Researchers have reportedly found that consumers are unsure what "natural," “organic” and “Non-GMO Project Verified” mean when the phrases appear on food labels. Konstantinos G. Syrengelas et al., "Is the Natural Label Misleading? Examining Consumer Preferences for Natural Beef," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, October 2017; Brandon R. McFadden, et al., “Effects of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard: Willingness to Pay for Labels that Communicate the Presence or Absence of Genetic Modification,” Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, October 2017. To investigate a petition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture asserting that "natural" labeling misleads consumers, researchers conducted an online choice experiment to determine whether including a definition of "natural" on a label deterred or encouraged study participants to pay a premium for steak. The researchers apparently found that the participants were unwilling to pay a premium if they either identified themselves as familiar with the definition of "natural" or if they…
Category Archives Scientific/Technical Items
Chinese scientists have reported that they successfully created 12 genetically modified pigs with about 24 percent less body fat than average pigs. Qiantao Zheng, et al., “Reconstitution of UCP1 using CRISPR/Cas9 in the white adipose tissue of pigs decreases fat deposition and improves thermogenic capacity,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, October 17, 2017. According to the researchers, pigs lack a gene called UCP1 that allows animals to regulate body temperature in cold weather. Using gene-editing technique CRISPR-Cas9, the scientists created and implanted modified pig embryos into female pigs. Tests on the piglets reportedly showed they were much better at regulating their body temperatures, which could potentially reduce farmers' heating and feeding costs and prevent pig deaths in cold weather. NPR further explored the use of gene editing in food production, discussing the Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture's campaign to dispel fears associated with food products created using…
JAMA Pediatrics has retracted a 2012 study authored by Brian Wansink, director of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, because of “inadequate oversight of data collection and pervasive errors in the analyses and reporting.” The study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, reported that children ages 8-11 were about 30 percent more likely to choose an apple with a cartoon-character sticker over a unbranded cookie, concluding that “brands and cartoon characters” could increase consumption of healthier foods in school lunchrooms. A reader reportedly sent Wansink a letter in February 2017 noting several errors and the study data was rechecked. In September, Wansink sent JAMA Pediatrics a notice of retraction and replacement acknowledging that the researchers “inadvertently provided an incorrect description of the study design and sample size, used an inadequate statistical procedure, and presented a mislabeled bar graph.” After that notice was published, Wansink said the Robert…
The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior has published a study in which youth aged 12-25 suggested strategies to reduce youth energy-drink consumption. Jacinta Francis, et al., “Informing Intervention Strategies to Reduce Energy Drink Consumption in Young People: Findings From Qualitative Research,” Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, October 2017. Researchers reportedly found that while the subjects were familiar with energy drinks, they did not agree as to whether the term included coffee, sports drinks, nutritional supplements and soft drinks. Some were apparently aware that the drinks contained caffeine and sugar, the study noted, but few were aware they contained other ingredients or could explain how the drinks allegedly work. The participants also said advertising, promotions and peer pressure influenced consumption. They suggested five strategies to reduce consumption: (i) restrictions on sales and availability; (ii) changes in packaging; (iii) price increases; (iv) reducing visibility in retail outlets; and (v) research…
University of Copenhagen researchers have apparently found that extremely high levels of “good” cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL), may be associated with premature death rates. Christian M. Madsen, et al., “Extreme high high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is paradoxically associated with high mortality in men and women: two prospective cohort studies,” European Heart Journal, August 21, 2017. The medical community has generally accepted that higher levels of HDL may protect against cardiovascular disease and that “bad” cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), contributes to atherosclerosis, leading to increased risk of heart disease and stroke. The study followed more than 116,000 people for an average of six years and found that men with extremely high levels of HDL had a 106 percent higher chance of dying prematurely than men with normal levels, while women with high levels had a 68 percent higher chance of premature death. Extremely high levels were defined as ≥3.0 millimoles…
A study by University of Maryland researchers has purportedly found that adolescents and young adults whose consumption of energy drinks continued or increased after age 21 are at increased risk of alcohol use disorder, cocaine use or nonmedical stimulant use by age 25. Amelia M. Arria, et al., “Trajectories of energy drink consumption and subsequent drug use during young adulthood,” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, August 7, 2017. The study recruited subjects at age 18 and tracked their consumption of highly caffeinated energy drinks through age 25. Although overall consumption declined after age 21 and 20.6 percent of that age group did not consume the drinks at all, 51.4 percent of the subjects apparently demonstrated “persistent” use that predicted alcohol, cocaine or stimulant abuse. Issue 644
The American Heart Association (AHA) has issued an advisory concluding that replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats will lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially if combined with an “overall healthful dietary pattern." Frank M. Sacks, et al, "Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association," Circulation, June 15, 2017. AHA reviewed multiple studies on the effects of dietary saturated fat intake and its replacement with other types of fats, as well as replacement with carbohydrates, and concluded that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated vegetable fat and changing dietary patterns reduces the risk of CVD by as much as 30 percent. Key recommendations of the review include lowering intake of saturated fat, increasing intake of polyunsaturated fat and avoiding coconut oil, which more than 70 percent of Americans regard as “healthy,” despite that it actually increases LDL cholesterol. Issue 640
The American Heart Association (AHA) has issued an advisory concluding that replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats will lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially if combined with an “overall healthful dietary pattern." Frank M. Sacks, et al, "Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association," Circulation, June 15, 2017. AHA reviewed multiple studies on the effects of dietary saturated fat intake and its replacement with other types of fats, as well as replacement with carbohydrates, and concluded that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated vegetable fat and changing dietary patterns reduces the risk of CVD by as much as 30 percent. Key recommendations of the review include lowering intake of saturated fat, increasing intake of polyunsaturated fat and avoiding coconut oil, which more than 70 percent of Americans regard as “healthy,” despite that it actually increases LDL cholesterol. Issue 639
A study examining the health effects of sugary and artificially sweetened beverages has allegedly concluded that consumption of the latter was associated with an increased risk of stroke and dementia. Matthew P. Pase et al., “Sugar and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and the Risks of Incident Stroke and Dementia,” Stroke, May 2017. Based on data from more than 4,000 adults enrolled in Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, the study followed health outcomes for 10 years and purportedly accounted for confounding factors such as “age, sex, education (for analysis of dementia), caloric intake, diet quality, physical activity, and smoking.” The results apparently suggested that, when compared to those who abstained from artificially sweetened beverages, participants who imbibed up to six servings per day were at greater risk of stroke or dementia, with the strongest associations for ischemic stroke. “To our knowledge, our study is the first to report an association between daily…
The Panel of Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food, a branch of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), has conducted a reassessment on the effects of acacia gum used in food products and reportedly found 30,000 milligrams per person per day to be well-tolerated. The scientific opinion apparently found no carcinogenic or other adverse effects of acacia gum, which is "unlikely to be absorbed intact and is slightly fermented by intestinal microbiota," at the refined exposure assessment for the reported uses of the ingredient as a food additive. Issue 631
