Feature Channels: Food and Water Safety

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

Shopping at a neighborhood farmer’s market boosts the local economy, helps protect the environment, and provides healthy, fresh foods to consumers, says Virginia Tech experts.

• share
• favorite_border

Three investigators from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program will discuss their recent paper on fish consumption and omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy and recent guidance on fatty acid supplements to prevent preterm birth.

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

World leaders are gathering in Normandy, France, today to honor the 80th anniversary of D-Day. ...

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

Felicia Wu, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor and University Distinguished Professor in Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, was selected to serve on the World Health Organization’s, or WHO’s, Risk-Benefit Assessment Technical Group to make recommendations on dietary guidelines.

• share
• favorite_border

Seafood is widely savored worldwide and a staple in many regions. However, the seafood processing industry struggles with significant waste generation, causing financial and socioecological issues. A Food Safety and Quality review describes emerging chemical and physical preservation techniques that can overcome the challenges associated with conventional preservation approaches. The review highlights innovative techniques which can significantly improve the shelf life of seafood and retain their sensory attributes, in an efficient, sustainable and cost-effective manner.

• share
• favorite_border

The same molecules that create chocolate's aroma might carry some unwanted health effects if there are too many around. According to research published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, while many of the compounds appeared in chocolate in low enough concentrations to be safe, higher amounts were found in some baked sweet treats.

• share
• favorite_border

As the summer season approaches, lots of people will be planning to host or attend backyard cookouts and potlucks. But before you fire up the grill, Virginia Tech food safety expert Melissa Wright shares tips to protect yourself, your family, and your friends from foodborne illnesses during the warm-weather months. “Safe food handling when eating outdoors is critical,” says Wright.

• share
• favorite_border

The idea of simplifying healthcare technology is a shared vision among Tufts faculty, who have recently introduced paper-based tests for monitoring personal health and environmental safety that eliminate the need for expensive laboratory equipment, and can be conducted by anyone, anywhere

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking point-of-care detection method for Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacterium responsible for a significant number of foodborne illnesses. The new platform, leveraging recombinant polymerase amplification (RPA) and the CRISPR/Cas12a system combined with an immunochromatographic test strip (ICS), offers a low-cost, simple, and visually intuitive solution for the rapid detection of this pathogen in seafood.

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

University at Albany researchers have been awarded $611,000 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a new, fast-acting tool for Salmonella detection. Similar to the test strips used to measure pH or detect COVID-19, it will display results on a color-changing panel — purple if positive, red if negative. If successful, the test will reduce the time it takes to detect salmonella in food from days to hours, making it possible to quickly implement preemptive measures to prevent human illness and lost revenue.

• share
• favorite_border

Recently, exciting new paper unveils the potential of biosurfactants—natural compounds produced by microbes—to significantly improve the preservation of meat products. This innovative approach could replace synthetic chemicals, enhancing food safety and quality.

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

In a study in ACS Nano, researchers describe swarms of microscale robots (microrobots) that captured bits of plastic and bacteria from water. Afterward, the bots were decontaminated and reused.

• share
• favorite_border

Event at National Press Club features nutrition, food safety scientists and leaders addressing major issues with a research and regulatory lens.