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Table Of Contents March 2012 Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine

Table of Contents

4 Monitoring Best Practices For Food Analysis The First Step- Monitoring What We Eat

8 Monitoring Food-Supply Nutrients The Second Step- Conservators Of The National Nutrient Database

16 Monitoring The US Population's Diet The Third Step- The National "What We Eat In America" Survey

22 The Stealth Sodium Revolution

23 ARS National Program For Human Nutrition Monitoring

Agricultural Research Magazine March 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine March 2012 whole issue

Monitoring America's Nutritional Health

Forum: Monitoring America's Nutritional Bottom Line, Rosalie Marion Bliss

Agricultural Research Magazine

U.S. healthcare costs in 2009 reached an estimated $2.5 trillion, yet America still ranks below several countries in life expectancy and many key indicators of healthy living. “These statistics underscore the vast potential of a healthful diet and lifestyle to prevent chronic diseases before they begin and to reduce healthcare costs,” says Molly Kretsch, Agricultural Research Service Deputy Administrator for Nutrition, Food Safety and Quality.

Monitoring the amount and type of food consumed by the U.S. population is important to researchers who track related health biomarkers and to policymakers who evaluate nutrition policies. One key reason for monitoring what we …

Ars National Program For Human Nutrition Monitoring

Agricultural Research Magazine

The ARS human nutrition monitoring program helps watch over the healthfulness of the country’s food supply and diet. This includes determining the food consumption and dietary patterns of Americans as a whole and for a variety of subgroups based on characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, and income.

Unique national resources that contribute to the success of the ARS human nutrition monitoring program include the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and the national “What We Eat in America” survey, which is the dietary intake survey component of the broader National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, commonly referred to as …

The Third Step—The National “What We Eat In America” Survey, Rosalie Marion Bliss, Alanna J. Moshfegh

Agricultural Research Magazine

In 2010, landmark health legislation— the Affordable Care Act—was passed, leading to a national strategy crossing both private and public sectors and led by the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council of the Surgeon General. The plan is called the “National Prevention Strategy.”

Science-based dietary-intake data from the Agricultural Research Service provides a key foundation for multiple public health policy publications, including the council’s strategy report, published in June 2011. The report cites the ARS national dietary-intake survey data to underscore the ability of everyday people to improve their health through healthy eating and other preventive measures.

Collecting …

The Second Step—Conservators Of The National Nutrient Database, Rosalie Marion Bliss, Joanne Holden

Agricultural Research Magazine

For more than 115 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided data on the nutrient composition of foods in the American diet. Over time, a series of USDA institutions responsible for providing this data evolved, and today the data comes from the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC), part of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.

“Our mission is to ensure that science based nutrient profiles exist for the U.S. food supply,” says nutritionist and research leader Joanne Holden, who heads the Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) at the nutrition center, which is located in Beltsville, Maryland. “We work with other BHNRC, …

The Stealth Sodium Revolution, Rosalie Marion Bliss

Agricultural Research Magazine

Salt has become one of a handful of sensitive nutrients in the public spotlight, according to major food company executives who attended the 2011 National Nutrient Databank Conference in Bethesda, Maryland. The conference is supported annually by the Agricultural Research Service’s Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) and Food Surveys Research Group (FSRG) and other organizations. Both ARS groups are part of the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.

Salting is an ancient food-preservation practice still in use today to help preserve some foods. While salt-cured country hams and corned beef are still crowd pleasers, 80 percent of our dietary …

Exporting United States' Whey Products To The Chinese Market, Rebecca Mellema

Dairy Science

The objective of this research project was to determine the potential for the increase of U.S. whey exports to the Chinese market. The research was gathered from various locations including the United States Dairy Export Council as well as Euromonitor International. From this research the amount of whey that the US produces was compared with the amount of whey that China imports, then analyzed to determine the increased amount that can be exported by the US to China. An analysis of the current and historical situation for dairy products in China was also included to help determine the market potential …

Hybrid And Environment Effects On Popcorn Kernel Physiochemical Properties And Their Relationship To Microwave Popping Performance, Jess C. Sweley, Devin J. Rose, David S. Jackson

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to characterize the effect of hybrid and environment on physical and chemical characteristics of popcorn kernels that have shown importance in predicting end-use quality. Three popcorn hybrids grown in three different environments were tested for physiochemical attributes and popping performance. Hybrid had a significant effect on kernel sphericity, time-to-grind, dietary fiber, sugars, and starch. Environment effect alone affected total mineral content. Hybrid and environment main effects influenced test weight, tangential abrasive dehulling device index, thousand-kernel weight, total carbohydrates, and kernel protein content. Oil adherence to the bag averaged 15.8% and was proportional to oil …

Agricultural Research Magazine February 2012

Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine February 2012 whole issue

Fighting Nitrate in the Trenches

A Dose Of Selenium That Goes A Long Way, Sandra Avant, J. Bret Taylor

Agricultural Research Magazine

In western parts of the United States where some rugged ranges can only be reached by horseback, ranchers often find themselves saddling up weekly to deliver mineral supplements to livestock grazing in nutrient-deficient regions, especially areas scarce in selenium. The routine is not only time-consuming but also costly, and in some leased-land arrangements, such supplementation practices are prohibited.

Selenium, a trace mineral and component of important selenoprotein antioxidants, is essential for good health in livestock and humans. If the body cannot form these important antioxidant proteins, it predisposes the animal to sickness and eventually death at a young age.

