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Consumers aren’t likely to clean their cantaloupes with a steam cleaner, but an ARS scientist did just that to show that the concept could be an effective way to reduce bacterial contamination on the surface of cantaloupes. The treatment didn’t harm the flavor or quality of the melon, either.
Read "Steam Makes Melons Safer" to learn more.
Animals show many different behaviors every day. They may play and greet other animals, and their behavior may change during an activity or experience, such as a sudden thunderstorm. Have you ever noticed your pet's behaviors? Normal behaviors like playing or grooming tell us that an animal is happy and relaxed. When animals become stressed, bored, or sick, they may show 'abnormal behaviors' like biting, hiding, or pacing. It's important to identify and understand animal behaviors and their causes to ensure they are happy and stress free.
About the ExperimentUse this activity to learn more about different animal behaviors. Get creative painting or drawing!
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What You'll Need
Let's Do This!What Did You Learn?
Agriculture Research Service (ARS) scientists observe farm animals' behaviors to make sure we give them the best care. Here are some projects the scientists are working on:
Animal Welfare Information Center
The Animal Welfare Information Center at the National Agricultural Library provides information about animal wellbeing and how to house and care for animals.
Animal Welfare Information Center: Housing, Care and Welfare
Food waste is a big problem, both practically and ethically. Bread, rolls, and other baked goods account for a significant portion. Some bread waste is fed to livestock as a source of carbohydrates and protein, but much of it gets tossed out.
The good news is that an international research team of scientists from the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, IL, and Ege University in Turkey, found a way to use bacteria to convert the glucose (sugar) in bread waste into a compound known as 2KGA. In turn, 2KGA can be made into valuable compounds such as vitamin C, which is used in foods and beverages, supplements, and pharmaceutical and personal-care products.
The useful bacterium is called Pseudomonas reptilivora.
Read "Microbe Turns Bread Waste Into Useful Compound" to learn more.
When you see a bug in your home, do you want to squash it or study it? Either way, be sure to watch our Facebook Live interview with ARS entomologist Tracey Leskey, who talks about stink bugs, ants, box elder bugs and other insects—and what we can do to keep them out of our homes.
Watch the video "Household Insects".
Today’s consumers want more choices of food products that are gluten free, low in sugar, nutritious, and tasty. ARS functional foods researchers are evaluating ways to use gluten-free alternatives, like amaranth, in popular products like cookies and pasta.
To learn more read, "With Alternative Grains, Consumers Can Have Their Cake and Eat It Too" and watch the video "USDA-ARS Food Scientists Cook Up New Uses for Ancient Grains."
Animals perform many different behaviors every day to interact with themselves, other animals, humans, and their environment. Have you ever noticed your pet's behaviors? Normal behaviors like playing or grooming tell us that an animal is happy and relaxed. When animals become stressed, bored, or sick, they may show 'abnormal behaviors' like biting, hiding, or pacing. It's important to identify and understand animal behaviors and their causes to ensure they are happy and stress free.
About the ExperimentUse this activity to learn more about different animal behaviors.
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What You'll NeedLet's Do This!Note: This game can be played as a single player game or with multiple people.
Agriculture Research Service (ARS) scientists observe farm animals' behaviors to make sure we give them the best care. Here are some projects the scientists are working on:
Animal Welfare Information Center
The Animal Welfare Information Center at the National Agricultural Library provides information about animal wellbeing and how to house and care for animals.
Animal Welfare Information Center: Housing, Care and Welfare
Did you know that alfalfa is the fourth most widely grown crop in the United States? It may not be a part of your everyday diet, but alfalfa is key to feeding farm animals, poultry, even farm-raised fish. ARS scientists recently found an environmental benefit to growing this crop: carbon reduction in the atmosphere. Read more in "Alfalfa: A Winner for Producers and the Environment"
Do you know anyone who is allergic to peanuts, wheat, or another food? Food allergies affect many people and maybe even some of your classmates, friends, and family! When someone has a food allergy, their body behaves differently to certain proteins in food. The change could be mild, such as causing skin to itch or swell. Some people have a stronger reaction, where their throat might swell to make breathing difficult.
People with food allergies can prevent allergic reactions by not eating or touching the foods that cause them. The eight most common food allergens, or the foods that can cause an allergic reaction, are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. Any food that contains these ingredients is required to state it on the food label. People can read the Nutrition Facts label to see the complete list of ingredients in a food.
Learn more about food allergies and how to stay safe on Nutrition.gov.
For some people, slurping raw oysters from the shell is a gourmet treat. But oyster fans could suffer a bout of intestinal illness if the raw oyster contains certain bacteria. Other bacteria can kill oysters before they ever reach the raw bar. ARS scientists studied tiny viruses called “phages” which infect and kill the bacteria but don’t harm humans. Read more.
Why are vitamins and minerals an important part of nutrition? These nutrients are found in healthy foods and have many roles in the body. They can help it to heal wounds, build strong bones, move muscles, fight germs that can make us sick, and much more! For example, vitamin K helps your blood to clot when you have a cut so that you stop bleeding. Get it from foods like spinach, kale, broccoli, and soybeans. Did you know that potassium keeps your muscles and nervous system working properly? Find it in bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, dairy, and other foods. Discover what the different vitamins and minerals do and how to choose foods that contain them.
