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Disney Consumer Products (DCP) and The Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA) proudly announce the inaugural Nutritious Food for Kids Competition. Reinforcing Disney's long term commitment to providing more nutritious food options for kids around the world and recognizing the need to foster food science talent, DCP and IFTSA are launching this Competition to give students the opportunity to apply food science skills through the creation of nutritious, fun, kid-friendly food products.

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Green tea leaves produce antioxidant organic compounds called catechins that reportedly have beneficial health effects, such as fighting bacteria, viruses and cancer. But consumers need to be aware of possible adverse consequences of long-term storage of commercial tea brands, according to researchers Mendel Friedman and Carol Levin in an article in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.

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That olive oil sitting on your shelf may lose up to 40 percent of its health benefits if it's been there for six months, according to a study presented in the March Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.

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Irradiation at higher doses caused a small but statistically significant increase in artery-clogging trans fatty acids in ground beef and frankfurters, according to a study presented in the March Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.

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The latest developments in nanotechnology and its potential for use in the food industry is the subject of a seminar on April 30 in London. "Does size really matter?" will be the issue addressed at the seminar, sponsored by the British section of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in cooperation with the Society of Chemic Industry (SCI) and the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST). The seminar will be held at the SCI Lecture Theatre, London.

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The following news briefs are from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific society with more than 20,000 individual members working in food science, food technology and related professions in industry, academia and government. The briefs are derived from a variety of IFT publications, including the Journal of Food Science, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, and Food Technology magazine. The monthly media update also includes information on science and policy and IFT events.

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Two-day conference helps food professionals develop new products and learn what makes consumers tick.

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The following news briefs are from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific society with more than 20,000 individual members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. The briefs are derived from a variety of IFT publications, including the Journal of Food Science, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, and Food Technology magazine.

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The rise in the number of foodborne illnesses from Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli, coupled with the lack of an effective intervention method, has led to intense scientific research into prevention efforts. One solution may be interfering with quorum sensing, a sophisticated network of cell-to-cell communication in bacteria that may cause foodborne illness, according to a Scientific Status Summary published by the Institute of Food Technologists.

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1) IFT Fellow Appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II; 2) The Best Methods for Irradiated Food Detection; 3) Food Product Traceability: New Challenges, New Solutions; 4) Going with the Grain; 5) Dairy Products Have "Whey" More Uses Than Before.

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Queen Elizabeth II has appointed Professor Colin Dennis, a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his distinguished service to the agri-food industry.

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1) Fast, Forkless; 2) Testing for Allergens; 3) Label Reading 101

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The following news briefs are from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). The briefs are derived from a variety of IFT publications, including the Journal of Food Science, Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, and Food Technology magazine. The monthly media update also includes information on science and policy and IFT events.

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The Institute of Food Technologists proudly announces the launch of IFTFoodFacts.org, a web page aimed at helping consumers prevent foodborne illnesses.

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Correctly or incorrectly, consumers perceive that natural products are better for them and for the environment. This month's Food Technology takes a closer look at the regulatory agencies that set parameters and the food companies that develop and market products with "˜natural' label claims.

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Advances in food packaging lead to improved food quality and safety. Released this month from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a Scientific Status Summary (SSS), a peer-reviewed report, which reviews the current state of innovations in food packaging.

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A comprehensive new research review confirms that the upper gastrointestinal tract (GI) is naturally equipped to handle fruit juices, soft drinks, alcohol and other beverages with high acidity.

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New research published in the Journal of Food Science suggests that marinating meats may decrease the cancer-forming compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCA), which are produced during grilling, by over 70 percent.

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During the 2008 Annual Meeting & Food Expo, members of the Institute of Food Technologists helped to fight hunger in South Louisiana by working with Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, a local nonprofit that is a member of America's Second Harvest, the Nation's Food Bank Network.

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Scientists, educators and marketing experts gathered to discuss how consumers influence and receive food-health and food-safety messages at Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans. "Taste is what it's all about," said Nancy Childs, PhD, professor of marketing at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. "The more health-related information and claims that manufacturers present, the more taste assurance the consumer needs."

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Everyone knows that oat bran is a source of dietary fiber. Now dates, fenugreek, purslane and sweet potato greens are emerging to add their beneficial properties to the worldwide array. In the United Arab Emirates, where dates are a major component of individual diets, the fruit's fiber is having a favorable role in baked goods, so date cultivation is encouraged. By reducing flour and replacing it with date fiber by 10 to 30 percent, breads, cookies and muffins have become as tasty as their flour counterparts but healthier.

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Most cases of Listeria occur at the deli counter rather than at the manufacturer, yet most of the federal government's sanitary guidelines are geared toward plants. At this year's Institute of Food Technologists Annual Conference and Food Expo, experts from the U.S. government, academia and food industry discussed how to minimize Listeria in facilities that process consumer protein products. Some 80 percent of Listeria-related deaths occurred in people who bought sliced meat at a deli counter rather than packaged meat. But the primary regulators for retail establishments, such as delis and restaurants, are state-level inspectors. Much to the frustration of some retailers, the federal government has provided little guidance as to how to combat the dangerous pathogen.

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With today's scientific advancements in nutrition, soldiers will soon be plied with candy, cookies and cakes, except these will contain probiotics, the beneficial bacteria already found in the human gut. Because they suffer from high incidences of diarrhea, U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will soon receive ice cream sandwiches, peanut butter bars and vanilla pudding desserts filled with probiotics, with the hope that good bacteria will help curb intestinal illness.

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Research shows that only 20 percent of consumers use thermometers, and a mere 30 percent are aware that they should have them in their refrigerators. "You don't have to go to a restaurant or to a party to get sick," said Fur-Chin Chen, Ph.D., a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee. He found a variety of pathogens in a quarter of the refrigerators he inspected during a recent study. Vegetable bins were the most contaminated.

