Industry - Agriculture latest news

Farm incomes followed higher crop prices into record-setting territory last year, but higher expenses put a damper on the region's bottom lines.

NEW YORK (AP) - Gold prices fell for a third straight session Wednesday as the dollar muscled higher against the euro, dampening the appeal of commodities as a hedge against inflation. Silver also dropped.

Mice given quercetin, a naturally occurring substance found in fruits and vegetables, were less likely to contract the flu, according to a study published by The American Physiological Society. The study also found that stressful exercise increased the susceptibility of mice to the flu, but quercetin canceled out that negative effect.

September brings the end of summer in the northern hemisphere and, for many, that means getting less sunshine. Our skin uses the sun's rays to make vitamin D. Without it, the body can't absorb dietary calcium, so it steals calcium from bones, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. But missing out on the "sunshine vitamin" has consequences for more than just bone health, reports the September 2008 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch.

The consumption of soft drinks is generally considered to be a contributing factor in childhood obesity. Because children spend a substantial amount of time at school, the school food environment plays a central part in shaping eating behaviors.

Findings from survey results released by livestrong.com reveal that the vast majority of young Americans (66%) report that their parents or other family members have the most influence over the choices they make regarding their overall health. Similarly, two-thirds (67%) of the respondents also indicated that their parents or other family members influence their food choices a great deal or a lot.

Seeking to learn what foods the typical household has on hand -- and the nutritional value of those items -- Rutgers University recently completed a comprehensive "pantry audit" of 100 New Jersey households. A key element of the study was Gladson Interactive's unique database which connects a product's Universal Product Code (UPC) with information on the product's nutritional composition contained on the package label for over 300,000 items.

Scientists in the US and Canada studying the effects of bisphenol-A (BPA), an ingredient of polycarbonate plastic used to make common everyday items for storing food and medicines, found it caused loss of connections between brain cells in primates and may lead to disruption in memory and learning as well as depression. Based on their findings the scientists suggest the US Environmental Protection Agency lower the current safe limit for human daily exposure to BPA.

Scientists in a program led by Penn State, Clemson and Virginia Tech have discovered new Asian infestations of a dangerous pest that can devastate papaya crops-the papaya mealybug.

WASHINGTON.-Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today awarded approximately $5 million in Team Nutrition Training Grants to twenty states to help children develop better eating and physical activity habi... [WebWire - Thursday, September 04, 2008]