In this series, we’ll look at the science-based pros and cons of different food choices and farming methods, and their impacts on sustainability – not only on the environment, but on animal well-being, our health and our pocketbooks.

What is Sustainability?

It’s not just about being “green.”

For farmers and those involved in food production, the principle is known as the land ethic – to leave things better than we found them, according to Marty Matlock, executive director of the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center and professor of ecological engineering.

“Sustainability is a general term that describes the ability to keep doing what we’re doing. It’s not just an environmental term,” he said. “Farmers want to sustain the quality of life for their children, community health, environmental health and soil health. Conservation organizations want to sustain critical habitats and biodiversity around the world.” As farmers around the world work to grow more food to feed an exploding population, conservationists and farmers champion sustainable production so “we do not eat the remaining wild places on earth.”

Learn more about Optimizing Sustainability.

Dimensions of Sustainability

Dr. Matlock describes the key dimensions of sustainability for agriculture this way.

• Environmental: Intensification of production to feed a growing population while preserving critical habitats for other life. Water resources are shifting rapidly, increasing variability in rainfall and risks from floods and droughts.
• Social: Global challenges including access to skilled labor, adequate infrastructure in rural communities (schools, medical facilities, technical support), successional planning for next-generation farmers and access to tools that lessen the risks of farming (weather extremes, pest pressures, prices for crops, etc.)
• Climate Change: Sustainable production from the land and sea requires increasing resiliency of production systems under increased climate, economic, social and political uncertainty.

Sustainability also includes factors as diverse as health and wellness, animal welfare, treatment of workers, food waste, packaging, impact on local and indigenous communities and more. In fact, The Center for Food Integrity Optimizing Sustainability Framework, an approach to help food companies weigh the tradeoffs of sustainability decisions, lists more than 250 attributes of sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Dr. Janice Swanson, an expert in animal behavior and welfare and a professor of animal science and large animal clinical sciences at Michigan State University, said sustainability is often viewed through three perspectives – social, economic and environmental. Interactions between these three dimensions are complex.

“We are working to balance a dynamic ecosystem that engages human beings and animals in a relationship. And even if you decide to substitute ‘plant’ for ‘animal’ you still have a complex system where two living things are engaged in balancing social, environmental and economic impacts to be sustainable,” Dr. Swanson said.

She noted there are no easy answers when it comes to producing food for consumers, whose preferences continue to diversify when it comes to how their food is produced.

Sustainability Tradeoffs

Regardless of the dimension of sustainability, there are consequences. Newton’s Third Law of Motion says it best: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

In other words, while changing one factor can improve sustainability, the change can have negative impacts, too. So decisions by food companies should not be taken lightly.

“Changes in production practices made because of pressure from advocacy organizations that are not science-based can result in reduced choices at the grocery store and can increase the negative impacts of some food products,” Dr. Matlock said.

One example is cage-free eggs – eggs from hens who live in barns where they can exhibit more natural behaviors like foraging and taking short flights, said Dr. Swanson. In conventional systems, hens are housed in cages within barns.

Driven by animal welfare concerns, some advocacy groups and customers are demanding that eggs are produced only in cage-free barns. A handful of states now require that only cage-free eggs be sold, and others have legislation on the table to do the same. But are cage-free eggs sustainable?

(Read more: What’s the Difference Between Cage-Free and Regular Eggs?)

There are tradeoffs, Dr. Swanson said, including more injuries to hens from flying and hen-pecking, reduced air quality from increased dust and ammonia (which can impact employee and hen health). In addition, more hens are required to produce the same amount of cage-free eggs, so more feed, water and land are required. It costs farmers more to produce cage-free eggs, and that results in higher prices for consumers.

Just the Facts

Farmers and companies in the agriculture and food supply chain are working to improve sustainability and being diligent about measuring, monitoring and communicating improvements, Dr. Matlock said.

That’s good news.

As the world turns its focus to protecting our earth, our health, our animals – Best Food Facts is bringing you the scoop on sustainability. We’ll equip you with the science from experts so you can weigh the pros and cons and make the best choices in the grocery aisle for you and your family. Learn more about Optimizing Sustainability.

The post Sustainability: What are the True Impacts of Your Food Choices? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

One question we’ve seen a lot is whether or not you can get coronavirus from food. Coronavirus is a respiratory virus that most commonly spreads from person to person through droplets. 

