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Health Check Kids: Leafy Green Machine Planted At West Warwick High School
With permission and funding from the school district, a 40-foot climate-controlled container was planted just outside the cafeteria doors more than a year ago. And that's when the science department got on board
by BARBARA MORSE, NBC 10 NEWS
Thursday, October 31, 2019
A Leafy Green Machine planted at West Warwick High School. (WJAR)
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Sodexo — the school district’s food service company — seeing it in action at a University in Massachusetts.
"And we figured, gee, what a great idea. Local food, right on site. Why don't we just bring it in," said Donna Walker, general manager of Sodexo food services for the West Warwick School District.
With permission and funding from the school district, a 40-foot climate-controlled container was planted just outside the cafeteria doors more than a year ago. And that's when the science department got on board.
"We learned how to run the machine, how to seed and transplant and harvest the lettuce," said Gina Poulos, a science teacher at the high school.
Then they got students involved -- forming the leafy green club.
"I'm super interested in plants and all type of agriculture and it's a nice, relaxing thing to do after school or even in the middle of school when we have advisory and I can kind of just plant stuff and get to learn and talk to other people," said Joshua Dick, a junior at the high school.
"I love salads and I always thought plants were so cool. I always love going to botanical gardens and just thought it was so cool and was like why not," said Gabrielle Dascoli, a senior.
The plants, most leafy green lettuce, are grown -- chock full of nutrients -- vertically, which is a space saver. Special lights are programmed remotely. And the process uses minimal water and electricity.
Harvested and turned into salads within hours.
"I think it tastes amazing. you can taste the nutrients. You can tell it's really thought out. It's great," said Gascoli.
"We're trying different things,” said Walker. "We've done tomatoes, we've done some herbs, we've done kale for soups and stuff."
The leafy green machine can produce up to two acres' worth of greens. The modified shipping containers are re-purposed into green machines by Freight Farms in Boston.
7 of The Best Crops For Vertical Farming
Along with a number of other key factors — including a good location and an appropriate pricing strategy — smart crop choices play an essential role in helping vertical farms keep costs down and ensuring that farmers are able to sell the majority of what they grow
One of the biggest decisions that can make or break a vertical farm is the question of which crops to grow. Along with a number of other key factors — including a good location and an appropriate pricing strategy — smart crop choices play an essential role in helping vertical farms keep costs down and ensuring that farmers are able to sell the majority of what they grow.
According to a recent blog post from ZipGrow, a leading provider of vertical farming equipment and services, the following are two of the most important points to consider when choosing crops for a vertical farm:
Economic viability — ZipGrow and many other experts in the vertical farming industry are quick to remind aspiring farmers that just because something can be grown, this doesn’t necessarily mean it should be grown. With the right resources, it’s technically possible to grow just about anything in a vertical farming facility, but not all crops are economically viable. Some crops just aren’t able to make money when they are vertically farmed because their production costs are too high (for example, the crop requires hotter temperatures or more light relative to other crops), or simply because there is a lack of market demand for the crop. To make smart crop choices, vertical farmers need to be realistic about balancing likely costs with projected profits.
Timing and liability — The time period that elapses between a seedling entering the farm’s system and a mature plant being harvested and sent to market is known as a “turn.” In general, successful vertical farmers find that focusing on crops with fast turns, like salad greens and some herbs, helps to minimize their liability. This is because fast-turn crops mature so quickly that farmers are rarely more than about six weeks away from production, which limits the amount of resources that will be lost in the event that the crop fails. However, this doesn’t mean that there is no place in a vertical farm for slow-turn crops: some of these, like fruiting crops, can offer higher margins than fast-turn crops, potentially making them a good proposition depending on local market conditions (of course, while the profits may be higher, so is the risk).
What are some of the best crops for vertical farms?
While ZipGrow recommends that the process of choosing crops should be part of a comprehensive feasibility study undertaken by aspiring vertical farmers before launching their operations, the company does offer a basic guide to some of the most successful and popular crops currently being cultivated in vertical farms. These include the following:
Lettuce — Lettuce and other leafy greens are by far the biggest crop grown by indoor farmers (according to the Agrilyst 2017 State of Indoor Farming Report, 57% of indoor farms, including vertical farms, produce leafy greens). It’s not difficult to understand the popularity of the humble lettuce: it’s quick and easy to grow, inconsistent demand all year round, and available in dozens of different varieties so that farmers can switch up their product from time to time without having to change to a whole new crop.
Kale — Despite the predictions of some naysayers, the booming popularity of kale is showing no signs of decreasing. Not only is kale a nutrient powerhouse — ounce for ounce, cooked kale is richer in iron than beef — it’s also delicious, incredibly versatile and, like lettuce, available in many different varieties. A great choice for vertical farmers serving health-conscious markets, kale is fairly easy to grow, although farmers must take some care when harvesting in order to get the highest yield.
Chard and collard greens — These dark, leafy green vegetables are not quite as popular as kale, but they come close. Like kale, they can grow quite large in the proper conditions, and they can be partially harvested multiple times, each time growing back with a larger yield.
Basil — In many ways, basil is an ideal crop for vertical farming. Basil is sensitive to cold temperatures — when grown conventionally in soil, basil is only available for a few months each year — so it responds very well to the climate-controlled conditions of a vertical farming facility. In addition, some studies indicate that hydroponically-grown basil is richer in flavor than field-grown basil because it contains 20–40% more oils. Finally, compared to most other crops, basil can command a very high dollar amount per pound, and because it is an important ingredient in a great deal of restaurant cooking, it can often be sold in larger amounts to local restaurants or other institutions rather than by the ounce to individual customers.
Chives and mint — These two herbs are some of the best crops for new vertical farmers to start with. Chives and mint alike are easy to care for, have very quick turns, and are easy to harvest due to their dense, grass-like growing structure. Their distinctive flavors also make them very popular with customers.
WRITTEN BY Mark Crumpacker
Mark Crumpacker is a passionate marketing specialist with years of creative storytelling experience.
The Food As Medicine Movement
The basic idea behind Food as Medicine is that what we eat has an effect on our overall health. Research shows that our dietary habits can influence our risk for disease. Certain foods may trigger chronic health conditions, while other foods can help lower risks
BY AMBER GRAY | OCTOBER 18, 2019
You know the saying, if only there were a magic pill for (fill in the blank). It could be weight loss, a cure to the common cold, lowering your risk of heart disease, the possibilities are endless. While there may not be a magic pill, a new movement is on the rise: Food as Medicine. As Hippocrates put it, “Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food.”
The basic idea behind Food as Medicine is that what we eat has an effect on our overall health. Research shows that our dietary habits can influence our risk for disease. Certain foods may trigger chronic health conditions, while other foods can help lower risks.
According to a study by AI tech firm, Spoon Guru, 40 percent of Americans are worried that an unhealthy diet will lead to them developing a serious illness. Less than 30 percent believe grocery retailers are doing enough to help promote healthy eating. Better labeling on shelves and packaging, promotion, sampling events and recipes in-store, and healthier snacks at checkout can all help to improve the visibility of healthier options.
Dietary changes alone are not a cure-all for all chronic conditions, but eating a diet full of whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables, has a positive impact on our overall health. As the fresh produce industry, this is a movement we should all be on board for. How can your brand embrace the Food as Medicine movement?
Highlight Your Products Unique Health Benefits
We all know fruits and vegetables are good for us, but how, specifically, are they beneficial? It’s one thing to list all the vitamins and key nutrients in your product, but consumers need more information than that. Most consumers know vitamin C helps boost our immune system, but beyond that most probably can’t tell you how all those nutrients really benefit them — that’s where you step in.
Tomato and watermelon brands should talk up lycopene and how this antioxidant protects against cell damage. Magnesium-rich foods like spinach and almonds should talk about its importance in bone and heart health, among other things.
Does your product or commodity help fight inflammation, reduce the risk of heart disease or help control insulin levels for diabetics? Make sure to communicate that to consumers in a way they can understand.
Partner with Credible Influencers
In today’s world of Instagram influencers and fad diets, it can be hard to know where to turn to for reliable and trustworthy information. There is a lot of misinformation circulating on the internet. We see this even in our own industry with things like the Dirty Dozen list or conversations around GMOs, pesticides, and packaging.
Partnering with a credible source, like registered dietitians, doctors or reputable organizations, to serve as a spokesperson for your brand or commodity is a great place to start. Always double-check that certifications and credentials are up-to-date and maintained.
This spokesperson can provide content, like recipes or blog posts, for your website, speak on your behalf to consumers on social media and in videos, or offer facts for packaging and signage.
Food Rx
At Produce for Kids, we announced our new Food Rx series centered around the Food as Medicine movement. Partnering with Jessica DeLuise, a physician assistant, and culinary medicine specialist, we’re focusing on the important role food plays in overall health, plus sharing kid-friendly recipes and highlighting how those items can contribute to overall health.
