A discovery by scientists at Penn State University may someday provide drug and food companies a cheaper, more eco-friendly alternative for creating controlled-release medications and vitamin-enriched food supplements. Using corn starch and a fatty acid ester the researchers created pockets that are able to carry oil soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A and vitamin C, into the body. The pockets protect the vitamins from acids and heat as they travel through the stomach and into the small intestines, where they can be absorbed into the blood stream. The researchers suggested that because corn and other starches are common, biodegradable and easily absorbed by the body, their use would be inexpensive and better for the environment.

Though there has been some experimental evidence indicating that vitamin D could play an important role in breast cancer etiology, a U.S. study has found no significant association between the levels of vitamin D in the blood and the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women. For the prospective nested case-control study, which was conducted within the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII), researchers assayed plasma samples collected in 1996 to 1999 for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in 613 cases, diagnosed after blood collection and before June 1, 2007, and 1,218 matched controls.

Liquid smoke flavoring made by burning rice hulls was found to be safe in animal tests, and may be healthier than the traditional liquid smoke produced by burning hickory and other types of wood, according to Korean and American researchers. The new version of the flavoring, with a “smoky aroma and sugar-like odor,” is rich in antioxidants and antiallergenic and anti-inflammatory compounds. Rice hulls are the hard, inedible coverings of rice grains. Six hundred eighty millions tons of rice are produced worldwide annually; hulls account for 136 million tons of that and are often discarded. "New food uses of a major agricultural byproduct may benefit the environment, farmers, and consumers," the researchers noted.

A review by the Cochrane Library of the findings of 49 observational studies and six randomized controlled clinical trials has found no scientific evidence that selenium supplements prevent cancer. Evidence from the trials was unconvincing because of key flaws, including study design, quality and heterogeneity of the data, making the summary statistics too complicated to interpret. The reviewers said that “no reliable conclusions can be drawn” regarding low selenium levels and an increased risk of cancer and “despite evidence for an inverse association between selenium exposure and the risk of some types of cancer, these results should be interpreted with care …”

Kellogg announced that it is launching a gluten-free variety of its Rice Krispies breakfast cereal for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. The new product, which will be available in stores nationwide beginning in June, will be made from whole brown rice instead of barley malt, which is the source of gluten in the original Rice Krispies cereal. Kellogg said each serving of the gluten-free version contains 120 calories, less than a gram of sugar, a gram each of fat and fiber, three grams of protein and 190 milligrams of sodium. The cereal is fortified with several vitamins and minerals.

Researchers in Thailand have discovered that the seed kernel waste of the edible Asian fruit rambutan can be processed to yield a fat that could possibly be used in the cosmetic and food industries. The fat extracted from the seed kernel – normally a waste product generated in the production of canned rambutan – contains high levels of arachidic acid, which makes the fat highly resistant to oxidation and therefore very stable. The extracted fat is white, solid at room temperature. Other physical and chemical characteristics “compared well with those of conventional fats.” Though the fat needs to be tested for safety before using it in food products, “the merit of using rambutan kernel fat in the cosmetic and food industries may be justified,” the researchers said.

Materials sciences company Royal DSM has signed an agreement with Italy’s P&R Group to acquire Spanish natural carotenoid producer Vitatene S.A.U. Seven-year-old Vitatene produces a range of carotenoid products under the brand names Betanat and Lyconat derived from fermentation of the fungus Blakeslea trispora. DSM’s family of functional carotenoids include beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Carotenoids are naturally occurring fat-soluble yellow, orange and red pigments synthesized by plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria. Some carotenoids (such as beta-carotene) are a main dietary source of vitamin A. According to DSM, the acquisition was sparked by growing consumer demand for natural products.

Salt concentration levels in food is critical to the perception of salty flavor, researchers in France have found. For the study, which sought to determine the effectiveness of salty odors used to boost flavor perceptions of reduced salt foods, 64 volunteers assessed the saltiness of three salt concentrations in water along with three aroma conditions, including sardine. It turns out that the perceived saltiness of the lower salt solutions increased significantly when participants at the same time smelled a salty aroma such as sardine. The researchers concluded that odor-induced saltiness enhancement (OISE) depends on the level of salt in the foods. After sodium levels pass a threshold, OISE has little effect.

New Zealand researchers have found that hospitalized adult pneumonia patients have a greater risk of dying if they have a vitamin D deficiency. For the study researchers measured vitamin D in the blood samples of 112 adult pneumonia patients at an acute-care hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand. A vitamin D deficiency was found to be linked with higher mortality within the first 30 days of hospitalization. The researchers could not explain the association between vitamin D deficiency by patient age, sex, co-morbidities, the severity of the systemic inflammatory response, or other known prognostic factors. The study authors suggested that a greater understanding of vitamin D’s role in the immune response might help prevent or reduce the severity of pneumonia.