The virus is not spread through food. 

However, practicing good food safety can help reduce your risk of spreading the disease. The Centers for Disease Control advises that before you eat or prepare food, wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.  

It may be possible to get COVID-19 by touching a surface – such as a table or sandwich wrapper – that has the virus on it and then touching your face. In this way, it is possible to be infected if the virus lands on food that you touch and put in your mouth. However, this is not believed to be the main way the virus spreads. 

What does that mean about food or products that come from areas with high rates of infection? 

“In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient, refrigerated, or frozen temperatures,” the CDC states. 

COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that originated in China. It is still safe to enjoy your favorite takeout – you can’t get coronavirus from eating Chinese food.  

Many of us will be avoiding crowds and spending more time at home, which means preparing more meals. Following food handling guidelines is always important to keep your family safe from food borne illness. If you’re stocking up on food supplies, here are some tips for refrigerating and freezing food. 

Coronavirus is not spread through food. You should always wash your hands before you eat or handle food.

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What are the differences in cold brew and hot brew coffee? 

Dr. Morris: “Whereas iced coffee is basically hot brew coffee which has then been cooled down, in cold brew the water used to make the coffee is always at room temperature or lower. 

“The absence of heat in the brewing process has two significant effects. First, the length of time required to extract the optimum flavor from the coffee is much longer – indeed many coffee shops prepare their cold brew coffee overnight. Secondly, the so-called low polar compounds (lacking in electronegativity within them) extract very poorly in the absence of heat. Significantly these include the coffee oils. 

“Consequently, hot and cold brew coffee made from the same batch of beans can taste surprisingly different in the cup, with the cold brew generally exhibiting higher degrees of sweetness, a more chocolate type taste, and lower levels of acidity – a term that coffee tasters use in a positive sense to describe the tingling citrusy sensations that one gets, say, from biting into a crisp, fresh apple.” 

Is one healthier than the other? 

Dr. Morris: “So cold brew and hot brew coffees therefore do have significant sensory differences other than temperature, but the extent to which these impact on the health benefits they offer remains moot.” 

Can cold brew coffee boost your metabolism? 

Dr. Morris: “Cold brew coffee still contains caffeine and hence will boost metabolism, though this effect varies significantly from individual to individual.” 

Is cold brew coffee better for your stomach than hot brew coffee since it is less acidic? 

Dr. Morris: “Those people who encounter difficulties with the levels of acidity present in hot brew coffee may well prefer the taste of cold brew. However, there is no reason to think that hot brew coffee is bad for the stomach per se: apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, cream cheese, grapefruit, and even ketchup are all significantly more acidic than black coffee. According to a recent study, 93 percent of commercial beverages available in US supermarkets have a pH below 4, the danger level for dental erosion – by comparison black coffee has a pH of around 5.” 

Does cold brew coffee have more or less caffeine? 

Dr. Morris: “Given caffeine is one of the compounds whose solubility is heavily dependent on the temperature you might have thought there would be less caffeine in cold brew coffee. However, as many coffee shops and producers brew their cold brew as a concentrate, the reverse is often the case. This concentrate is then diluted with water prior to serving so depending on the ratios used, the final product in the cup might have more or less caffeine than its hot-brewed equivalent. To give a practical example, Starbucks states that its Grande Dark Roast Brewed Coffee contains 260 milligrams of caffeine, while the Grande Cold Brew contains 200 grams.” 

Cold brew and hot brew coffee are similar in nutrition, you may notice more people ordering a cold brew than a regular iced coffee at your local coffee shop. As the market and recipes for cold brew coffee increase, so does the popularity to brew your own, at home, in the refrigerator. To learn more about coffee variation and its health benefits visit our other blog. 

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Coffee is part of our daily lives. It helps us wake up in the morning and keeps us going throughout the day. But how often do we ponder the health implications of the numerous cups of coffee we consume? To understand the different nutritional qualities of coffee we reached out to expert Dr. Jonathan Morris, professor of Modern History at the University of Hertfordshire. 

Coffee has been known to help digestion, but it may surprise you to hear it has other benefits. 

According to the National Coffee Association, in addition to aiding digestion, the caffeine associated with coffee beverages can be linked to many health benefits including reduced risk of stroke, diabetes and postmenopausal breast cancer. 

