Posts tagged with "USDA"
Above, a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich. (Photo source: @captsafety/#thanksgivingleftovers/Instagram)
How long are Thanksgiving leftovers safe to eat?
If your turkey lurks for just a little too long in your refrigerator, is it still okay to eat it? And what about stuffing, cranberry sauce, pie, and all your other holiday favorites?
All cooked leftovers should be refrigerated or frozen within two hours after preparation, according to the Food and Drug Administration. And as a general rule of thumb, leftovers should be eaten or thrown out four days after refrigeration. If you freeze your food, it can last from two to six months, reports HuffPost.
In addition to taking food safety into account, these recommendations also consider the quality of your food. In other words, leftover turkey tastes pretty rank after a week, even if it doesn't give you food poisoning.
If you're craving more specifics besides "no longer than four days," here's what the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service suggests:
Discard any turkey, stuffing, or gravy that's been left out at room temperature for longer than two hours, or one hour in temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Divide leftovers into smaller portions. Refrigerate or freeze in covered shallow containers for quicker cooling.
Use refrigerated turkey, stuffing, and gravy within three to four days.
If freezing leftovers, use within two to six months for best quality. Turkey, specifically, will last for four months in the freezer.
As for desserts, in general, fruit, pumpkin, pecan, custard, and chiffon pies can be safely stored in the refrigerator for three to four days, according to FDA guidelines. But many pies ― especially fruit ― are best eaten within just a couple of days.
Essentially, you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to enjoy your delicious leftovers from the fridge. After that, chuck 'em.
Research contact: @HuffPost
This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged Cranberry sauce, Don't leave out more than two hours, FDA, Food poisoning, Frozen lefthours are good for 2-6 months, HuffPost, Many pies best eaten within two days, Pie, Should be eaten or thrown out four days after refrigeration, stuffing, Thanksgiving leftovers, Turkey, USDA on November 26, 2021 by Poll-Vaulter.
Photo source: © Zinkevych/StockAdobe
Overeating doesn't cause obesity? Scientists claim it's all about what you're eating, not how much
There may be no need to turn down that second portion and push back from the table. A team of scientists now says it's actually what you eat, not how much you eat that leads to obesity, Study Finds reports.
Their study finds processed food and rapidly digestible carbohydrates may be what's really behind society's growing waistline.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 40% of American adults classify as obese. This places nearly half the population at higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
What's more, the USDA's current Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 2020 to 2025 maintains that losing weight "requires adults to reduce the number of calories they get from foods and beverages and increase the amount expended through physical activity."
However, lead author Dr. David Ludwig, an endocrinologist at Boston Children's Hospital and Professor at Harvard Medical School, says that this age-old energy balance model for weight loss doesn't actually work in a world full of highly palatable, heavily marketed, cheap processed foods. Indeed, he points out, despite years of public health messaging about eating less and exercising more, cases of obesity and obesity-related diseases continue to rise.
His team claims that its new carbohydrate-insulin model better explains the global trend towards obesity and weight gain, noting that the model even points to more effective and long-lasting weight loss strategies.
"During a growth spurt, for instance, adolescents may increase food intake by 1,000 calories a day. But does their overeating cause the growth spurt, or does the growth spurt cause the adolescent to get hungry and overeat?" asks Dr. Ludwig in a media release.
But if overeating is not the main cause of weight gain, what is? The real culprit is processed, rapidly digestible carbohydrates.
The study finds such foods also cause hormonal responses which alter an eater's metabolism, drive fat storage, and lead to weight gain. When people consume carbohydrates, the body increases the amount of insulin it secretes. This signals fat cells to store more calories and leaves fewer calories for the body to use as muscle fuel.
As a result, the brain thinks the body isn't getting enough energy to keep going and starts sending out the hunger signals. Moreover, the researchers say, a person's metabolism can also slow down as the body tries to "conserve fuel. It's a vicious cycle that leaves people thinking they're still hungry and continuing to pile on more non-filling food.
"Reducing consumption of the rapidly digestible carbohydrates that flooded the food supply during the low-fat diet era lessens the underlying drive to store body fat. As a result, people may lose weight with less hunger and struggle," Dr. Ludwig says.
The findings appear in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Research contact: @StudyFinds
This entry was posted in Lifestyle and tagged Boston Children's Hospital, CDC, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Dr. David Ludwig, Harvard Medical School, Media release, Processed and rapidly digestible carbohydrates, Study Finds, USDA on September 14, 2021 by Poll-Vaulter.
