In the food industry, botulinum toxin is associated with a severe form of food poisoning caused by improperly preserved food. But in clinics and hospitals, botulinum toxin is perceived as a miracle treatment for wrinkled skin, droopy brows, migraines, and other cosmetic and medical issues. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) have developed a technology that addresses the role of botulinum toxin in both realms. The research is published in the journal Toxins.
Botulinum toxin is produced by Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobic bacterium that can grow in inadequately preserved low-acid foods, such as canned spinach, mushrooms, seafood, and meats. If ingested via contaminated food, botulinum toxin causes blurred vision, slurred speech, drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, and even death. Botulinum toxin is one of the deadliest toxins known to humans; however, when marketed as the drug Botox, it is the preferred treatment for facial aging and various medical conditions, including dystonia, migraines, overactive bladder, and forms of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). Before Botox can be distributed to pharmacies and prescribed to treat wrinkles, migraines, or any other medical disorder, its safety must be confirmed.
Scientists at the USDA ARS recently developed a technology to screen for botulinum toxin. The technology (monoclonal antibodies) has subsequently become part of new commercial assays to test the safety of Botox and other drugs containing botulinum toxin. In addition to serving as a factory screening test, the kit can be used by food safety agencies during a food poisoning incident to identify and track the strain back to its source. The new assays, manufactured by BioSentinel, are said to be faster and more precise than other test kits that detect botulinum toxin, and they do not require the use of animals.
The dangers of a high-sodium diet have been well documented, but a new technology devised by scientists from Washington State University could help reduce sodium in processed foods while retaining taste and texture.
A study found that people who drank beverages that contained the low-calorie sweetener sucralose did experience metabolic problems and issues with neural responses but only when the beverage was formulated with both sucralose and a tasteless sugar (maltodextrin).
British scientists have gained new insights into the compound in plants that plays a vital role in the natural process through which plants grow.
New food and beverage products from around the globe
Microbial fermentation is establishing itself as a true third pillar of the alternative protein industry, on par with—and enabling—parallel advances in plant-based proteins and cultivated meat.
A look at the market and regulatory landscape for CBD edibles.
An ancient cuisine is finding a foothold in the mainstream.
How the food chain is (finally) adopting and embracing digital transformation.
Following a long-term diet that’s low in carbohydrates and high in fat and protein from vegetables may reduce the risk of the most common subtype of glaucoma, according to a study published in Eye-Nature.
The U.S. FDA has announced in a letter of enforcement discretion that it does not intend to object to the use of certain qualified health claims regarding consuming certain cranberry products and a reduced risk of recurrent urinary tract infection in healthy women.
According to a group of research, policy, and government experts, the United States needs to strengthen and increase funding for federal nutrition research and improve cross-governmental coordination in order to accelerate discoveries, grow the economy, and—most importantly—improve public health, food/nutrition security, and population resilience.
The 2020 DGAC revisited the topic of added sugars and concluded that a more appropriate target to help mitigate cardiovascular disease and obesity is to lower the number to 6% of energy from added sugars for the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has posted the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s final scientific report, an objective review of the latest available science on specific nutrition topics.