Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Latest Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Study: Growth of adult trees linked to their participation in fungal networks

Being highly connected to a strong social network has its benefits. Now a new University of Alberta study is showing the same goes for trees, thanks to their underground neighbors.

23 Oct 2020

Research demonstrates an agriculturally amenable epigenetic breeding method

Novel grafted plants -- consisting of rootstock epigenetically modified to "believe" it has been under stress -- joined to an unmodified scion, or above-ground shoot, give rise to progeny that are more vigorous, productive and resilient than the parental plants.

23 Oct 2020

Scientists set ambitious goals for biodiversity and sustainability

Nearly three decades have passed since world leaders agreed to reverse biodiversity loss. It hasn't gone according to plan.

23 Oct 2020

Research shows how a combination of images can help detect food security threats

New research shows how a combination of imagery from mobile phones, drones and satellites can be used to clamp down on banana threats.

23 Oct 2020

Dietary supplement can support immune system to combat SARS-CoV-2 infections

SPIN (SPermidin and eugenol INtegrator for the contrasting incidence of coronavirus in EU population) is a European project powered by EIT Food that is currently developing a dietary supplement supporting the function of the immune system in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 infections in the population at high risk.

22 Oct 2020

New portable device could quantify capsaicin content in chili peppers

Some people love spicy food -- the hotter, the better. Others go out of their way to avoid the palate-singeing burn of capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their kick.

22 Oct 2020

Study finds significant link between flavanol consumption and lower blood pressure

People who consume a diet including flavanol-rich foods and drinks, including tea, apples and berries, could lead to lower blood pressure, according to the first study using objective measures of thousands of UK residents' diet.

22 Oct 2020

Researchers map the biological diversity of marine sediment

Scientists have mapped, for the first time, the biological diversity of marine sediment, which is considered as one of the largest global biomes on Earth.

22 Oct 2020

Consumption of high doses of vitamin D supplements is unnecessary

In humans, vitamin D is formed in the skin following its exposure to sunlight. In comparison to the body's own formation of vitamin D, dietary consumption generally makes up only a relatively small proportion of the vitamin D supply to the body.

21 Oct 2020

Study discusses the role of insects as a potential new food allergen

Those with food allergies must avoid allergens in food. Health problems can be triggered by even the smallest traces for those affected. This is why manufacturers of ready-made foods must list the ingredients on the packaging.

21 Oct 2020

Study finds how long SARS-CoV-2 survives on surfaces in the food supply chain

From the delivery of an Amazon package to ordering takeout food, people touch a multitude of surfaces every day, leaving behind residue, germs, and more.

21 Oct 2020

Changing climate is taking a toll on Maine's sea life, study shows

The waters of the Gulf of Maine are warming faster than oceans almost anywhere on Earth. And as the level of carbon dioxide rises in the atmosphere, it's absorbed by the oceans, causing pH levels to fall.

21 Oct 2020

Air pollution drives huge demand for food delivery services, study reveals

When the air outside is bad, office workers are more likely to order food delivery than go out for lunch, which in turn increases plastic waste from food packaging, according to a study by researchers from the National University of Singapore.

20 Oct 2020

Scientists develop novel lab testing procedure for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

Knowing you have developed antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus after recovering from COVID-19 doesn't tell you everything about your immunity.

20 Oct 2020

Cities can prove to be crucial actors in tackling food waste

Food waste is one of the most important issues of current food systems: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that more than one third of food is either lost or wasted along the entire food supply chain causing significant economic, social and environmental impacts.

20 Oct 2020

An overview on the transition to responsible, high-quality cocoa production

Worldwide demand for food from the tropics that meet higher environmental and social standards has risen sharply in recent years. Consumers often have to make ethically questionable decisions: products may be available to the global market through child labor, starvation wages, or environmental destruction.

20 Oct 2020

Use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers may increase climate-damaging carbon emissions

Concentration of dinitrogen oxide - also referred to as nitrous oxide - in the atmosphere increases strongly and speeds up climate change. In addition to CO2 and methane, it is the third important greenhouse gas emitted due to anthropogenic activities.

20 Oct 2020