A faster, more accurate test to detect Brucella melitensisbacterium in unpasteurized goat's milk and cheese can help prevent undulant fever in humans. That disease can cause chills, fever, fatigue and an aching similar to arthritis. Most food borne cases of undulant fever come from unpasteurized goat's milk and cheese from Mexico. A biotechnology technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cuts the test's identification time in food samples from weeks to a single day. Quick identification is critical so contaminated foods can be removed from grocery stores. About two-thirds of all U.S. cases of undulant fever are attributed to infection with B. melitensis. (PATENT 5,447,844)
National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA
Betsy J. Bricker, (515) 239-8310

To transform green sugarcane into those white, sweet sugar crystals on your breakfast table requires heat processing. But high temperatures can cause sugarcane's sucrose to break down and discolor, resulting in losses for the sugar industry. Researchers are working on improvements to processing machinery to help pinpoint and prevent heat breakdown. One discovery: As sucrose degrades, telltale chemicals called oligosaccharides form. Researchers say processors could check samples of sugar during processing and pinpoint sources of thermal breakdown where oligosaccharides are high. These production areas could then be studied and perhaps modified to reduce breakdown losses.
Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, LA
Gillian Eggleston, (504) 286-4446

Southwestern Arizona cotton growers have a new natural weapon in their fight against Aspergillus flavus. But the new weapon's identity may surprise some observers: It's another fungus from the same family as the contaminating strain. This strain doesn't produce aflatoxin, but it can crowd out its harmful cousin. On fields treated with the benign fungus, aflatoxin levels in harvested cottonseed measured less than 20 parts per billion. By comparison, cottonseed from untreated fields nearby had as much as 180 parts per billion. Federal law prohibits selling any crop as a food source or dairy feed if it contains more than 20 parts per billion of aflatoxin. One part per billion is equal to one inch in 16,000 miles. This research is part of an on-going, three-year trial.
Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, LA
Peter Cotty, (504) 286-4391

To determine what happens when a cotton field is attacked by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, a USDA researcher is creating a greenhouse-sized model of an outbreak. Greenhouse conditions are kept dry and warm, which A. flavus seems to favor. Although the fungi's contaminant aflatoxin does not affect cotton quality or safety, it prevents the use of cottonseed--a valuable byproduct for animal feed. This goal is to find contributing factors that cause outbreaks, such as wind. Another possibility: the plant is using the fungi to supply chemicals unavailable in dry conditions.
Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, LA
Maren Klich, (504) 286-4361

Wanted: A high-energy beef snack to sustain military troops during times of great physical stress, such as combat or field maneuvers. ARS scientists are working on a new meat-stick formula that packs extra nutritional punch in the form of fat. A low-fat diet is normally recommended for healthy eating. But the ideal snack for high-demand physical activity would contain 40 percent fat for plenty of energy, plus 30 percent carbohydrates, 25 percent protein and 5 percent moisture. However, the high temperatures needed to make this product melt away the fat. Scientists say the solution is adding inner pea fiber to the beef. In tests, meat laced with inner pea fiber retained almost all of the fat during heating without affecting flavor. Pea fiber's fat-holding capability could prove useful in low-fat foods, too. That's because fat degrades over time, and any loss of fat in low-fat foods could mean loss of flavor.
Meat Science Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD
Brad Berry, (301) 504-8994

Asian consumers favor bright yellow noodles with a chewy texture, and American wheat growers hunger for new market opportunities. ARS scientists are working to develop new hard white winter wheat varieties that could fill both demands by capturing the best qualities for oriental noodles. Most American wheat varieties were developed for bread making, which emphasizes different characteristics. The scientists are developing white wheats with less amylose, a component of starch. Reduced amylose improves noodle palatability and also could extend shelf life of bread and baked goods. American scientists are using Japanese research findings to pinpoint how to breed a more Asian-friendly wheat. The research also will benefit American consumers who prefer hard white wheat, especially in whole grain breads.
Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research, Lincoln, NE
Bob Graybosch, (402) 472-1563, agro100@unlvm.unl.edu

Last Updated: April 25, 1997
Return to: Quarterly Report Table of Contents