ARS scientists have reformulated their reduced-sugar, low-fat milk shakes. The new drinks are a remake of a previous ARS low-sugar variety developed in the 1970s for USDA’s School Lunch Program. The new shakes have less than half the sugar and about 10 percent of the fat found in commercial shakes. Last fall, ARS opened its doors to about 600 youngsters who taste-tested the chocolate shakes. Kids weren’t crazy about them. Some comments: “Not sweet enough”; “There’s an aftertaste;” and “Tastes like cereal.” As a result, ARS scientists, along with their cooperative research and development agreement partner Devine Foods, Inc., in Philadelphia, PA, are trying to reformulate the shakes, eliminate the cereal flavor, and further develop them as a commercial product. The shakes are based on ARS technology and contain Devine’s patented composition, which reduces fat and calories. Fiber content is about 2 to 2.2 percent, which qualifies the shakes as a good source of fiber. A 10-ounce shake has as much calcium, vitamins, and minerals as a serving of milk—with fewer calories. It also has significantly less lactose than milk.

Dairy Products Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA
Richard Konstance, (215) 233-6600, rkonstance@arserrc.gov

Cooperative Research and Development Agreements

...With Durand-Wayland, Inc., LaGrange, GA, to develop special tree sprayers to manage trunk-feeding insects of peach and other stone fruits. Peach tree pests, such as the peach tree borer and white peach scale, are hard to manage using typical spray methods. Estimates of losses and control costs for these two pests during 1997 for Georgia alone were $1.44 million. Both insects feed on tree trunks. Growers currently use hand-held spray guns to apply insecticides, which are effective but require three workers to spray an entire orchard (one driver and two spray-gun operators). Spray coverage can become inconsistent over time as workers tire. The new sprayer the partners will develop will incorporate site-specific applications that can be turned on and off on demand. This should result in better insect control with less insecticide use and an economic savings to growers.

Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory, Byron, GA
Ted E. Cottrell, (912) 956-6448, tcottrell@byronresearch.net

...With Loders-Croklaan Co., Channahon, IL, to develop commercial uses for various forms of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. Linoleic acid is one of a small group of uniquely important fatty acids that cannot be made in the body, so it must be consumed in the diet. Important in maintaining cell membranes, it also plays an important role in preventing blood clots. Recent research has shown that some forms of linoleic acid may offer additional health benefits. Separating key components from more than 30 different forms of linoleic acid will allow the researchers to identify the role of each one and its effects on human health. Methods to separate fatty acids already exist, but they work only on small amounts. The ability to separate linoleic acids in large quantities will allow researchers to conduct extensive studies on the compounds. Knowledge gained through investigating the medical and nutritional roles of isolated pure fatty acids could lead to new dietary approaches or food products to optimize human health and nutrition.

Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA
Michael Haas, (215) 233-6459, mhaas@arserrc.gov

...With Mycotech Corp., Butte, MT, to study a unique relationship between the parasitic fungus Beauveria bassiana and corn. B. bassiana kills the European corn borer, a primary insect pest throughout major U.S. corn-growing areas. The fungus occurs naturally in corn and has been isolated from plants throughout the Corn Belt. In 1997, the occurrence of the fungus ranged from a low of 6 percent in Michigan to a high of 91 percent in Illinois. Extensive field research determined the ideal time to apply B. bassiana for the fungus to live and grow. When applied to the whorl—that part of the corn plant where the leaves unfurl to form a natural funnel—B. bassiana germinates and enters the plant through leaf tissue. Once inside, it kills any corn borers that enter. However, neither coating seeds with B. bassiana nor placing it in the seed furrow at planting time increased its growth in the corn plants. Five potential carriers—corn kernel, corn cob grit, clay, and two starch substrates—were evaluated in granule formulations of B. bassiana. They all reduced insect damage and protected grain yield equally well. Data from this CRADA enabled pest management specialists to develop protocols for using B. bassiana in a borer management program.

Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research, Ames, IA
Leslie C. Lewis, (515) 294-8614, leslewis@iastate.edu

...With DEC International, Lodi, WI, to adapt ARS-patented Vacuum Steam Vacuum (VSV) “Flash” pasteurization technology for processed meats. All foods have a layer of air around them that slows down the process for using steam to kill bacteria on foods. The VSV technology removes this air layer, kills the bacteria with steam, and then evaporatively cools the meat. It’s done in a “flash,” taking less than a second to perform. Cooling the meat after steaming is especially important for processed chickens to prevent immediate cooking. Also, a major concern for industry is preventing foodborne pathogens from contaminating ready-to-eat meats like hot dogs once they have been cooked at the processing plant. Listeria monocytogenes has been a bacterial culprit in many ready-to-eat food contaminations. There is a zero-tolerance for this bacterial pathogen, since it can grow and spread in cold storage. ARS researchers conducted preliminary studies using VSV to treat hot dogs and achieved up to a 99.999-percent kill rate against L. monocytogenes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1,600 cases and 415 deaths occur annually in the United States from listeriosis caused by ready-to-eat meats contaminated with Listeria. Listeriosis produces flulike symptoms, such as fever and chills. The CRADA collaborators are hoping to develop a unit to treat hot dogs that will meet federally mandated Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HAACP) standards. HAACP requires the food industry to identify and correct potentially hazardous points in their production lines that may cause bacterial contamination.

Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA
Michael F. Kozempel, (215) 233-6588, mkozempel@arserrc.gov

...With Deere and Company, Conyers, GA, to evaluate the concept of site-specific tillage and to develop specialized equipment for that purpose. This technology should allow farmers to save 25 to 75 percent on tillage energy costs. That’s because farmers often till compacted soil deeper than necessary. Currently, farmers manually set the tillage depth and maintain it throughout the field. This depth is usually based on the maximum needed for the most compacted areas. Deeper-than-necessary tilling is a problem because it can bury excessive amounts of plant residue, increasing erosion and carbon emissions and possibly decreasing crop yields. ARS researchers and their partners plan to conduct experiments to determine the economic benefits of precisely pinpointing compacted areas of Coastal Plain-type soils that are prevalent in the southeastern United States. Then they’ll remedy compaction with targeted depths of tillage using global positioning systems to maintain locations within the fields. This research will help farmers develop economical and environmentally friendly methods for reducing excess soil compaction.

National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, Auburn, AL
Randy L. Raper, (344) 844-4654, rlraper@eng.auburn.edu

Patents

...For a new ARS-developed method for enzyme recycling that could amplify current uses of domestic animal fats and vegetable oils, as well as products derived from them. Enzymes are complex proteins that are nature’s way of “making things happen” when it comes to carrying out specific chemical reactions in plants and animals. Manufacturers rely on imported castor oil for making certain commercial materials. Castor oil is imported from South America, China, and India. Using the ARS technology, it is now possible to produce castor-oil-type fatty acids from domestic fats and oils, instead of relying on imports. Enzymes used in this way are more stable and can be used repeatedly, which is more economical. Current processes rely on nonreusable enzymes that make the process more expensive. This technology allows manufacturers to improve the properties of domestic fats and oils for use in applications such as lubricants, greases, emulsifiers, and plasticizers. ARS scientists have expanded this research to include other enzymes, which are being used to convert oils, fats, and restaurant greases into biodiesel fuels and lubricants. Biodiesel products are a renewable alternative to petroleum-derived diesel fuels. ARS researchers are looking for industrial partners to develop this technology commercially. (Patent Application No. 09-239,778)

Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA
An-Fei C. Hsu/Thomas A. Foglia, (215) 233-6400, ahsu@arserrc.gov/tfoglia@arserrc.gov

Licenses

...To EcoSoil Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA, to develop disease-fighting seed and foliar treatments based on ARS technology. Root diseases cost U.S. wheat and barley growers millions of dollars each year in reduced yields. ARS scientists found premier strains of bacteria in nature that inhibit some of the worst root diseases: take-all, Rhizoctonia root rot, and Pythium root rot. When used as a seed treatment, these bacteria control disease with 100 times fewer bacteria per seed than normally used. These natural strains of Pseudomonas bacteria already live in the soil; they reproduce very quickly and outcompete other soil microbes for nutrients. The bacteria naturally produce compounds that inhibit disease-causing fungi. ARS has applied for a patent on the premier strains and the techniques used to discover them. Ecosoil Systems will develop treatments such as seed coatings, using the bacterial strains to protect crop plants. Researchers have found that similar high-powered strains are present in many soils and could provide biological alternatives for control of many crop diseases. They’ve also developed techniques to enhance the natural disease-fighting ability of the bacteria. By introducing genes from related Pseudomonas strains that produce other antifungal metabolites into the premier strains, they can get more effective premier strains that control all three diseases. These strains fight disease at even lower numbers of bacteria per seed. (Patent Application Nos. 08/974,938; 08/994,035)

Root Disease and Biological Control Research Unit, Pullman, WA
David M. Weller, (509) 335-1116, wellerd@mail.wsu.edu