4379 Nutrinet Newsletter Vol. 9 No.12 December 1995 Permission is granted to create and distribute copies of this document for non-commercial purposes provided that the author and MES receive acknowledgement and this notice is included. Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota, 405 Coffey Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108. (612) 625-2787 * pmailop@mes.umn.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NUTRINET December 1995 Volume 9 Number 12 A bulletin of nutrition, food, and health information Editor Sybil Woutat 145 FScN, 1334 Eckles Avenue St. Paul, MN 55108 A service of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition Minnesota Extension Service Biotechnology and the future of food Winter Quarter Leave Results of Food Safety-Preservation Materials Survey ABOUT MEAT EFNEP/FNP Update Program-related news Nutrition information Nutrition resources Book corner Biotechnology and the Future of Food As the food industry is gearing up to provide new food products developed with the help of biotechnology, we need to make sure that the customer is ready. One of our customers are kids who will one day be walking down the grocery store aisles putting their own food in the cart. There are several opportunities that I would like to mention if you are looking for biotechnology resources: In May, 1996 the "Global Event" planned by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences will feature biotechnology for high school students from all over Minnesota. The day will include general talks, our tomato decision case, hands on interactive activities, and small group work. Contact Dani O'Reilly if you know of interested high school teachers who want to bring students. Another resource will be a new 4-H biotechnology curriculum that is being written by Mary Kroll (formerly with the MNAqua Program in 4-H), myself, Dan O'Sullivan (FScN faculty) and Cheryl Fox (MN Department of Agriculture). We have talked with Marilyn Herman and Naomi Fruechte about pilot testing some lessons, if anyone else is interested, please let me know. Paul Brady (FScN faculty) will be working with our group on a biotechnology WWW home page which will support the curriculum. There are several excellent WWW home pages that are resources for biotechnology. And last, there is a position paper published in the latest Journal of the American Dietetic Association on Biotechnology and the future of food, vol 95: 1429-1432. The following are some excerpted sections that you might find interesting. Position Statement It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that biotechnology techniques have the potential to be useful in enhancing the quality, nutritional value, and variety of food available for human consumption and in increasing the efficiency of food production, food processing, food distribution, and waste management. Public Health/Food Safety Issues Safety issues must be addressed with any new technology. Safety issues that are posed by the introduction of genetically engineered products include an increase in toxins naturally occurring in the parent line, inclusion of a new and potentially allergenic protein derived from the originator of the genetic materials, introduction of "unnaturally occurring" hormones into the food supply, and the possibility that bacterial resistance from genetically engineered organisms could transfer to pathogenic strains of bacteria.The FDA evaluates each application of biotechnology to animal food products on a case-by-case basis. In contrast, FDA has determined that plant foods produced through biotechnology present no inherent risk and, therefore, should be regulated as any other food entering the market. Safety assessments focus on the toxicant characteristic of the host and donor species, the potential that food allergens will be transferred from one food source to another; the concentration and bioavailability of important nutrients for which a food crop is consumed; the safety and nutritional value of newly introduced proteins; and carbohydrates or fats and oils. A variety of toxicology and product safety data must accompany the application for approval of any food product or ingredient produced via genetic engineering. Marla Reicks, Extension Nutritionist Winter Quarter Leave I am taking a quarter leave during Winter Quarter 1996--January, February, and March. I will be sitting in on some technology/education and marketing courses on campus. I will only check my email and voicemail weekly, so for better service I suggest