Plasma Power Reduces Food Pathogens, Increase Shelf Life

Scientists at the University of Glasgow have harnessed plasma power to developed a new method to make packaged food safer for consumers and increase shelf life. The prototype system rapidly, safely and temporarily turns some of the oxygen inside the sealed packaging into ozone, which is a very effective germicide.

Scientists at the university’s School of Physics and Astronomy who developed the system said the product’s effectiveness as a germ-killer extends food’s shelf life by at least one extra day, which could go a significant way to cutting down on the 7 million tons of food discarded in the United Kingdom annually.

The efficacy of the prototype has been proven at leading UK test labs including Campden BRI in Gloucestershire. Tests have shown an increase in shelf life for products, including bread and muffins, and a significant reduction of many pathogens in poultry, including Campylobacter, E. coli and pseudomonas.

Plasma generated by a retractable device held briefly against the surface of plastic or glass packaging splits the bonds between oxygen molecules (O2) inside the packaging which then reform as ozone (or O3). The ozone naturally returns to its original state after just a couple of hours—more than enough time for any mould, fungi or bacteria on the packaging’s contents to be destroyed without adversely affecting its taste.

The product is being brought to market by a University spinout company called Anacail, which was founded in January 2011 and has recently raised £750,000 of seed funding from leading technology commercialization company, IP Group, and the Scottish Investment Bank, a division of Scottish Enterprise. Half of the funding is subject to satisfaction of certain technical and commercial milestones.

Commenting on the prototype, Anacail C

EO Executive Officer Dr. Ian Muirhead said: “We’re very excited about the applications of our product. It’s safe and easy to use, doesn’t require any change in current packaging of food products to be effective, and it doesn’t require any chemical additives—the sterilization effect comes directly from oxygen already in the package which is treated by our plasma head. Although ozone can be harmful to humans, it has a very limited lifespan before it returns to oxygen and it doesn’t leave behind any dangerous residues so it’s perfectly safe to use in food decontamination. It’s a very effective way to destroy or inhibit the growth of bacteria and viruses."

Mediterranean Diet Benefits Diabetics

Diabetics who follow a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts, low-fat dairy, whole grains and olive oil experience better outcomes with weight loss and lower blood sugar, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers at the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry assessed the effect of various diets on glycemic control, lipids, and weight loss. They reviewed results of 20 studies comparing the effect of low-carbohydrate, vegetarian, vegan, low-glycemic index (GI), high-fiber, Mediterranean, and high-protein diets with control diets, including low-fat, high-GI, American Diabetes Association,
European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and low-protein diets.

The low-carbohydrate, low-GI, Mediterranean, and high-protein diets all led to a greater improvement in glycemic control. The largest effect size seen in the Mediterranean diet. Low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets also led to greater weight loss—an average of 4 pounds. Low-carb, low-glycemic and Mediterranean diets all led to increases in HDL cholesterol.

A 2011 study published in the journal Age, found individuals who follow a Mediterranean diet live an average of 23 years longer than individuals who eat more meat and animal products

French fry sales drop as more choose low-cal foods, study finds

Serving lower calorie and low-fat foods isn’t just good for the hearts and arteries of customers – it’s good for the bottom line, too, according to a new study published Thursday.

Restaurant chains such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell are making more money by offering apple slices, oatmeal, and food made without artery-clogging trans-fats, the report by the Hudson Institute found.

They analyzed sales figures at 21 big restaurant chains, from fast-food outlets like Taco Bell and Sonic to sit-down restaurants such as Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Some of them have started offering lower-calorie options.

“French fries are declining in both number of servings and share of total food servings among quick-service chains that have more than $3 billion in sales,” the report reads. “Among the same chains, lower-calorie beverages are also outperforming traditional beverages,” it adds.

“Consumers are hungry for restaurant meals that won’t expand their waist lines, and the chains that recognize this are doing better than those that don’t,” said Hank Cardello, a former food company executive who directs Hudson’s Obesity Solutions Initiative and who wrote the report. Cardello has worked for Coca-Cola, General Mills, Anheuser-Busch and Cadbury-Schweppes.

