|
| pico- | 10 e-12 |
| femto- | 10 e-15 |
| atto- | 10 e-18 |
| zepto- | 10 e-21 |
| yacto- | 10 e-24 |
Hites said that analytical chemistry sensitivity has been increasing at the rate of about 3-4 orders of magnitude per decade. Hites predicted that by the year 2000, analytical chemists may be able to detect concentrations as low as 10 e-21 moles. "Eventually we'll be talking about one or two molecules", he said.
This increased sensitivity raised 2 policy questions to Hite. The first deals with the Delaney Clause which forbids the introduction into the food supply of anything (in any amount) that causes cancer.
Considering that the number of atoms or molecules in Avagadro's number (about a gram of something) is 6.023 x 10 e23, if you measure down to a zeptogram that will mean you are looking at only 600 or so atoms or molecules of a substance! If the Delaney Clause stays in effect, almost anything tested will be found to contain a few molecules of some cancerous substance and will have to be banned from introduction into the food supply by the FDA. Will we all starve?
The other problem relates to the understanding of the scientific notation by the media and the consumer. If someone sees the number "2,000 femtograms per cubic meter" attached to a chemical like dioxin, she/he is likely, as was the case with one reporter that Hite said he had dealt with, to focus on the number "2,000" rather than the prefix "femto-".
Hites offered a way to explain the trace quantities: "If you gave me a penny for each femtogram in a gram", he said, "I could pay off the national debt_ and still have $8 trillion left over."
In terms of policy, he noted, one has to decide when you can say that "nothing" is present. "A femtogram's not 'none'" Hite said. "It is `some', and we can measure it. The issue is the toxic effect. We can measure lower and lower quantities, but those quantities have to be evaluated in terms of the risks they cause." (KP)
Sources: Food Chemical News, March 1994 and Electronic Food Rap, Purdue, March 1994.
Presto Gauge Testers that are used to check clients pressure canners need to be tested each year. The best time to send them in for testing is early spring.
To have yours checked, send to :
- National Presto
Industries
Home Economics Department
3925 North Hastings Way
Eau Claire, WI 54703
(715) 839-2121.
This is a free service. Please send your tester via UPS. It takes about 3 weeks to get your tester back. (JD)
Modified
Recipe: Berry Ice Cream
Berry Ice Cream (Original)
1 egg*1
3/4 cup milk (may be part cream)
6 pkgs Equal or other sugar substitute
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup fresh or frozen berries
You may substitute 1/3 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey for the Equal. Beat all ingredients together. Pour into an ice cream freezer and freeze. Makes one pint. (If substituting 1/3 cup sugar or 1/4 c. honey for the Equal or other sugar substitute, beat the eggs and sugar to increase the volume.)
Berry Ice
"Cream" (Modified)
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk (1 13- ounce can) *2
5 to 6 packages Equal (to taste) or other substitute
sugar
3/4 cup to 1 cup fresh or frozen berries
1 tsp. vanilla extract
You may substitute 1/3 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey for the Equal. Beat all ingredients together. Pour into an ice cream freezer and freeze. Makes one pint. (If substituting 1/3 cup sugar or 1/4 c. honey for the Equal or other sugar substitute, beat the eggs and sugar to increase the volume.)
| Nutrition per serving , 1/2 cup | Original | Modified |
| Calories | 114 | 114 |
| Fat | 7 g | 0 .5 g |
| Protein | 5 g | 9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 7 g | 14 g |
| Cholesterol | 84 mg | 4 mg |
| Sodium | 61 mg | 140 mg |
| Percent of Calories from fat | 57 | 16 |
* Notes:
- Replace the eggs in the original version with egg substitute because of the danger of salmonella poisoning from raw eggs.
- Undiluted evaporated skim milk is a good substitute for whole milk and cream. The calories from fat are replaced by more protein and milk sugar (lactose). There is also less cholesterol but a little more sodium in the modified version. (MC)
Putting Knowledge into Practice
According to a National Cancer Institute (NCI) survey conducted in 1993, Americans are increasingly aware of the benefits of fruits and vegetables in the diet. 29% of people surveyed reported an awareness of the need for fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and other illnesses (compared to only 8% in 1991.) However, only 1 in 8 U.S. adults say they actually consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Estimates of average fruit and vegetable consumption in the U.S. currently range from about 2.5 to 3.5 servings a day. (MP)
Source: FDA Consumer, March 1994
Results of a recent study may help women accept the new guidelines for greater weight gain during pregnancy. According to a recent report by the National Center for Health Statistics, pregnant women who gain the weight that the doctors now recommend do not retain much of it a year after they give birth.
