Everything You Need to Know About Stevia Sweeteners

Download the Stevia Fact Sheet for Consumers here Download the Stevia Face Sheet for Health Professionals here WHAT ARE STEVIA SWEETENERS? Stevia sweeteners are no-calorie sweeteners that can be used to lower one’s intake of added sugars while still providing satisfaction from enjoying the taste of something sweet. While some types of sweeteners in this category are considered low-calorie (e.g., aspartame) and others are no-calorie (e.g., stevia sweeteners, monk fruit sweeteners and sucralose), collectively they are often referred to as sugar substitutes, high-intensity sweeteners, non-nutritive sweeteners or low-calorie sweeteners. Like other no-calorie sweeteners, stevia sweeteners are intensely sweet. Stevia sweeteners range from being 200-350 times sweeter than sugar, and as such only small amounts of stevia sweeteners are needed to match the sweetness provided by sugar. Stevia sweeteners can be used by food and beverage manufacturers as an ingredient in beverages (such as diet sodas, light or low-sugar juices and flavored waters), canned fruits, condiments, dairy products (such as ice cream, flavored milk and yogurt) and other foods (such as baked goods, cereals, chocolate and other confections) and syrups. Because they are stable at high temperatures, stevia sweeteners can be used in baked goods. However, a recipe that uses stevia sweeteners in place of sugar may turn out slightly different because, in addition to sweetness, sugar plays several roles related to volume and texture in recipes but varies based on the type of recipe. Stevia sweeteners are also used in several tabletop sweeteners, such as Truvia®, Pure Via®, Stevia In The Raw®, SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener, SweetLeaf® and Enliten®, as well as other retail products sold under store-brand names. HOW ARE STEVIA SWEETENERS PRODUCED? Stevia sweeteners are derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) plant, an herbal shrub native to South America. The stevia plant has been used […]

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Consumers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Environmentally Sustainable and Healthy Diets

Cultivating Diets That Are Both Healthy and Environmentally Sustainable Download the full report. As found in IFIC’s 2019 Food and Health Survey, environmental sustainability has become increasingly associated with the foods that we eat as well as our food purchases. Yet sustainability can mean different things to different people. According to the Journal of Environmental Sustainability, environmental sustainability is the “condition of balance, resilience and interconnectedness that allows human society to satisfy its needs while neither exceeding the capacity of its supporting ecosystems to continue to regenerate the services necessary to meet those needs nor by our actions diminishing biological diversity.” Basically, this definition refers to the condition of reducing damage to our environment (through the renewable depletion of resources) so that future generations can also meet their own needs. A healthy and complete diet involves eating essential nutrients needed for physiological functions, which includes dietary proteins. Proteins can be consumed in various ways and are essential in our diets for maintaining muscle strength, bone health, and blood sugar control in addition to supporting the body’s immune defenses and promoting quicker healing. However, in the pursuit of both a healthful and environmentally sustainable diet, how to best access these essential proteins has come under question. Where are our purchasing decisions headed as we look to fulfill a complete, healthful, and sustainable diet? What does this mean for our plant-based and animal-based protein intake? Let’s further explore findings from the Survey of Consumers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Environmentally Sustainable and Healthy Diets to shed some light on where protein choices may be headed and what consumers perceive as constituting a well-rounded and environmentally sustainable diet. Trouble defining “environmentally sustainable” The Survey of Consumers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Environmentally Sustainable and Healthy Diets found that 40 percent of consumers were unsure if an […]

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Your Complete Guide to Food Safety