The food industry has been under heavy pressure to provide healthier foods to Americans. With two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese, and rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes soaring, policymakers and the public alike are looking for ways to help people keep the weight off.

And separate research published Thursday confirms that fatty, salty food can kill. A study presented at the American Stroke Association meeting found that people who ate Southern-style delicacies such as fried chicken regularly had a 40 percent higher chance of stroke than people who ate such goodies only occasionally.

The 2010 health reform law will require restaurants that have 20 or more branches to list calorie counts on their menus starting in 2014, although final rules have yet to be worked out.

Consumer groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest have stepped up pressure to get restaurants to change their menus voluntarily, while also pressing for stronger regulation. CSPI publishes an annual report on some of the most calorie-laden offerings.

Many restaurant companies had argued that when they tried to offer lower-calorie foods, customers just didn’t go for them. Some have lobbied hard against initiatives to force them to list calories on menus, or more radical moves like New York’s ban on supersize sodas.

But surveys show customers say they want healthier options.

Cardello, with funding by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, set out to see if customers were actually buying the low-fat, sugar-free options.

They found that between 2006 and 2011, most of the growth in business was fueled by the lower-calorie choices. In 17 of the 21 restaurant chains people spent more on the lower-calorie foods than on fatty fare.

The report documents that restaurants offering healthier foods reported a 5.5 percent increase in sales over that time – that’s sales in the same individual restaurants. Those that didn’t offer many low-calorie options had their same-store sales fall 5.5 percent.

Overall traffic grew 10.9 percent in the restaurants offering lighter fare and it fell 14.7 percent on those sticking to only fatty foods.

The study used calorie counts to determine which items were healthier. A sandwich or entrée was considered lower-calorie if it had no more than 500 calories. Beverages with 50 or fewer calories per eight ounces were considered lower-calorie.

“This report shows that companies can serve both their interest in healthy profits and their customers’ interest in healthier eating,” said Dr. James Marks, director of the health group at Robert Wood Johnson.

Spokespeople for several of the restaurant chains said they were examining the report.

The study on Southern food and stroke helps explain why Southerners and African-Americans have a higher risk of stroke, researchers said.

“We’ve got three major factors working together in the Southern-style diet to raise risks of cardiovascular disease: fatty foods are high in cholesterol, sugary drinks are linked to diabetes and salty foods lead to high blood pressure,” said Suzanne Judd, a biostatistician at the University of Alabama Birmingham who led the study.

Her team used data from surveys and medical visits from 20,000 adults in 48 states to demonstrate that those who ate Southern-style cooking six times a week had a 41 percent higher stroke risk compared to those who ate it about once a month. A diet rich in fried foods, biscuits, ham and bacon accounted for 63 percent of the higher risk of stroke that African-Americans have, Judd’s team told the meeting. The study followed the volunteers from 2003 to 2007.

But those who ate fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains five times a week or more had a 29 percent lower stroke risk than those who ate them three times a week or less.

Alzheimer's Cases May Triple By 2050

The rate of Alzheimer's in the U.S. could as much as triple by 2050, says a new study from research done at the Rush Institute for healthy Aging in Chicago. Currently about 5 million Americans suffer from the condition and that number is expected to rise to about 13.8 million.

For the study, researchers examined health records from 10,802 Chicago residents of 65 years or older between 1993 to 2011. The test subjects were reviewed every three years for possible dementia risk and that data was compiled into a national projection.

"We're going to need coordinated efforts for this upcoming epidemic," says lead author Jennifer Weuve. "People have trouble getting their heads around these numbers, but imagine if everyone in the state of Illinois (population 12.8 million) had Alzheimer's. I look around Chicago and can't imagine it."

Dallas Anderson, director of population studies and epidemiology of Alzheimer's disease at the National Institute on Aging, adds: "These numbers are more credible because they involve new Census data . If you know anyone who has Alzheimer's disease now, you know how dire this projection is for the nati