In the 1950's, pregnant women were advised to restrict weight gain to 15-20 pounds to avoid complications during pregnancy, difficult delivery and postpartum obesity. Since then, researchers have found that greater weight gain leads to healthier babies. Thus experts currently recommend a weight gain of 25 to 35 pounds for women of normal pre-pregnancy weight, 28-40 pounds for underweight women , and 15-25 pounds for overweight women.
The study showed that 57% of normal weight mothers who had gained 25-35 pounds retained less than 4 of these pounds 10 to 18 months later. About half of this group weighed less than their pre-pregnancy weight; 22% retained 4-8 pounds, and 20% more than 8 pounds. Women who gained more weight than recommended tended to retain more weight after pregnancy. (MP)
Source: UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, May 1994
As a follow-up to the International Conference on Nutrition held in Rome two years ago, USDA has developed a "US Plan of Action for Nutrition." The plan includes the following recommendations:
Breast-feeding promotion
- Using government office as models of "breast-feeding friendly" environments
- Offering a tax break for women who breast-feed for 6 months
- Including breast-feeding in the high school curriculum
- Encouraging in-school breast-feeding by student mothers
- Monitoring infant formula advertising to protect against misleading claims
School Meals
- Requiring nutrition competencies for teachers and food service workers
- Removing the stigma associated with getting a free lunch so more low income students participate in the school lunch program
Nutrition and Agriculture
- Developing a stronger connection between nutrition and agriculture
- Encouraging restaurants to accept food stamps from home- less people
One USDA official commented that the plan is certain to be "significantly and extensively revised" before being offered for public comment. (MP)
Source: CNI April 8, 1994
Urinary tract infections are a common complaint among women. They account for some 7 million physician visits annually. Now comes a new study that supports folk practices of using cranberry juice to ward off urinary tract infections.
In a six-month study of 153 older women, (average age 78 years), the women who drank 10 ounces of cranberry juice daily had only a 15 percent incidence of urinary tract infection as compared with the 28 percent of the women who drank the look and taste-alike placebo. The test for urinary tract infections looked for high levels of bacteria and white blood cells in the urine.
The effective ingredient in the juice is not believed to be the amount of acid but rather a compound that prevents bacteria from attaching themselves to the lining of the bladder.
Of course, pure cranberry juice is not available but rather cranberry juice cocktail is on grocery shelves. Cranberries do not have enough juice naturally so water and other ingredients such as apple juice must be added to make the cocktail. The liquid extracts the anti-infection compound from the cranberries along with the other substances that characterize the flavor and nutrients in the cranberries. (MC)
Source: The Journal of the American Medical Association, March 9, 1994, as reported in Environmental Nutrition, 17 (4) :1, April 1994.
Lowering Cardiovascular Risk with Garlic
The radio advertisement features an M.D. describing the virtues of taking his garlic pills to lower your risk for having a coronary heart attack. Is it hokum or should you send in your money for the pills?
To answer this question, Christopher Silagy and Andrew Neil at the School of Medicine at Flinders University of South Australia reviewed all of the published studies and concluded as follows: "Garlic is not a licensed medication and there is not enough evidence to recommend garlic therapy as an effective lipid lowering agent for routine clinical use. However, there is also no evidence to suggest it is harmful. The currently available data support the likelihood of garlic therapy being beneficial, at least over a few months, (but) resolving this situation will require further trails." Those taking the garlic showed total cholesterol reductions of 12 percent and serum triglycerides were lowered an average of 13 percent. Protective HDL-cholesterol levels were not significantly lowered. Unfortunately, many of the studies, including the nine new ones reviewed, do not meet all accepted research standards even though the newer ones are better designed.
The proposed effective ingredient is allicin. In trials using dried garlic powders with a standardized allicin content, there was no significant dose-response relationship for doses ranging from 600 to 900 mg/day. However, those taking the garlic were four times more likely to report smelling like garlic than those taking the placebo. There were no other reported side effects. (MC)
Source: Garlic as a Lipid Lowering Agent_A Meta-Analysis, J. Royal College Physicians London 28 (1) :39-45 (Jan-Feb 1994) as reported in Nutrition Research News, May 1994, pg. 57
Another Chapter in the Osteoporosis Story
In the early 1980s at the height of the calcium supplement craze, drug companies were making big profits on their calcium pills. Every woman's magazine carried supplement ads aimed at arresting osteoporosis. Then the bubble burst because research indicated that all the calcium was not living up to its promises.
Many of the elderly have osteoporosis for a total of 25 million Americans (both men and women.) Four out of five are women; but as more men live longer, their numbers for osteoporosis will rise. Among those 75 or older, as many as 20 percent of women will die within a year after a hip fracture, due to complications like a blood clot or pneumonia. Only one in five will fully recover. The current yearly tab for all this mostly silent disease is $10 to $12 billion. Only bone fractures, stooped postures and painful spines from collapsed vertebra indicate what has been going on for decades: a net loss of bone especially after menopause.