Selenium …

Evaluation And Identification Of Markers Of Damage In Mushrooms (Agaricus Bisporous) Postharvest Using A Gc/Ms Metabolic Profiling Approach., Aoife O'Gorman, Catherine Barry-Ryan, Jesus Maria Frias

Articles

The aim of this research was to use the gas mass spectrometry (GC/MS) profiling method coupled with chemometric tools to profile mechanically damaged and undamaged mushrooms during storage and to identify specific metabolites that may be used as markers of damage. Mushrooms grown under controlled conditions were bruise damaged by vibration to simulate damage during normal transportation. Three damage levels were evaluated; undamaged, damaged for 20 min and damaged for 40 min and two time levels studied; day zero and day one after storage at 48C. Applying this technique over 100 metabolites were identified, quantified and compiled in a library. …

Grapefruit, Marie Stosich, Emily Morales, Heidi Leblanc

All Current Publications

This publication guide to eating, selecting, cooking, and storing grapefruit.

Carolyn Blake, Carolyn Blake, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

An Alabama native, Carolyn Blake has worked in child nutrition for 37 years.

Arlene Colston, Arlene Colston, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Arlene Colston is a food service manager at McAdory High School in McAdory, Alabama.

Margaret New, Margaret New, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Alabama native Margaret New is the bookkeeper for child nutrition with the Bessemer City School System in Alabama.

Idella Dial, Idella Dial, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

An Alabama native, Idella Dial has worked in Alabama school nutrition programs for forty-five years.

Irma Maye, Irma Maye, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

A Birmingham, Alabama native, Irma Maye started out as a substitute in school nutrition kitchens before working her way up to manager. Retiring after twenty-nine years, she continues to sub when called upon.

Annie Drake, Annie Drake, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Annie Drake is the manager of school food service at Shelby County High School in Columbiana, Alabama.

Julia Williams, Julia Williams, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Julia Williams is a school nutrition manager in Alabama. Williams started as a part-time dishwasher, then worker, then assistant-manager, and after seventeen years had worked her way up to food service manager.

Emma Sidney, Emma Sidney, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Emma Sidney was a child nutrition program manager in Alabama.

Building Baby’S Tiny Bones: Formulas And Mother’S Milk Analyzed In Animal Study, Marcia Wood, Jin-Ran Chen, Aline Andres

Agricultural Research Magazine

For millions of American infants, a bottle of warm, soy-based baby formula is what’s for dinner. It’s also what’s for breakfast, lunch, and all those between-meal feedings, as well.

At least, that’s the routine for a healthy, soy-fed baby’s first few months of life. After that, baby may be ready to handle solid food—puréed fruits and vegetables, for instance.

At the USDA-ARS Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center in Little Rock, principal investigator Jin-Ran Chen, M.D., is taking a close look at the effects that soy formula, cow’s-milk formula, and mother’s milk have in regard to development of strong, healthy bones. As …

Nutrient Data In Time For The New Year, Rosalie Marion Bliss, Joanne Holden

Agricultural Research Magazine

Federal rules published in 2010 require specific meat and poultry products to carry new nutrition information starting January 2, 2012. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that the new rules will make important nutrition information readily available to consumers on 40 of the most popular cuts of meat and poultry. Two timely data sets provided by the Agricultural Research Service’s Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) in Beltsville, Maryland, are being used by the beef and pork industries to provide the new Nutrition Facts labels for their products.

Previously, NDL researchers, in collaboration with representatives of the beef and pork …

A Rough, Tough Forage For Rangeland Cattle, Ann Perry

Agricultural Research Magazine

Forage kochia (Kochia prostrata) is a shrubby Asian native that has found a new home on western U.S. rangelands. And although it is not invasive, it is still sometimes more resilient than the North American native plants.

“In some rangeland soils, it’s difficult to successfully reseed with native plants,” says geneticist Blair Waldron, who works at the Agricultural Research Service’s Forage and Range Research Laboratory in Logan, Utah. “But we’ve shown that forage kochia can be established to enhance rangelands and compete with cheatgrass successfully. It can even protect against wildfires. Some people said that livestock won’t eat …

The New England Food System In 2060: Envisioning Tomorrow's Policy Through Today's Assessments, Margaret Sova Mccabe, Joanne Burke

Law Faculty Scholarship

This Essay analyzes how the New England states' planning processes are envisioning revitalized local, state, and regional food systems. This Essay has five parts. First, it begins with examining compelling reasons for promoting more sustainable food systems based on national and global trends, and identifies strategies for promoting regional food systems approaches with a brief introduction to the major influences on the national and New England food system. Second, it describes the states' planning efforts and their enabling legislation or source of authority.

The Essay then introduces the New England Food Vision 2060 (the Vision) an emerging discussion of food …

Cultural Diabetes, Keri E. Noll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes has become a cultural problem across America, but particularly in the Midwest and Southern regions. For my film, I explored these two areas and compared the food and exercise culture to one of the healthier regions, the West. Having moved from Indiana to Colorado, I used my own personal experiences to analyze why people in the Midwest struggle with diabetes and obesity at such a higher rate than those nearer to the Pacific Ocean. Through a series of interviews with close friends and observational analysis of each state, I came to learn something very important about health: our food …

Political Aspects Of Hunger, Evangelical Advocacy: A Response To Global Poverty

Bibliographies

Understanding political aspect of hunger guide understanding and decisions toward alleviating hunger. These resources provide insight into global aspects of hunger as well the politics of justice issues such as hunger and poverty. Economic, political and sociological factors are aspects of these resources. Political advocacy and decisions of nations impacting hunger issues are also addressed.

Hunger-Free Communities: Characterizing Vulnerable Populations In San Luis Obispo County, Aydin Nazmi, Alexandra Lund

Food Science and Nutrition

No abstract provided.

Ua66/5 Department Of Agriculture 2012 Newsletter, Department Of Agriculture And Food Science

Agriculture Department Publications

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean, Michael Vayda

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.