Implications of the Farm Bill expiration; Face-to-Face: Meet Mary Ellen Camire; Safety of rice cooked in water containing arsenic

Implications of the Farm Bill expiration
The U.S. Senate and U.S. House Committee on Agriculture have passed their respective versions of the 2012 Farm Bill, but the legislation is stranded, and the 2008 Farm Bill expired on Sept. 30, 2012. In a recent ePerspective post, John Bode, Principal at John Bode LLC, delves into the practical implications of the 2008 Farm Bill expiration. There is a chance that the bill could still be passed this year in the lame duck session that will follow the November elections, however, Bode sees a one-year extension as a more plausible outcome. While the expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill has not had major impact, if something is not decided before Jan. 1, it could have some serious repercussions. Read IFT’s ePerspective blog to see what these might be, according to Bode.

Face-to-Face: Meet Mary Ellen Camire
In this month’s Face-to-Face series, we will be introducing you to Mary Ellen Camire, Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Maine. Camire came upon the food industry after agreeing to help her husband (a food scientist himself) do some consumer testing for his company. She then realized the role consumer liking played in acceptance of healthful foods. Since then, Camire has enjoyed teaching students and helping companies and colleagues with research designs. Read the Q&A with Camire to learn about the challenges facing the food industry and Camire’s affinity for blue foods.

Safety of rice cooked in water containing arsenic
This fall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it is working toward a proposal that would limit the amount of arsenic in rice, which has been identified as a leading dietary source of the toxin. A recent study published in the Journal of Food Science examines whether rice cooked in polluted water might raise the level of arsenic in rice even higher. The health risk posed by the presence of arsenic in cooked rice depends on its release from the matrix along the digestive system (bioaccessibility). The researchers cooked two types of white polished long-grain rice in water with different levels of arsenic. Read the study to find out the implications for human health.

Register for Wellness 13
Registration is now open for the Wellness 13 conference, taking place Feb. 27–28, 2013, in Rosemont, Ill. Now in its fifth year, Wellness 13 is the leading event for professionals in R&D, brand management, regulatory compliance, sales, and government who are committed to learning what it takes to successfully develop and market healthful foods that resonate with today’s—and tomorrow’s—consumers. Whether you’re looking for ways to apply the latest advances in the healthful food arena, approaches for providing added functionality to consumers, direction on how to market effectively and ethically, or guidance on policy adherence, your experience will be first-rate.

Kelly Hensel
Digital Media Editor
[email protected]