ConAgra Foods, Inc., has announced a new line of Peter Pan peanut butter spreads that are made with all-natural ingredients and contain no high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, trans fat or preservatives. According to the company, the three natural spreads (Creamy, Crunchy and Honey Roast Creamy) have conquered the problems encountered by other natural peanut butters. They are the same price as conventional Peter Pan varieties, are easy to stir and have no pooling of oil at the top of the jar. Market research has shown that natural varieties are driving growth in the peanut butter segment. Dollar sales for natural products rose 9.4 percent in 2010.

U.S. researchers have found that a compound found in parsley, celery and other plants retards the onset and development of breast cancer cells. For the study, rats with breast cancer were  exposed to a hormone (medroxyprogesterone acetate, or MPA) that speeds up tumor development. Some were then given apigenin, a common compound also found in apples, oranges, nuts and other plant products. The rats exposed to the apigenin developed fewer tumors and experienced significant delays in tumor formation compared to those rats that were not exposed. The researchers believe their findings could have a positive impact on women taking certain hormone replacement therapies, including the progestin known as MPA.

U.S. researchers examining the effects of different doses of the prebiotic fibers known as galactooligosaccharides (GOS) on bone health found in a rat study that GOS was associated with increased absorption of calcium and magnesium and, in turn, increased bone density. The rats were fed a normal diet enriched with two, four, six or eight percent GOS, or no GOS, for eight weeks. The GOS was found to decrease pH in the upper large intestine and increase bifidobacteria concentrations. As the dose of GOS increased, so did absorption of calcium. Absorption of magnesium also increased, but this was not dose-dependent. Analysis of bone density found increases at several skeletal sites. The researchers concluded that “GOS seem to have potential to contribute to improved peak bone mass and strength.”

Dutch researchers who compared the effects of non-caloric sweeteners and sugar on satiety hormones in the gut found substantial differences, but also noted that taste is important in regulating those hormones. According to the researchers, taste receptors found on the tongue are also found in the gut. At equal concentrations of sweetness, non-caloric sucralose and sucrose – but not erythritol – induced release of satiety hormones CCK and GLP-1. “Tastants, and in particular sweet, play a role in the regulation of satiety hormone release, both in a concentration- and a time-dependent manner,” the researchers concluded. They suggested that taste stimuli might provide a new way to control appetite and the intake of food.

Two years ago China reacted swiftly to the melamine-contaminated milk scandal that sickened thousands of children: the government threatened, raided and arrested – even executed – disreputable food processors. But efforts by the government to enforce a tougher food safety law are falling short, The New York Times reports, as “a stomach-turning string of food-safety scandals this spring” has provided evidence of a continued problem. The media have reported on recycled buns, fake eggs, pork contaminated with drugs, pork sold as beef after being soaked in borax, rice contaminated with the heavy metal cadmium, arsenic-laced soy sauce, etc. And without a strong consumer lobby to voice its concerns, consumers feel helpless. Government officials meanwhile, though admitting embarrassment, say the situation is improving.

Pregnant mothers who consume peanuts may be protecting their unborn child from future peanut allergies, according to a study in mice by U.S. researchers. For the study, researchers fed some pregnant mice peanuts and others a placebo. They found that the offspring of peanut-fed mothers had lower peanut-specific immunoglobulin-E (IgE) levels. They also showed lower peanut-stimulated immune responses than the offspring in the placebo group. Administration of cholera toxin boosted these responses in the peanut-fed group. “Our study demonstrated that maternal feeding of peanuts alone had a protective effect against peanut sensitization of the progeny, which was enhanced by co-administration of a mucosal adjuvant (cholera toxin),” the researchers concluded.

Noting that 43 million children under age five were overweight in 2010, Pfizer has launched a new range of child nutrition products – infant and follow-on formulas, and “growing-up milk” – “developed to meet the changing nutritional and feeding needs of young children.” The GOLD range of products provides nutrients needed for health, growth and development in growing children, the company said. The GOLD range provides older infants and young children with 100 percent of the U.S. Daily Reference Intakes of vitamin A, iron, iodine and zinc, recommended levels of vitamin D, less protein to support healthier rates of growth, and the soluble fiber oligofructose to promote gut health.