Bones go through constant "remodeling", i.e. bone is continually being destroyed and rebuilt. Peak bone density occurs between ages 25 and 35. At menopause, women's bodies begin to dissolve bone at a faster rate hitting the wrist and spine hardest. For both men and women, their aging bodies build new bone more slowly especially affecting the hip.
New evidence points to an "osteoporosis gene." People who have the gene have fewer vitamin D "receptors" on their cells. This gene programs other genes that determine how much calcium the body will absorb with the aid of vitamin D. Scientists have known for a long time that vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium across the intestinal wall. We now know that many older folks are not getting or making enough vitamin D. This happens because they either are inside most of the time, and get no sunshine, or because they aren't getting enough vitamin D in fortified milk or multivitamin supplements.
What can be done by diet?
Get enough calcium, especially before age 30 and after age 60. Authorities are not in complete agreement as to how much to recommend. Many argue that the present RDA of 800 IU daily is not enough for older adults particularly if a postmenopausal woman is not on estrogen replacement therapy. They often suggest 1200 mg. or more calcium daily. Four glasses (cups) of milk equal 1200 mg. calcium. One-cup equivalent amounts can be obtained from other foods such as calcium-fortified orange juice, calcium-enriched bread and non-fat, plain yogurt. Good but lesser amounts of calcium can be had from three ounces of tofu coagulated with calcium sulfate or gypsum equaling half cup of milk. Certain fortified cereals, natural cheeses such as Swiss and cheddar, part-skim ricotta cheese, ice cream or ice milk, and sardines (include bones) are also good sources of calcium. Teens need at least three servings. Everyone else: two daily servings (2 cups milk or equivalent calcium).
Consume 400 IU daily of vitamin D. Sources: 4 glasses of vitamin D fortified milk (but not cheese, yogurt, or other dairy foods), most common multivitamin supplements and some fortified cereals, and frequent exposure to sunlight. Older adults particularly can't make enough vitamin D in winter while living in northern parts of the country above the sun belt. Of course, vitamin D from supplements can be toxic. Fluorides also appear to help prevent fractures, but here , too much fluoride is toxic.
Eat moderate amounts of protein, particularly animal protein from meat, fish and poultry; and limit sodas with phosphates (such as colas) to three or four 12-ounce cans daily. Too much protein and phosphates increase urinary calcium losses.
Eat a wide variety of foods to get other nutrients including magnesium, boron, vitamin A, manganese, copper, and iron to protect bones. "Too little evidence" is what most researchers say about the role of other nutrients on bone health but that doesn't mean that someday they won't be shown to be critical in protecting bones from high calcium losses.
Many other factors such as regular exercise, smoking, heredity and size of bone frame appear to play a role in preventing osteoporosis, but that's another chapter. (MC)
Sources: Liebman, B.; After the Craze, Nutrition Action, 21 (5):1, 5-9. June 1994, Messina, MJ Osteoporosis- Not Just a Deficiency Disease. The Soy Connection (newsletter), 2 (2): 1-2. [ United Soy Board, PO Box 104778, Chesterfield MO 63107], Nevift, MC, et al. Type of Fall and Risk of Hip and Wrist Fractures: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. abs. J Am Geriatric Society 41: 1226-1234, 1993. In Perspective in Applied Nutrition, 1 (4): 69-70, Spring 1994;Vitamin D-Fortified Milk Still Unreliable: The The Sun is a Better Bet. Environmental Nutrition, 17 (6):3, June 1994.
USDA Announces Proposed Health Standards for School Meal Programs
On June 8th, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy and Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Food and Consumer Services Ellen Haas announced USDA's School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children. The introduction of this major regulatory proposal will significantly update the nutrition standards for the nation's school lunch and school breakfast programs for the first time in almost 50 years.
"When President Harry Truman established the National School Lunch Program in 1946, one of his motivations was the large number of young men who were rejected by the U.S. Army during World War II because they suffered from malnutrition," Espy said. "The program was defined as 'a measure of national security to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children.'"
"Today, for the first time in nearly half a century, the nutrition standards of that program are being substantially updated."
Espy said the centerpiece of the proposal is the requirement that school meals meet the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans by the 1998 school year. The Dietary Guidelines, developed jointly by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, constitute the federal government's official nutrition policy.
"Today, we are acknowledging our national health responsibility to update the nutrition standards of school meals," said Haas.
Espy said the proposal was developed after extensive consultative and participatory processes. The Department sponsored four regional hearings over the past year, generating more than 2,400 comments. The hearings were followed by in-depth consultations with representatives from a variety of groups with an interest in the school meal programs and children's health.