that you address general questions to Mary Darling, Craig Hassel, and Bill Schafer instead of to me during these three months. I will be not be participating in the FNP/EFNEP Reinvention Curriculum Work Group or staff development during these three months. Have a good winter. I'll see you again in April. Marla Results of Food Safety-Preservation Materials Survey In November you were asked to respond to a survey on future food preservation material needs and revisions. The following is an excerpt from that memo: "David McAllister of MES Educational Development Systems (EDS) has informed me of the following publication issues: 1) HE-MI-3927, Food Safety-Preservation Consultant Notebook, has only 14 copies in stock. 2) HE-MI-5800, Keep Your Food Safe, ordered from USDA (a low literacy publication) is currently out of stock. 3) HE-BU-0516, Safe Home Canning of Fruits, Vegetables and Meats, has 400 in stock, less than a typical year's supply. This information surfaces some questions about the need for how we design, package and deliver these and other food safety materials. The World Wide Web (WWW) and MES Gopher systems may provide alternative delivery systems. The Complete Guide to Home Canning is currently available on the WWW. Individual food product pages can be printed, if the needed computer equipment and time are available. Is the HE-BU-0516 useful in its current format? Or should these be separated out into individual publications for 1) fruits, 2) vegetables and 3) meats? Is the current format and content of the Food Safety-Preservation Consultant Notebook still useful or should it be revised? I am assuming that home food preservation remains a content area about which MES should continue programming." The results of that survey follow. My intent is to follow the direction of the option receiving the greatest number of responses for each question wherever possible. I will be talking with NFH Specialization leaders, Dave McAllister (EDS), and Beth Emshoff/Bonnie Braun (CHE) as well as the Food Science and Nutrition Extension Management Unit to be sure that resources are used efficiently and in appropriate relationship to other program priorities. RESULTS -- Food Safety-Preservation Materials Survey Respondents: 24 Extension Educators ----------------------- 20 NEAs -------------------------------------- 2 Other (state staff or program assistants -- 2 Number in parentheses at left margin is the number of responses for that choice. The total for each question is NOT 24, since some respondents chose not to indicate a choice for all questions. Comments are in capital letters below the item. 1. HE-MI-39297, Food Safety Preservation Consultant Notebook should be: (4) a. Reproduced as is with only updated editions of publications as available. (8) b. Revised and delete the following content: (i.e., perhaps put Extension Educator Trainer materials in a supplement which would be ordered separately) HAVE ALL RELEVANT PUBS IN ONE PLACE (8) c. Revised and include the following content: (i.e., salsa methods?) 1) CROCK POT SAFETY; HAACP); NO MICROWAVE USE FOR PRESERVATION 2) PRESSURE GAUGE TEST FORM AFTER PRESTO TESTER INFO; FOOD SPOILAGE CHART 3) STORAGE TIMES; POWER FAILURES; SANITATION (4) d. Removed from Distribution Center. It's no longer needed. 2. HE-MI-5800, Keep Your Food Safe (a low literacy publication) should be: (13) a. Reordered from USDA (used by FNP/EFNEP) (0) b. Withdrawn from Distribution Center (no longer used/needed) (1) c. Consult with FNP/EFNEP leaders/NEAs as to use 3. HE-BU-0516, Safe Home Canning of Fruits, Vegetables and Meats should be: (16) a. Revised and reprinted in current format DON'T CONTINUE RECIPE IN ANOTHER COLUMN-TOMATO SEC. p.22 (5) b. Redesigned into 3 separate publications (Fruit; Vegetables, Meats) (7) c. Redesigned into Fact Sheets for individual products or types of products 1) BASIC PIECE 4) REPEAT GENERAL INFO FOR EACH 2) CANNING OF MEAT 5) ONLY IF COST IS A FACTOR 3) GENERAL CANNING 4. Food preservation publications which are mostly text should be placed on MES Gopher for downloading and printing individually at county offices as needed. 12 -- YES 6 -- NO Which publications should be uploaded/placed on MES Gopher first? (i.e., Fact Sheets for individual products or types of products from HE-BU-0516?) 