“Coffee contains significant amounts of soluble fiber (in this case hot brewed is an advantage as it extracts better) – in fact the same Starbucks Grande Brewed Coffee would give you around 3 grams or roughly 10% of your daily fiber needs,” Morris said. “Indeed, around 30% of us report that coffee works as a fast-acting laxative – not a bad way to keep you regular as we say in the UK. However, while this works with black coffee, remember that once you add milk, cream, syrups etc. you have converted it from a digestive into a dessert.” 

We asked Dr. Morris what the differences are in the three common roasts of coffee — light, medium and dark. 

“Dark roasts are dominated by the taste of the roast itself, which is why they are often used for inferior quality coffees,” Morris said. “This is particularly important when we consider that of the two species of coffee grown commercially, the cheaper one, Robusta, is widely perceived as having an inferior bitter rubbery taste that is best overcome through dark roasting.” 

Robusta has twice the caffeine content of Arabica, the older species used for coffee production, Morris said. The difference in concentration will likely have a different physiological impact on the body and an undoubted difference in taste, he added.  

“If you are worried about caffeine content, then start by ascertaining if your preferred coffee is made up of 100% Arabica beans,” Morris says. 

What is the health benefit of coffee?
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Although the roasts may taste different, they only have slight health variations. 

“The health implications of the different levels of roasting need to be understood within this context,” Morris said. “If a batch of coffee is split into two parts, one roasted light and the other dark, then the darker roasted will have slightly lower levels of caffeine concentration than the light roasted – but the difference is in the order of 0.1 percent so it’s unlikely to provoke any difference in the physiological experience of the average individual.” 

Dark roasted coffee contains lower levels of Acrylamide, which is suspected of being carcinogenic at very high levels of exposure, Morris said. A California court ruling in 2018 led to a requirement that coffee should be sold with a cancer warning due to the presence of Acrylamide. This ruling was overturned in 2019 because of the overwhelming evidence that such levels were insignificant. Now, counter-literature exists associating coffee drinking with improved health outcomes, Morris explained. Perhaps the most substantive advantage of darker roasted coffee is that it contains more N-methylpyridinium, which inhibits gastric acid production in the stomach. 

Coffee can even boost your metabolism! 

Caffeine has been known to increase the metabolic rate up to 11 percent by increasing how quickly the body burns fat. This effect varies from individual to individual, Morris says. 

Knowing these facts, the question we are all wondering is — how many cups of coffee are safe to consume daily?  

“And so we reach the holy grail of all writing about coffee and health,” Morris said. “By now, you should have hopefully realized that there is no simple answer to this question.”  

The beans used, the type of brew and the size of the cup are significant factors that change the outcome of your consumption, explained Morris.  

“And a lot of those outcomes are somewhat counter-intuitive: for example, that Tall (read small) cup of Brewed Blonde Roast coffee you thought represented the safest way to go in Starbucks comes with 270 mg of caffeine, while the tough guy sipping his Espresso only has to cope with 75 mg,” he said.  

Furthermore, like alcohol, our bodies metabolize caffeine in different capacities and the body can build up a resistance to caffeine if you’re a habitual coffee drinker, Morris said.  

“But don’t give up hope,” says Morris. “Nearly all the macro-analyses of coffee drinkers find that some form of moderate consumption of whatever you prefer in whatever size cup you take it, result in positive health outcomes in comparison to total abstention. Most of them tend to situate that figure as between 1 to 5 cups a day.” 

Because majority of us drink at least one cup of coffee every day, it is important to know how this can affect our health. Coffee has been studied extensively and is shown to improve mood, digestion and reduce risk to some diseases. Take a look at the difference between hot brew coffee and trending cold brew coffee.

The post What is the Health Benefit of Coffee? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

What nutrition does soy and soy foods provide?

Dr. Garden-Robinson: “Soy foods are rich in many nutrients, including protein, which makes them important for people interested in focusing on a plant-based diet, especially a vegetarian or vegan diet.  Soy foods also provide fiber, calcium and iron. As with any plant-based foods, soy contains no cholesterol and is low in saturated fat. The fat found in soy includes heart-healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, including essential fatty acids.

“Soy provides B vitamins, which are necessary for producing energy from the foods we eat, and soy foods also provide potassium, phosphorus and iron.  Potassium is important to maintain a healthy blood pressure, while phosphorus is needed for cell growth. Iron is crucial for the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin.”

