The Malaysian Insider :: Food
The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
| Blueberries and red grapes may boost immunity Posted: 18 Sep 2013 08:16 PM PDT Researchers from Oregon State University looked at the impact of 446 different chemicals on the human immune system. Findings published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research showed that two compounds, resveratrol found in red grapes and pterostilbene found in blueberries, when combined with vitamin D, could boost the body's ability to fend off illness. Resveratrol has been the subject of dozens of studies for a range of possible benefits, from improving cardiovascular health to fighting cancer and reducing inflammation. "Out of a study of hundreds of compounds, just these two popped right out," said lead researcher Adrian Gombart. "Their synergy with vitamin D... was significant and intriguing. It's a pretty interesting interaction." These compounds, which are called stilbenoids, worked in synergy with vitamin D and had a significant impact in raising the expression of the human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, or CAMP gene that is involved in immune function the researchers explained. Still, the scientists point out, the study was done using laboratory cell cultures and more research needs to be done before they offer dietary recommendations. In prior research this year, blueberries were also found to boost brain power in that they contain high levels of compounds called polyphenolics, which researchers say can help the brain to carry out vital "housekeeping" functions. Scientists from the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University and University of Maryland Baltimore County studied the effects of berries on the brains of rats, looking specifically at the berries' effect on clearing toxic accumulation from the brain. - AFP Relaxnews, September 19, 2013. |
| Harvard study finds American food expiration labels misleading Posted: 18 Sep 2013 06:36 PM PDT A study published Wednesday by Harvard Law School and the Natural Resources Defense Council found that dates printed on packaged foods, which help retailers cycle through stocked products and allow manufacturers to indicate when a product is at its peak freshness, are inconsistent. They confuse consumers, leading many to throw out food before it actually goes bad. "The labelling system is aimed at helping consumers understand freshness, but it fails - they think it's about safety. And (consumers) are wasting money and wasting food because of this misunderstanding," said co-author Emily Broad Lieb, who led the report from the Harvard Law School's Food Law and Policy Clinic. Broad Lieb and NRDC scientist Dana Gunders said that, while labels "appear to be a rational system," they are essentially meaningless to consumers. Manufacturers often decide on their own how to calculate shelf life and what the dates mean. As a result, huge amounts of food, not to mention considerable natural resources and labour, go to waste in landfill and taxes, and harm the environment. A lack of binding federal standards on labelling means the dates are governed by a patchwork of state and local laws. "It's like the Wild West," Gunders said. The authors recommended that "sell-by" dates be invisible to consumers so they cannot be misinterpreted as safety labels; that a clear, uniform date label system be established; and that "smart labels" that rely on technology to provide food safety information be used more frequently. David Fikes, a spokesman for the Food Marketing Institute, which represents food retailers and wholesalers, said the group agreed there had to be a clearer way for the consumer to read dates. However, it disagreed the code should be hidden from consumers, because that would make it difficult for store employees to stock shelves. On Wednesday, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) released a statement pressing for a consistent federal food dating system. "Under the current patchwork of state and federal laws, consumers are left in the lurch, forced to decipher the differences between 'sell-by' and 'best if used by,' and too often food is either thrown out prematurely, or families wind up consuming dangerous or spoiled food," she said. Lack of understanding about the labels is not necessarily a health hazard. Researchers said they found no significant difference in incidents of food-borne illness between states such as Massachusetts, which has very strict labelling rules and others such as New York, which is more lax. In fact, University of Minnesota food safety scientist Dr. Theodore Labuza, who reviewed the study, said that in his more than 30 years of researching date labels, he was unaware of any outbreaks of illness related to food being kept in the refrigerator or on the shelf past an expiration date, as long as it was stored properly. "People think the use-by date means either the product is going to die or you're going to die if you eat it. And it's just not true. You can't tie shelf life to a date," Labuza said. "If the food looks rotten and smells bad, you should throw it away, but just because it's past the date on the package, it doesn't mean it's unsafe." - Reuters, September 19, 2013. |
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