1) TYPES OF PRODUCTS 2) TOMATOES, TOMATO PRODUCTS, PICKLES 3) GUNDERSON'S FIXING FISH, WILD GAME STUFF 4) HOT WATER BATH RECIPES/METHODS 5) ALL 6) SALSA, MEAT 7) BASIC FOOD SAFETY; SALMONELLA, E.COLI; FOOD FOR CROWDS Potential Issues: a) BE CERTAIN COUNTIES HAVE INFORMATION ON HOW TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT b) HOW WILL UPDATING AND REVISIONS BE DONE? 5. Other suggested changes in existing publications are: 1) IF NOT GOPHER, THEN REPRODUCIBLE MASTERS FOR EACH COUNTY OFFICE 2) LOW LITERACY BROCHURES (LIKE WE USED TO HAVE, "HS" SERIES) ON USING PRESSURE CANNERS; CANNING FRUIT, TOMATOES AND PICKLES 3) ONE INDEX, ONE CONTENTS PAGE 4) EXPAND TABLES USING LESS COMMON FOODS 5) POUND TO CUP CONVERSION OF MEASUREMENTS IN TOMATO PUBLICATIONS 6. Suggested content areas for new publications: 1) E.COLI 0157.H7 2) BASIC BOILING WATER BATH PROCEDURES; BASIC PRESSURE CANNING PROCEDURES; DRYING HERBS 3) KITCHEN FOOD SAFETY QUIZ 4) SALSAS 5) DRYING 6) TROUBLE-SHOOTING OR CAUSES OF PROBLEMS; BUCKLING LIDS, NOT SEALING LIDS, REDOING JELLIES 7) CAUTIONS RE: "GOURMET" OR HERBAL VINEGARS AND HERBS IN OILS 8) NUTRITION RELATED: a) ALL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIETARY INTAKE ON ONE EASY-TO-READ FACT SHEET b) FOOD GUIDELINES William Schafer Extension Food Technologist ABOUT MEAT SALVAGE OPERATIONS Because of snow and ice on frozen ground, this is the time of year when injuries to livestock are most likely to occur. Broken legs, severe bruises and other injuries result in animals that are incapacitated. Owners then try to salvage the meat by performing "emergency slaughter." More often than not, the resulting meat has an unusual aroma or taste and the owner calls to find out if the meat can be tested to make sure it is safe to eat. While we can all understand that no one wants to waste good meat, we should also understand that salvage operations pose unknown risks. Just because the animal looked healthy prior to the injury, it is no guarantee that there might not have been some underlying disease condition which might have been the impetus for the injury in the first place. Also, the injury may have started out as a localized condition but later progressed to a systemic condition. Owners should at least have the local veterinarian inspect the injured animal prior to slaughter. Finally, proper bleeding, sanitary processing, and adequate chilling are critical elements for quality meat products. Testing the meat to make sure it is safe to eat is like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. One could easily spend in excess of $1,000 on tests for various zoonoses and microbial pathogens and still not be 100 percent sure that the meat was free of same. One might not have much meat left after all of the samples are taken anyway! While not wanting to waste food is a worthy objective, not risking the health of one's family is an even more worthy goal. THAW RIGOR The recent 25-below wind chill we recently had reminded me of another potential problem with home slaughter at this time of the year. Chilling of the beef carcass, especially for the first 10-12 hours, should be conducted in a facility maintained at 33-39F. If the carcass is hung outside and the muscle is allowed to freeze before rigor mortis is completed (10-12 hr), the meat will exhibit thaw rigor. The result is extremely tough meat that no amount of aging will correct. If the muscle is chilled to 59F or less prior to completion of rigor, the meat will exhibit cold shortening. The result is simply tough meat. Grinding is the only way to tenderize beef or lamb afflicted with thaw rigor or cold shortening. Richard J. Epley Extension Animal Scientist, Meats December 1995 EFNEP/FNP Update PROGRAM-RELATED NEWS University migrant project Strategies to improve two-way communication NUTRITION INFORMATION Teens and vegetarianism NUTRITION RESOURCES Weight and obesity report for free Looking for a children's book that shows breastfeeding? BOOK CORNER Member of the Club, by Lawrence Otis Graham Thought for the day: Here is one contest winner of an essay contest sponsored by the Pillsbury Company entitled, "What Does Hunger Mean to Me?" "Feeling Feeling Feeling the too familiar pain. Seeing Seeing Seeing the food thrown out and wasted. Smelling Smelling Smelling things I can't have. Hurting Hurting Hurting in my stomach and heart. Knowing Knowing Knowing there might not be food tonight. Hoping Hoping Hoping someday someone will see my pain and share." -- Ann, sixth grade ************************************************************ PROGRAM-RELATED NEWS University migrant project Of the 3 million farm workers in the U.S., 15-20,000 come to Minnesota annually, between May and September, to work in the fields and food processing plants across the state. This