Recently, Jessica has tackled topics like probiotic-rich foods, how to avoid added sugars and use fresh fruit as your sweetener, and how nutrients in onion may help fight cancer.
As more consumers are looking to fight inflammation, control diabetes or decrease their risk of heart disease with what they put on their plate, the produce industry is poised to lead the Food as Medicine charge.
(Amber Gray is the marketing manager for Produce for Kids)
Solar Foods Receives World's Most Prestigious Design Award
Solar Foods is a foodtech company developing globally revolutionary solutions for food production. The bioprocess and technology developed by Solar Foods enable food production without agriculture. In the future, harvesting can comprise of an entirely new harvest grown in a clean environment, while complementing existing protein sources with new natural protein
06/09/2019
Solar Foods, the Finnish company producing protein by using carbon dioxide and electricity, has been presented with the Index Award supported by the state of Denmark. The 100,000 euro award is given for the most impactful solution significant to the environment and improving people’s lives.
The Index Award is a biennial award supported by the state of Denmark. The total award fund is €500,000 divided between the winners in five award categories. Index Award has existed since 2005 and is the biggest money prize in its class. This recognition, also called the “Nobel prize for design”, acknowledges actors solving global problems in areas such as equality, food production, and plastic pollution.
Participants include projects from all over the world, with the finalists and winners judged by an international jury. Other winners of this year’s prize include Microsoft and Xbox, with previous winners including Elon Musk. The award is under the patronage of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.
Denmark has the ambitious goal of being a carbon-neutral country by 2050. Therefore, many Danish companies have set themselves the target of becoming the most responsible company before anyone else in their business.
“It is a magnificent feeling to know you are taking part in global responsibility. Researchers must turn the inventions and technologies incubated in laboratories into reality and commercialise them faster to benefit humankind. The Solein® protein is an excellent example of an innovation urgently needed by humans and the entire globe,” says Pasi Vainikka, CEO, Solar Foods.
Solar Foods is a food tech company developing globally revolutionary solutions for food production. The bioprocess and technology developed by Solar Foods enable food production without agriculture. In the future, harvesting can comprise of an entirely new harvest grown in a clean environment, while complementing existing protein sources with new natural protein.
At the core of the company’s operation is a sense of enormous responsibility: using renewable energy for producing food in a way that has the lowest possible environmental burden.
“The report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the rainforest wildfires in Amazonia are recent examples of the dire news we are witnessing about the state of the globe and its food system. At Solar Foods we develop solutions that disconnect natural resources from economic growth and food production. That’s how we are contributing to a solution in the crisis of global food supply,” Vainikka says.
Cleanest natural protein
Solar Foods is introducing a globally revolutionary protein for foodstuffs for consumers made in its bioprocess developed in-house. The Solein protein, suitable to be added to a variety of products, is produced mainly from air and electricity. In the future, Solein protein can be grown and harvested anywhere: in the middle of a desert, or even in space.
Solein is natural protein at its cleanest. Its production minimises harmful environmental impact, thereby providing transparent support for sustainable development. Revolutionary on a global scale, Solein is a protein for solving problems in managing the global food crisis and the overexploitation of natural resources. Solein is the product of natural evolution over hundreds of millions of years by using the diversity of nature.
At present, Solar Foods is studying the applicability of the Solein protein to different diets and consumer preferences. The protein includes no additives, instead, consumers will know it as an example of an ethical, clean source of protein. Solein’s amino acid composition is like that of soya and algae, therefore optimal for human needs.
Solar Foods aims at starting the first stage of commercial production of the protein during 2021.
Download Solar Foods Presentation
More information:
Pasi Vainikka, DSc (Tech), CEO, Solar Foods Oy, tel. +358 40 5825 987, pasi@solarfoods.fi
Solar Foods is a food-tech company that develops revolutionary innovations for food production at a global level. Solar Foods is an active player in solving the global food crisis and securing sustainable use of natural resources by disconnecting food production from agriculture. Solein® is a registered trademark of Solar Foods. www.solarfoods.fi
Flavonoids Have Amazing Health Benefits — Here's How To Eat More
You've heard that eating the rainbow is good for your health. But do you know why? Plant foods contain special compounds called flavonoids, which are plant-based nutrients that offer countless health benefits from reducing inflammation and slashing your risk of certain diseases
SARAH PFLUGRADT, RDN AUGUST 19, 2019
You've heard that eating the rainbow is good for your health. But do you know why? Plant foods contain special compounds called flavonoids, which are plant-based nutrients that offer countless health benefits from reducing inflammation and slashing your risk of certain diseases.
Flavonoids act as antioxidants, which may play a significant role in heart health and may help to prevent diseases such as cancer caused by free-radical damage. Eating foods rich in flavonoids reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and the impact of this was even stronger in those who smoked or drank a lot of alcohol — two groups with historically high levels of inflammation, according to an August 2019 study published in Nature. What's more, flavonoids may also provide benefit in the prevention of other chronic conditions such as osteoporosis and diabetes.
Now that you know what flavonoids are, note that they fall under six subgroups: flavonols, flavones, isoflavones, flavanones, chalcones and anthocyanins, according to a December 2016 study in the Journal of Nutritional Science.
While it's easy to get confused with all of the fancy antioxidant names, think of it this way — the overarching group that encompasses flavonoids is called polyphenols. Flavonoids are then divided into the subgroups, and pretty much all the good-for-you plant-originating foods fall into these categories.
Read more: Top 10 Healthiest Fruits and Vegetables
Flavonols
Flavonols are the largest and most well-known subgroup of flavonoids. Flavonols, especially quercetin, have been studied extensively for their role as an antioxidant. Oxidative damage to the body is responsible for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and many cancers. Flavonols help protect the body against this type of damage, according to an extensive July 2016 review study published in Pharmacognosy Review.
Foods rich in flavonols include:
Berries
Tomatoes
Onions
Kale
Apples
Cherries
Broccoli
Grapes
Red wine
Green tea
Flavones
One of the major health benefits from flavones is their anti-inflammatory effect, according to a June 2016 study in Plants. Inflammation is usually the common thread between many chronic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer as well as in people who smoke.
"Some research suggests that certain flavonoids (flavones and flavonols) are beneficial for reducing the risk of breast cancer," Cathy Leman, RD and founder of Dam. Mad. About Breast Cancer, tells LIVESTRONG.com.
Foods rich in flavones include:
Celery
Broccoli
Green pepper
Carrots
Olive oil
Navel oranges
Parsley
Thyme
Oregano
Dandelion
Peppermint
Rosemary
Chamomile tea
Isoflavones
The king of all plant proteins is the soybean, which is high in catechins and a particular type of flavonoid, isoflavones. Isoflavones have a mixed reputation because of their similarity in structure to estrogens. In fact, isoflavones have been found to block estrogens that can cause breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer, according to June 2016 research published in Nutrients.
Countries with a high intake of isoflavone-rich foods typically have lower rates of these types of cancer. Isoflavones are found in legumes and other common soy foods, such as miso and tofu.
Foods rich in isoflavones include:
Soybeans (and soy products such as tofu)
Alfalfa sprouts
Peanuts
Legumes
Flavanones
Flavanones are found in citrus fruits, in the juice and in the peel — and yes, you can eat the peel. The flavanones are responsible for that bitter taste, which most people stay away from. Flavanones are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory, and they have been shown to lower cholesterol.
Read more: What's The Difference Between Plant-Based, Vegetarian and Vegan Diets?
Hesperidin, the most common flavanone found in lemons, oranges and grapefruit, is currently being studied for its possible role in helping protect against neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's Disease and multiple sclerosis, according to February 2019 research published in Molecules.
Foods rich in flavanones include:
Grapes
Oranges
Lemon
Lime
Chalcones
The word chalcone comes from the Greek word "chalco," which means copper, and is an indicator of the color of some of the natural sources of this flavonoid. As with many of the other subclasses of flavonoids, chalcones are studied because of their potential to stop the development of cancer, according to a 2015 study in Current Medicinal Chemistry.
Foods rich in chalcones include:
Wheat products
Licorice
Shallots
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Pears
Strawberries
Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins are the actual pigments in red-orange to blue-violet plant foods and are linked to heart health, brain health, vision improvement, antidiabetic and antiobesity properties, anti-inflammatory effects and chemoprevention and cancer protection, according to September 2015 research published in Advances in Nutrition and an August 2017 review study published in Food and Nutrition Research.
Foods rich in anthocyanins include:
Berries
Grapes
Red wine
Sweet potatoes
Plums
Cherries
How to Get More Flavonoids in Your Diet
Ready to reap flavonoids' multitude of health benefits? "If you want to increase flavonoids in your diet, eat an abundance and variety of vegetables and fruits and aim for at least 3 daily cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit a day, varying the colors to vary the micronutrients," Hayden James, RD and founder of Satiate Nutrition, tells LIVESTRONG.com.
"Put more plants on your plate! Build meals and snacks around fruits, vegetables, whole [unprocessed] soy, legumes and whole grains," says Leman.
