Ancient Grains; Face-to-Face: Meet Shelly Schmidt; Macronutrient intake recommendations

Ancient Grains: Nutritional and Functional Aspects
Whole grain food sales have increased dramatically in recent years; however, consumers still fall short of the recommended intake of whole grain foods. Take part in a live webcast on June 24 from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. Central time to learn how ancient grains, including sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, Indian rice grass, spelt, millet, chia, and teff, are gaining attention of consumers and the food industry. In addition to being naturally gluten free, many offer nutritional and functional benefits, as well as unique flavors. They can be used in the whole seed form inside dishes and soups, or as whole grain flours in foods such as breads, pasta, and snacks. The use of ancient grain ingredients in product development can help increase dietary variety by introducing consumers to less familiar grains.

Face-to-Face: Meet Shelly Schmidt
In this month’s Face-to-Face series, we will be introducing you to Shelly Schmidt, Professor of Food Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research expertise focuses on the elucidation of the relationship between water and solid mobility and the physical, chemical, and biological stability and the quality characteristics of food systems. Her teaching interests include writing for learning techniques, effective large enrollment course strategies, and the use of visual explanations to enhance her teaching and students’ learning. Her passion for teaching and enhancing instruction skills is apparent through her service on the board of the Journal of Food Science Education. Read IFT’s Face-to-Face interview to see what else keeps Schmidt busy.

Macronutrient intake recommendations: What does the evidence indicate?
With the increased interest in how we address obesity and the associated metabolic risk factors, there has been more focus on greater understanding of how macronutrient intake (source and amount) affects our health. In a recent ePerspective post, Mark Haub, Associate Professor in the Dept. of Human Nutrition at Kansas State University, explains that much of the recent evidence illustrates how poorly many of the issues are understood, especially when it comes to applying the evidence to individuals and/or populations. He highlights different issues that can complicate study data, such as confirmation bias and relying on other people’s interpretation of the data. What are your thoughts on the conclusions of recent studies? What might inhibit the ability to see a study’s data clearly and without bias? Share your thoughts today on IFT’s ePerspective blog.

Sour Pomegranate Sauce May Inhibit Growth of Foodborne Pathogens
While it is well known that pomegranates have a multitude of antioxidant properties, researchers from Turkey found that sour pomegranate sauce showed a considerable inhibitory effect on test microorganisms. A study in the Journal of Food Science investigated the antimicrobial effect of sour pomegranate sauce on two common foodborne pathogens, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Practical application of this research means that sour pomegranate products used as flavoring and acidifying agents could prevent foodborne outbreaks related to fresh produce.

Kelly Hensel
Senior Digital Editor
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