Above, Thighstop launches as a virtual brand, focusing on crispy chicken thighs. (Photo source: Thighstop)
Wingstop launches a virtual restaurant selling chicken thighs as wing supplies tighten
With chicken wings in short supply and prices rising, the Dallas-based restaurant chain Wingstop said on June 21 that it is "hacking" its own brand by launching Thighstop, a virtual restaurant that will serve up crispy chicken thighs, reports CNBC.
Like the original Wingstop, customers can pick one of 11 flavors and opt for either a bone-in or boneless thigh. The new brand will be available for delivery or carryout in 1,400 locations nationwide via DoorDash or on Thighstop.com, the company said.
Chicken wings grew in popularity during the pandemic for both dine-in and takeout customers. But diners are now staring down both price hikes and tight supplies. Port delays and labor shortages have resulted in scarce supplies for a range of goods from computer chips to chlorine tablets.
The National Chicken Council hasn't called the tightening supply of chicken a "shortage," but told CNBC via a recent email that the number of broiler chickens raised for meat fell 4% in the first quarter, and pounds produced were down 3% year over year.
Production started picking up in April, the council said—but as of last week, chicken wing prices were $2.72 per pound on average, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's nearly 20 cents higher than prices during the same week last year.
Key chicken-producing regions were hit with a major winter storm in Texas right after the Super Bowl, impacting availability, said Tom Super, the council's senior vice president of communications. "Even small gaps in the supply of wings can cause big fluctuations in price," he said.
In the spring, Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison said the company planned ahead and would be able to meet its demand. Morrison is positioning the new strategy as an opportunity: "Wingstop pioneered the concept of chicken wings as a center-of-the-plate item. Although Thighstop is in its infancy, we've been exploring bone-in and boneless thighs as center-of-the-plate options for some time now as a way to offer fans new ways to enjoy Wingstop's bold, distinctive and craveable flavors," he said in a statement.
Research contact: @CNBC
This entry was posted in Business and tagged Bone-in or boneless, CEO Charlie Morrison, CNBC, Crispy chicken thights, Digital restaurant, New strategy, Shortage and high prices, Thighstop, USDA, Wingstop on June 21, 2021 by Poll-Vaulter.
Hazel Technologies sachets keep avocados and other produce fresh. (Photo source: Hazel Tech on Instagram)
Fruit that doesn't spoil? Extending shelf life is a key tactic in the battle against food waste—and a startup is on the front lines
Imagine avocados that never go bad. To Aidan Mouat, CEO of Hazel Technologies, that's not so far-fetched, The Chicago Tribune reports.
His company makes a product that extends the shelf life of all sorts of produce — bananas, cherries, pears, broccoli—by slowing the chemical process that causes decay.
Now, some of the world's largest growers are using it to send their produce longer distances, or to reduce the amount that retailers throw away; and Mouat tells the Tribune that a consumer version could be next.
Indeed, as much as 40% of food produced annually in the United States, and nearly half of produce, goes uneaten, according to government estimates. While the waste happens throughout the supply chain, the vast majority of the $218 billion worth of uneaten food annually gets tossed at home or at grocery stores and restaurants, according to ReFED, a Berkeley, California-based nonprofit that seeks solutions to reduce food waste.
The average American family throws away 25% of groceries purchased, costing a family of four an estimated $1,600 annually, ReFED says. U.S. supermarkets lose $15 billion annually in unsold fruits and vegetables, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"I envision, in the next 18 months or so, literally selling a banana box to consumers," Mouat said from Hazel's growing office space at University Technology Park, a startup innovation hub on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus. "You keep it on your counter, put a (Hazel) sachet in there once a month, and you have bananas that last forever."
Whate are those sachets? The company makes the small packs—the size of a salt or pepper packet included with takeout—that can be thrown into a box of produce to shut down the food's response to ethylene, a chemical naturally emitted by many fruits and vegetables that triggers the loss of firmness, texture and color. The sachets continuously emit a small amount of an ethylene inhibitor, changing the atmosphere in the storage box but not the food itself.
How much Hazel can extend the shelf life depends on the type of food. For example, tests show an unripened pear gets an extra seven to 10 days after being treated with a Hazel sachet, plus an extra three to four days once ripe.
While ethylene management technology isn't new, Hazel's sachets are gaining fans because they are easy to use, whether in okra fields in Honduras or avocado packing houses in the United States, Mouat told the Tribune. In addition to ethylene inhibitors, the company is working on anti-microbial reactions and will soon bring to market antimicrobial liners for packages of berries, to ward off the white fuzz.