Get creative with it: Zest citrus peels into your favorite foods or blend an array of fruits into your morning smoothie to get more flavonoids in your diet.
Warning
There are some fruits and vegetables that can interact with medications, so if you regularly take medication, speak with your doctor to find out which foods you should avoid. For example, grapefruit, which is high in flavonoids, should be avoided if you take certain statins. In addition, foods high in vitamin K, such as flavonoid-rich leafy greens, may interact with blood-thinning medication warfarin.
Read more: High Antioxidant Fruits & Vegetables
Lead Photo: (Image: Compassionate Eye Foundation/Natasha Alipour Faridani/DigitalVision/GettyImages)
Our Food Is Killing Too Many of Us
And Americans are sick — much sicker than many realize. More than 100 million adults — almost half the entire adult population — have pre-diabetes or diabetes. Cardiovascular disease afflicts about 122 million people and causes roughly 840,000 deaths each year, or about 2,300 deaths each day. Three in four adults are overweight or obese. More Americans are sick, in other words, than are healthy
Improving American Nutrition Would
Make The Biggest Impact On Our Health Care
By Dariush Mozaffarian and Dan Glickman
Mr. Mozaffarian is dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Mr. Glickman was the secretary of agriculture from 1995 to 2001.
August 26, 2019
The Democratic debate on health care has to date centered around who should be covered and who should pay the bill. That debate, which has been going on for decades, has no clear answers and cannot be easily resolved because of two fundamental realities: Health care is expensive, and Americans are sick.
Americans benefit from highly trained personnel, remarkable facilities and access to the newest drugs and technologies. Unless we eliminate some of these benefits, our health care will remain costly. We can trim around the edges — for example, with changes in drug pricing, lower administrative costs, reductions in payments to hospitals and providers, and fewer defensive and unnecessary procedures. These actions may slow the rise in health care spending, but costs will keep rising as the population ages and technology advances.
And Americans are sick — much sicker than many realize. More than 100 million adults — almost half the entire adult population — have pre-diabetes or diabetes. Cardiovascular disease afflicts about 122 million people and causes roughly 840,000 deaths each year, or about 2,300 deaths each day. Three in four adults are overweight or obese. More Americans are sick, in other words, than are healthy.
Instead of debating who should pay for all this, no one is asking the far more simple and imperative question: What is making us so sick, and how can we reverse this so we need less health care? The answer is staring us in the face, on average three times a day: our food.
Poor diet is the leading cause of mortality in the United States, causing more than half a million deaths per year. Just 10 dietary factors are estimated to cause nearly 1,000 deaths every day from heart disease, stroke and diabetes alone. These conditions are dizzyingly expensive. Cardiovascular disease costs $351 billion annually in health care spending and lost productivity, while diabetes costs $327 billion annually. The total economic cost of obesity is estimated at $1.72 trillion per year, or 9.3 percent of gross domestic product.
These human and economic costs are leading drivers of ever-rising health care spending, strangled government budgets, diminished competitiveness of American business and reduced military readiness.
Fortunately, advances in nutrition science and policy now provide a road map for addressing this national nutrition crisis. The “Food Is Medicine” solutions are win-win, promoting better well-being, lower health care costs, greater sustainability, reduced disparities among population groups, improved economic competitiveness and greater national security.
Some simple, measurable improvements can be made in several health and related areas. For example, Medicare, Medicaid, private insurers and hospitals should include nutrition in any electronic health record; update medical training, licensing and continuing education guidelines to put an emphasis on nutrition; offer patient prescription programs for healthy produce; and, for the sickest patients, cover home-delivered, medically tailored meals. Just the last action, for example, can save a net $9,000 in health care costs per patient per year.
Taxes on sugary beverages and junk food would help lower health care costs. Credit: Jenny Kane/Associated Press
Taxes on sugary beverages and junk food can be paired with subsidies on protective foods like fruits, nuts, vegetables, beans, plant oils, whole grains, yogurt and fish. Emphasizing protective foods represents an important positive message for the public and food industry that celebrates and rewards good nutrition. Levels of harmful additives like sodium, added sugar and trans fat can be lowered through voluntary industry targets or regulatory safety standards.
Nutrition standards in schools, which have improved the quality of school meals by 41 percent, should be strengthened; the national Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program should be extended beyond elementary schools to middle and high schools; and school garden programs should be expanded. And the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which supports grocery purchases for nearly one in eight Americans, should be leveraged to help improve diet quality and health.
The private sector can also play a key role. Changes in shareholder criteria (e.g., B-Corps, in which a corporation can balance profit versus purpose with high social and environmental standards) and new investor coalitions should financially reward companies for tackling obesity, diabetes and other diet-related illness. Public-private partnerships should emphasize research and development on best agricultural and food-processing practices. All work sites should demand healthy food when negotiating with cafeteria vendors and include incentives for healthy eating in their wellness benefits.
Coordinated federal leadership and funding for research is also essential. This could include, for example, a new National Institute of Nutrition at the National Institutes of Health. Without such an effort, it could take many decades to understand and utilize exciting new areas, including related to food processing, the gut microbiome, allergies and autoimmune disorders, cancer, brain health, treatment of battlefield injuries and effects of nonnutritive sweeteners and personalized nutrition.
Government plays a crucial role. The significant impacts of the food system on well-being, health care spending, the economy and the environment — together with mounting public and industry awareness of these issues — have created an opportunity for government leaders to champion real solutions.
Yet with rare exceptions, the current presidential candidates are not being asked about these critical national issues. Every candidate should have a food platform, and every debate should explore these positions. A new emphasis on the problems and promise of nutrition to improve health and lower health care costs is long overdue for the presidential primary debates and should be prominent in the 2020 general election and the next administration.
Lead Image: Cheeseburgers at a White House picnic in 2018. Credit Alex Edelman/Getty Images
What Are Cruciferous Vegetables And Their Health Benefits?
Vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, but not all veggies pack the same nutritional punch. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale, tend to stand out among edible plants because they are linked to several health benefits — most notably a reduced risk of cancer
KAY PECK UPDATED ON JULY 17, 2019
Vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, but not all veggies pack the same nutritional punch. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale, tend to stand out among edible plants because they are linked to several health benefits — most notably a reduced risk of cancer.
Cruciferous vegetables in a basket at market. (Image: kosobu/iStock/GettyImages)
What Are Cruciferous Vegetables?
Cruciferous vegetables are part of the greater Brassicaceae, or mustard family, and are alternatively referred to as Brassica vegetables. Common types include:
Arugula
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collard greens
Horseradish
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mustard greens
Radishes
Rutabaga
Turnips
Wasabi
Watercress
Cruciferous vegetables, or crucifers, are known for their distinctive odor and somewhat bitter flavor — two factors that make these veggies unappealing to some people. This pungency is related to their high content of sulfur-containing glucosinolates, according to the Linus Pauline Institute at Oregon State University. Ironically, these sulfur compounds are responsible for several of this vegetable group's awesome health benefits.
In fact, crucifers provide the richest sources of glucosinolates in the human diet, according to an October 2012 review in Food and Nutrition Sciences. When a cruciferous vegetable is cut, chopped or chewed, the plant enzyme myrosinase is released, which transforms the glucosinolates into other health-promoting compounds. And whenever you fork into a cooked cruciferous veggie, your intestinal bacteria help metabolize the glucosinolates.
The benefits? The breakdown products of glucosinolates, most notably indoles and isothiocyanates, may have powerful anticancer, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In fact, sulforaphane (an isothiocyanate) and indole-3-carbinol (an indole) have been widely studied for their anticancer properties.
The nutritional benefits of cruciferous vegetables extend beyond their glucosinolate content. Cruciferous vegetables are wonderful additions to your diet because they're high in fiber and are solid sources of beta-carotene (the precursor to vitamin A), B vitamins and vitamin C, says Isabel Smith, RD and founder of Isabel Smith Nutrition.
Also, cruciferous vegetables are great sources of vitamin E, vitamin K and calcium, the October 2012 review states. Another benefit: These veggies are naturally low in calories, so feel free to load up your plate!
Cruciferous Vegetables Hold Promising Anti-Cancer Benefits
When it comes to health benefits, cruciferous vegetables may be best known for their role in reducing cancer risk. According to the Linus Pauline Institute, case-control studies (which compare historical information in study participants with a health condition to study subjects without that same diagnosis) have linked high intakes of cruciferous vegetables to a lower risk of cancer of the colon, rectum, bladder, kidney, lung, breast, ovaries, stomach, pancreas, prostate and endometrium.
Because case-control studies rely on the recollection of food intake, this research method is subject to inaccuracy and bias. This may explain why most cohort studies, where participants are followed over time with their diet routinely assessed by researchers, have found little to no association between cruciferous vegetable consumption and cancer, according to the NCI.
