Colorado State University Extension
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IN THE NEWS

Edited by: Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D. & Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Fall 2003

Basil Wrapping Extends Shelf Life

Here's something to chew on the next time you reach for a fresh sprig of basil to season your spaghetti sauce. Because this flavorful herb contains bacteria-fighting properties, innovative research is underway incorporating basil into plastic wrapping to help preserve foods. According to the research team at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, basil extracts ooze out of the wrapping onto the surface of the food, killing harmful microorganisms. As reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, basil wraps can slow the growth of eight types of pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli and Listeria. Because only small quantities of extract are needed, the flavor of basil does not transfer into the wrapped foods. It is unknown how soon the wraps will be available to consumers, but it is something to look forward to down the road.

Source:

1. Food Productiondaily.com; Basil wrapping extends shelf life. 6-30-03.

Calls to Cut Acrylamide

Acrylamide has been making headlines since last year when Swedish researchers first revealed the presence of this potentially carcinogenic compound in food. Acrylamide is found in certain carbohydrate-rich foods cooked at very high temperatures. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a nonprofit, public interest group, has petitioned the FDA to require food manufacturers to limit the amount of acrylamide in their products. CSPI requests that the FDA set an interim acceptable level of acrylamide for certain categories of food, such as French fries. According to Michael Jacobson, CSPI executive director, the FDA should require manufacturers that are producing fries at higher levels to bring acrylamide levels down to that of many of their competitors. It is the first such formal request made to the FDA.

Source:

1. FoodQualitynews.com; Calls to cut acrylamide. 06-06-03.

Food Irradiation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the irradiation of meat and other fresh foods in an attempt to make foods safer. However, cost has proved to be a big hurdle in widespread implementation of the system. Food irradiation is expensive for companies because the technology is still relatively new and the machinery is relatively complicated to construct and implement. However, in the aftermath of large meat recalls in the past couple of years, interest is growing from a financial investor's standpoint. Elsa Murano, Under Secretary of Food Safety at USDA, believes irradiation would be more cost-effective if there were a central irradiation location that meat plants could send their product to. Dr. Mark McLellan, director of the Institute of Food Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University forsees an increase in the use of irradiated foods in the restaurant and food service industries, especially with the recent USDA provision for offering irradiated ground beef through the National School Lunch Program. Dairy Queen is now introducing irradiated hamburgers and it is likely that other food service establishments will begin following suit.

Sources:

1. FoodQualitynews.com; 05/12/03. Companies slow to take up irradiation.
2. FoodQualitynews.com; 05/23/03. Green light for irradiation?

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