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A load of antioxidants, nutrients and vitamins are available in the produce aisle from white and brown fungi, commonly known as mushrooms. Mushrooms are low in calories, cholesterol and sodium, and they provide plenty of fiber and flavor when cooked. But the big news is that they are high in antioxidants, selenium, riboflavin and other healthful substances that protect the immune system and fight cancer.

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An anti-aging pill is not yet an over-the-counter phenomenon, but it's never too late to start eating better to live a longer, healthier life. Studies prove that consuming more fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains, as well as fewer calories, results in prolonging a healthier lifespan.

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Ethnic foods constitute one of the fastest growing segments of the food service industry. The rise of ethnic dining establishments throughout the nation presents barriers to the food inspection process. Consequently, U.S. inspectors who may be unfamiliar with ethnic foods and customs can experience shock and uncertainty upon entering ethnic restaurants serving traditional dishes prepared with items such as fertilized poultry eggs, live eels and frogs, and animal genitalia.

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The term "natural" adds a premium to food products and makes them appear fresher, minimally processed, and safer. But consumers and the food industry will have to wait to know exactly what natural does "“ or does not"”mean.

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NEW ORLEANS - At Sunday morning's keynote session of the 2008 Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting & Food Expo, incoming IFT President Sheri Schellhaass and President-Elect Marianne Gillette announced and presented four companies with the 2008 IFT Food Expo Innovation Awards. The recipients are Bunge North America, CEM Corp., Multisorb Technologies, and NC Hyperbaric.

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A novel technique for reducing tumors in rats-using nano-sized, oil-based emulsions may be the latest weapon in fighting cancer.

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Experts from industry, government and academia will gather at IFT's 2008 Annual Meeting and Food Expo taking place June 28 - July 1 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA to share research and discuss the current status of food science and technology.

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Potatoes are a valuable source of mineral nutrients that provide high levels of potassium. Individuals with compromised kidney function, however, must minimize their potassium intake. A new study in the Journal of Food Science explored the effects of leaching and boiling on levels of potassium and other minerals in potatoes and found that boiling cubed or shredded samples reduced potassium levels by 50 percent and 75 percent, respectively.

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A new report identifies the technical and economic feasibility of introducing cost-effective rice fortification programs in developing nations. The new report notes that the addition of essential nutrients through rice fortification provides the consuming population with much needed vitamins and/or minerals, while it also remains a cost effective means of ensuring a stronger, healthier nation.

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Foods that may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition, identified as functional foods, are becoming a key part of everyday life, according to a new article appearing in Food Technology, a publication of the Institute of Food Technologists.

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Official statement of the Institute of Food Technologist on global food safety as presented to the U.S. Interagency Working Group public hearing held Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C.

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As they work to protect the nation's food supply from accidental contamination and intentional threats, food industry and homeland security experts alike are feeling the weight of the world.

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Senior bioterrorism and biodefense advisor to the U.S. Department of State recognizes a safe, international food supply as a "soft target" for terrorists, and described to international food professionals some catalysts for improving safety from acts of intentional contamination.

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When it comes to the business of food, Latin American and Caribbean countries are playing by two sets of rules: Some export higher quality products to countries like the United States and to Europe while selling lower quality products to their domestic populations, according to food professionals speaking here at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting & Food Expo.

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It could be decades before science can accurately measure the body's systems to determine which foods, in what quantities and combinations, will best combat against disease and illness, experts say. But when that time comes, expect each diet to be as individual as the person.

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Once was the day that beef was considered a primary source of foodborne illness. Now fresh produce is increasingly responsible for the outbreaks, and receiving increased focus from people paid to protect public health.

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In a survey conducted by the University of Maryland consumers listed tuna, salmon and shrimp as the fish with the highest levels of mercury, but when the question was reversed"”which fish had the lowest levels of mercury?"”the responses were identical: tuna, salmon and shrimp.

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Rose petals and orange blossoms are turning up in yogurt and the newest drinks touting antioxidants double as high-octane cocktail mixers; exotic and extremes foods like these and many others are turning on consumers' appetites, according to food trend experts appearing here at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting & Food Expo.

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Wal-Mart and Greenpeace may seem unlikely bedfellows, but when it comes to the push by the retail industry to go green, old conventions are dissolving while new collaborations are being formed, according to a Wal-Mart executive speaking at the Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting in Chicago.

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The pursuit of health and wellness is no longer an option for four of the biggest global food companies; it's mandatory, said senior officials from major food companies at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting & Food Expo.

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When it comes to food safety, consumer and homemaker awareness of the steps to take to combat against foodborne illness is growing, but they're not all practicing simple safety measures according to a new report.

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As food retailers and manufacturers work their way toward global sustainability, lofty goals abound, but businesses may find the road to this "consumer eco-topia" to be more complex than originally expected according to a global food company executive.

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An estimated 2 million Americans are afflicted with celiac disease , making the market for gluten-free products booming even while food companies and researchers have yet to fully solve their greatest challenge"”making products taste good.

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Baby boomers are starting to feel the aches, pains and weight gain of aging, and because they, like others, want to feel younger for longer, food companies and researchers are striving to meet their needs.

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When it comes to food safety, consumer and homemaker awareness of the steps to take to combat against foodborne illness is growing. Unfortunately, they're not all practicing those simple safety measures. This according to a new report on consumer food safety.

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As consumers around the globe increasingly keep attuned to the effects diet can have on their health, researchers are now eyeing innovations in functional foods that could address disease prevention as well as maintain a fit lifestyle.