News Feature Channel: Food and Water Safety

Unlocking the Potential of Whey to Reduce Food Waste

University of Adelaide — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 22:15:51 EST

Whey is a by-product of cheese manufacturing and one of the largest sources of food loss and waste in the Australian dairy sector, and the country's food industry more broadly. Jack Hetherington, from the University of Adelaide's Centre for Global Food and Resources, says while there are multiple high-value reuse options - such as protein powders, alcoholic beverages (beer or vodka), kombucha, and cooking stocks - his new report reveals the sector has not fully capitalised on this valuable by-product.

Un estudio piloto revela que la goma de mascar puede liberar microplasticos en la saliva

American Chemical Society (ACS) — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 05:00:00 EST

El plastico esta presente en todos los aspectos de nuestra vida diaria, incluso en las gomas de mascar. Los investigadores de un estudio piloto descubrieron que masticar goma de mascar puede liberar cientos o miles de microplasticos por pieza en la saliva, los cuales podrian ser ingeridos. Presentaran sus resultados en el encuentro de primavera de 2025 de la ACS.

Chewing gum can shed microplastics into saliva, pilot study finds

American Chemical Society (ACS) — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 05:00:00 EST

Plastic is everywhere in our daily lives, including chewing gums. In a pilot study, researchers found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics per piece into saliva and potentially be ingested. They will present their results at ACS Spring 2025.

3D Nanotech Blankets Offer New Path to Clean Drinking Water

Ohio State University — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 19:55:30 EST

Researchers have developed a new material that, by harnessing the power of sunlight, can clear water of dangerous pollutants.

Team Finds Regional, Age-Related Trends in Exposure to Drug-Resistant Campylobacter

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 17:25:11 EST

Team Finds Regional, Age-Related Trends in Exposure to Drug-Resistant Campylobacter

Study Highlights Need for Greater Regulation of Antibiotics Entering Freshwater Environments

Toronto Metropolitan University — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 10:00:00 EST

Pharmaceutical chemicals entering waterways can have long-term consequences for aquatic, human and environmental health. Researcher Joseph Aladekoyi is studying the impact of pharmaceutical drugs entering freshwater ecosystems.

UF Professor to Expand Proven Disease-Prediction Dashboard to Monitor Gulf Threats

University of Florida — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 10:50:50 EST

After deploying life-saving cholera-prediction systems in Africa and Asia, a University of Florida researcher is turning his attention to the pathogen-plagued waters off Florida's Gulf Coast.

Current Antivirals Likely Less Effective Against Severe Infection Caused by Bird Flu Virus in Cows' Milk

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 19:45:43 EST

Existing antivirals may be less effective against this H5N1 bird flu strain, and prevention measures, such as avoiding raw milk consumption and reducing exposure in dairy workers, may be the most effective way to protect against the virus.

UAH Researcher Awarded Early-Career Fellowship to Study Changes in Water Quality in Mobile Watershed

University of Alabama Huntsville — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 16:40:54 EST

Dr. Paresh Samantaray, an assistant professor of chemical and materials engineering at The University of Alabama at Huntsville (UAH), has won a National Academies Early-Career Research Fellowship to study changes over time in the water quality of the Dog River Watershed in Mobile, Ala. The region encompasses a 95-square-mile area that drains into Mobile Bay and the Gulf coast.

Illinois Researchers Develop Next-Generation Organic Nanozymes and Point-of-Use System for Food and Agricultural Uses

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:10:53 EST

A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research team has developed organic-material-based nanozymes that are non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and cost effective. In two new studies, they introduce next-generation organic nanozymes and explore a point-of-use platform for molecule detection in agricultural products.

UC Irvine-Led Study Finds Possible Links Between PFAS Exposure and Childhood Cancers

University of California, Irvine — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:10:07 EST

Irvine, Calif., Feb. 26, 2025 -- A study led by the Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health at the University of California, Irvine has revealed possible links between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water and an increased risk of certain childhood cancers. Widely used in industrial and consumer products, PFAS -- commonly known as "forever chemicals" due to their persistence in the environment -- have been linked to various adverse health effects.

Mimicking Shark Skin to Create Clean Cutting Boards

American Institute of Physics (AIP) — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 11:00:00 EST

Keeping work surfaces clean during meat processing is a challenge, so in this week's Journal of Laser Applications, researchers deliver key insights into a solution that could change the current practice altogether: Instead of working to prevent bacteria buildup, they created surfaces that stop bacteria from attaching in the first place.

Expert Available: Avian Flu Price Spike Highlights Need for More Secure Food Supply

The Good Food Institute — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 17:05:00 EST

Expert Available: 300 Food Recalls Reported in 2024

George Washington University — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:00:04 EST

More people got sick from contaminated food last year in the U.S. than in 2023, according to a new report published by Public Interest Research Group. ...

The Institute for the Advancement of Food & Nutrition Sciences is Now Accepting Applications for Summer Research Opportunity Fellowships

Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:40:02 EST

Part-time, summer opportunity for graduate students to provide science translation experience across formats and sectors.

Monitoring Approach Could Help Snuff Out Legionella Outbreaks

Ohio State University — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 19:35:42 EST

Routine, relatively low-cost monitoring of several factors influencing water safety could ward off Legionnaires' disease outbreaks in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care settings, a new study from the Ohio State University suggests.

The Institute for the Advancement of Food & Nutrition Sciences Hits its Four-Year Milestone

Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 09:20:40 EST

IAFNS has been advancing food and nutrition sciences as an independent organization for four years.

Research Shows Blood Test May Provide Personalized Dietary Therapy for Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 21:10:10 EST

Study participants who went on an IgG-based elimination diet--based on a novel blood test--experienced less abdominal pain than those on a sham diet.

Alternative Proteins' Place on the Global Health Agenda

The Good Food Institute — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:55:24 EST

I thought to myself as I read yet another story about the latest spike of avian influenza where I live in Colorado. This news, unfortunately, no longer surprises me.

Alkalinity on Demand: Innovative Tech for Instant Water Quality Analysis

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 08:30:57 EST

Scientists have developed a technique for water alkalinity analysis that requires no specialized equipment, using only artificial intelligence and smartphone technology. This method allows for the rapid and accurate measurement of alkalinity levels across diverse water matrices, from freshwater to saltwater, making water quality monitoring more accessible and affordable. This innovation addresses the need for simple and cost-effective water testing, empowering citizen scientists and overcoming financial limitations in traditional monitoring programs.