Nestlé Waters North America has announced it will acquire the Sweet Leaf Tea Company, including its Sweet Leaf and Tradewinds beverage brands, which will expand the bottled water line to include iced teas, lemonades and juices. Nestlé Waters invested in the Sweet Leaf brand two years ago. With the acquisition, the Sweet Leaf and Tradewinds beverage brands will get greater marketing exposure in the U.S., according to the companies. The two brands, which had combined sales of $53 million in 2010, are naturally sweetened with pure cane sugar and premium tea leaves and have been certified organic by the USDA. Annual sales of Nestlé Waters were about $4 billion in 2010.

The children’s food and beverage market is emerging from the recession and is “on the brink of a breakthrough,” according to market researcher Packaged Facts, which forecasts 40 percent growth through 2015, thanks in part to the better-for-you products trend. The kids’ food and beverage market spans a wide variety of product categories – frozen foods, dairy products, beverages, cereal, etc. – that are linked by three criteria: a taste kids love, nutrition kids need, and entertainment kids want. According to Packaged Facts, retail sales of children’s foods reached $10 billion in 2010, up 25 percent from five years ago. The largest segment was frozen foods ($2 billion), which accounts for 23 percent of the market. Beverages and dairy products were the next largest segments.

U.S. researchers who analyzed health data from 3,630 Costa Rican adults found that the amount of dairy products consumed did not correlate with heart attack risk. The men and women studied were participants in epidemiological research conducted between 1994 and 2004. They were divided into groups: those who had suffered nonfatal heart attacks and those who hadn’t. The researchers took into account their self-reported dairy intake and at measurements of dairy fat biomarkers in their bodies. They found that the dairy intake of people who had suffered heart attacks was not statistically different than the intake of the rest of the people. “It is possible that the adverse effect of saturated fat in dairy products on cardiovascular health is offset by presence of beneficial nutrients,” the authors concluded.

How can diet help guarantee that people stay healthy as they move into old age? A new EU-funded research project aims to find that out by studying 1,250 Europeans over the age of 65 from all over Europe, along with 125 people recruited for detailed analysis. The study will look at immunological markers of aging and the impact of the Mediterranean diet on immunity in old age. Though people are living longer – six years longer on average since the 1980s – people over the age of 60 often live with poor health and disabilities. The five-year project, called NU-AGE, is examining new dietary strategies to address the specific needs of Europe’s elderly population. The knowledge gained will be used to design foods especially for elderly consumers.

In a rebuttal of a “biased” American Public Media Marketplace report (“The Non-Organic Future”) that “perpetuated the myth of low-yield organic agriculture,” the Organic Trade Association offered several scientifically-supported “facts” about organic farming. According to the OTA, organic agriculture is as efficient, economical and productive as conventional agriculture, and is better for the soil, the environment, and human health. “It is simply inaccurate to say that organic crops have lower or less consistent yields than their chemically intensive conventional counterparts,” the organization said. In fact, OTA said, as the planet changes and population grows, “organic is an integral part of the long-term solution to global food security.”

Eating a healthy breakfast high in protein increases feelings of fullness and reduces hunger throughout the day, according to a U.S. study. Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine that eating a protein-rich breakfast dampens brain signals controlling food motivation and reward-driven eating behavior. For the study, researchers assessed hunger and satiety in 10 teenaged girls who either skipped breakfast or ate breakfasts with either normal or high levels of protein. They measured perceived appetite sensations and hormonal markers combined with psychological reward-driven motivation to eat. fMRI was used to identify brain activation in specific regions related to food motivation and reward. They found that, when compared to breakfast skipping, breakfast meals led to increased fullness and reductions in hunger throughout the morning.

Research by scientists in Poland has found that the dietary fiber content and antioxidant activity of sourdough mixed rye breads enhanced with a red grape powder were increased significantly. Bread tested with a 10 percent addition of grape byproduct showed  39 percent and 37 percent higher contents of insoluble dietary fiber and soluble dietary than the control breads. Formulation is important, however, according to the researchers, who said that the grape byproduct should comprise no more than six percent or the bread ends up hard and gummy. The scientists tested the grape-derived dietary fiber because fruit-sourced fiber is rich in flavanols, anthocyanins and phenolic acids. The fiber has “better nutritive value” than fiber derived from cereals, they said.

The first rules issued by the U.S. FDA under the recently enacted Food Safety Modernization Act will take effect on July 3, 2011, the agency announced. One rule bolsters the FDA’s ability to prevent potentially unsafe food from entering commerce, while the second requires anyone importing food into the U.S. to inform the FDA if any country has refused entry to the same product, including food for animals. Prior to the new law, the FDA’s ability to detain food products applied only when the agency had credible evidence of contamination or mislabeling. The new information reporting requirement in the second rule improves the FDA’s ability to target foods that may pose a significant risk to public health.