To better understand the link between crucifers and cancer, high quality cohort studies or randomized trials are still needed. And until more is research is conducted, it's important to note that the anticancer activity of cruciferous vegetables holds significant promise.
According to the NCI, compounds produced from glucosinolates, particularly indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane, have the potential to prevent the mutation of healthy cells into cancer cells, and can also kill or inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Indole-3-carbinol may detoxify cancer-causing substances that enter the body, according to Smith, and substances from cruciferous vegetables can provide anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral effects — all mechanisms that may reduce cancer risk.
Cruciferous Vegetables' Heart Health Benefits
In addition to their potential role in cancer risk reduction, research is still trying to clarify how cruciferous vegetables impact heart and blood vessel disease. While eating more fruits and vegetables is known to reduce the risk of heart disease, there is very limited and sometimes conflicting observational data specific to crucifers, according to Moe Schlachter, RDN, a spokesperson for the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and president of Houston Family Nutrition.
For example, consuming high amounts of cruciferous veggies has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, a June 2017 research analysis published in the International Journal of Epidemiology concluded. Meanwhile, a study of older Australian women published in the April 2018 issue of Journal of the American Heart Association linked a higher intake of cruciferous vegetables to a reduced thickness of the carotid artery wall — suggesting that crucifers may protect the blood vessels. What's more, the sulforaphane in these veggies has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, a January 2015 study in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity found.
In contrast, crucifers were not found to be protective against heart disease in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, according to a report in the June 2018 issue of Clinical Epidemiology.
Crucifers appear to have the right mix of components to promote heart health since they are rich in substances that may decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke. According to Schlachter, preliminary studies have associated high amounts of glucosinolate from broccoli with lower LDL cholesterol levels while sulforaphane has been shown to reduce oxidative stress — which plays a large role in the development of many cardiac-related dysfunctions. But additional studies are needed to better understand the role of crucifers in cardiovascular health.
Other Health Benefits of Cruciferous Vegetables
In addition to their potential anticancer and heart-protective properties, cruciferous vegetables may provide additional health benefits, according to a 2018 review in the Journal of Human Health Research.
Compounds found in these vegetables have the potential to improve blood sugar and treat type 2 diabetes as well as treat H. pylori infections, a bacteria that leads to stomach ulcers. However, as you've likely guessed, the research is preliminary and more quality studies are needed to clarify these benefits.
One of the compounds formed from glucosinolates — 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM) — is recognized for its hormone-balancing benefits in addition to its more established anticancer, antioxidant and detoxification properties. DIM is touted to prevent problems related to excess estrogen (such as hormone-fueled breast cancer) or excess testosterone (including hormonal acne).
However, because the transformation of glucosinolates to DIM in the body can be unpredictable, research of this compound is limited to supplements, not cruciferous vegetables. Plus, there aren't many human studies on this compound.
Warning
Since DIM may not be appropriate for everyone to take, you should note that supplements should not be taken without a doctor's assessment and approval, the National Institutes of Health recommends.
Are There Any Risks Associated With Eating Cruciferous Vegetables?
Now that you know about the plethora of potential health benefits crucifers are linked to, it's time to brush up on the possible risks of eating too much of these.
Very high intake of cruciferous vegetables has caused hypothyroidism in animal research. A plausible explanation is that some of the compounds created from crucifers can interfere with thyroid hormone production, and others may compete with the thyroid gland's uptake of iodine, a nutrient important for thyroid health. Although eating cruciferous vegetables consumption isn't directly linked to thyroid problems in humans, more research is needed on this issue as well.
How to Eat Cruciferous Veggies
Cruciferous vegetables slices of pizza with broccoli and cheese (Image: Seva_blsv/iStock/GettyImages)
Although it's good to emphasize cruciferous vegetables in your diet, you may not need to eat large, daily portions to reap the health benefits. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend at least 2.5 cups of vegetables daily, with this same amount weekly from dark green and cruciferous choices. So, aiming to eat at least a half cup of cruciferous veggies most days of the week is a good place to start!
What's more, it's important to understand how different types of cooking methods affect your veggies' health benefits. Bioavailability of glucosinolates and their breakdown products is impacted by your cooking temperature and method, and more research is needed to understand ways to optimize the availability of these health-promoting substances, a report in the August 2016 issue of Frontiers in Nutrition found.
"Boiling is not the best option for cooking cruciferous vegetables because glucosinolates are water-soluble and may be lost in the cooking water," Schlachter tells us. Additionally, high heat may deactivate myrosinase and decrease the bioavailability of sulforaphane.
So how should you cook your crucifers? "Our best cooking methods generally involve using less water and low heat," Schlachter says. "So that means steaming, stir-frying or even microwaving."
Read more: Healthy Cooking Tips for Beginners and Experts Alike
If you find crucifers unappealing, the variety of choices along with creative preparation strategies may eventually win you over. Here are some tips to make cruciferous vegetables tasty and appealing:
Add mustard greens, arugula, radishes, cabbage or kale to your usual lettuce salads.
Use bok choy, broccoli or cabbage in your favorite stir-fry.
Roast broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, turnips or Brussels sprouts by drizzling with olive oil, seasoning as desired, and placing in an oven set to 400° Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes, tossing halfway through. Roasting crucifers helps bring out their natural sweetness!
Add chopped kale to smoothies.
Finely dice cauliflower and use as an alternative to rice.
Use cauliflower crust in homemade pizza.
Serve broccoli, cauliflower, radishes and kohlrabi raw as appetizers or snacks.
Warning
If you have special dietary needs and have been told to limit cruciferous vegetables because of their fiber or vitamin K content, speak with your doctor or dietitian before adding them to your diet. Also, if you have hypothyroidism or are concerned they may worsen your Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms, consult your doctor.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
Oregon State University: Linus Pauline Institute: "Cruciferous Vegetables"
Food and Nutrition Sciences: "Nutritional Quality and Health Benefits of Vegetables: A Review"
National Cancer Institute: "Cruciferous Vegetables and Cancer Prevention"
International Journal of Epidemiology: "Fruit and Vegetable Intake and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Total Cancer and All-Cause Mortality—A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies"
Clinical Epidemiology: "Intake of Glucosinolates and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Three Large Prospective Cohorts of US Men and Women"
Journal of the American Heart Association: "Cruciferous and Total Vegetable Intakes Are Inversely Associated With Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Older Adult Women"
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity: "Sulforaphane Protects against Cardiovascular Disease via Nrf2 Activation"
Molecular Nutrition and Food Research: "Diet Rich in High Glucoraphanin Broccoli Reduces Plasma LDL Cholesterol: Evidence From Randomised Controlled Trials"
Frontiers in Nutrition: "Bioavailability of Glucosinolates and Their Breakdown Products: Impact of Processing"
Journal of Human Health Research: "The Benefits of Brassica Vegetables on Human Health"
National Institutes of Health: "Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know"
Scientists Now Know How Cilantro Works Against Seizures
New research uncovers the molecular action that enables cilantro to effectively delay certain seizures common in epilepsy and other diseases
JULY 29TH, 2019 BY ANNE WARDE-UC IRVINE
(Credit: UC Irvine)
New research uncovers the molecular action that enables cilantro to effectively delay certain seizures common in epilepsy and other diseases.
Herbs, including cilantro, have a long history of use as folk medicine anticonvulsants. Until now, many of the underlying mechanisms of how the herbs worked remained unknown.
The study in FASEB Journal explains the molecular action of cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) as a highly potent KCNQ channel activator. This new understanding may lead to improvements in therapeutics and the development of more efficacious drugs.
“We discovered that cilantro, which has been used as a traditional anticonvulsant medicine, activates a class of potassium channels in the brain to reduce seizure activity,” says Geoff Abbott, professor of physiology and biophysics at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and principal investigator on the study.
“Specifically, we found one component of cilantro, called dodecenal, binds to a specific part of the potassium channels to open them, reducing cellular excitability. This specific discovery is important as it may lead to more effective use of cilantro as an anticonvulsant, or to modifications of dodecenal to develop safer and more effective anticonvulsant drugs.”
Researchers screened cilantro leaf metabolites, revealing that one—the long-chain fatty aldehyde (E)-2-dodecenal—activates multiple potassium channels including the predominant neuronal isoform and the predominant cardiac isoform, which are responsible for regulating electrical activity in the brain and heart. This metabolite was also found to recapitulate the anticonvulsant action of cilantro, delaying certain chemically-induced seizures. The results provide a molecular basis for the therapeutic actions of cilantro and indicate that this ubiquitous culinary herb is surprisingly influential upon clinically important potassium channels.
Documented use of botanical folk medicines stretches back as far as recorded human history. There is DNA evidence, dating back 48,000 years, that suggests the consumption of plants for medicinal use by Homo neanderthalensis. Archaeological evidence, dating back 800,000 years, suggests a non-food use of plants by Homo erectus or similar species. Today, evidence of the efficacy of botanical folk medicines ranges from anecdotal to clinical trials. In many cases, people consume these “medicines,” often on a large scale, as foodstuffs or food flavoring.
