Feature Channels: Food and Water Safety

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Released: 27-Mar-2024 2:05 PM EDT
Filters, Coupled with Digital Health Program, Reduced Arsenic Levels by Nearly Half in Study Participants in Households Relying on Well Water in American Indian Communities
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

A community-led water-testing project made up of households that rely on private well water with high arsenic levels saw on average a 47 percent drop in participants’ urinary arsenic levels after filters were installed and a digital health program was implemented, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Over the two-year study period, participating households received phone calls to encourage use of the filter and a reminder to replace the filter cartridge.

Released: 21-Mar-2024 1:05 PM EDT
Bar-Ilan University Researchers Develop Cost-Effective Method to Detect Low Concentrations of Pharmaceutical Waste and Contaminants in Water
Bar-Ilan University

Pharmaceutical waste and contaminants present a growing global concern, particularly in the context of drinking water and food safety. Addressing this critical issue, a new study by researchers at Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Chemistry and Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials has resulted in the development of a highly sensitive plasmonic-based detector, specifically targeting the detection of harmful piperidine residue in water.

Released: 18-Mar-2024 11:30 AM EDT
Study Estimates Nearly 70 Percent of Children Under Six in Chicago May Be Exposed to Lead-Contaminated Tap Water
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

A new analysis led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimates that 68 percent of Chicago children under age six live in households with tap water containing detectable levels of lead.

Newswise: Revolutionizing Infant Formula Safety: A New Frontier in Pathogen Detection
Released: 5-Mar-2024 8:05 AM EST
Revolutionizing Infant Formula Safety: A New Frontier in Pathogen Detection
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Cronobacter sakazakii is a harmful germ that can be found in powdered baby formula. It can cause very serious health problems in infants, such as meningitis and septicemia. Right now, it takes a long time and is complicated to check if the germ is in the formula. However, a new study has created a special test that uses a computer program to find the germ in the formula. This new method makes it easier and faster to find the germ, which is known for causing serious illness in babies. It helps make sure that baby formula is safe to use.

29-Feb-2024 12:00 PM EST
Humans have driven the Earth’s freshwater cycle out of its stable state
Aalto University

New analysis shows that the global freshwater cycle has shifted far beyond pre-industrial conditions

Released: 29-Feb-2024 3:05 PM EST
Refrigerate lettuce to reduce risk of E. coli contamination, researchers say
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Leafy green vegetables are important sources of dietary fiber and nutrients, but they can harbor harmful pathogens. In particular, lettuce has often been involved in outbreaks of foodborne illness across the U.S. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines factors that affect E. coli contamination on five different leafy greens – romaine lettuce, green-leaf lettuce, spinach, kale, and collards.

Newswise: Want fewer microplastics in your tap water? Try boiling it first
23-Feb-2024 9:15 AM EST
Want fewer microplastics in your tap water? Try boiling it first
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Want to remove microplastics from water? Try brewing it for a cup of tea or coffee! Research reported in Environmental Science & Technology Letters shows that by boiling then filtering tap water, up to 90% of the nano- and microplastics present could be removed.

Newswise: Early-Life Airborne Lead Exposure Associated with Lower IQ and Self-Control in NIH Study
Released: 23-Feb-2024 7:05 AM EST
Early-Life Airborne Lead Exposure Associated with Lower IQ and Self-Control in NIH Study
Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes NIH

Children who lived in areas with higher levels of airborne lead in their first five years of life appeared to have slightly lower IQs and less self-control, with boys showing more sensitivity to lead exposure, according to a new study from the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.

   
Released: 20-Feb-2024 3:05 PM EST
Water quality monitor, locust-inspired electronic nose under development
Washington University in St. Louis

Two teams of engineers led by faculty in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis will work toward developing products to monitor drinking water quality and to detect explosives with an electronic nose with one-year, $650,000 Convergence Accelerator Phase 1 grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Newswise: Fresh Meat: New Biosensor Accurately and Efficiently Determines Meat Freshness
15-Feb-2024 9:05 AM EST
Fresh Meat: New Biosensor Accurately and Efficiently Determines Meat Freshness
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Despite the technological advances keeping meat fresh for as long as possible, certain aging processes are unavoidable. Adenosine triphosphate is a molecule produced by breathing and responsible for providing energy to cells. When an animal stops breathing, ATP synthesis also stops, and the existing molecules decompose into acid, diminishing first flavor and then safety. Hypoxanthine and xanthine are intermediate steps in this transition. Assessing their prevalence in meat indicates its freshness. In AIP Advances, researchers developed a biosensor using graphene electrodes modified by zinc oxide nanoparticles to measure HXA. The team demonstrated the sensor’s efficacy on pork meat.

Newswise: By growing animal cells in rice grains, scientists dish up hybrid food
Released: 14-Feb-2024 9:05 PM EST
By growing animal cells in rice grains, scientists dish up hybrid food
Cell Press

From lab-grown chicken to cricket-derived protein, these innovative alternatives offer hope for a planet struggling with the environmental and ethical impacts of industrial agriculture.

12-Feb-2024 10:05 AM EST
Ultra-processed foods score worse on food package labelling
University College London

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) contain more calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt than minimally-processed foods – but not all UPFs are unhealthy, according to new research from UCL.

Newswise: URI Nutrition study to help inform official USDA dietary guidelines
Released: 12-Feb-2024 11:05 AM EST
URI Nutrition study to help inform official USDA dietary guidelines
University of Rhode Island

Evidence to support the assumption that ultra-processed foods are all bad for one’s health is limited, and the nutritional quality of processed foods has not been considered by official U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines. University of Rhode Island Nutrition Professor Kathleen Melanson aims to help inform the newest guidelines, due out in 2025, as she begins a nutritional study funded by a $300,000 grant from the USDA.

Newswise: Paper: Multistate foodborne illness outbreaks impact restaurant stock price, public perception
Released: 5-Feb-2024 2:05 PM EST
Paper: Multistate foodborne illness outbreaks impact restaurant stock price, public perception
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

As demand for food from restaurants soars in the U.S., so does the importance in understanding the impacts of foodborne illness outbreaks. A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in food marketing and food policy finds that outbreaks spanning multiple states bring swift financial losses, increased media attention and a public-relations hit that makes smaller outbreaks more financially damaging.

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Released: 5-Feb-2024 12:05 PM EST
Expert provides food safety tips following charcuterie meat Salmonella outbreak
Virginia Tech

Whether it’s building out a big spread for the Super Bowl or planning a Valentine’s Day meal, lots of people will be heading to the store these next few weeks to stock up on food. One item many might be considering is charcuterie.

Newswise: New options at Dallas food pantry boost food security
Released: 1-Feb-2024 12:05 PM EST
New options at Dallas food pantry boost food security
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Nutritious meal kits and no-prep meals improved food security and perceived dietary quality among clients of a Dallas food pantry, according to a pilot study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center.



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