Hey Look Over Here

Hey, remember the produce department? That's how retail merchandisers may feel this week, trying to compete with Black Friday sales from Best Buy, Circuit City and various other retailers. Here is the Nov. 23 summary from the National Fruit and Vegetable Retail report from the USDA.

Ads continued to focus on Thanksgiving this week as retailers sought to capture the last-minute holiday rush. Fully prepared holiday dinners along with center-of-the-plate meat items were at the forefront of most ads. Some retailers that normally issue new promotions mid-week had extended their features through Thanksgiving Day and some ran full week ads beginning last week. Some stores with late week ads focused on general merchandise specials and did not feature produce items at all. Overall feature activity remained about the same for most items. Vegetables continued to see more activity than fruits as many fruit items were not featured at all due to a seasonal gap between domestic and imported product availability. Despite a slight decrease in activity as Thanksgiving holiday specials began to wrap up this week, the top items featured were the same as last week with some jostling in position. These included: cranberries, sweet potatoes, celery, pineapple, and asparagus. Other seasonal produce continued to be widely featured. These assorted nuts, cranberries, hard squash, imported figs, pomegranates, persimmons, and a variety of domestic and imported citrus. Thanksgiving holiday bouquets and plants continued to be featured heavily this week. Late week ads began to feature Christmas decorative items such as miniature trees and poinsettias.

Tomato Market Look In

Paying more to eat healthy

It isn't easy or cheap eating right in the inner city or out in the country.Big Apple of the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group posts this link about the cost of eating right in his post "A case for subsidized F&V's. The (working) poor would have to spend spend 70% food budget to meet guidelines."

From Amanda Gardner in HealthDay Reporter:

(HealthDay News) -- In this land and season of plenty, low-income and rural Americans continue to have difficulty finding healthy foods that are affordable, a new study finds.
One study shows that low-income Americans now would have to spend up to 70 percent of their food budget on fruits and vegetables to meet new national dietary guidelines for healthy eating.
And a second study found that in rural areas, convenience stores far outnumber supermarkets and grocery stores -- even though the latter carry a much wider choice of affordable, healthy foods.

Later in the story....


New dietary guidelines recommend that Americans eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, up from five servings in the previous guidelines.
Despite clear evidence that eating your vegetables can ward off heart disease, diabetes and cancer, only 40 percent of Americans meet the old guidelines and less than 10 percent meet the new guidelines, according to one 2006 study.
People with more money eat more fruits and vegetables than those with less money, research shows. In turn, poorer people also assume a greater disease burden relative to their wealthier counterparts.

Later in the story....


"Americans typically spend 15 percent of their food budget on fruits and vegetables but based on our price survey, low-income families would have to spend 40 to 70 percent of their budget on fruits and vegetables," Cassady said. "We really need to rethink what kind of educational campaigns, what kind of advice we need to give low-income families. The food stamp allocation could and probably should be increased and the government can do even better bringing in more farmers' markets and very low-cost sources of fruit and vegetables."

TK: Pretty sobering statistics, and more evidence the government needs to provide greater economic incentives for f/v consumption in the food stamp program. Check out the full story in the Discussion Group post....

Ready to eat good to go

Readers...see the note in the comments from one of the authors of the study that clarifies my use of the term "triple washed" and other points.



Triple washed leafy greens are probably as good as they can get, says a scientific paper that concludes the risk of cross contamination when washing "ready to eat" salads negates any benefit from additional washings.Here is the report from the UC Davis Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center called "Recommendations for Handling Fresh-cut Leafy Green Salads by Consumers and Retail Foodservice Operators." From the report's summary:

A panel of scientists with expertise in microbial safety of fresh produce was convened to review recent research and re-evaluate guidelines for foodservice and restaurant operators, regulatory agencies with oversight over food facilities, and consumers for handling prewashed bagged salads. The guidelines developed by the panel, together with materials reviewed by the panel to develop the guidelines, are presented. The background materials reviewed include published research and recent recommendations made by other authoritative sources. The panel concluded that leafy green salad in sealed bags labeled "washed" or "ready-to-eat" that are produced in a facility inspected by a regulatory authority and operated under cGMPs, does not need additional washing at the time of use unless specifically directed on the label. The panel also advised that additional washing of ready-to-eat green salads is not likely to enhance safety. The risk of cross contamination from food handlers and food contact surfaces used during washing may outweigh any safety benefit that further washing may confer.



Also, from the November newsletter from UC Davis Postharvest Technology R&I Center:

UCD Researchers Working to Control Light Brown Apple Moth's Threat to Produce ExportsDr. Beth Mitcham recently received approval from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to establish a colony of Light Brown Apple Moth at the UC Davis Contained Research Facility, thus paving the way for potential research on development of effective postharvest control strategies for this pest on harvested raw agricultural commodities and avoid potential disruption to interstate and international trade of California produce. The Light Brown Apple Moth is an invasive pest that has now been detected in eleven California Counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Solano) and there is concern that this pest could become established in other California growing regions and disrupt shipments of California grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Dr. Mitcham's research program focuses on finding alternatives to chemical treatments to control physiological disorders, decay and insects in numerous tree crops. For more information contact Dr. Beth Mitcham at: ejmitcham@ucdavis.edu

Fresh-cut Produce Short Course Offered in Spain An European short course focused on "Quality and Innovation of Fresh-cut Produce" is being offered in Cordoba, Spain on March 10-12, 2008. The short course focuses on important aspects relevant in the production, processing, packaging and quality assurance of fresh-cut products. Enrollment is requested by January 25, 2008 and detailed information about the short course may be found at: www.uco.es/fresh-cut. Dr. Jim Gorny and Dr. Trevor Suslow from U.C. Davis will be participating in the short course. The short course is organized and sponsored by the International Curriculum of Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops (ICPT), which is a collaborative program among the University of California Davis (USA), University of Cordoba (Spain), University of Florida (USA), University of Foggia (Italy), Texas A&M University (USA), and University of Thessaly (Greece). The ICPT was developed to increase the professional skills of graduate students studying postharvest biology and technology at participating institutions. More information about the ICPT program may be found at: http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/icpt/index.shtml