What are the health benefits of eating soy?

Dr. Garden-Robinson: “Soy may help build strong bones because of isoflavones and other components, including calcium, found naturally in soy. Some researchers have reported that consuming soy foods may reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol without affecting HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Others have stated that consumption of soy protein and isoflavones may help reduce blood pressure.

“More recently, researchers have noted that soy’s effect on blood cholesterol may be more moderate than what was reported in prior research. Therefore, in 2017, after reviewing the scientific evidence regarding the relationship between soy protein and heart disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed revoking the allowable health claim. The health claim states that “consuming 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk for heart disease.”  As of May 2019, a final decision had not been made.

“Other researchers have reported that soy may help lower the risk of various types of cancer, including prostate, colon and breast cancer. In addition, some research teams have noted the potential for soy products and a favorable effect on kidney function, skin health and mental health. More recently, researchers are focusing on gut health and the influence of soy fiber on the microbiome.  The research continues, so watch for updates and consult with a dietitian and/or medical care provider before making major dietary changes.”

What are some good options for soy foods?

Dr. Garden-Robinson: “Soy foods have used widely for centuries, especially in Asian diets, so there are numerous types of soy foods available throughout a typical supermarket. Soymilk, tofu, edamame (immature “green” soybeans), soynuts and fermented foods such as tempeh are just a few of the wide range of available soy foods. Soy also is used to create “meat-like” products ranging from soy-based “burgers” to crumbles to use in taco filling.”

Is soy milk healthy? Find out here.

Does soy contain estrogen? Is it something to be concerned about?

Dr. Garden-Robinson: “Sometimes information is shared that soyfoods are “feminizing” for men because of estrogen; however, soy foods do not contain the hormone “estrogen.” They contain isoflavones, which are “phytoestrogens” (“phyto” = plant) that are structurally similar to estrogen but function more weakly.  According to epidemiological studies, Asian women, who consume a higher amount of soy foods, have a lower incidence of the bone-weakening disease, osteoporosis.”

Is it okay for women (and men) to eat soy?

Dr. Garden-Robinson: “We might see some alarming information shared on social media about soy from time to time, but the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans stated that “a healthy eating pattern can include a variety of soy food products.”  As we know, anyone can share both positive and negative information online very easily. Many researchers have reported that soy foods may have a variety of health benefits. The research continues to build, so the best advice is to look for reputable sources of nutrition and health information. Be sure to follow the advice of your medical care provider.

Is there a link between soy and breast cancer?

Dr. Garden-Robinson: “Some research has shown breast cancer survivors may reduce their risk of reoccurrence with a fairly small amount of soy (e.g. 1/2 cup of soymilk per day). Other research has shown that having soy foods early in life may decrease the risk of breast cancer later in life.”

Are there any potential health concerns of eating soy?

Dr. Garden-Robinson: “Soy foods are among the common allergens, so any foods that contain soy must list “Contains Soy” with the ingredient statement on food labels.  Sometimes, allergies to soy can be fairly mild, with symptoms such as hives, itching, nausea or vomiting. For some people, eating soy may produce life-threatening symptoms. If people suspect they have an allergy to soy, they should visit with their healthcare providers for further testing.”

Is it possible for someone on a plant-based/vegetarian diet to consume too much soy?

Dr. Garden-Robinson: “As with any diet, variety is important. If you focus too much on a particular food, you may miss nutrients that you need in an overall healthy diet.”

Anything else you’d like to add?

Dr. Garden-Robinson: “If you have never tried certain soy foods, consider exploring the options. Soy foods are located throughout grocery stores. For example, you can find soy foods in the frozen food aisle as soy crumbles, soy ice cream and edamame, among others. You can find soy foods in canned form, as soy flour and in snack mixes or soy nuts.”

Soy contains protein, as well as fiber, calcium and iron. Soy has been shown to have health benefits including building strong bones, reducing the risk of certain types of cancer and lowering cholesterol. Soy contains plant estrogens that do not affect humans.

For more information:

Is soy consumption good or bad for the breast?

Soy and health update: Evaluation of the clinical and epidemiologic literature

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Statement

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So, how can you implement more healthy veggies into you or your family’s diet? We reached out to expert Anne Elizabeth Cundiff, RD, LD, FAND and a retail registered dietitian, to learn more about veggie carbohydrates. 

