Taking a Holistic Approach to Food Safety

ARS researchers spend a lot of time finding ways to ensure our fruits, vegetables, and meats are safe from bacteria, pathogens, and diseases. However, one issue with food safety occurs during the food packaging phase

“Post-processing contamination is a major contributor to foodborne illness outbreaks,” said Sudarsan Mukhopadhyay, an ARS chemical engineer in Wyndmoor, PA. “Once packaged in bags, treatment options are very limited.”

ARS scientists are taking a holistic approach to tackle this problem.

“The aim of this project was to increase antimicrobial efficacy while minimizing loss of quality by combining individual treatments and technologies,” said ARS food technologist Xuetong Fan. “It is better to apply treatment combinations simultaneously, rather than sequentially, so that they can be easily adopted by the industry.”

See how researchers are using puled light as part of their approach toward combating food pathogens and diseases.

Check out "For Safety’s Sake, Treat Plant-Based Meat Just Like the Real Thing".

Test your knowledge of late summer fruits and vegetables at your local farm or farmers market. Pair up with an adult, and search for each food on the list below.

How many can you find? Print this page, take it with you and circle the foods you find. 

• Bell peppers
• Blackberries
• Corn
• Green beans
• Okra
• Peaches
• Summer squash
• Tomatillos
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon
• Zucchini

Hanging Out and Taking Selfies: Takoda Becomes a Teenager

At the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington D.C., 2022 has been a new nesting season for the bald eagle pair Mr. President and his mate, LOTUS, (Lady of The United States) who make their home in a tree at the Arboretum. Back in March, the bald eagle couple welcomed a new eaglet Takoda, also known as DC9. This spring Takoda became a fledgling, or in human terms a young adult eagle, which means he no longer spends his days in the nest with mom and dad. Instead, this summer has been an opportunity for Takoda to spend his days under his parents' watchful eyes practicing some much-needed skills—landing and maneuvering through the air—in preparation for the next phase of his life when he'll be on his own.

Learn more about Takoda and check out this camera to watch Takoda and his parents. 

Food Group Coloring Pages

Did you know there are five food groups that help us stay healthy? Use these coloring pages to learn what foods from around the world count toward the fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy groups.

Organic Dairy Manure Makes for Better Fertilizer

According to a team of ARS researchers in Orono, ME, dairy cows that produce USDA-certified organic milk also produce manure capable of replenishing nutrients in soil while slowing nutrient-runoff to nearby water sources.

Scientists compared the manure from both conventional and organic dairy farms and concluded that the organic manure contained higher levels of phosphorus, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc, and magnesium. These nutrients in the organic manure also were comparatively slower to dissolve, gradually releasing into the soil. This makes organic manure a suitable choice for use as slow-release fertilizer, which generally increases the likelihood that the nutrients will be absorbed by crops rather than washed out of fields into nearby bodies of water.

Want to learn more? Read "Organic Dairy Manure May Offer Fertilizer Option". 

Your Pet Isn't The Only One Wearing a Collar

In a few county parks around the state of Maryland you could come across an unusual sight: white-footed ice scurrying around wearing tiny radio tracking collars. Why? The mice are part of a study to improve control of ticks that spread Lyme disease.

You've probably heard that ticks often catch rides on deer, which is how they end up in your neighborhood and backyard. . Some of those ticks carry the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, that causes Lyme disease which the ticks pick up from feeding on infected white-footed mice.

Lyme disease can cause serious illness in people and pets, so the mouse collaring research is important for learning how to reduce the presence of ticks in your area.

To learn more read "Collaring the Mice that Carry Lyme Disease-Causing Ticks".

Shining a Light on How to Save Strawberries

Have you ever opened a package of ripe red strawberries only to see the fruits spoiled by gray fuzz?

Gray mold and other fungal pathogens, like powdery mildew and anthracnose, are big postharvest problems that are traditionally solved by applying fungicides to fruits. For organic producers, however, these chemicals are not an option. 

Luckily, ARS scientists with the Appalachian Fruit Research Station have developed a special ultraviolet-C irradiation (UV-C) technique that may keep strawberries mold-free without chemical fungicides. The researchers found that adding a period of darkness following UV-C irradiation was crucial to boosting UV-C’s original pathogen-killing power without damaging the leaves, flowers, or fruit of a strawberry plant.  Additionally, the scientists discovered that the treatment was effective against spider mite infestations as well, indicating an opportunity to also reduce pesticide use.

Seaweed: It’s Not Just for Sushi Anymore

Without knowing it, you might, literally, be up to your neck in seaweed; seaweed is a common ingredient in cosmetics, moisturizers, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory products, lotions, shampoos, and toothpaste.

Globally, the seaweed industry hauls in about $6 billion per year, with farmers producing more seaweed per ton than lemons and limes. Its products run the gamut in agriculture, from farm to fork; as biomass for biofuel; and in ways that help the environment to mitigate climate change.

Although Europe and Asia have outpaced the United States, seaweed farming is the fastest-growing sector of American aquaculture. Dozens of aquatic farms have taken off in New England, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska, where production has grown from 18 tons in 2017 to about 440 tons in 2021.

“I expect seaweed farming to expand in the United States so that we can consume and/or export more seaweed food products, and one day have them included in the making of biofuels,” said Caird Rexroad, ARS national program leader for aquaculture. “The United States has tremendous marine resources that could support seaweed farming.”

Learn how Scientists Help Farmers Cash in on Stealthy Commercial Market. 

Plain water is always a great option too! Add color and flavor to your water by making fruity ice cubes with an adult at home. Follow these 6 simple steps:

1. Get an ice cube tray, a pitcher of water, and your favorite fruits.
2. Ask an adult to help you cut larger fruits like oranges, apples, or strawberries into small pieces. Smaller fruits like blueberries, raspberries, or grapes can be left whole. They already fit into your ice cube tray.
3. Add the fruit to your ice cube tray. Get creative! You could make each of your ice cubes have one type of fruit. Or you could mix different fruits together, such as pineapple and blueberries, in your cubes.
4. Pour water into the ice cube tray until it is filled to the top.
5. Carefully carry the ice cube tray to your freezer and place it on a flat surface to prevent spilling. Freeze overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
6. Whenever you are thirsty or want to cool down, add two or three of your ice cubes to a glass and fill it with water. Ask an adult to remove them from the tray if you need help. Enjoy your fruity, colorful drink!