Cilantro, called coriander in the UK, is one example. Humans have consumed cilantro for at least 8,000 years. It was found in the tomb of Tutankhamen and is thought to have been cultivated by the ancient Egyptians.
“In addition to the anticonvulsant properties, cilantro also has reported anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antibacterial, cardioprotective, gastric health, and analgesic effects,” says Abbott. “And, the best part is it tastes good!”
The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medicine Sciences, and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke supported the work.
Source: UC Irvine
Original Study DOI: 10.1096/fj.201900485R
FINLAND: India Day 2019 - Intia-päivä 2019
Intia-päivä or India Day is a mega event and a unique celebration of Indian culture, yoga, ayurveda, cuisine, film, tourism and the rich heritage of India in the heart of Helsinki
India Day 2019 - Intia-päivä 2019
Public · Hosted by India Day Finland
Sunday, August 18, 2019 at 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM UTC+03
Kaisaniemen puisto Kaisaniemi, 00100 Helsinki
Details
Join us in celebrating India Day on Sunday 18th of August 2019 10-18 on Kaisaniemi Field!
(alempana suomenkielinen tapahtumakuvaus)
Intia-päivä or India Day is a mega event and a unique celebration of Indian culture, yoga, ayurveda, cuisine, film, tourism and the rich heritage of India in the heart of Helsinki. Organized by Suomi Intia Seura ry, Embassy of India in Helsinki and Indian regional associations in Finland, the event brings together the Finnish and Indian communities living in Finland to celebrate the spirit of living and working together.
Save the date and invite your friends!
Programme will be updated.
FREE EVENT
FAMILY FRIENDLY
ACCESSIBLE
www.intiapaiva.fi
#indiaday2019 #indiaday #joinmeatindiaday
SuomeksI:
Tervetuloa juhlimaan kanssamme Intia-päivää sunnuntaina 18.8.2019 klo 10-18 Kaisaniemen kentälle!
Intia-päivä eli India Day on megatapahtuma ja ainutlaatuinen juhla intialaiselle kulttuurille, ruualle, joogalle, ayurvedalle, elokuville, turismille ja kulttuuriperinnölle Helsingin sydämessä. Tapahtumaa järjestävät Suomi-Intia seura ry, Intian suurlähetystö Helsingissä ja intialaiset alueelliset järjestöt Suomessa. Tapahtuma tuo yhteen suomalaiset ja intialaiset yhteisöt juhlistamaan yhdessäolon riemua!
Tule mukaan ja kutsu ystäväsi!
Ohjelma päivittyy myöhemmin, mutta ota päivä talteen!
ILMAINEN TAPAHTUMA
KOKO PERHEEN TAPAHTUMA
ESTEETÖN
#intiapaiva2019 #intiapaiva #joinmeatindiaday
Good Food For Planet And Body
There is mounting evidence that plant-based foods have a positive impact on the planet – and the body
7th August 2019
There is mounting evidence that plant-based foods have a positive impact on the planet – and the body.
Oxford University researchers said in a report last year that going vegan is the biggest action individuals can take to minimise their ecological footprint; and a new paper published in the Journal of the American Heart Association this week says that adopting more of a plant-based diet reduces the risk of a heart attack or stroke
“Our study does suggest that eating a larger proportion of plant-based foods and a smaller proportion of animal-based foods may help reduce your risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other type of cardiovascular disease,” said lead researcher, Casey M. Rebholz, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.
Looking at the data of 10,000 middle-aged Americans between 1987 and 2016, individuals without any cardiovascular issues at the start of the study, the researchers found those who ate the most plant-based foods in their diets were at a 32% lower risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease and were a 16% lower risk of suffering heart attacks, stroke, heart failure and other conditions.
“The American Heart Association recommends eating a mostly plant-based diet, provided the foods you choose are rich in nutrition and low in added sugars, sodium (salt), cholesterol and artery-clogging saturated and trans fats. For example, French fries or cauliflower pizza with cheese are plant based but are low in nutritional value and are loaded with sodium (salt). Unprocessed foods, like fresh fruit, vegetables and grains are good choices,” said Mariell Jessup, M.D., the chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association.
Lead Photo: Photo by Daniel Hjalmarsson on Unsplash
Should GMOs Be Allowed In Organic Food? USDA Sparks Debate
USDA Undersecretary of Agriculture Greg Ibach testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee this month that plants grown with the aid of genetically modified organisms and gene editing could be allowed to be certified organic in the future.
AUTHOR Jessi Devenyns
July 29, 2019
Dive Brief:
USDA Undersecretary of Agriculture Greg Ibach testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee this month that plants grown with the aid of genetically modified organisms and gene editing could be allowed to be certified organic in the future.
"I think there is the opportunity to open the discussion to consider whether it is appropriate for some of these new technologies that include gene-editing to be eligible to be used to enhance organic production and to have drought and disease-resistant varieties, as well as higher-yield varieties available," he said.
Currently, organic standards prohibit genetic engineering and GMOs to be certified under that label. In June, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that instructed federal agencies to be more lenient on the approvals for genetic crop modifications and other forms of agricultural biotech.
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Dive Insight:
The current organic certification requires that products with the organic label lack antibiotics, artificial colors, genetically modified ingredients and synthetic pesticides. GMOs made the list because they are not naturally occurring, a value which is at the root of the organic movement. However, Ibach's comments show that policymakers are considering GMO as a possible addition to the list of acceptable practices for organic farming.
GMOs have been a touchy subject in recent years. A 2018 study by the Hartman Group found that nearly half the respondents would avoid purchasing products with GMOs. At that same time, 60% of consumers in one study admitted they don't know much about GMOs, according to a presentation at the IFT19 conference by Intertek. Still, with widespread skepticism of so-called "frankenfoods," companies are voluntarily acknowledging or removing GMO ingredients from their products.
While these genetically altered foods are often seen in an unfavorable light by consumers, about 12% of global agricultural land is still planted each year with genetically modified crops. In the U.S., those numbers are even higher for certain crops. The Grocery Manufacturers Association said about 90% of the nation's corn, soybean and sugar beet crops are genetically modified, which translates to up to 75% of the products in a grocery store that are made with ingredients derived from crops that were genetically modified.
The reason for the prevalence of GMOs boils down to practicality. A World Resources Institute report published this month said urgent changes in the global food system are needed to make sure there is enough food for an estimated 10 billion people by 2050. One of the primary solutions the report named was increasing the number of bioengineered crops in both quantity and variety of species. Feeding the planet in the future is a concern for the organic farming community, but there is still hesitation given that consumers have an aversion to GMOs.
Despite the predominant scientific consensus that GMO food is safe and items made with these ingredients are just as nutritious as their counterparts, many still don't trust them. As consumers increasingly value transparency, changing the acceptability of GMO ingredients in organic food production could result in backlash. Although a 2018 study in Agriculture and Human Values showed about two-thirds of consumers didn't notice a GMO label on a product, of those who did, more than half of the consumers said the label influenced them not to buy the product. It may also be difficult for the USDA to keep track of since there are different GE methods.
"The allowance of any GE techniques under the organic label raises legitimate 'slippery slope; concerns," Cornucopia's Director of Domestic Policy Marie Burcham said in a statement. "The USDA would be hard-pressed to find the resources to track allowed GE technologies and products in the organic sector, assuming they could summon the will."
Even if GMOs are allowed in organics, it organic producers may still want to consider keeping GMOs out of their farming practices. While organic food sales increased by an average of 10% per year between 2010 and 2016, that pace has cooled to 6% for the past two years, according to a report from Rabobank. While the growth of the industry is slowing, prices for organic products are also dropping, which could encourage organic shoppers to buy more products. But they might not do so if there are GMOs included in those foods.
The importance of having a guarantee that organic means non-GMO may become even more important when the new labeling laws go into effect next year since not all products containing GMO ingredients fall under the labeling requirements. Having the organic label be synonymous with GMO-free could be one way for some producers to present added value to those consumers who care about keeping modification out of their foods.
Lead Photo: (Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture )
Recommended Reading:
Brooklyn, New York: Spinach Ice Cream: Made With Leafy Greens, Olive Oil And Salt
Spinach, packed as it is with vitamins and fibers, is one of the most popular veggies that's recognized as a superfood. Added to pasta or simply sautéed with garlic, spinach is also an incredibly versatile green.
Now, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, an artisanal frozen treats shop based in Brooklyn, New York, has launched a spinach-flavored ice cream in honor of cartoon sailor Popeye’s 90th birthday and the annual Fleet Week.
This spinach ice cream doesn't just contain the leafy green, however. It's also a dairy-free ice cream, perfect for vegans to enjoy it as well.