What are the benefits of replacing items like noodles, rice, bread and baking flours with vegetables substitutes? 

Cundiff: “The benefits of using vegetable substitutions for traditional grains would be if you had a food allergy such as Celiac Disease, are having difficulty controlling blood sugars with pre-diabetes or diabetes, like the taste of substitutes or are trying to incorporate more vegetables in your daily food intake.” 

Americans are generally not consuming enough fruits and vegetables in their daily diets. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can defend against diseases such as: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and obesity, according to the Center for Disease Control. 

What are some ways that vegetables can be used in place of traditional carbs? 

Cundiff: “Vegetables are being transformed into vegetable noodles, breads, chips, crackers, pizza crusts and beverages. I personally prefer the vegetables noodles, vegetables mash (like potatoes, squash and cauliflower) and pureed vegetables in juices or sauces.”  

Do you think we lose taste and flavor when replacing these foods with vegetables? 

Cundiff: “Taste and flavor vary greatly from person to person, so I think it would be something to evaluate on an individual basis.”  

Are there any tips to add flavor or texture when using vegetables in place of grains? 

Cundiff: “I flavor vegetable substitutions the same as I would traditional grains, lots of herbs, spices and healthy high flavor fats like olive oil. There will always be a bit of a difference in texture, so experimenting with a variety of cooking preparations is a good idea. I personally like to sauté zucchini noodles instead of steaming when using it as a pasta substitute, so the texture seems more al dente.” 

Should people avoid eating grains? 

Cundiff: “I believe grains and traditional carbohydrates are a great way to get certain vitamins, minerals and fiber, especially when choosing products made with whole grains. If you are choosing whole grains and practicing portion control to meet your health and wellness needs, there is no need to replace them with other substitutes.” 

Do you recommend people replace their carb dishes with veggie substitutes? 

Cundiff: “I always like to meet my clients where they are in their food preferences and provide suggestions based on their needs. I am pro-carbohydrates and feel we need to keep discussing them in a positive light. They are not the enemy! Portion size consumption is very important to discuss with all the food groups, making all foods fit without having to find substitutes for our favorites.” 

Where do you see veggie substitutes going in the future? Do you think the market will expand or has it reached its limit? 

Cundiff: “I think the market will always keep expanding. I hope to see the options continue to grow so it continues to encourage people to eat more vegetables every day.” 

Do you have any tips for ways to add more vegetables to a diet? 

Cundiff: “When people think of vegetable servings, they think of enormous quantities and get overwhelmed. One cup of raw (about the size of a tennis ball) and ½ cup cooked (about the size of two golf balls) is a serving, so helping people to understand how this looks each day is a great place to start. Examine how many you get each day and then determine how to increase the servings to an attainable goal. I like to start with 3-4 servings a day. I personally start each day with 2 cups of raw spinach in a smoothie and I know I am halfway there.”  

Vegetable carbohydrate substitutions are one of many great ways to increase your daily consumption of vegetables. However, you can still enjoy your favorite carb-rich foods while being mindful of portion control and opting for whole grains. Try Cundiff’s favorite recipe and for more delicious vegetable recipes visit Pinterest. 

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Keep it positive, they advised.

“Often times with diet-related resolutions, we constantly focus on what to take out of our diet such as less sweets, less fried food, less sodas, etc.,” said Sheena Gregg, MS, RDN, LD and assistant director of the Department of Health Promotion & Wellness at the University of Alabama.

Instead, she recommends focusing on a resolution that adds more to the diet – more water, more fresh fruits and vegetables. “Putting a positive spin on a diet resolution takes out the deprivation factor that typically renders us unsuccessful with keeping our resolutions long term,” Gregg said.

Dr. Wendy Dahl, associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida, agrees with this upbeat approach.

“I think the best resolutions are positive, i.e. what positive steps can we take,” she said.

In 2019, she encourages us to say “yes” to fiber.

“Higher fiber intakes are associated with lower weights (BMI), limiting weight gain over time, and are helpful for weight loss,” she said. “Bonus benefits of higher fiber diets are lower blood pressure and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some forms of cancer and kidney disease. They also can help to manage numerous chronic diseases. You can’t beat that!”

