View the new issue of the Food and Nutrition Research Briefs.

ARS Food and Nutrition Research Briefs Issued

By Kim Kaplan
October 7, 2009

Research showing that soft water removes up to 37 percent more bacteria from the skin of chicken carcasses during processing is among the new nutrition and health findings noted in the most recent issue of the Agricultural Research Service's Food and Nutrition Research Briefs (FNRB) and its Spanish language edition (Informe de investigaciones de alimentos y nutrición).

The popular online newsletter reports discoveries from researchers at ARS laboratories nationwide.

Among other findings, the current issue reports:

• New laser technology may allow identification etching of grapefruit.

• A new batter product now on the market reduces the amount of oil absorbed by fried foods.

• ARS scientists are mapping an array of East Coast county level data on weather, soil, land use, water availability and other elements to model where local food production could meet current and projected demand-and where it won't.

The newsletter includes color photos and illustrations on the Web. And by clicking the "subscribe" link on the newsletter's home page, readers can sign up for two e mail options: They can receive the full text of the newsletter by e mail, or simply an advisory that a new issue has been posted to the Web.

The research reported in the newsletter supports the U.S. Department of Agriculture priorities of ensuring food safety and improving children's nutrition and health.

ARS is the USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.