"When we were presented with the opportunity to collaborate with an icon like Popeye, we wanted to make a special flavor that was plant-based since everyone knows he gets his strength from eating lots and lots of spinach," Ellie Zitsman, head of research and development at Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, told TODAY Food via email. "Our vegan ice cream base is rich in nutrients and packed with protein since it’s made with house-made raw cashew milk, coconut cream, raw organic coconut oil, pure cocoa butter and organic cane sugar."
2018 Saw The Most Multistate Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness In More Than A Decade, CDC Says
Lisa Dennis selects lettuce from the vegetable shelves at the East End Food Co-op Federal Credit Union in Pittsburgh on Nov. 20. (Jessie Wardarski/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/AP)
By Laura Reiley
April 25, 2019
Foodborne illnesses killed 120 Americans last year and sickened 25,606, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its annual report Thursday, acknowledging an increasing incidence of infection caused by eight major pathogens and a sharp uptick in the number of multistate outbreaks.
The CDC logged 23 multistate investigations last year, the most in at least a dozen years, tracking major E. coli outbreaks linked to romaine, a salmonella outbreak in eggs, raw beef products, frozen chicken and canned pork, as well as outbreaks related to individual food products such as Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter, Lebanon bologna and Hy-Vee Spring Pasta Salad.
Campylobacter, the most commonly identified infection since 2013, was linked to 9,723 cases last year. Salmonella caused 9,084 cases. Despite regulatory programs intended to reduce salmonella in chicken and eggs, infections caused by Salmonella enteritidis, one of the most common serotypes, have not declined in more than 10 years. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli cases were up for the year but still trailed these two, with 2,925 cases.
Foodborne illness results in $3 billion in health-care costs. Nearly half of the illnesses come from produce, according to the CDC. Then, in descending order, it is meat and poultry; dairy and eggs; and fish and shellfish.
“Last year was certainly attention-getting, and it continues this year with problems with produce, ground beef and poultry,” Robert Tauxe, the director of the division of foodborne, waterborne and environmental diseases at the CDC, said in an interview. “We badly need an intervention that could be used on live chickens, either a feed or a vaccine.”
Tauxe said campylobacter, in particular, is tricky. A chicken becomes infected as a young bird in the chicken house (they are not born with it), and it does not make the chicken sick in any way.
“These infections live in food animals and their environment, and the farmer or rancher is not aware that they have a problem. A contamination can go to produce, and the microbes are invisible,” he said.
One reason for an uptick in these reported cases is that the CDC has become quicker to detect and investigate outbreaks. Tests in doctor offices also are getting speedier and more frequent, with diagnostic tools that give a result within an hour and do not require sending out a culture, which takes two or three days.
“There are some organisms that we’ve been tracking for years that are hard to identify, and now it’s just a panel, and the lab looks for 22 kinds of pathogens,” Tauxe said.
Erik Olson, senior director of health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said diagnostic tools may have played a role in the uptick, but a lack of appropriate legislation may contribute to ongoing foodborne illness problems such as the deadly E. coli outbreak in romaine from Yuma, Ariz., that sickened 210 people and killed five. The largest outbreak in 10 years, reported in 36 states, was linked to tainted water in an irrigation canal from a nearby cattle ranch.
In 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act was signed into law, giving the government new power to control how food is grown and processed. One part of the law that was set to take effect in January 2018, Olson explains, required farmers to test irrigation water, which can be contaminated with feces and bacteria. In September 2017, the Food and Drug Administration suspended those testing and inspection requirements.
Olson also points to recent increases in the allowable speed at poultry-processing plants as worrying developments that might herald further upticks in campylobacter and salmonella.
“They’re trying to look at more than one chicken per second to determine if there’s a problem. We’ve delegated a lot of responsibility of ensuring food safety to the food industry itself. It doesn’t always work well.”
[Pork industry soon will have more power over meat inspections]
Tauxe says there is some progress in precisely that area.
“Produce safety is a subject of a lot of debate. The LGMA [California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement] has decided to require that they use treated water. It’s the water they spray on the plants for irrigation or the water they would use to crop dust with. Farmers would have to test it for the 21 days before harvest.”
[Food inspections by the FDA have been sharply reduced, alarming critics]
Most experts agree that, despite new technologies and increased attention to supply-chain transparency, reports like these highlight our increasingly problematic food system. Food production is becoming more centralized just as food sourcing is going global, so foodborne illnesses have changed and become more dispersed across the country. It is hard to trace the source of the problem when tomatoes come from different farms, say, or leafy greens come from different producers and end up commingled in the same bag.
The Summit Is HERE - May 6 - 9 - 2019 - Milano, Italy
The Summit Is Right Around The Corner - May 6 - 9 - 2019 - Milano, Italy
Seeds&Chips Global Food Innovation Summit 2019: Sparking Change
The fifth edition of the Seeds&Chips Global Food Innovation Summit May 6-9, 2019 will gather a community of entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, leaders, and activists that push for a sustainable future in food and agriculture. Food Tank President Danielle Nierenberg will participate in the summit, held in Milan, Italy, to inspire solutions for feeding the future.
The summit will gather speakers tasked with inspiring attendees to do more for a sustainable food future. Award-winning actor and activist Alec Baldwin will talk about feeding the world and reducing environmental impacts in a keynote presentation. Innovators like Fabrice DeClerck, Science Director at EAT & Bioversity International, and Thomas King, founder and CEO of Food Frontier, will discuss optimizing foodtech sector. Amongst many special guests, HRH Princess Viktória de Bourbon de Parme and Olusegum Obasanjo, Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will highlight opportunities for sustainable development and agriculture around the world.
On May 6, Danielle will participate in the Opening Ceremony and the session “Hand Made Tale: The Innovative Women Solving Our Global Food Challenges” with women like Susan Rockefeller, Board Member of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture and Angeline Achariya, CEO of Monash Food Innovation Centre. Danielle will discuss collaborations in the foodtech sector at “Common Ground: Synergy and Solutions for the Next Food System” on May 7, alongside innovative business executives. In the May 8 session “The Food Fight: podcast debates on the food system’s biggest challenges,” hosted by EIT Food, Danielle will explore whether producers or consumers should be responsible for ensuring people eat healthy food with nutritionists and CEOs alike.
Food Tank’s Francesca Tabor will judge the Sustainable Snacking Pitch Competition, co-hosted by Mondelēz International and Seeds&Chips, on May 6. The pitch competition will gather start-ups and entrepreneurs to share their innovative solutions in not only alternative snacks and ingredients, but also food waste reduction, sustainable packaging, sustainable sourcing, responsible supply chain practices, and more. Competition winners, selected by SnackFutures, Seeds&Chips, and Food Tank, will gain access to Mondelēz’s innovation acceleration workshops which will allow Mondelēz teams to help refine the solution’s concepts.
On May 7, Food Tank, Mondelēz International, and Seeds&Chips will co-host an evening panel event at Carlo e Camilla, in Segheria, a renowned restaurant reinventing conviviality around the dinner table. On the backdrop of hors d’oeuvres specially designed by chefs Carlo Cracco and Luca Pedata, Danielle will discuss Mondelēz’s new innovation hub for creating a sustainable food system—SnackFutures—with Brigette Wolf, Head of SnackFutures. Then, Danielle will invite Danielle Gould, founder of Food + Tech Connect and co-CEO of Alpha Food Labs, and Pashon Murray, founder of Detroit Dirt, on stage to talk about the contributions companies play in food and sustainability.
Seeds&Chips will debut a new discussion series “It’s Time for Africa,” focusing on Africa’s potential in growing a sustainable and inclusive economy—and a model for development across the world. Danielle will participate in the inaugural series on May 7 at the session “Bridging the Gap between Surplus and Scarcity: Opportunities of Food Innovation,” offering insight on the opportunities food innovation offers for social and economic development in Africa.
As part of its mission to create a better food system for future generations, the summit will feature food innovators as young as 13 years old on each of the over 30 sessions. With the pressure of the rising population, increasing number of hungry people, and arriving climate change impacts, the young innovators will offer new directions and innovative solutions to sustainably feed everyone.
Over 300 speakers throughout the event will contribute their solutions to improve precision agriculture, traceability, artificial intelligence, investment, open innovation, and more. Exhibitors will include companies and innovations from every part of the food system, ranging from Agtools, data services to help farmers maximize their farms and buyers understand product availability, to Redefine Meat, a 3-D printing plant-based beef company.
Tickets are still available here. Access a 50 percent discount by using the code FOODTANKSAC19.
