COST OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES NOT AN IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR MOST HOUSEHOLDS

New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) says that cost may not be the most important variable in whether households have fruits and vegetables available for consumption. In findings published in the online version of the American Journal of Public Health, the UAB researchers determined that most households did have a variety of fruits and vegetables available, with less expensive choices being far more prevalent than expensive items.

“There is a perception that the cost of fruits and vegetables is a barrier to their consumption, particularly in lower-income families,” said Jamy Ard, M.D., assistant professor of nutrition sciences at UAB and the study’s lead author. “Our study of homes with school children showed that fruits and vegetables, particularly lower-cost varieties, were widely available.”

Ard says another common assumption - that African American families were less likely to have fruits and vegetables than whites due to higher cost - is also not the case.

“We found that the availability of fruits and vegetables was remarkably consistent in both white and African American households,” Ard said. “African American children had access to the same amount of fruits and vegetables as whites, although the types available varied due to cultural distinctions.”

Ard’s team studied the availability of fruits and vegetables in the homes of 1,355 school-aged children in Birmingham. They found that most households had potatoes, green beans, lettuce, corn and orange juice available. Items such as pears, squash and grapefruit were found in few homes.

“Price is a factor in the availability of fruits and vegetables, but primarily only with the more expensive varieties,” said Ard. “Cultural and family preferences seem to override price concerns when choosing fruits and vegetables.”

-Source: UAB

“FAST TRACK” IMMIGRATION BILL MAY BE INTRODUCED

Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), along with Republican allies, may introduce new immigration legislation that would remove a requirement in the current Senate immigration bill requiring many illegal immigrants to return home before being granted legal status.

The lawmakers are also considering denying financing for 700 miles of fencing along the border that was part of the House of Representative’s enforcement-only immigration bill passed last year and signed by President Bush.

The Department of Homeland Security supports the proposals, which reflect changes in the balance of power in Congress. Details of the bill, which would be introduced early this year, are being drafted.

STRAWBERRY GROWERS’ PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association is teaming up with grocers to promote this year’s bounty via a new promotional campaign. The “Drop Red Gorgeous” campaign conveys the message that “you are what you eat.” Wal-Mart and other retailers are displaying colorful point-of-sale signage through February. The campaign was created to inform shoppers that Florida strawberries are low in calories, free of sodium and fat, and packed with vitamin C, fiber, folic acid and antioxidents.

Wal-Mart is promoting the berries as part of its “Salute to America’s Farmers” year-long program to spotlight its committment to purchase from local growers.

TECHNIQUE DEVELOPED TO QUICKLY DETECT PATHOGENS IN FOOD

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new technique to rapidly detect and precisely identify bacteria, including dangerous E. coli, without time-consuming treatments usually required.

The technique, called desorption electrospray ionization, or DESI, could be used to create a new class of fast, accurate detectors for applications ranging from food safety to homeland security.

Using a mass spectrometer to analyze bacteria and other microorganisms ordinarily takes several hours and requires that samples be specially treated and prepared in a lengthy series of steps. DESI eliminates the pretreatment steps, enabling researchers to take "fingerprints" of bacteria in less than a minute using a mass spectrometer.

New findings show how the Purdue researchers used the method to detect living, untreated bacteria, including E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium, both of which cause potentially fatal infections in humans.

The findings are detailed in a paper appearing Jan. 7 in the journal Chemical Communications.

Purdue researchers are focusing on three potential applications for detecting and identifying pathogens: food safety, medical analysis and homeland security.

FFVA WISHES YOU AND YOURS HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY IN 2007!