National Mango Boards Taps UCD Researchers To Enhance Consumer’s Mango Experience UCD Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center members Dr. Adel Kader, Dr. Elizabeth Mitcham and Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia are collaborating with colleagues Jeff Brecht and Steve Sargent from the University of Florida and other colleagues from institutions in several Central and South American countries on an important mango quality research and analysis program sponsored by the recently formed National Mango Board. This project is designed to evaluate the entire mango supply chain from production through postharvest handling and quarantine treatment, transportation and distribution stages to the retail market. Understanding and documenting mango supply chain opportunities for handling improvement is a first step for the National Mango Board in its drive to inform the entire supply chain regarding proper handling techniques and improve the mango eating experience for consumers. More information about this project may be found at the National Mango Board website at: http://www.mango.org or by contacting Dr. Elizabeth Mitcham at ejmitcham@ucdavis.edu.

New Center for Fruit & Vegetable Quality Center Launched at UCD Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center members Dr. Christine Bruhn, Dr. Roberta Cook, Dr. Adel Kader, Dr. Jim Gorny, Dr. Jim Thompson, Dr. Elizabeth Mitcham and Dr. Diane Barrett participated in a special one day symposium entitled Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: Is It a Matter of Taste?; which marked the inauguration of the new UCD Center for Fruit and Vegetable Quality (CFVQ) on campus. The symposium attracted more than 70 participants from the food industry, academia, and government to commence discussions regarding means of promoting science-based information and technology that increases consumption of fruits and vegetables to enhance human health. The new CFVQ led by Dr. Diane Barrett is comprised of over thirty multi-disciplinary faculty including those with expertise in Postharvest Biology and Technology and the CFVQ is already working closely and collaboratively with the Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center. Another major goal of the new CFVQ is to enhance collaborative industry/UCD research interactions and as such has established a CFVQ Corporate Affiliates Partnership Membership Program. More information about the CFVQ may be found at: http://fruitvegquality.ucdavis.edu or by contacting: Dr. Diane Barrett (Director, Center for Fruit & Vegetable Quality at UCD), Tel: 530.752.4800 or dmbarrett@ucdavis.edu.

Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center Collaborates with New UCD Center for Produce Food Safety
Dr. Jim Gorny, Dr. Trevor Suslow and Dr. Linda Harris were recently appointed as advisory board members to the new Center for Produce Safety (CPS) at UC Davis. On November 1st the CPS advisory board convened in Davis under the leadership of Dr. Devon Zagory, Interim Executive Director of the CPS, to discuss the Center’s strategies for addressing key food safety issues facing the fresh produce industry. The center was established earlier this year to work with the agricultural and food industries, government regulatory agencies, trade associations, research institutions, and consumer groups to enhance the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables through research, education, and information exchange. For more information about the UCD Center for Produce Safety contact: Dr. Devon Zagory, Interim Executive Director, Tel: 530.757.5777 or devon.zagory@cps.ucdavis.edu.

Plant based diet gets the nod

In the wake of indulging ourselves with various dietary excesses comes this report of a book that advocates a plant based diet. We ought to lend an ear to the facts, if only reluctantly.
From the Canadian Press:

Foods that have been singled out for an increased risk of cancer such as cold cuts, red meat, sugar and salt should be banned completely, says an author and biochemistry professor.
In making his claim, Richard Beliveau, co-author with medical researcher Denis Gingras of "Cooking with Foods that Fight Cancer" (McClelland & Stewart) cited an international study released recently by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
The report, entitled "Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective," is the most comprehensive ever published on the evidence linking cancer risk to diet, physical activity and weight. It is the culmination of a five-year process that involved nine independent teams of scientists from around the world, hundreds of peer reviewers and 21 international experts who reviewed and analyzed more than 7,000 large-scale studies.
The report's recommendations include limiting red meat and alcohol consumption and avoiding bacon, ham and other processed meats, salt and sugary drinks.
Beliveau holds the chair in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer at the University of Quebec at Montreal where he is a professor of biochemistry.
He insists that 75 per cent of cancers can be prevented.
"If you put obesity, lack of exercise and eating badly together, the overall incidence of cancer is higher than it is for smoking," he said in an interview.
Beliveau believes that by following a plant-based diet, cancer rates would drop dramatically.
"In clinical trials there was a reduction of 50 per cent of bladder and prostate cancer for those who consumed three portions of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower each week."
These cruciferous vegetables contain a high glucosinolate content, which are powerful anti-cancer molecules.
A plant-based diet is not only fruits and vegetables, says Beliveau.
"There are some spices as well, such as turmeric and ginger to name a few, as well as green tea," he says. "These are foods that will help to create a hostile environment for cancer and these are essentially foods of plant origin."
Beliveau says that the reason plant-based diets are essential to preventing cancer is that unlike animal-based regimes, plants produce millions of organisms to protect themselves from aggressors.
"Out of these millions of chemicals produced by the plant world it is estimated that about 1,000 of these have strong anti-cancer properties."
Believe au believes that 75 per cent of all cancers can be prevented by changing our lifestyles.
"Good eating is fun eating and it's all about diversity," he says. "It is going back to the great traditions of cultural diversity by eating Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Lebanese, for example."
And he notes that the rates of cancer in those countries "are 70 times less than they are in North America."