And the company also is gaining buzz and investors. Founded in 2015 by a group of Northwestern University graduate students, Hazel Technologies has raised $18 million so far, including nearly $1 million in grants from the USDA. It has 100 clients in 12 countries in North and South America.
Research contact: @chicagotribune
This entry was posted in Business and tagged Aiden Mouat, Consumers, Ethylene, Founded in 2015, Fruit doesn't spoil as fast, Ha;zel Technologies, ReFED, Sachets, Stop food waste, The Chicago Tribune, USDA on November 29, 2019 by Poll-Vaulter.
Photo source: Pexels
America will run out of avocados in three weeks if Trump shuts southern border
President Donald Trump's has threatened again this week to close the U.S.-Mexico border, continuing his all-out effort to coerce the political leaders of both nations to block South American immigrants from coming across.
However, even a brief shutdown at America's southern border would strain the economies of both nations by disrupting billions of dollars in trade, about $137 billion of which is in food imports.
Nearly 50% of all imported U.S. vegetables and 40% of imported fruit are grown in Mexico, according to the latest data from the United States Department of Agriculture.
From avocado toast to margaritas, American shoppers—who are heavily reliant on Mexican imports of fruit, vegetables, and alcohol—quickly would become bereft.
Indeed, the stoppage quickly would become "hard to swallow" for U.S. residents—especially those who love avocados, according to a report by Reuters. Those of us north of the border would run out of avocados in three weeks, if imports from Mexico were cut off, according to Steve Barnard, CEO of Mission Produce, the largest distributor and grower of avocados in the world.
"You couldn't pick a worse time of year because Mexico supplies virtually 100% of the avocados in the United Stated right now. California is just starting and they have a very small crop, but they're not relevant right now and won't be for another month or so," Barnard said in an interview with Reuters.
In addition to avocados, the majority of imported tomatoes, cucumbers, blackberries, and raspberries come from Mexico. While there are other sources of produce globally, opening those trade channels would take time.
And shortages of fruit and vegetables will rack up the already-soaring prices at the cash register.
On the other side of the border, Mexico is the largest importer of U.S. exports of refined fuels like diesel and gasoline, some of which moves by rail. It is unclear if rail terminals would be affected by closures.
Research contact: @Reuters
This entry was posted in Business and tagged $137B, 3 weeks, 40% of US fruit imported from Mexico, 50% of US vegetables imported from Mexico, Alcohol, Avocados, CEO of Mission Produce Steve Barnard, Close border, Economy, Immigration, Mexico imports US refiend fuels like diesel and gasoline, President Donald Trump, Reuters, Soaring prices, Trade, USDA on April 2, 2019 by Poll-Vaulter.
Photo source: DailyMail UK
Missouri becomes first state to regulate use of the word 'meat'
The last time most of us had "mystery meat" was either in school or in the military. On June 1, Missouri—the "Show-Me State"—made sure that its residents would never have to see mystery meat or eat it again when it became the first state in the nation to pass a law that prohibits food providers from using the word "meat" to refer to anything other than animal flesh.
This new legislation takes direct aim at manufacturers of what has been dubbed "clean," or "plant-based, or "nontraditional"meat, according to a report by USA Today. Clean meat—also known as lab-grown meat—comprises cultured animal tissue cells, while plant-based meat is generally made from ingredients such as soy, tempeh and seitan.
The state law forbids "misrepresenting a product as meat that is not derived from harvested production livestock or poultry." Violators may be fined $1,000 and imprisoned for a year.
What's more, a similar argument is unfolding on the federal level.
The meat-substitute market is expected to reach $7.5 billion-plus globally by 2025, up from close to $4.2 billion last year, based on findings by Allied Market Research.
The Missouri Cattlemen's Association, which worked to get the law passed, has cited shopper confusion and protection of local ranchers as reasons for the legislation.
"The big issue was marketing with integrity and … consumers knowing what they're getting," Missouri Cattlemen's Association spokesperson Mike Deering told USA Today. "There's so much unknown about this."
On Agusut 27, the company that makes Tofurky filed an injunction in a Missouri federal court to prevent enforcement of the statute, alleging the state has received no complaints about consumers befuddled by the term "plant-based meats" and that preventing manufacturers from using the word is a violation of their First Amendment rights. In addition, the company pointed out, "meat" also refers to the edible part of nuts and fruit.
The statute "prevents the sharing of truthful information and impedes competition," according to documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. "The marketing and packaging of plant-based products reveals that plant-based food producers do not mislead consumers but instead distinguish their products from conventional meat products."
The co-plaintiff is the Good Food Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group.
