Blueberry Bones
A blueberry compound may help form strong, healthy bones. Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center researchers in Little Rock found that polyphenols, which give blueberries their blue, purple and red color, could aid bone development.
Laboratory rats fed rations with 10 percent freeze-dried blueberry powder had significantly more bone mass than those fed blueberry-free rations. The work paves the way for research to determine if blueberries could boost bone-mass development in humans and possibly help prevent osteoporosis.
From: USDA-ARS
June 21, 2011
Packed in plants
Canadian packaging developer Pakit and PepsiCo are working together to make molded packaging from plant materials. Recyclable and biodegradable food packaging, such as trays and clamshells, will be made from plant cellulose fibers.
From: Foodproductiondaily.com
August 1, 2011
Sugar plastic from Brazil
A large-scale bioplastics plant is being built in Brazil by Dow Chemical Company and Mitsui & Company of Japan. The companies’ $200 million joint venture will produce biopolymers from sugarcane-derived ethanol.
From: Kyodo News International, Inc
July 20, 2011
Dandy diapers
Soymeal-based absorbents could make diapers more eco-friendly. Diapers use hydrogels, or superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), that absorb hundreds of times their weight in liquid. Scientists at Battelle, an independent research organization headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, have converted soybean meal into SAPs. They could replace all or part of the acrylic-based absorbents in diapers.
From: Soyatech.com
July 27, 2011
Ethanol sunrise?
Desert plants used to make tequila could produce a next-generation biofuel. The agave plant, which grows in marginal or desert lands, produces a sugary nectar that is used in cooking and tequila distillation. It could also be used to produce ethanol in areas with little arable land, according to Oxford University researchers.
From: Soyatech.com
July 28, 2011
Broccoli takes aim
Broccoli apparently has cancer cells squarely in its crosshairs. Oregon State University scientists have discovered that chemicals in certain vegetables selectively target and kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells healthy and unaffected.
The tissue of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, contain high levels of glucosinates, which are metabolized by the body into chemicals found to be powerful anti-cancer agents.
From: Nutraingredients.com
June 15, 2011
Flipping their lid
Food giant Nestle is making the first-ever polyethylene milk jug caps derived entirely from sugar cane. Two dairy brands that the company markets in Brazil will use the bio-tops. Nestle teamed up with packaging company Tetra Pak to roll out the caps in August.
From: foodproductiondaily.com
August 1, 2011
Onion power
Waste from industrially-processed onions could potentially be used as food ingredients. Autonomous University researchers in Madrid, Spain found the brown skin, top and bottom of an onion are rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants.
From: Foodnavigator.com
July 18, 2011
Corn, soy battle hunger
Instant Corn Soy Blend, a nutritious, shelf-stable meal supplement, has been for developed for emergency food aid by USDA-ARS scientists. The blend is cooked, extruded and milled into a powder, then reconstituted with potable water into porridge. It contains vitamins and minerals that young children, in particular, need to stay healthy.
From: USDA-ARS
August 4, 2011
More energy with less
Biodiesel’s energy balance may be better than first believed. Newly-published research from the University of Idaho and USDA shows that for every unit of fossil energy needed to produce biodiesel, the return is 5.54 units of renewable energy. Made primarily from U.S. soybean oil, biodiesel only showed a 3.2 to 1 energy balance in 1998, which increased to 4.56 to 1 in 2009. The research credits increases in processing efficiency, energy-saving farming practices and soybean yields for
the improvement.
From: Soyatech.com
July 28, 2011
