Blues and grapes

The USDA's Agricultural Research Service has released its latest Food and Nutrition Research Briefs, and this issue spotlights a couple of produce items.

Another reason to love blueberries, from the ARS report:
Blueberries and grapes that contain a compound with the tongue-twisting name of pterostilbene (pronounced TARE-o-STILL-bean) might help the body combat a problematic protein, cytochrome P450. The protein is associated with increased risk of cancer.
In laboratory tests with liver cells from mice, pterostilbene suppressed a specific form of the protein


Late grapes, from the ARS:
Autumn King seedless grapes may begin showing up in supermarkets within two or three years. These light-green (technically known as "white") grapes are ready to harvest in late October. The timing is perfect, because that's when the U.S. harvest of another white seedless grape, summertime classic Thompson Seedless, is winding down.
Patented by the scientists and licensed to the industry-sponsored California Table Grape Commission, Fresno, Autumn King was made available for the first time in 2005 to grapevine nurseries. So far, the nurseries have produced more than 100,000 young Autumn King vines for planting in central California's commercial vineyards, where most of the nation's fresh-market grapes are grown.



Meanwhile, the USDA FAS reports that Israel temporarily detained a load of fresh pears from the U.S. in a case where Israel said its maximum residue levels were exceeded.