MCA spokesperson Deering said he was surprised by the suit because the primary target of the law was lab-grown meat.
Tofurky's main ingredient is the first two syllables of its name-—tofu.
In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it would regulate lab-grown meat. Traditional animal proteins are the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Ernest Baskin, an assistant professor of Food Marketing at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia told USA Today that consumers use the word "meat," when applied to nonanimal protein as a "shortcut" to understand how they eat the food they see on supermarket shelves.
"There's a segment of consumers that doesn't have to eat alternative products but wants to," he said. "In those cases, putting those options together in front of consumers gives them the thought that 'Hey, maybe these two are similar. Maybe I can substitute.' "
Research contact:: @ZlatiMeyer
This entry was posted in Business and tagged Allied Market Research, clean meat, Confusion, Consumers, FDA, Fines and imprisonment, First state to pass law, Grocery store, Lab-grown meat, Livestock or poultry, Meat must be animal flesh, Missouri, Missouri Cattlemen's Association, Nontraditional meat, Seltan, Soy, Tempeh, Tofu, Tofurkey, US District Court for the Western District of Missouri, USA Today, USDA on August 28, 2018 by Poll-Vaulter.
A soybean farmer. (Photo source: mosoy.org)
White House unveils $12 billion aid plan for farmers impacted by trade war
On July 24, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue revealed details of an emergency plan that would extend $12 billion in aid to farmers in ten states hit by retaliatory tariffs caused by the Trump administration's escalating trade war with China, Axios reported.
However, word has come back from the sector that the farmers "want trade, not aid," according to a report by Newser.
The funding for the expensive program would come partially from a USDA branch called the Commodity Credit Corporation, which was founded during the Depression to help farmers, according to a July 25 story by The Washington Post. Because this is an existing program, approval by Congress would not be necessary.
Farm groups–including producers of soybeans, corn, and hogs—would begin seeing payments by September. Perdue said the "one-time" program, which would be "short-term," would help farmers dealing with "illegal retaliation" to U.S. tariffs, The Wall Street Journal noted. The Ag Secretary said that the program would give the administration time to work on a longer-term trade solution.
According to Axios, China recently retaliated against Trump's tariffs with duties on soybeans and pork—affecting 10 farming states, nine of which voted for Trump in 2016.
According to a poll conducted by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal—and posted by CNBC on July 22—voters do not approve of President Donald Trump's handling of foreign trade policy. Roughly half say Trump's tariffs will raise consumer prices and hurt the average American, while only one-quarter say they will protect jobs and help the average person.
Research contact: @mmurraypolitics
This entry was posted in Business and tagged $12 billion, 10 states, Aid by September, Aid plan, Axios, Commodity Credit Corporation, Farmers, NBC News, Newser, not aid, Short-term plan, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, U.S. tariffs, USDA, Wall Street Journal, Want trade on July 25, 2018 by Poll-Vaulter.
Photo source: cprcertified.com
Trump nominates pesticide pro to be USDA's chief scientist
On July 16, President Donald Trump nominated a former Dow Chemical executive who had worked in the company's pesticide division to be the next chief scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This would represent the POTUS's third major hire of a Dow alumnus for his administration.
In recent history, Dow has been at odds with environmentalists and the USDA, not only over its pesticides, but over its genetically modified seeds.
Trump drafted Scott Hutchins for a position that has remained open since Sam Clovis's' nomination failed to clear the Senate, largely due to his lack of scientific background, Mother Jones reported this week.
Hutchins earned a doctoral degree in entomology—the study of insects and their relationship to humans, the environment and other organisms—from Iowa State University in 1987; so he has some knowledge of science. Since then, in addition to working in Dow's pesticide division, Hutchins has served as global director for the company's entire "crop protection" services division—which manufactures and markets pesticides, herbicides, and fungus killers.
In his role as chief scientist—formally known as undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics—Hutchins would set the agenda for the USDA's $2.9 billion research budget.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded Trump's selection of Hutchins this week, saying, "I am very excited …. [Dr. Hutchins'] extensive background in research and commitment to sound science and data make him exceptionally qualified for this post, and I am eager to have Dr. Hutchins join the team."
The nomination still must be confirmed by the Senate.
Research contact: press@oc.usda.gov
This entry was posted in Politics and tagged $2.9M research budget, Chief scientist, Dow Chemical, Dow donated to Trump campaign, Enlist Duo, Entomology, EPA, Mother Jones, Nomination, Pesticide pro, Sam Clovis, Scott Hutchins, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue, The Hill, USDA on July 18, 2018 by Poll-Vaulter.