Though cheap, convenient and fatty fast foods are usually blamed for the increased weight of immigrants to the United States, a more subtle factor may be the desire of immigrants to “fit in,” researchers have found. In other words, immigrants to the U.S. choose typical American dishes to show that they belong and to prove their “American-ness.” For the study, Asian-American and white college students were asked questions that essentially tested whether they felt insecure about their “American-ness.” A question about English speaking skills, for example, prompted three-fourths of Asian-Americans to mention a typical American food as their favorite. But only 25 percent of Asian-Americans who had not been asked if they spoke English chose those foods.

In an effort to homogenize the analytical methods and reference standards used to determine steviol glycoside content in stevia products, the International Stevia Council (ISC) said it has created an independent Proficiency Testing Program. The ISC said the many analytical methods and reference standards in use today vary widely in quality and consistency, leading to inaccurate information on stevia product composition and purity levels. According to the ISC, the Proficiency Testing Program will allow participants to benchmark performance of their methods, analytical standards and analysts’ competency in a statistically relevant, blind testing scheme managed in accordance with international quality standards.

Eighty percent of  804 American mothers who responded to an online poll commissioned by the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming said they were concerned about giving antibiotics to animals produced for meat and poultry. Forty-two percent of the responders, all of whom were registered voters and mothers of children aged 16 and younger, said they were “very concerned” about the practice. In response to the poll findings, the Pew Campaign launched  a grassroots movement of mothers working to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for their children and families. More than three-quarters of those polled favor federal regulations that would allow antibiotics to treat sick animals, but would eliminate the use of antibiotics to promote growth.

U.S. researchers have found that children and teens who eat with their families a minimum of three times a week are less likely to be overweight or have other nutritional health problems than other children. The researchers looked at data from 17 recent studies that examined eating patterns and child nutrition among 182,000 children between the ages of three and 17. Five of the studies that assessed the link between family meals and nutrition found children who ate with their families three times a week were 24 percent more likely to eat healthier foods and maintain healthy eating habits, the researchers found. Other benefits: a reduction in the odds for overweight (12 percent), eating unhealthy foods (20 percent), and disordered eating (35 percent).

Retail market researcher SymphonyIRI Group has rated natural bread brand Nature’s Pride the highest of all “Top 10 New Product Pacesetters” among both food and beverage and non-food brands in terms of household product trial. The recently-launched brand was purchased by 11.7 percent of all U.S. households during the 52 week sales period analyzed by the group, and ranked at No. 5 alongside other new products from the Coca Cola, Pepsi and Budweiser companies in SymphonyIRI's "Top 10 Food and Beverage Brands of 2010." The report provides a benchmark analysis of exceptional first-year success for newly launched consumer products. Nature's Pride is the first new brand of bread products introduced by parent company Hostess Brands in several years. 

The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) has filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Manhattan against Monsanto Company asking the court to declare that if organic farmers are ever contaminated by Monsanto's genetically modified seed, they need not fear also being accused of patent infringement. The suit was filed on behalf of a group of family farmers, small businesses and organizations from within the organic agriculture community. The plaintiffs argue that they are threatened by Monsanto’s genetically modified seed contamination despite using their best efforts to avoid it. They fear that they might be accused of patent infringement if their crops become contaminated, “something Monsanto has done to others in the past,” according to PUBPAT.

Smaller portions could lead to eating fewer calories, a U.S. study has found. Researchers offered undergraduate psychology students an unlimited supply of candy while they performing an unrelated experiment. For half of the participants, the candies were cut in half. The researchers then tallied the intake of candy in weight, calories and number of pieces. They found that when the size of the candies was decreased, the students ate the same number of pieces (portion), but consumed 50 percent less by weight and much fewer calories (60 kcal on average). The researchers suggested that a “cognitive bias” might be at work: people may feel that 10 pieces of candy is enough, no matter the size. A “simple dietary strategy” might be to decrease snack sizes but not portions.

A group of federal agencies has devised a broad set of voluntary guidelines, open to public comment through the summer, that would encourage food companies to scale back advertising of unhealthy foods to children aged two through 17. The proposed guidelines apply to most ads a child might see for a food on television, in stores, and in digital media, including text messages, product placement in video games and celebrity endorsements. The guidelines seek to “encourage a marketing environment that supports, rather than undermines," parental efforts to get children to eat healthier. Companies are encouraged in the guidelines to advertise foods to children if they are low in fats, sugars and sodium and contain specified healthy ingredients.

