What is Organic?

If you buy groceries from any type of market — supermarket, farmers market, online grocery store or even a kiosk, you’ve seen an organic label on some foods before. The organic term can even be found in restaurants to describe menu items and has even been seen on cosmetics and cotton clothing. However, when you buy organic food and beverages, do you know what this means, and do you understand how this product compares to the non-organic option? What if I told you that organic foods are regulated by the same federal agency, are not healthier, nor are they safer to consume than non-organic foods? All of the above are true but let’s jump into what the organic label indicates and how certification for carrying the organic label comes about. Being Organic and Getting the Label The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is at the helm for providing certification for the organic label, and it all comes down to how the ingredients in foods and beverages are farmed and processed. USDA notes that “organic products must be produced using agricultural production practices that foster resource cycling, promote ecological balance, maintain and improve soil and water quality, minimize the use of synthetic materials, and conserve biodiversity.” According to the USDA, the USDA certified organic label, first offered in 2002, verifies that farms and businesses comply with the USDA regulations and allows businesses to sell and characterize their products as organic. Alongside the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USDA also regulates the quality of organic and conventionally produced foods. Both agencies have regulations to ensure that all foods are reliably produced to ensure consumer safety and offer insights on how food is produced. Thus, the certified organic label gives people production awareness. The USDA organic regulations for farms and businesses are distinct […]

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Food and Inflammation Series: Is Sugar Inflammatory?

What we eat has long been known to impact our health, and a wealth of research suggests that our eating patterns impact our risk for diet-related chronic diseases. More recently, the conversation surrounding how some dietary choices may lead to the development of chronic inflammation in the body has become a hot area in preventative nutrition. In our Food and Inflammation series, we take a closer look at how different dietary factors are related to inflammation. Our first article focused on gluten. In this next article, let’s look at the connection between sugars and inflammation. What Is Inflammation? Inflammation is a natural process in the body that refers to the immune system’s response to an irritant. In fact, inflammation is how the body protects and heals itself. If you’ve ever had a paper cut or burned your tongue while drinking a hot cup of coffee, your body’s process of healing that wound was the inflammatory response in action. Cuts and burns cause acute inflammation, which is a relatively short-lived physiological healing response. Acute inflammation may also be brought on by infectious factors like bacteria and viruses, non-infectious factors like injuries and chemicals, and psychological factors like stress and excitement. In contrast, chronic inflammation is a long-term physiological response that can last anywhere from weeks to years. Unlike acute inflammation, chronic inflammation is not always visible to the naked eye. It can be brought on by a number of factors, including autoimmune conditions, chronic stress, long-term exposure to pollutants, physical inactivity, and the foods and beverages we regularly eat and drink. A state of constant inflammatory response can create chains of destructive bodily reactions that damage cells and are linked to increased risk for adverse health conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and certain cancers. The Connection Between Food and […]

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Celebrating Women Food Scientists During Women’s History Month

It should come as no surprise that women have been shaping food science for centuries. From food-product packaging to animal handling to plant genetics, women have had a hand in many innovations that have helped make today’s food system vast, safe, and healthy. March is Women’s History Month, and this year we’re highlighting two spectacular women in food science—one who revolutionized frozen food safety and another who harnessed plant science to impact the health of millions. Dr. Mary Engle Pennington Sometimes referred to as the “Ice Woman,” Dr. Mary Engle Pennington played a pivotal role in refrigerated and frozen food safety in the early 20th century. Born in 1872, Dr. Pennington was refused a bachelor’s degree by the University of Pennsylvania in 1892 because of her gender. However, she persisted and received a certificate of proficiency in chemistry and then continued her studies to garner her doctorate in chemistry at the university in 1895. Following the passage of the 1906 Pure Food and Drugs Act, Dr. Pennington became the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) first woman lab chief, heading up the Bureau of Chemistry’s Food Research Lab. During her time at the FDA, Pennington revolutionized cold food storage, discovering that fresh foods that are consistently kept at a low temperature last longer than those that go through multiple temperature fluctuations. This finding was particularly important for the transportation of food products like cheese, milk, and eggs; if these foods were kept at a consistent temperature from starting location to their final destination, their bacteria levels stayed low and they were less likely to spoil. Pennington’s discovery led to the development of refrigerated transport as a means to maintain low temperatures over long distances, as well as an upgrade to home refrigeration, which began to use technology similar to that […]

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What Is the Fertility Diet?

The Basics of the Fertility Diet Infertility is an issue that impacts many women and families who are trying to conceive, and for some, making dietary changes is part of their overall plan to support and improve their ability to conceive. The Fertility Diet is intended to increase a woman’s chance of ovulation through changes in eating patterns and physical activity. Though there are many reasons why someone might struggle to conceive, the Fertility Diet is meant to address ovulatory infertility specifically—a condition in which a woman does not ovulate and therefore is unable to conceive. Ovulatory dysfunction can occur when a woman has irregular, infrequent (defined as fewer than nine per year) menstrual periods, or when she does not ovulate at all. Normally, one ovary in an adult woman of childbearing age releases one egg each month, which may be fertilized if it comes into contact with sperm. While there are different kinds of ovulatory dysfunction, women struggling with infertility often experience a dysfunction in which their ovaries do not release one egg each month. So, if you or someone you know is struggling with infertility, is the Fertility Diet right for you? Guidelines for the Fertility Diet The Fertility Diet is based on a book published by Harvard professors in the late 2000s that primarily explains data from the Nurses’ Health Study (a prospective cohort study) on the impact of food intake and, to a lesser degree, other lifestyle variables on infertility due to ovulatory dysfunction. The Fertility Diet outlines ten key diet and exercise changes women can make to increase their chances of ovulation, outlined below: The Fertility Diet and Your Health A dietary pattern consistent with the recommendations put forth by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) has been associated with improved fertility in women […]