group of workers consists primarily of Chicano/Latinos who in turn also comprise a large portion of the general Chicano/Latino community in Minnesota. These migrant seasonal workers harvest and process sugar beets, asparagus, corn, peas and other crops, making an important contribution to the state's large agricultural and agribusiness industry. However, most migrants are poorly paid, often living in substandard housing and with limited access to educational and health care systems. This marginalized and exploited population is often invisible to the mainstream society and due to labor abuses, language barriers, and discriminatory practices, finds it difficult to access many resources and systems that are readily available to most Minnesotans. In 1994, the University of Minnesota made a significant step in addressing these issues: the University Migrant Project (U-MP) came into existence due to the concerns for the well-being of seasonal farmworkers. U-MP serves to educate the University of Minnesota community about the realities that migrant workers face every day. Participants receive a firsthand educational experience in the realities of seasonal work in Minnesota and in turn are asked to put their knowledge to a constructive use: students not only learn about the hardships of being a migrant worker but also contribute to the Chicano/Latino community through research projects and internships. As part of its commitment to education and service, U-MP has set the following goals: to provide U of MN students, staff and faculty with a unique and challenging learning experience centering around the migrant experience, particularly in MN: to assist the migrant communities in gaining better access to and use of educational, legal, housing and health care resources; to provide information and stimulate respectful and responsible action within the U of MN that aims to support the migrant communities and agencies that serve them. U-MP consists of three components: a 4-credit graduate level class, a summer internship program which places students with migrant serving agencies, and a volunteer action group. 1) The Migrant Experience in Minnesota (Chicano Studies 5920) will be offered winter quarter 1996. The class is listed as a joint day/continuing education class allowing students who are not enrolled at the U of MN an opportunity to enroll in the class. The course examines issues that impact migrants' lives from such disciplines as history, public policy, education, public health, sociology, agriculture, and economics. Students will also submit a research paper which has to serve some benefit to the Chicano/Latino community. The class meets Tuesdays from 4 to 7 PM. Instructor: Lisa Sass Zaragoza. 2) The U-MP Internship Program involves an intensive service learning experience in the summer which grants interns the opportunity to work directly with migrants or agencies working on migrant-related issues. Students enrolled in the "Migrant Experience" class are eligible to apply to the internship program and up to 15 applicants will be selected for the Internship Program. For more information, contact Lisa Sass Zaragoza, Mark Sinclair, or Cherie Espinosa at 612/625-6389 or by mail at U-Migrant Project, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, 330 HHH Center, 301 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455, or e-mail at sincl003@maroon.tc.umn.edu or fax at 612/626-0273. (Taken from the December 1995 issue of the Spanish Speaking Affairs Council newsletter, Al Dia) STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION The following is adapted from a training program for health care providers and educators titled "Enhancing Cultural Awareness and Communication Skills" developed by the New Jersey Department of Health, HealthStart. Here are some ways we can improve communication with our learners: PUT THE LEARNER AT EASE Convey personal interest in the learner. Address the learner by name--Mrs., Miss, Ms, or by first name, depending on what you discovered the learner prefers. Building trust and rapport up front pays off later on. CLARIFY WHAT YOU INTEND TO DO OR DISCUSS Learners are often uncertain about what will happen in teaching situations. Or, learners may have past experiences that influence how they view the current situation. For example, say: "Today we will go over making healthy snacks for your children and we will be preparing some tasty snacks, as well." USE LEARNER-CENTERED BEHAVIOR TO ESTABLISH RAPPORT Rapport is established through both verbal and