Some ideas Dr. Dahl offers for adding fiber to your diet:

• Choose whole fruit vs fruit juice. It has more fiber and is more satisfying.
• Opt for whole grain vs refined breads and pastas. “On average, we consume one extra grain per day. Cutting back on one grain with added fat and sugar is a great strategy for weight loss or maintenance.”
• Love legumes — beans, peas and lentils. They’re the highest fiber food out there.

On January 1, it’s easy to feel motivated. But Gregg said you can stay on track the rest of the year with a little planning – and maybe a pocket calendar or alarm on your smart phone.

“My clients often report the most success when they’ve set specific dates on their calendar throughout the year for re-evaluating their goals. Keeping your goals on a calendar or journal with a specific task of evaluation can provide an opportunity for modifying your goals if needed,” she said.

Keep a positive attitude with these monthly or quarterly check-ins, as well.

“We often approach our new year’s resolutions with an ‘all or nothing’ mentality. However, if we give ourselves the task of evaluating our progress while also giving ourselves permission to modify our goals as needed, we have a much better chance of continuing our lifestyle changes throughout the year,” Gregg said.

Set positive goals, take simple steps, evaluate your progress and adjust as necessary – 2017 can be a year of healthy success!

Originally published Dec. 20, 2016.

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CRISPR is a precise gene-editing tool that has potential to treat diseases in humans and animals. Blogger Lynne Feifer of 365 Days of Baking helped Best Food Facts find out more about this technology and how it can be used.

“This is such a powerful, potent promising technology. We have so much at stake here in food and ag for animals and plants, agriculture, biotechnology, biofuels, medicine, the clinic translational medicine to cure disease and feed the world,” said Dr. Rodolphe Barrangou, whom Lynne interviewed at his lab at North Carolina State University.

One possible application for CRISPR is in treating sickle cell, an inherited disease. The disease affects 100,000 people in the United States and is most common among African-Americans. Dr. Nazia Tabassum is a pediatric specialist who treats sickle cell patients.

“Some of the patients come in for severe complications like severe pain crisis which requires IV narcotics and hydration. Some of these kids can also have severe sickling in their lungs which we call acute chest syndrome, which is a medical emergency,” she said.

Lynne had planned to interview Shakir Cannon, who had battled sickle cell disease his entire life and was a passionate advocate for CRISPR technology. However, he passed away in December 2017.

CRISPR also has potential to ease suffering and cure diseases among animals. Lynne talked to Erin Brenneman, a pig farmer in Iowa who said they are interested in how CRISPR might cure a disease called PRRS. “The acronym PRRS stands for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. It is the most economically and emotionally draining disease for all those raising pigs in North America, Europe and Asia,” Brenneman said.

She said pig farmers are excited about the potential for PRRS to cure the disease.

Check out the other videos in the series What is CRISPR? and How Can CRISPR Improve Food?

The post How Can CRISPR Treat Disease? Part 2 appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Blogger Lynne Feifer of 365 Days of Baking has been learning about CRISPR gene-editing technology and its potential. Lynne is usually in her kitchen stirring up new recipes, so she was very interested to learn how CRISPR might be applied to make foods better. She started her journey with Dr. Rodolphe Barrangou who explained how this gene-editing tool works in Part 1. Part 2 looked at how CRISPR could treat disease.

“As a food blogger, I get a lot of my followers coming to me asking for diabetic recipes, gluten-free recipes, allergenic recipes. How does CRISPR fit into that?” Lynne asked.

“Enter CRISPR to the rescue,” Dr. Barrangou said. “If you are allergic or if you don’t like this particular compound in this particular trait, we can inactivate it. We can make gluten-free wheat. We can make hypoallergenic nuts. If we know what the gene is, we can take it out or turn it off or turn it down.”

That’s exactly what Dr. Jessica Lyons and her team are researching at the University of California Berkeley. Their research is focused on using CRISPR technology to remove a deadly compound in the cassava plant, which is also known as yucca.

“Cassava is a really important staple crop for about 800 million people in tropical and subtropical regions of the world,” Dr. Lyons said. She noted that stunting in children under age 5 caused by malnourishment is prevalent in the regions where cassava is widely consumed. However, the plant contains compounds that can cause people to be poisoned from cyanide if the root has not been sufficiently processed.

