Sweet, healthy and delicious, and inexpensive to boot, pineapples are one of the world’s most desired fruits. On average, the world eats more than 26,000 tons of pineapples each year. But hidden beneath their low-price tag lies an industry riddled with heavy pesticide use, water pollution, deforestation and the exploitation of farmworkers, who are forced […]
Japanese persimmons exported to the United States for the first time
After lifting the ban on the export of persimmons from Japan to the United States from October of last year, Fukuoka prefecture is now working on the production of persimmons for the US. The exportation of the Fukuoka-produced Taishu variety of persimmons to the US began in October. People were able to taste the sweet, […]
GMO Apples That Don’t Brown Hit US Stores
The first genetically modified apples to be sold in the U.S. will debut in select Midwestern stores. The fruit has been genetically modified such that its flesh won’t turn brown when exposed to air. A small amount of Arctic brand sliced and packaged Golden Delicious, produced by Okanagan Specialty Fruits of Summerland, B.C., will be […]
A Better Way To Wash Pesticides Off Apples
Polishing an apple with your shirt might remove some dust and dirt, but getting rid of pesticide residues could take a little more work. Researchers now report in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, that washing apples with a common household product — baking soda — could do the trick for residues on the surfaces […]
GMO Pink Pineapple From Del Monte Approved By FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced it has completed its evaluation of a variety of pineapple genetically engineered by Del Monte Fresh Produce (DMFP) to have pink flesh, concluding that there are no unresolved safety or regulatory questions about the pineapple. DMFP submitted information to the agency to demonstrate that the pink flesh […]
Freezing Blueberries Improves Antioxidant Availability
Blueberries pack a powerful antioxidant punch, whether eaten fresh or from the freezer, according to South Dakota State University graduate Marin Plumb. Anthocyanins, a group of antioxidant compounds, are responsible for the color in blueberries, she explains. Since most of the color is in the skin, freezing the blueberries actually improves the availability of the […]
Oranges Versus Orange Juice: Which One Might Be Better For Your Health?
Many health advocates advise people to eat an orange and drink water rather than opt for a serving of sugary juice. But in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists report that the picture is not clear-cut. Although juice is indeed high in sugar, the scientists found that certain nutrients in orange juice might be […]
Grapefruit Juice Stems Weight Gain In Mice Fed A High-Fat Diet
Fad diets come and go, but might there be something to the ones that involve consuming grapefruit and grapefruit juice? New research at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that a closer look at grapefruit juice is warranted. A new study, to be published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, found that mice fed a high-fat […]
Peaches Inhibit Breast Cancer Metastasis In Mice
Lab tests at Texas A&M AgriLife Research have shown that treatments with peach extract inhibit breast cancer metastasis in mice. AgriLife Research scientists say that the mixture of phenolic compounds present in the peach extract are responsible for the inhibition of metastasis, according to the study, which was this month published in the Journal of Nutritional […]
Baking blueberries changes their polyphenol content, health benefits
Blueberries are called a “superfood” for their high polyphenol content, but when served as warm, gooey pie filling or when lending bursts of sweet flavor to a muffin, their “super” health benefits change. Scientists studied how cooking and baking affect the increasingly popular fruit’s polyphenols and reported their mixed findings — levels of some of […]