NEWS AND NOTES
The CDQAP nominated for prestigious environmental awards
The California Dairy Quality Assurance Program—a public/private partnership that supports programs in environmental stewardship, animal health and welfare, and food safety—was recently honored with nominations for three prestigious environmental awards.
Governor’s Environmental & Economic Leadership Award (GEELA)
Recognizing individuals, organizations and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable contributions to conserving California’s environmental resources, the Governor’s Environmental & Economic Leadership Awards are the state’s highest environmental honor. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District nominated the CDQAP for this award in recognition for its ongoing air pollution outreach. Award winners will be announced in October 2007.
Roy Family Award for Environmental Partnership
Presented every two years by Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, the Roy Family Award recognizes public-private partnerships that significantly enhance environmental quality and/or protect unique natural resources. The CDQAP was one of six finalists in a field of 20 candidates from throughout the world. The final award was presented to the Hybrid Systems for Rural Electrification in Africa (HSREA).
US EPA Region 9 Environmental Award
This program recognizes groups and individuals outside of the EPA that are working to protect public health and the environment. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District submitted the nomination for the CDQAP’s air quality outreach efforts in 2006. This is a second nomination for the CDQAP, which received this award in 2004.
This year marks the CDQAP’s 10th anniversary. Since its inception, the program has demonstrated how compliance through education can work for both producers and regulatory agencies. The U.S. EPA’s Region 9 has called the CDQAP “a model for significantly advancing our ability to improve water and air quality by simply changing the way we connect and work with farmers.” For additional information, call 1-866-66CDQAP or visit www.cdqa.org.
Wilson appointed interim director of UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has appointed W. David Wilson as interim director of the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital effective July 1. He took over the helm from Bradford P. Smith, who served as director for 13 years before his retirement from academia.
Wilson, a professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, has served as the associate director of the hospital’s Large Animal Clinic for the past seven years. His research interests focus on antimicrobial treatment of infection, formulation of appropriate vaccination programs for foals, the influence of pregnancy on vaccine responses, equine infectious diseases and preventive medicine. He teaches courses in pulmonary medicine, general equine medicine and infectious diseases.
Sensory properties of meal replacement bars & and beverages made from whey & soy proteins
Recent research on the sensory qualities of whey and soy protein, published by J.L. Childs, M.D. Yates and M.A. Drake in the Journal of Food Science, found that consumers prefer whey or whey/soy protein to soy protein in meal replacement bars.
In the study, commercial peanut butter-flavored meal replacement bars and vanilla meal replacement shakes were evaluated by an experienced, trained descriptive panel. Prototypes of bars and beverages were developed with three levels of whey and soy protein, and were also subsequently evaluated.
Prototype bars made with soy protein were characterized by nutty flavor, while the texture was characterized by tooth-pack and denseness. Whey protein contributed to sweet aromatic and vanillin flavors in prototype beverages while soy protein contributed cereal/grainy flavors.
Consumer acceptance scores were higher for prototype bars and beverages containing whey protein or a mixture of whey/soy protein than for products made with soy protein alone.
With calcium, food trumps pills
Most women know that calcium is critical in preventing osteoporosis, the disease of progressive bone loss and fractures that affects millions of Americans.
But which source is better—calcium-rich foods or supplements? A preliminary study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine suggests dietary calcium may be better at protecting bone health.
Though not definitive, the study found that women who get most of their daily calcium from food have healthier bones and higher bone density than women whose calcium comes mainly from supplemental tablets.
That was true even though the supplement-takers had higher average levels of calcium.
Calcium from dietary sources is generally better absorbed than that from supplements, which could help explain the difference, said the study’s lead author, Reina Armamento-Villareal.
Those getting calcium from foods also had more estrogen in their bodies; the hormone is needed to maintain bone mineral density. Researchers can’t yet explain the food-estrogen connection.
The research is preliminary and offers “a springboard to do something more, a hypothesis to test,” said Armamento-Villareal, a bone specialist and assistant professor in the School of Medicine’s division of bone and mineral diseases. It was published in the May 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Excerpted from a story by Cheryl Wittenauer, The Associated Press, June 28, 2007
Nestlé launches probiotic infant formula in the United States
Infant formula is getting increasingly more functional with Nestlé’s recent announcement that it is launching formula with probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis, BIFIDUS BL, for the United States.
The Swiss food giant claims Good Start Natural Cultures is the first U.S. infant formula to contain probiotics for immune system support. The company says the Bifidobacterium lactis in its formula helps children improve the balance of microflora in their gastrointestinal tract, thereby supporting a healthy immune system.
Nestle says bifidobacteriais are naturally found in the digestive tracts of breastfed infants. In formula-fed infants the presence of probiotic “friendly bacteria” is significantly lower than in breastfed infants.
“The inclusion of probiotics clearly goes a step further than providing basic nutrients for growth and development by adding a functional component which addresses an important objective of nutrition: supporting and modulating an infant’s immune system,” said José Saavedra, medical and scientific director with Nestlé Nutrition.
“The inclusion of probiotics in infant formula is a major step toward providing infants a small part of the immune-related benefits that only breastfeeding can provide,” said Saavedra.
Nestlé has already been selling B. lactis formulas in 30 different countries for more than 15 years, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only now authorized the use of B. lactis in Good Start Natural Cultures.
“It’s an exciting time for probiotics in the U.S. with the introduction of food products similar to those that have been available for years in Europe and Asia containing strains with documented health benefits,” said Mary Ellen Sanders, executive director of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics.
This article, by Clarisse Douaud, appeared in IDFA Smart Brief on May 7, 2007.
Nominations sought for 2008 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year
Nominations are now being accepted for the title of Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year, an annual award co-sponsored by IDFA and Dairy Today magazine. The winner will be honored at the 2008 Dairy Forum, Jan. 20-23, 2008, at the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, Calif. Applications should be typed and must be postmarked to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) by Friday, Oct. 5, 2007. To download a pdf of the nomination form, go to: http://www.idfa.org/news/2008_innovativefarmer_form.pdf