Food and beverage ingredients provider Tate & Lyle will market and distribute monk fruit products from New Zealand’s BioVittoria Ltd. In the U.S., the products will be marketed under the Purefruit brand name. According to Tate & Lyle, its research team has refined and improved the taste of the Purefruit products for an array of commercial uses. Monk fruit is also known as luo han guo and is native to South East Asia. The extracted ingredient is around 200 times sweeter than sugar and can be formulated into beverages, dairy, cereal, confectionary and bakery products. The FDA has given monk fruit extract GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) notification.

U.S. scientists have found that extracts of bitter orange, when combined with certain citrus flavonoids, significantly increase the metabolic rate without affecting blood pressure. For the placebo-controlled study, researchers tested various combinations of ingredients: bitter orange extract (60 percent p-synephrine) alone, p-synephrine plus naringin, and p-synephrine plus naringin and hesperidin on the metabolic rate of 50 volunteers. P-synephrine by itself boosted the metabolic rate by seven percent, compared to placebo. But a 50mg dose of p-synephrine combined with the citrus flavonoids naringin (600 mg) and hesperidin (100 mg) pushed the metabolic rate 18 percent higher than the placebo group. By taking the product twice a day for a year, “the theoretical increase in calorie consumption would amount to over 31 pounds,” the researchers wrote.

Dole Food Company, Inc. announced that it is now selling bananas grown on Rainforest Alliance Certified farms that meet comprehensive environmental and social standards designed to protect wildlife habitat and workers. Consumers can find Dole bananas – grown in Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala and bearing the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal – at Sam’s Club locations in the U.S. Dole says the partnership with the Rainforest Alliance is a sign of its commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Rainforest Alliance Certified farms meet standards set by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), a coalition of leading conservation groups.

To make it a little easier for less mobile consumers to shop for healthy fruits and vegetables, Indiana University Health introduced a "Garden on the Go" service that parks a truck carrying fresh produce in lots in mostly poor neighborhoods around Indianapolis. Green BEAN Delivery, which delivers groceries to about 2,000 homes and apartment complexes a week, will supply the trucks and the produce for the year-round program. Trucks make three stops day, four days a week, mostly in neighborhoods designated as "food deserts" because they are packed with convenience stores and fast food restaurants but few grocery stores.

Market researcher Innova Market Insights reports a 36 percent increase in 2010 in the number of products in Western Europe with health claims that use the word “proven." A possible reason for the increase in the use of the buzzword may be the April release of the fourth set of generic EU health claim opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which seemed more inclined to grant successful opinions to companies that use words like “proven" and “scientific support" in their health claims. But as uncertainty regarding wording continues, manufacturers are choosing softer or passive claims (e.g., “low and light"). Innova identified several other emerging trends affecting new nutritional and functional foods, including relaxation drinks, out-of-the-box weight loss, joint health boosters, etc.

Marketers take notice: mobile phones are becoming increasingly important as "shopping partners" for consumers and are having a growing impact on how people buy and on what they buy, according to William Rosen of Arc Worldwide. Smartphone use has risen dramatically in recent years with the result that half of adults aged 18 to 64 in the U.S. are active mobile shoppers, using phones to compare products, evaluate prices, and even complete transactions. An Arc Worldwide survey of mobile shoppers found that though heavy-use shoppers comprise only 20 percent of the total, they account for 80 percent of the purchases. Light mobile shoppers with the most growth potential? Those who love their phones but just aren't into shopping yet.

U.S. researchers who analyzed seven years of data from more than 36,000 postmenopausal women who participated in a placebo-controlled clinical trial found that daily supplementation with calcium and vitamin D significantly increased the risk of urinary tract stones. About half of the women who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative study received 1,000 mg of calcium carbonate plus 400 of IU vitamin D3 twice daily. The rest of the women received a placebo. The researchers found that 449 women in the calcium-vitamin D group reported urinary tract stones, which was almost 18 percent more than the placebo group. “These findings have implications for [calcium-vitaminD] supplement use,” the researchers concluded. But they cautioned that the self-reported occurrence of stones was not confirmed by clinical evidence.

Eighty percent of men and women aged 18 and older – 186 million Americans – consider themselves “weight conscious”, and half of these want to lose weight, according to a November 2010 survey of 1,203 males and females sponsored by the Calorie Control Council. Weight loss methods most frequently cited were: cutting back on foods high in sugar, eating smaller portions, consuming low-calorie or sugar-free foods and beverages and exercising. Least often cited methods included meal skipping, diet pills and restrictive weight loss diets. "Many have taken the first step – admitting they want to lose weight for overall better health," says Beth Hubrich of the Calorie Control Council, and half of those surveyed said they wanted to lose at least 10 pounds.