Haas said updating nutrition standards and streamlining administration of school meal programs reinforces President Clinton's commitment to health-care reform and government reinvention.
Key elements of the proposal include replacing the rigid "meal pattern" with a more flexible system known as NuMenus; increasing customer appeal through nutrition education for students; training and technical assistance for school food service professionals; helping schools get the best value for their nutrition dollar; and streamlining and simplifying program administration.
Haas said the proposal is organized around a comprehensive, integrated four-point framework for action:
1. Eating for Health:
Meeting Dietary Guidelines
School meal nutrition standards will be updated and
expanded to include the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
with standards for fat and saturated fat as well as
required nutrients. The current meal planning system
which requires that certain types of foods be served in
certain quantities will be replaced by NuMenus_a more
flexible system that will allow schools to serve a
greater variety of foods. All participating schools will
be required to offer healthier meals in schools by the
1998 school year.
2. Making Food Choices:
Nutrition Education, Training and Technical Assistance
USDA will launch a nutrition education initiative to give
children the knowledge to make choices that lead to a
nutritious diet and improved health. The department
will work with professional chefs and other members of
the food and agriculture communities to offer local
meal providers training and technical assistance on
improving taste and presentation. Parent and teacher
involvement will be actively encouraged.
3. Maximizing Resources:
Getting the Best Value
By marshalling available resources and strengthening partner- ships with
state and local cooperators, USDA will stretch food dollars while
improving the nutritional profile of commodities. The Department will
put nutrition labels on commodities to help schools make knowledgeable
choices and meet the updated nutrition standards. USDA also will build
public and private partnerships, work more closely with the U.S. Departments of Health and
Human Services and Education and assist in establishing
links between local farmers and local school meals
programs.
4. Managing for the
Future: Streamlined Administration
Administrative and paperwork burdens will be reduced by
using technology, streamlining procedures and emphasizing
flexibility. Compliance will be achieved through
corrective rather than punitive action except where
participating schools refuse to comply.
Comments on this proposal are being accepted through September 8, 1994. They may be sent to Robert M. Eadie, Child Nutrition Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S.D.A., 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302. (PP)
Source: USDA News Release No. 0437.94, Proposed Standards for School Meals, June 8, 1994
Remember all the questions about Eggland's Best eggs? Their ads indicated their eggs were low in saturated fat and wouldn't increase serum cholesterol. In Kansas, the company was investigated by the Attorney General's Office, and several of us in the Department of Foods and Nutrition met with attorneys from the Attorney General's Office. The Federal Trade Commission ruled that Eggland's Best ads were unfair and deceptive, and Eggland has agreed to state on their cartons and in their ads that Eggland's eggs are no different from other eggs in how they effect blood cholesterol levels. (KP)
Here are some substitutes for consumers who cannot or who choose not to eat eggs. They can try these adaptations in their recipes:
- For each egg, substitute 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 T. vinegar, and 1 T. liquid (from the Food Allergy Network)
- For each egg, soften 1 T. unflavored gelatin in 3 T. cold water, add 3 t. boiling water, cool and beat until frothy, and add to recipe. Reduce other liquid by 2 T. (Pat Kendall at Colorado State University says this substitution has been successful in quick breads and muffins). (KP)
Source: Resource, University Extension, University of Missouri, Mar-April 1994.
Ground Beef Patty Cooked Color Guide
The Department of Animal Sciences and Industry has available a laminated full-color guide showing cross-sections of ground beef patties cooked to various endpoint temperatures (1490 to 1700 F).
For a single free copy, contact Don Kropf or Melvin Hunt at 913-532-6131. Their address is: Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Weber Hall, KSU, Manhattan, KS 66506. If you want to order them in larger amounts the price is $5.00 each. (KP)
Nutrition Facts: The Nutrition Label
Nutrition Facts: The Nutrition Label is a 16 page flipchart with its own built-in three dimensional stand and a spiral bound top. Each page is laminated for use with Dry Erase Markers.
- The flipchart is 20 inches wide by 28 inches deep.
- Each page has a nutrition label printed on it with a different part of the label highlighted in yellow so that you can focus on one section of the label at a time.
- The labels have no numbers on them, except for the reference numbers, so that you or your learners can write in your own numerical values.
- The flipchart is versatile. It can be used in many different ways with individuals or small groups, with adults or kids.
- The entire flipchart folds flat for easy carrying and storage when not in use. It is shipped in a reusable storage box.
- A camera ready
worksheet of the new nutrition label is included
for learners (it too has no numbers on it).
Two (2) of these flip charts are available for your use at each area extension office. Please contact your area office to schedule a usage time. (KP).
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.