedless grapes.
ARS' decision to provide the food and nutrition newsletters in Spanish demonstrates the growing importance of the expanding US Latino consumer base.
The 43 million Latinos living in the US currently account for 14.4 percent of the total US population. Between 2000 and 2005, the Hispanic population grew nearly seven times faster than the non-Hispanic population (21 percent compared to 3 percent).
The total buying power of Latinos in the US is expected to grow from $837.8 billion in 2006 to nearly $1.3 trillion in 2011, with the combined buying power of Hispanics living in the Southeast and Pacific regions expected to continue representing the largest segment of the national Hispanic market. These groups alone are forecast to hold a total buying power of $737 billion in 2011.