non-verbal communication. Establish eye contact, if appropriate to the cultural group; move closer to the learner, seating yourself at eye-level if she is sitting down, and smile. Convey that the learner, right here and now, is the most important person in the room. USE APPROPRIATE AND UNDERSTANDABLE LANGUAGE Avoid nutrition jargon and check to see that the learner understands you. From time to time, ask learners to rephrase what you have said or ask them how they would put into practice what you are suggesting. USE ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS Listen for feelings as well as content. We do not need to agree with the learner's feelings to acknowledge them and show that we understand them. In feeding back the learner's feelings we must take care to avoid making judgments. For example, we might say: "I sense that you don't like the recipes we've chosen." "I can see that you are unhappy about the recipes we've chosen." Both of these statements will reflect the learner's feelings and hopefully encourage her to say more about why she feels as she does. NUTRITION INFORMATION Teens and vegetarianism Q. I have a 14-year old son who has recently decided to become a vegetarian. Should I be concerned about his health? A. While growing children have higher nutritional needs than adults, these needs can be met with a diet containing the right balance of calories and nutrients. Vegetarians fall into one of three categories: Strict vegetarians, or vegans, exclude all meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products from their diet. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products, but no meat, poultry, or fish. Semi-vegetarians eat poultry, fish, and dairy products, but little or no red meat or pork. Make sure your son understands there is more to a vegetarian lifestyle than eliminating certain foods. Teens need adequate amounts of protein, iron, calcium, and Vitamin B-12 during these body-building years. Protein can be found in poultry or fish, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, and dried beans. Iron needs, usually filled by red meats, can be met with dark green vegetables, dried beans, and fruits, as well as iron-fortified breads and cereals. Some foods rich in Vitamin C, such as broccoli, are also a source. Calcium, important for strong bones, can be found in dairy products, calcium fortified orange juice, dark, green leafy vegetables, corn tortillas, sunflower seeds, and tofu processed with calcium sulfate. Vitamin B-12 is not a worry unless your son becomes a strict vegetarian and eliminates all animal products. (Taken from the Fall 1995 issue of Nutrition and Your Child, a newsletter of the Children's Nutrition Research Center, Texas.) NUTRITION RESOURCES Weight and obesity report This report, "Strategy development workshop for public education on weight and obesity summary report" from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute is a good overview of this area. In-depth but readable, it covers the epidemiology of obesity in children and adults, strategies for obesity prevention in schools, families and the community, physical activity, smoking and weight, and communication strategies for educating the public. This last section I found very interesting especially because the audiences that were addressed were children, adolescents, adults, older adults, and communities of diversity. You can get your own copy of this report (10 or fewer copies are free) from the NHLBI at 301/251-1222, fax 301/251-1223 or NHLBI Information Center, PO Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105. Ask for "Strategy development workshop for public education on weight and obesity--summary report," publication #95-3314. A copy is in the FNP lending library for loan. Looking for a childrenş' book that shows breastfeeding? This list is an interesting collection of children's books that depict moms or tell about moms that breastfeed. Older and younger children's books are included as are stories that depict people from communities of diversity. If you'd like a copy, let me know. BOOK CORNER Member of the Club--Reflections on Life in a Racially Polarized World, by Lawrence Otis Graham, is an interesting and thoughtful book. A series of essays, the author addresses such diverse topics as interracial marriage, affirmative action, the black middle class, black leaders, and black professionals in America. I found this an interesting book especially because I have read few books written from the perspective of the black middle class.