OUR FANTASTIC SPEAKERS 2019
SEE MORE
ALEC BALDWIN
SUSAN ROCKEFELLER
RAJIV SHAH
RADEK SALI
PASCAL CAGNI
OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
NICOLAS DUFOURCQ
MARIA HELENA SEMEDO
LIAM CONDON
KERRY KENNEDY
KAMEL CHIDA
HRH PRINCESS VIKTÓRIA DE BOURBON DE PARME
HOWARD-YANA SHAPIRO
HEATHER MILLS
DANIELLE NIERENBERG
EREL N. MARGALIT
DAVID BARBER
CRAIG COGUT
BERNARDO HERNANDEZ
ANDY ZYNGA
THE SUMMIT
What we grow from the Earth, and from our minds, can shape the future of food
Seeds&Chips S.r.l. a socio unico - Via F. Ferrucci, 2, 20145 Milano
P.IVA 08798680966
T: +39 02 49796724
"Healthy Food Is A Basic Human Right"
These Local Initiatives Are Combatting America's Food Desert Issue
By Alex Aronson
Apr 30, 2019
Access to fresh food is not just an issue in third-world countries. It's a problem right here on American soil, and it's affecting millions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines food deserts as "areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and other foods that make up a full and healthy diet." This issue is also compounded by factors like lack of financial resources and an excess of convenience stores rather than large retail markets that stock healthy foods. Due to this problem, many communities in the U.S. struggle with a deficiency of proper nutrition, leading to a significant increase in child and adult obesity.
But not all hope is lost. There are some incredible organizations and individuals who dedicate their time to combatting this widespread issue.
Click here to learn how 11 amazing groups are doing their part to put an end to food deserts.
BARCROFT MEDIA GETTY IMAGES
Video: PBS WLVT's “Food As Medicine”
Now streaming: PBS WLVT's “Food As Medicine” focuses on how food can be used to treat diseases, improve health, and increase quality of life.
by Rodale Institute
April 3, 2019
What does a greenhouse and a pharmacy have in common? According to a new PBS documentary, they both house tools to heal our bodies.
Available to stream now, the PBS WLVT film “Food As Medicine” focuses on how food can be used to treat diseases, improve health, and increase quality of life.
How Can Food Heal?
The film features a discussion with Dr. Scott Stoll, a board-certified physiatrist and founder of the Plantrician Project. Dr. Stoll describes how nutrients in produce may reverse the course of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer.
A plant-based diet high in anti-inflammatory agents such as dark leafy greens, turmeric, berries, quinoa, and other whole foods is central to Dr. Stoll’s message.
“This food that we’re eating is reducing inflammation, it’s turning genes on and off, it’s enhancing our health when we’re eating these healthy foods” Stoll explains. “A whole food plant-based diet can not only prevent these diseases, these autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, it can suspend the disease and, in many cases, can actually reverse the disease.”
The film also includes a cooking demonstration by chef Erik Oberholtzer, co-founder of Tender Greens restaurants. Oberholtzer uses the vegetables highlighted by Dr. Stoll to create nutritious, 30-minute meals that can be made by anyone.
Healthy Soil, Healthy Food
Crucial to reaping the health benefits of produce, the film emphasizes, is the connection between soil health and nutritious food. “Food As Medicine” also delves into how regenerative agricultural practices support the nutritional value of produce.
Rodale Institute Executive Director Jeff Moyer explains how the nutrients and minerals that we consume through plants come from the soil. He stresses that consumers have the power to build the kind of food system they want to see.
“Every time you purchase a food item at a supermarket, a grocery store, or a restaurant, you’re making a choice,” Moyer says. “You’re voting with your dollars for a particular type of food system. You’re telling farmers, the agricultural food system, what it is you want. And we have to take that power very seriously, because we can all have a positive impact.”
“When you make decisions about what you’re putting on your plate, those decisions have a multitude of implications.”
Features include a demonstration on organic soil health, as well as an introduction to the ways in which organic produce can be introduced into under-served communities.
“When you make decisions about what you’re putting on your plate, those decisions have a multitude of implications,” Dr. Stoll emphasizes.
“Food As Medicine” drives home that when we take care of our soil, we produce food that is rich in nutrients that can not only help protect the earth, but can protect our bodies as well.
For more information about the connections between agriculture and health care, visit the Regenerative Health Institute.
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Program:
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) | AFRI Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Applications to the FY 2019 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) Request for Applications (RFA) must focus on approaches that promote transformational changes in the U.S. food and agriculture system within the next 25 years.
NIFA seeks creative and visionary applications that take a systems approach, and that will significantly improve the supply of abundant, affordable, safe, nutritious, and accessible food, while providing sustainable opportunities for expansion of the bioeconomy through novel animal, crop, and forest products and supporting technologies.
These approaches must demonstrate current and future social, behavioral, economic, health, and environmental impacts.
Additionally, the outcomes of the work being proposed must result in societal benefits, including promotion of rural prosperity and enhancement of quality of life for those involved in food and agricultural value chains from production to utilization and consumption. See AFRI SAS RFA for details.
APPLY FOR GRANT(LINK IS EXTERNAL)VIEW RFA
ELIGIBILITY DETAILS
Who Is Eligible to Apply:
1862 Land-Grant Institutions, 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, Other or Additional Information (See below), Private Institutions of Higher Ed, State Controlled Institutions of Higher Ed
More on Eligibility:
Note: This RFA invites only integrated project (must include research, education, and extension) applications. Please see Part III, A. of the this AFRI SAS RFA for more specific eligibility requirements for integrated projects. Applications from ineligible institutions will not be reviewed.
IMPORTANT DATES
Posted Date:
Friday, March 29, 2019
Closing Date:
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Other Due Date:
Letter of Intent Due:
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For More Information Contact:
AFRI Sustainable Agricultural Systems Team
Contact for Electronic Access Problems:
electronic@nifa.usda.gov(link sends e-mail)
Funding Opportunity Number:
USDA-NIFA-AFRI-006739
CFDA number:
10.310
Previous fiscal year(s) RFA:
FY 2018 AFRI SAS FINAL RFA (431.48 KB)
Estimated Total Program Funding:
$90,000,000
Percent of Applications Funded:
10%
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:
See RFA
Range of Awards:
$5,000,000 - $10,000,000
Starbuck's Is Anchoring New Food And Tech Fund Valor Siren Ventures With $100M Investment
March 22, 2019
Starbucks announced it is making a $100 million investment in Valor Siren Ventures Fund (VSV), a newly launched venture fund that will back the next generation of food and retail technology startups.
In the coming months, VSV said that it is aiming to raise another $300 million from other outside investors.
“We believe that innovative ideas are fuel for the future, and we continue to build on this heritage inside our company across beverage, experiential retail, and our digital flywheel,” said Kevin Johnson, president and CEO, Starbucks.
Managed by Chicago-based Valor Equity Partners, a leading growth private equity investment firm that is a backer of Tesla and a long-time investor in food tech, this new fund will identify and invest in innovative companies that are developing new technologies, products, and solutions for the food and retail sectors.
Founded in 1995 by managing partner and CIO Antonio J. Gracias, Valor Equity is a previous investor in SpaceX, Tesla, Eatsa, Fooda, and Wow Bao, among others. And in July of last year, raised $1.05 billion for its Fund IV, bringing the total funds raised by the company, at the time, to more than $2 billion.
The fund also will act as an incubator for startups with which Starbucks can partner, and gives the company first-hand access to innovations that it can leverage to advance its own technology and retail platforms.
“At the same time, and with an eye toward accelerating our innovation agenda, we are inspired by, and want to support the creative, entrepreneurial businesses of tomorrow with whom we may explore commercial relationships down the road,” said Johnson. “This new partnership with Valor presents exciting opportunities, not only for these startups, but also for Starbucks, as we build an enduring company for decades to come.”
I Think We’ll Need a Bigger Wagon…
In recent years there has been a flurry of accelerators and venture capital arms launched by large CPG companies. This reflects the continued truth that there is a shift occurring within the food sector that is creating a scenario in which Big Food needs the rapid-response innovation generated by startups as much as startups need the capital available from Big Food.
The move to launch venture capital arms and accelerator programs or incubators has become a widely used method by some of the world’s largest and most conventional companies to achieve diversification, and to gain a foothold and to establish relevance in a swiftly changing consumer market. CPG companies also use these programs as a means to stay a step ahead of their competition while realizing the growth potential in disruptive food innovation.
Others that have come before include:
General Mills, which launched 301 Inc., in October 2015 – a venture capital arm that has gone on to outrank the likes of Time Warner and Merck for investment activity.
Campbell’s Soup, which launched its $125 million venture capital fund, Acre Venture Partners, in February 2016.
Anheuser-Busch, which partnered with Techstars to launch an accelerator in April 2016.
Danone, whose venture capital fund Danone Manifesto Ventures made its first investment in June 2016 in France’s Michel et Augustin, a producer of premium biscuits, dairy products, fresh desserts, and beverages.
Tyson, which launched its $150 million venture fund, Tyson New Ventures, in December 2016.
Kellogg’s, which launched its venture capital unit, eighteen94, in January 2017, making its first investment in Kui Kuli, a manufacturer and distributor of moringa-based bars, powders, and energy shots.
Barilla, which launched Blu1877, a hybrid venture capital fund and innovation hub, in November 2017.
Pepsi, whose PepsiCo HIVE made its first investment in Health Warrior, a producer of plant-based and superfood snacks and protein powders in October 2018.