The United States has one of the safest food systems in the world. However, there are still safety issues that can arise or you still may just want to know more about where your food comes from. Take a look at our resources that highlight the ways our food is grown, raised, regulated and also ways consumers can use food handling practices to help ensure safety as well. Pesticide Residues Pesticides & Food: What You Need to Know In order to provide a plentiful and diverse food supply, conventional and organic farmers have multiple options to protect crops from weeds and pests—including pesticides. Even with strict safety standards in place to help ensure the safety of our food, you may have questions about the use of pesticides in food production, as well as potential pesticide residues on food. Pesticides: Myths vs. Reality [INFOGRAPHIC] When it comes to pesticides, there is a lot of debate in the media about what is true and what is false. Once and for all, let’s debunk some of the most common myths about pesticides—their regulation, safety, and their use on both organic and conventional produce. Meat Production Five Ways Farmers Love Their Animals Animal welfare best practices have evolved in the past 50 years, but the foundation of these practices are the “five freedoms.” The five freedoms are internationally recognized as providing animal welfare guidance to farmers and those who deal with livestock to ensure high ethical standards and low instances of mistreatment.   “Meat-ing” Consumer Expectations of Ethical Animal Welfare The animal agriculture community, made up of farmers and ranchers, veterinarians, nutritionists, meat processing companies and more, recognizes that animal welfare is a subject of interest – and possibly even concern – for many consumers. The animal agriculture community has worked to become more and […]

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Is It Safe To Follow a Vegan Diet While Pregnant?

Vegan diets exclude all animal products and emphasize nutrient-dense plant foods like legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Well-planned vegan diets rich in plant-based foods can be beneficial to health. However, by excluding animal-based foods, following a vegan diet can make it more difficult to get the recommended amount of some nutrients. As nutrient needs are higher during pregnancy, some may wonder if it’s safe for pregnant women to follow a vegan diet. This article summarizes the potential health benefits and specific nutrients to focus on if you’re following a vegan diet while pregnant. Health Benefits Vegan diets can offer a variety of health benefits. They tend to be rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains (and many of these foods are rich in fiber and antioxidants), which is one reason why vegan diets have been associated with positive health outcomes, such as lower LDL cholesterol, improved blood glucose levels (in people with type 2 diabetes) and lower blood pressure. During pregnancy, eating patterns that are higher in fiber, as vegan diets tend to be, are associated with a decreased risk of developing gestational diabetes. Some research shows that pregnant women following a vegan diet may have a lower risk of cesarean section (C-section) delivery, maternal or infant mortality, and postpartum depression. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has issued an official position supporting the healthfulness of appropriately planned vegan diets during pregnancy while noting the importance of obtaining certain key nutrients (which vegan diets can often lack) through supplementation and fortified foods. Let’s review the specific nutrients, food sources and potential supplements to be aware of if following a vegan diet while pregnant. Special Nutrients of Interest Vitamin B-12 Vitamin B-12 is important for making DNA and in keeping our nerves and blood cells healthy, in addition to […]

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A Little Q&A on CRISPR Cows

While the majority of all our food has come from farms for hundreds of years, agricultural practices have changed over time, largely due to advances in farming technology. In more recent years, these developments have included the use of biotechnology techniques such as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats). We’ve explained previously that CRISPR is one of the bioengineering methods that can be used to alter the genetic information in the cells of living things—plants, fruits, vegetables, and more. That genetic information is contained in what we know as the fundamental building block of life—DNA. DNA can produce proteins that define what a living organism’s cells do or don’t do. To use an analogy from another type of technology, DNA acts in a way similar to how software controls the operation of a computer. Food science and related-field researchers all over the world have been using CRISPR to perform genetic alterations in cells in order to alter food characteristics in ways that support the reliability of our food system. As mentioned above, CRISPR has been primarily used so far to alter the cells of plants, fruits and veggies. However, we’ve recently learned of the work being done by researcher Alison Van Eenennaam, Ph.D., a professor at the University of California, Davis, who is using CRISPR on a new target: food-producing cows. To learn more about Dr. Eenennaam’s groundbreaking work, we asked her to field a few questions. Q: How is your research team using CRISPR technology? A: Gene editing is a technique that can be used to introduce useful genetic variations into [animal] breeding programs. It involves the use of enzymes that cut DNA at a specific sequence (site-specific nucleases, e.g. CRISPR-Cas9), thereby introducing a break into the DNA at a targeted location. Depending upon how that break is […]

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Going Whole Hog on “Nose-to-Tail” Eating