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Preparing the Perfect Picnic

As temperatures continue to rise this summer, picnickers are flocking to parks and beaches. Picnics are a great opportunity to enjoy nature, take advantage of the slower pace of summer, and indulge in fresh seasonal produce. Whether you’re a pro picnic-planner or a novice who is perhaps intimidated by everything it takes to create a nutritious, safe-to-eat outdoor feast, there’s certainly a lot to keep in mind when serving food outside the comforts of your kitchen. But rest assured: With just a few additional minutes of preparation and planning, you can impress even your pickiest picnic-goers. Packing a healthy basket Putting together the perfect picnic basket is a little like putting together a charcuterie board—daunting at first, but completely worth it when the compliments come rolling in. Like preparing a meal at home for guests, the task of creating a picnic should keep in mind a few essentials to create a delicious and healthy meal. Remember the following tips to pack a tasty, filling basket that’s sure to please everyone. Keeping your basket—and cooler—safe Now that your menu is set, be sure to refresh your knowledge of food safety before heading out to the park. Helping your guests stay safe Protecting fellow picnickers from foodborne illness is as important as preventing the spread of other contagious bacteria and viruses. Although COVID-19 cannot be spread from food to food, it is most certainly spread from person to person. Keep this reality in mind when planning your gatherings—even those that are held outdoors. You may want to limit the number of guests you invite to be able to maintain adequate social distancing or recommend masks if you’re worried about crowds. Packing single-serving drinks and avoiding buffet-style serving can also stop the spread of germs, since multiple people will not be touching the […]

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What is Folate?

Highlights The Basics Folate is a type of water-soluble B-complex vitamin, also known as vitamin B9. It is essential for brain development and function, amino acid metabolism, red blood cell production and DNA synthesis. Folate can be found in a variety of foods, including vegetables (especially dark leafy greens), fruits, beans, peas, eggs and some meats and seafood. Folate is also produced synthetically (in the form of folic acid) and added to foods. Our bodies cannot produce folate, so it is important to ensure we get enough folate in our diets. Folate and Health Fortification in the context of nutrition refers to the addition of nutrients that are not originally present in a food. The significance of consuming enough folate during pregnancy in order to protect against neural tube defects (NTD) has led to the fortification of certain foods with folic acid. In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required that folic acid be added to enriched grain products such as bread, pasta, rice and cereal. Fortifying foods with folic acid has been effective in reducing prevalence of NTDs. A 2011 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that NTD birth prevalence decreased by 35% in the United States between 1999 and 2011. Today, more than 80 countries around the world have mandatory folic acid fortification policies in place, yet folate status remains too low in the majority of women of childbearing age. Folate also plays an important role in producing red blood cells in the bone marrow by working closely with vitamin B12. Inadequate levels of folate can lead to anemia, a condition of not having enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to body tissues that results in fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath. Other benefits of folate, including some related to cardiovascular […]

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Soy Series, Part 2: Soy-derived Ingredients

We’re in the thick of a four-part series on the basics of soy. The first article in this series focused on whole-soybean food products. In this second article, we’ll discuss ingredients made from soy that are used in many familiar foods. What food ingredients are made from soy? In the first article in our soy series, we talked about the nutritional components of whole soybeans and explained that soy is a mixture of carbohydrates, fat and protein along with nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Now we’re diving into food ingredients derived from soy, which are primarily made from the carbohydrate and protein parts of the soybean. These ingredients often are created by separating specific parts of the bean from its other components, a process that usually starts with removing the soybean oil (more on this process in our next article—stay tuned). When the oil has been separated from the other soybean components, what remains is a product that’s higher in protein and carbohydrates, including dietary fiber. Further processing steps create a wide range of soy-derived food ingredients that have many uses in our food supply. Examples of food ingredients derived from soy: Now that we’re familiar with whole soybean foods and food ingredients primarily based on soy’s protein and carbohydrate content, our next topic to tackle is soybean oil. We’ll fill you in on how the dietary fat found in soybeans is made and used in our food supply in the third article of our soy series.

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What is Molasses?

Highlights There are many different types and forms of caloric sweeteners that we collectively call “sugar.” Some sugars come in granulated form, such as table sugar. Table sugar is sucrose, a disaccharide made of equal parts of two monosaccharides: fructose and glucose. Other types of sugars, such as agave syrup and high fructose corn syrup, come in liquid forms as mixtures of the monosaccharides fructose and glucose. Molasses is type of liquid sugar that primarily contains sucrose and smaller amounts of the monosaccharides fructose and glucose. Molasses is not as sweet as table sugar and is typically more viscous (thicker and stickier) than other liquid sweeteners like agave syrup, honey and high fructose corn syrup. Molasses is the ingredient in brown sugar that gives it its distinct color, flavor and moisture. In addition to its properties as a sweetener, molasses adds moisture, consistency and crust to baked goods such as cookies, dark breads, gingerbread and pies, as well as thickness to baked beans, marinades and sauces. Molasses is also used to make rum. Where does molasses come from? Molasses is a product of the sugar beet and sugar cane refinement processes. Sugar cane and sugar beets are grown around the world, including in the U.S., where sugar beets are grown in 11 states and sugar cane is grown in three states. Molasses from sugar cane is preferred for human consumption, whereas molasses from sugar beets is typically used in animal feed due to its bitter flavor. The degree of sugar cane molasses refinement can vary. This variation results in three different grades of sugar cane molasses, for which the USDA has established standards. Less refining yields molasses that has a lighter color, higher sugar content and sweeter taste. Additional refinement yields molasses with a darker color, lower sugar content, less […]

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