“If people are relying on cassava and they’re ingesting the cyanide over time, they can get these neurological disorders. The best known one is called konzo and it causes paralysis of the lower extremities,” Dr. Lyons said. “For people who eat plenty of protein in their diet, the cyanide is not as much of a threat. But for people who don’t have much to eat besides cassava, then the cyanide poisoning is more of a threat.”

In the lab, she is working to remove the compounds that cause poisoning.

“We’re going to use CRISPR as a tool to knock out some genes that are very important for the pathway that result in these cyanogenic glucosides. We expect that by knocking these genes out, we’ll remove the cyanogenic glucosides from the root and so the cassava will not release the cyanide any more,” Dr. Lyons said.

Lynne observed that Dr. Lyons is very passionate about the project and asked why. “I’ve been the recipient of a great deal of privilege in my life and I’m aware of that. I think that my work on projects like this are a great opportunity to use the knowledge and the resources and skills that I have to have a positive impact on the world,” she said.

Lynne said her experiences learning about CRISPR had been enlightening.

“After my series of conversations with researchers, it is clear to me CRISPR technology has the potential to make a positive impact on the world in human medicine, disease prevention and food improvements –- and that’s only a few of the possibilities,” she said.

The other videos in the series are What is CRISPR Technology? and How Can CRISPR Treat Disease?

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After 20 years of the nutrition label remaining the same, the new FDA label will have a separate line to show how much sugar has been added to each food.

According to Dr. Fadi Aramouni, professor of food science at Kansas State University, manufacturers have until Jan. 1. 2020, to comply with the new labeling requirements. Manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales will have an additional year. The new label means there will be more information available. Dr. Aramouni outlined the differences shoppers will see:

• Easier to read information on food packages: increased type size for ‘calories,’ ‘servings per container’ and the ‘serving size’ declaration, and bold type for number of calories and the ‘serving size’ declaration.
• More information about certain nutrients which were not mandatory before: vitamin D, potassium and added sugars.
• Updated serving sizes for certain products: e.g. the reference amount for a serving of ice cream was previously one-half cup but is changing to 2/3 cup, and the reference amount for a serving of soda is changing from 8 ounces to 12 ounces.

Image: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

According to NPR, “the change reflects increasing concern about the amount of sugar that Americans consume, and the amount of sugar that’s added to common foods.”

In addition, Dr. Aramouni discussed with us the differences between the two sugars and why the change to the food label is being made.

Are the sugars in my fruit and the sugars in a cookie the same thing?

Dr. Aramouni: “Most sugars in fruits are fructose or glucose and to a lesser extent sucrose. Table sugar is sucrose extracted from natural sources. Neither type of sugar is better or worse for consumers except that fructose doesn’t provoke an insulin response.  Yet, too much fructose consumption can increase the likelihood of weight gain.”

Okay, so is there really a difference between the two types of sugar?

Dr. Aramouni: “Not necessarily from a chemical point of view, even though most sugars in fruits are monosaccharides (fructose and glucose), while added sugars are mostly sucrose (a disaccharide which breaks down in the body to glucose and fructose), or corn syrup.  The issue is one of caloric density. For example, a fruit juice may have naturally 8-10% total sugars and be a good source of vitamins, but a carbonated soft drink sweetened with sugar will have a little more sugar than juice and no vitamins.”

The FDA defines added sugar as, “sugars that are either added during the processing of foods, or are packaged as such, and includes sugars (free, mono- and disaccharides), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices that are in excess of what would be expected from the same volume of 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice of the same type.”

Does the body process added sugars any differently than naturally occurring sugars?

Dr. Aramouni: “No, not if they are chemically the same types of sugars.”

So, while you may think that swapping honey for a table sugar is better for you – your body cannot tell the difference between it.

As a grocery shopper, should I be aware of added sugars in a product?

Dr. Aramouni: “Scientific evidence supports reducing caloric intake from added sugars; The American Heart Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Institute of Medicine and the World Health Organization have recommended decreasing intake of added sugars.

“FDA stated that ‘it is difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie requirements if you consume more than 10 percent of your total daily calories from added sugars.’  Americans get about 13 percent of their total calories from added sugars found in sugar-sweetened beverages, snacks and sweets.”

When it comes down to it, sugar is sugar.  Whether it’s added or naturally occurring, your body processes all sugar the same. If you didn’t know the difference, or similarities, between the two, though, you aren’t alone.We talked to consumers on the street to capture their thoughts on added sugars. Watch the video.

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