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Pollutants appear to weaken immune system and increase pathogen virulence

Many people view pollutants and pathogens as separate causes of illness. However, recent research indicates that the two can interact, changing how people and animals respond to infectious diseases.

21 Mar 2019

Creating gaseous micro environments to ensure quality control of fresh food

Food has often had a long and arduous journey before it reaches our plates. In the United States, it is estimated that food typically travels between 1500 and 2500 miles between the farms where it is produced and the dinner table where it is ultimately consumed.

From Edinburgh Sensors 4 Mar 2019

Cocktail of chemicals in the mother inhibits child growth

For the first time, researchers have shown that a combination of perfluorinated substances in the mother significantly inhibits child growth.

25 Feb 2019

PFAS chemicals pass through the placenta to fetal tissues throughout pregnancy

In a study published in Environment International researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden show how PFAS industrial chemicals, which are used in many consumer products, pass through the placenta throughout pregnancy to accumulate in fetal tissue.

30 Jan 2019

Gluten-free wheat can be produced for people with celiac disease by using gene editing

One to two per cent of the population has Celiac Disease (CD), an immune reaction to gluten. Wheat grains contain gluten, a mixture of glutenin and gliadin proteins, which build a network that gives wheat bread its unique properties and quality.

28 Jan 2019

Dental flossing and other consumer behaviors contribute to elevated levels of PFAS in the body

A new study suggests certain types of consumer behaviors, including flossing with Oral-B Glide dental floss, contribute to elevated levels in the body of toxic PFAS chemicals. PFAS are water- and grease-proof substances that have been linked with numerous health problems.

8 Jan 2019

Researchers explore environmental impacts of disposable takeaway-food containers

Scientists say more should be done to tackle the growing environmental impact of takeaway food containers.

19 Dec 2018

Exercise and diet may reduce obesogenic effects of PFAS

A new study finds that perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are associated with increases in weight, but exercise and diet may reduce the obesogenic effects of these environmental contaminants.

26 Sep 2018

Food packaging may have negative impact on nutrient absorption in the intestine

Food packaging could be negatively affecting the way in which your digestive tract operates, according to new research by faculty and students at Binghamton University, State University at New York.

9 Apr 2018

McMaster researchers develop transparent test patch to signal food contamination

Is that meat still good? Are you sure? McMaster researchers have developed a test to bring certainty to the delicate but critical question of whether meat and other foods are safe to eat or need to be thrown out.

6 Apr 2018

Dining out may boost levels of health-harming phthalates in the body

Dining out more at restaurants, cafeterias and fast-food outlets may boost total levels of potentially health-harming chemicals called phthalates in the body, according to a study out today. Phthalates, a group of chemicals used in food packaging and processing materials, are known to disrupt hormones in humans and are linked to a long list of health problems.

29 Mar 2018

Researchers design new polymer particles using DNA strands

McGill University researchers have chemically imprinted polymer particles with DNA strands - a technique that could lead to new materials for applications ranging from biomedicine to the promising field of "soft robotics."

20 Dec 2017

Nutrition labeling has little impact on sodium consumption

Potato chips, frozen pizza, a fast food hamburger- these foods are popular in the American diet and saturated with sodium. Though eating too much can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease, 90 percent of Americans eat more than the recommended amount of sodium per day.

8 Dec 2017

Scientists develop antibacterial ‘sugar-glass’ coating that uses viruses to destroy bacteria

With antibiotic resistance on the rise, bacterial contamination of food is becoming more problematic. Now in a study appearing in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, scientists report that they have developed an antibacterial "sugar-glass" coating in which viruses that destroy bacteria are embedded and are kept stable for up to three months.

8 Nov 2017

Scientists manipulate living cells to produce fluorinated bioplastics

Natural organic compounds that contain fluorine are rare because living organisms—with a few exceptions—do not produce them.

4 Oct 2017

Researchers produce fluorinated molecules in living cells

Natural organic compounds that contain fluorine are rare because living organisms—with a few exceptions—do not produce them. American scientists have now genetically engineered a microbial host for organofluorine metabolism, allowing it to produce a fluoridated intermediate known as a diketide.

30 Sep 2017

Researchers find link between harmful chemicals and chronic diseases in men

Chemicals found in everyday plastics materials are linked to cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure in men, according to Australian researchers.

12 Jul 2017

Scientists develop new processing method to extract valuable biomolecules from wheat bran

It's usually used as livestock feed, but wheat bran's value in human nutrition and medicine may soon reach its full potential with a new sustainable processing method developed by Swedish researchers.

3 May 2017

Study: ‘No-fat’ or ‘no-sugar’ label on packaging rarely reflect actual nutritional quality of food

Terms such as no-fat or no-sugar, low-fat or reduced-salt on food packaging may give consumers a sense of confidence before they purchase, but these claims rarely reflect the actual nutritional quality of the food, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

16 Mar 2017

Antimicrobial biodegradable packages can help maintain freshness of food for longer time

On average a European country citizen produces around 160 kilos of packaging waste; around 19 percent of which is plastic.

10 Mar 2017