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$1 million USDA grant aims to reduce obesity in preschoolers

The preschool years are a critical period for addressing weight-related behaviors among at-risk groups, say researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Among young children, obesity has tripled since 1980, and the prevalence is highest among black and Hispanic children.

1 Mar 2011

U.K.'s DFID might reduce funding for FAO in light of 'patchy' performance

The U.K.'s Department for International Development on Saturday said it might reduce its contribution to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization if the agency does not improve its performance, Reuters reports.

1 Mar 2011

Opinions: Foreign aid budget cuts would negatively affect food, global health

The "hard truth is that if the United States doesn't keep its word" on a pledge to deliver $3.5 billion to the G20's $22 billion food security initiative for "vulnerable" developing countries, "no one else will," a New York Times editorial states.

1 Mar 2011

'Tea and Toast Syndrome' leads to loss of wellness and muscle in seniors

Elderly people who live on their own that don't prepare whole meals or don't know how tend to dwindle their intake to "tea and toast" at the expense of vital nutrients and their health, according to an article published in the February issue of Food Nutrition & Science.

1 Mar 2011

U.S. food prices could rise up to 4%, USDA says

U.S. food prices will "rise as much as 4% this year, more than the 2% to 3% estimated last month, after a surge in prices for farm goods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture" forecast Thursday during the agency's outlook conference in Washington, Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times reports.

28 Feb 2011

Life Technologies introduces new Asia distribution hub in Singapore

US-based Life Technologies Corporation, a provider of innovative life science solutions, announced today that it has launched a regional distribution hub in Singapore to address strong customer demand in the Asia Pacific regions of India, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

28 Feb 2011

Media examine effects, outlook of food price increases worldwide

"A rush by farmers to expand plantings in many parts of the world is raising expectations that food prices may retreat as early as the second half of this year if weather conditions remain favorable," the Wall Street Journal reports in a story examining how recent global developments could affect food price spikes.

25 Feb 2011

Researchers identify probiotic bacterial strain that may treat ulcers caused by H. pylori

Researchers from Spain have identified a strain of probiotic bacteria that may be useful in treating ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori. They report their findings in the February 2011 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

25 Feb 2011

Michigan State University secures $7.9 million award to improve food security in Mozambique

Michigan State University has secured a $7.9 million award to improve agriculture and food security in Mozambique through increasing the African nation's agricultural productivity, creating economic opportunities and enhancing nutrition.

24 Feb 2011

Opinions: Foreign aid lessons from Britain; food security; Global Fund investigation; U.S. food aid cuts; Africa needs trade

"Before Republican budget hawks wield their knife, ... they should take a lesson from their conservative cousins in the United Kingdom: When belt-tightening gets serious, foreign aid should be improved, not gutted," according to an opinion piece in the New Republic written by Thomas Carothers, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

24 Feb 2011

Former U.N. Secretary-General Annan discusses Africa's agriculture potential at IFAD conference

Kofi Annan, the former U.N. secretary-general who now heads the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), discussed the possibilities for agriculture in Africa and called for reforms to improve farming on the continent in a speech given Saturday during the opening day of the U.N. International Fund for Agricultural Development's (IFAD) annual meeting in Rome, Italy, the Jakarta Post reports (Asrianti, 2/21).

23 Feb 2011

As G20 financial leaders discuss food prices, some push for fulfillment of G8 pledges

As G20 financial leaders met in Paris over the weekend, the Washington Post reports on the "debate over how to respond" to the recent increase in food prices. France, the G20 chair, spurred discussion about "whether new regulations on commodity trading might prevent speculators from pushing up prices by investing heavily in grains or other goods on the expectation that they will increase even further in value. Yet it is unclear how much of a role speculation plays in the movement of prices," the Washington Post writes.

23 Feb 2011

Researcher finds antibiotic in Eastern Red Cedar tree effective against MRSA

Most people would never suspect that a "trash tree," one with little economic value and often removed by farmers due to its ability to destroy farmland, could be the key to fighting a deadly bacterium. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has found an antibiotic in the Eastern Red Cedar tree that is effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a "superbug" that is resistant to most medications.

22 Feb 2011

Red and processed meats – How much to include in diet?

A latest Government-commissioned report advises people to eat less red meat and processed meat saying that it lowers the risk of developing cancer. The report will advise consumers eat no more than 2.5 oz (70g) of red or processed meat a day – the equivalent of three rashers of bacon. Also the weekly recommended limit is likely to be 1.1 lb (500g), the same as eating a large pack of minced beef, two 8oz steaks or four 4oz pork chops. The farming and retail industries are, as predictable, not happy with the directives.

22 Feb 2011

Opeds: Leavitt on HHS secretary's power; entitlements and fed budget; health threat of Wisc. 'showdown'

If I may, as a former HHS secretary, offer a suggestion to the current secretary, it would be this: Use these expanded discretionary powers to grant states and the private sector more flexibility and more autonomy.

19 Feb 2011

G20 finance ministers kick off meeting in Paris after groups call for food price issues to be addressed

"G20 ministers gather in Paris Friday to hammer out common criteria for measuring global economic imbalances at a two-day session that host France hopes will lead to an overhaul of world finance," Agence France-Presse reports.

19 Feb 2011

Recent releases in Global Health

Factors Contributing to Health Of Women Worldwide: The Kaiser Family Foundation features a narrated slide tutorial by epidemiologist Laurel Spielberg on the health issues facing women around the world. The tutorial touches on issues such as economic status and biological, social, and cultural factors that affect women's health, as well as access to health services such as family planning (2/17).

19 Feb 2011

Metallic copper surfaces kill bacteria on contact

Metallic copper surfaces kill microbes on contact, decimating their populations, according to a paper in the February 2011 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. They do so literally in minutes, by causing massive membrane damage after about a minute's exposure, says the study's corresponding author, Gregor Grass of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. This is the first study to demonstrate this mechanism of bacteriocide.

17 Feb 2011

World Bank highlights significant food price rises

"Rising food prices pushed tens of millions of people into extreme poverty last year and are reaching 'dangerous levels' in some countries, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said Tuesday as he released new data showing that the cost of grain and other staples is near a historic high," the Washington Post reports (Schneider, 2/15).

17 Feb 2011

WaferGen offers SNP Genotyping screening with new SmartChip PCR System

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc. a leading developer of state-of-the-art genomic analysis systems, today announced that it is offering an early access program for high-throughput Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Genotyping through its new SmartChip Real-Time PCR System.

16 Feb 2011