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Purified extracts of vanilla, cinnamon, almond and pepper are being
used to fight foodborne bacteria. ARS researchers tested several
other natural compounds extracted from asparagus, carrots, radishes,
shallots and turnips, as well as combinations of these compounds against
several food pathogens. They got best results with the simplest compound
tested--benzaldehyde, which is found in peaches. Combined with heat,
these compounds slow down, and in some cases stop, bacterial growth. When
commercially available, meat processors could use these compounds as
antimicrobial sprays or dips to increase the microbiological safety and
shelf life of their products. Also, the compounds could lessen the amount
of time processed foods must be cooked, increasing their quality. (PATENT
APPLICATION 08/242,896)
Microbial Food Safety Research Unit,
Philadelphia, PA
Arthur J. Miller, (215) 233-6676
Milkfat encapsulated in all-purpose flour could be a new alternative to
conventional shortening in cakes, pie crusts and other baked goods.
Such uses could provide a new market for surplus butter. ARS scientists
made the spray-dried, free-flowing butter powder from butter oil, nonfat
dry milk and other food ingredients. In lab tests, the butter powder
worked well in biscuits, cookies and muffins. Another plus: The new
mixture doesn't require refrigeration. Encapsulated milkfat is better
than shortening in blending with other dry ingredients, storage and
taste.
Dairy Products Research Unit,
Philadelphia, PA
Virginia H. Holsinger, (215) 233-6703
Spray calcium on apple and pear trees and harvest juicier,
higher-quality fruit. That was the original finding of ARS
researchers 18 years ago. Now, they report that nearly all growers in the
Pacific Northwest use calcium as a way to protect orchards against fruit
damage and harsh winters. An added payoff for consumers: Trees produce
fruit that's about 10 percent higher in dietary calcium. Sprays of
calcium chloride or calcium nitrate reduce damage from bitter pit, scald
and internal breakdown. If left unchecked, these three disorders can
render fruit unmarketable, leading to millions of dollars in losses.
Also, the sprays help protect trees from extreme winter cold that can
stunt next year's growth and reduce yield. Calcium sprays are applied at
three-week intervals from June through August.
Tree Fruit Research
Laboratory, Wenatchee, WA
Stephen R. Drake, (509) 664-2280
A new test will allow peanut producers to tell which nuts are of the
highest quality. The new test produces a red color to indicate which
peanuts have reached the highest stage of maturity. It detects the amount
of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which increases as the peanut
matures. Mature peanuts have better taste and have improved shelf life.
This test correlates well with the shell color maturity test. That is,
the darker a peanut shell, the more mature the nut is. If producers can
separate their peanuts by maturity level, they can isolate high quality
nuts for superior products.
Food Flavor Quality Research, New
Orleans, LA
Si Yin Chung, (504) 286-4465
Jasmine flowers smell sweet thanks to natural compounds that could save
millions of dollars worth of stored potatoes from premature sprouting.
ARS scientists treated potatoes with either standard applications of a
synthetic chemical called CIPC--the only commercially available sprout
inhibitor for stored potatoes--or much smaller amounts of the jasmine
compounds, called jasmonates. Sprouting was delayed for several months
equally well in both cases. When potatoes sprout in storage, they soften
and lose weight, leading to losses in marketability. Also, the raw spuds
change much of their starch into sugars during long-term storage,
resulting in unattractive brown and off-flavored potato chips. Treating
potatoes with jasmonates to naturally control sprouting has the added
benefit of lightening color of the processed chips. (PATENT
5,436,226)
Potato Handling, Storage and Processing Research, East Grand Forks, MN
Edward C. Lulai, (218) 773-2473
Yeast that grows on low-value corn residues from ethanol production
could be a new alternative way to give farm-raised salmon the pinkish tint
consumers desire. What makes that possible in the yeast, Phaffia
rhodozyma, is astaxanthin, the same natural, color-producing compound
that puts the pink in the flesh of mountain trout. Astaxanthin is
naturally present in mountain streams. Aquaculturists now rely on an
expensive feed ingredient--shrimp byproduct meal--to put pink coloring in
fish raised in ponds. ARS scientists have identified thin stillage and
corn-condensed distiller's solubles as two of the most promising ethanol
byproducts upon which to grow Phaffia. Feeding fish whole
Phaffia would require approval by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. Last spring FDA approved use of up to 80 milligrams of
astaxanthin per kilogram of salmon feed.
Biopolymer Research, Peoria,
IL
Timothy D. Leathers, (309) 681-6377
Last updated: October 29, 1996
Return to: Quarterly Report
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