A few months ago, a friend of mine invited me to celebrate her birthday at an upscale restaurant. This particular restaurants was known for one dish in particular: pig cheeks. I agreed, mostly because I couldn’t imagine how they would serve this dish to our table. When the meal arrived, we all stared (along with most of the restaurant) at what amounted to half of a pig’s head staring back at us. To some, reading this is enough to make you sick. But eaters, chefs, and butchers alike are starting to use meat from the entire animal, include parts you would usually discard. Like pig’s cheeks. This practice, sometimes called ‘whole animal’ or ‘nose-to-tail,’ exists for a few different reasons. Some find creativity and adventure in cooking and eating unique cuts of meat from animals. Others do it for claimed health benefits. Many folks feel it is one approach to being sustainable in our production of animals, not letting any parts of it go to waste. What are ‘nose-to-tail’ cuts? If pig’s cheeks aren’t quite your thing, you still have a range of options to choose from. Some examples of muscle-cuts include lamb neck, tomahawk steak, tri-tips, or even short ribs. On the flip side there is offal, if you have the stomach for it! That includes an animal’s entrails and organs, such as liver, heart, kidney, tongue, and even tripe (stomach) and bone marrow. Special health benefits? Many claim that eating the whole animal comes with health benefits. Meats, especially red meats, can be high in protein, B-vitamins, vitamin D, iron, and zinc. Any of these unique cuts could provide sources for at least some these nutrients, but it’s important to keep in mind total saturated fat and calories. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends Americans select lean cuts of meat and to limit your portion sizes […]

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Women Pioneers in Food Science

Female scientists have been breaking glass ceilings for decades and inspiring young girls and women for just as long. The United Nations recognizes October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child, which is the perfect time to acknowledge the female agriculture, food and nutrition scientists who have shaped these fields. On October 6 and 7, 2021, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) is hosting the first Agricultural Technology and Food Salon. This event features women specialists in science and technology showcasing the impact their work has in science and food systems today. In observance of the event, IFIC would like to highlight a few women in food science who have had and are having powerful impacts in these complex fields. Marie Maynard Daly, PhD Marie Maynard Daly was the first Black American woman to earn a PhD in chemistry. Daly grew up fascinated by science, deepening her curiosity through fervent reading and encouragement from peers and mentors through high school. In 1947, she earned her PhD after researching human digestive enzymes, which propelled her into a world of human nutrition science. Although immediately following her studies, Daly studied nucleic acids, which would later help with the discovery of DNA and RNA, she is best known for her research on the effects of cholesterol on the human body. Thanks to Daly’s research, we now know that excess cholesterol can clog arteries, contributing to hypertension and heart disease. Daly also helped to examine the detrimental effects that hypertension and aging have on a human’s heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Her excitement for chemistry advanced human nutrition to a new realm and her research now informs general diet and exercise practices as well as specific medical treatment of heart disease. Temple Grandin, PhD Animal scientists everywhere will recognize Temple Grandin’s name due […]

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Celebrating Women Scientists

Female scientists have been breaking glass ceilings for decades and inspiring young girls and women for just as long. March is Women’s History Month, which is the perfect time to acknowledge the female agriculture, food and nutrition scientists who have shaped these fields. In observance, IFIC would like to highlight a few notable women scientists who have had and are having powerful impacts on our food system and public health. Marie Maynard Daly, PhD Marie Maynard Daly was the first Black American woman to earn a PhD in chemistry. Daly grew up fascinated by science, deepening her curiosity through fervent reading and encouragement from peers and mentors through high school. In 1947, she earned her PhD after researching human digestive enzymes, which propelled her into a world of human nutrition science. Although immediately following her studies, Daly studied nucleic acids, which would later help with the discovery of DNA and RNA, she is best known for her research on the effects of cholesterol on the human body. Thanks to Daly’s research, we now know that excess cholesterol can clog arteries, contributing to hypertension and heart disease. Daly also helped to examine the detrimental effects that hypertension and aging have on a human’s heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Her excitement for chemistry advanced human nutrition to a new realm and her research now informs general diet and exercise practices as well as specific medical treatment of heart disease. Temple Grandin, PhD Animal scientists everywhere will recognize Temple Grandin’s name due to her contributions to the field, however the impact she has had on women and people living with autism is invaluable. Grandin holds a PhD in animal science and has written numerous scientific studies in the areas of animal behavior, animal handling and transport and humane treatment of livestock. She revolutionized cattle transport when she recognized […]

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