And Mars, which announced the launch of Seeds of Change™, an early stage, food-focused accelerator, in March of this year.
At this point, an initial investment for the Valor Siren Ventures Fund has not been disclosed, however a company statement noted that Starbucks is “embracing new ideas and innovations that are relevant to Starbucks customers, inspiring to its partners, and meaningful to its business.”
Valor Equity CIO Antonio J. Gracias said, “as experienced investors in food and retail technology, we are thrilled to partner with Starbucks, one of the most iconic and forward-thinking global brands. Under our partner Jon Shulkin’s leadership, we are incredibly excited to partner with Starbucks to drive innovation in the food and retail industries.”
~ Lynda Kiernan
Lynda Kiernan is Editor with GAI Media and daily contributor to GAI News. If you would like to submit a contribution for consideration, please contact Ms. Kiernan at lkiernan@globalaginvesting.com.
Singapore’s Getting a New Govt Body – And Its Priority Is To Make Sure The Country Has Enough Food
The Singapore Food Agency will be responsible for developing Singapore’s food supply, improving food safety regulations, and handling food-borne disease outbreaks.
February 13, 2019
Come April 1, Singapore’s new food-related statutory board, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), will come into existence – and its most important job is to ensure the country has enough food supplies.
The new stat board was created to consolidate and handle food-related matters currently scattered under divisions in the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), Health Sciences Authority and National Environment Agency.
SFA’s priority is to develop national strategies to obtain food, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 12).
According to Masagos, imports account for most of Singapore’s food supply, and the republic currently imports items from 180 countries – up from 140 countries in 2004.
The minister said the SFA would continue to look for more import sources to ensure Singapore is not overreliant on any country for food items. This would also reduce the republic’s “vulnerability to external volatility and price hikes,” he added.
In addition, it will also help local food companies based overseas to expand, thus reducing the price of imports.
Another way the stat board plans to develop food security is by increasing the supply from local farms. It is looking at educating farmers at institutes of higher learning (such as universities and polytechnics), so as to incorporate more technology and R&D in the farming sector, Masagos said.
Examples of these technologies include indoor vertical farms and deep sea fish farming.
On top of food security, the SFA will also be responsible for improving food safety regulations and handling food-borne disease outbreaks, such as tracing and recalling food products, and testing food samples.
Its “regulatory oversight over all food-related matters from farm to fork” would allow the government to “address lapses (in food safety) more quickly and more holistically,” the AVA said in a statement.
In addition, a food laboratory, the National Centre for Food Science, will be set up under the SFA to research food safety.
How Urban Agriculture Can Improve Food Security in US Cities
…researchers have calculated that Cleveland, with a population of 400,000, has the potential to meet 100 percent of its urban dwellers’ fresh vegetable needs, 50 percent of their poultry and egg requirements and 100 percent of their demand for honey.
February 13, 2019 10.49pm AEDT
City Farm is a working sustainable farm that has operated in Chicago for over 30 years. Linda from Chicago/Wikimedia, CC BY
Author Miguel Altieri
Professor of Agroecology, University of California, Berkeley
Disclosure statement
Miguel Altieri does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Partners University of California provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US.
During the partial federal shutdown in December 2018 and January 2019, news reports showed furloughed government workers standing in line for donated meals. These images were reminders that for an estimated one out of eight Americans, food insecurity is a near-term risk.
In California, where I teach, 80 percent of the population lives in cities. Feeding the cities of the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area, with a total population of some 7 million involves importing 2.5 to 3 million tons of food per day over an average distance of 500 to 1,000 miles.
This system requires enormous amounts of energy and generates significant greenhouse gas emissions. It also is extremely vulnerable to large-scale disruptions, such as major earthquakes.
And the food it delivers fails to reach 1 of every 8 people in the region who live under the poverty line – mostly senior citizens, children and minorities. Access to quality food is limited both by poverty and the fact that on average, California’s low-income communities have 32.7 percent fewer supermarkets than high-income areas within the same cities.
Many organizations see urban agriculture as a way to enhance food security. It also offers environmental, health and social benefits. Although the full potential of urban agriculture is still to be determined, based on my own research I believe that raising fresh fruits, vegetables and some animal products near consumers in urban areas can improve local food security and nutrition, especially for underserved communities.
The growth of urban agriculture
Urban farming has grown by more than 30 percent in the United States in the past 30 years. Although it has been estimated that urban agriculture can meet 15 to 20 percent of global food demand, it remains to be seen what level of food self-sufficiency it can realistically ensure for cities.
One recent survey found that 51 countries do not have enough urban area to meet a recommended nutritional target of 300 grams per person per day of fresh vegetables. Moreover, it estimated, urban agriculture would require 30 percent of the total urban area of those countries to meet global demand for vegetables. Land tenure issues and urban sprawl could make it hard to free up this much land for food production.
Other studies suggest that urban agriculture could help cities achieve self-sufficiency. For example, researchers have calculated that Cleveland, with a population of 400,000, has the potential to meet 100 percent of its urban dwellers’ fresh vegetable needs, 50 percent of their poultry and egg requirements and 100 percent of their demand for honey.
Can Oakland’s urban farmers learn from Cuba?
Although urban agriculture has promise, a small proportion of the food produced in cities is consumed by food-insecure, low-income communities. Many of the most vulnerable people have little access to land and lack the skills needed to design and tend productive gardens.
Cities such as Oakland, with neighborhoods that have been identified as “food deserts,” can lie within a half-hour drive of vast stretches of productive agricultural land. But very little of the twenty million tons of food produced annually within 100 miles of Oakland reaches poor people.
Paradoxically, Oakland has 1,200 acres of undeveloped open space – mostly public parcels of arable land – which, if used for urban agriculture, could produce 5 to 10 percent of the city’s vegetable needs. This potential yield could be dramatically enhanced if, for example, local urban farmers were trained to use well-tested agroecological methods that are widely applied in Cuba to cultivate diverse vegetables, roots, tubers and herbs in relatively small spaces.
In Cuba, over 300,000 urban farms and gardens produce about 50 percent of the island’s fresh produce supply, along with 39,000 tons of meat and 216 million eggs. Most Cuban urban farmers reach yields of 44 pounds (20 kilograms) per square meter per year.
An organic farm in Havana, Cuba, that produces outputs averaging 20 kilograms (44 pounds) per square meter per year without agrochemical inputs.Miguel Altieri, CC BY-ND
If trained Oakland farmers could achieve just half of Cuban yields, 1,200 acres of land would produce 40 million kilograms of vegetables – enough to provide 100 kilograms per year per person to more than 90 percent of Oakland residents.
To see whether this was possible, my research team at the University of California at Berkeley established a diversified garden slightly larger than 1,000 square feet. It contained a total of 492 plants belonging to 10 crop species, grown in a mixed polycultural design.
In a three-month period, we were able to produce yields that were close to our desired annual level by using practices that improved soil health and biological pest control. They included rotations with green manures that are plowed under to benefit the soil; heavy applications of compost; and synergistic combinations of crop plants in various intercropping arrangements known to reduce insect pests.
Research plots in Berkeley, Calif., testing agroecological management practices such as intercropping, mulching and green composting. Miguel Altieri, CC BY-ND
Overcoming barriers to urban agriculture
Achieving such yields in a test garden does not mean they are feasible for urban farmers in the Bay Area. Most urban farmers in California lack ecological horticultural skills. They do not always optimize crop density or diversity, and the University of California’s extension program lacks the capacity to provide agroecological training.
The biggest challenge is access to land. University of California researchers estimate that over 79 percent of the state’s urban farmers do not own the property that they farm. Another issue is that water is frequently unaffordable. Cities could address this by providing water at discount rates for urban farmers, with a requirement that they use efficient irrigation practices.
In the Bay Area and elsewhere, most obstacles to scaling up urban agriculture are political, not technical. In 2014 California enacted AB511, which set out mechanisms for cities to establish urban agriculture incentive zones, but did not address land access.
One solution would be for cities to make vacant and unused public land available for urban farming under low-fee multiyear leases. Or they could follow the example of Rosario, Argentina, where 1,800 residents practice horticulture on about 175 acres of land. Some of this land is private, but property owners receive tax breaks for making it available for agriculture.
In my view, the ideal strategy would be to pursue land reform similar to that practiced in Cuba, where the government provides 32 acres to each farmer, within a few miles around major cities to anyone interested in producing food. Between 10 and 20 percent of their harvest is donated to social service organizations such as schools, hospitals and senior centers.
Similarly, Bay Area urban farmers might be required to provide donate a share of their output to the region’s growing homeless population, and allowed to sell the rest. The government could help to establish a system that would enable gardeners to directly market their produce to the public.
Cities have limited ability to deal with food issues within their boundaries, and many problems associated with food systems require action at the national and international level. However, city governments, local universities and nongovernment organizations can do a lot to strengthen food systems, including creating agroecological training programs and policies for land and water access. The first step is increasing public awareness of how urban farming can benefit modern cities.