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High intake of several emulsifiers (part of the "E numbers" group of food additives), widely used in industrially processed foods to improve texture and extend shelf-life, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), suggests a study. Given that these food additives are used ubiquitously in thousands of widely consumed ultra-processed food products, these findings have important public health implications, say the researchers. Emulsifiers are often added to processed and packaged foods such as pastries, cakes, ice cream, desserts, chocolate, bread, margarine and ready meals, to enhance their appearance, taste, texture and shelf life. They include celluloses, mono- and...

A study in mice shows that consuming emulsifiers—a common ingredient in ultra-processed foods—during pregnancy or breast-feeding is associated with mild health risks for offspring. Emulsifiers help to preserve the texture of many ultra-processed foods, including some ice creams, breads, cake mixes, soups, salad dressings, and more. Prior research has linked consumption of emulsifiers to increased risk of gut inflammation, obesity, and other health conditions. In addition, unbalanced nutritional habits by pregnant or nursing mothers has been linked to long-term health risks in offspring. However, the specific effects of maternal consumption have been unclear. To help clarify these effects, Milà-Guasch and...

New research indicates a widely used food additive, carboxymethylcellulose, alters the intestinal environment of healthy persons, perturbing levels of beneficial bacteria and nutrients. Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) is a synthetic member of a widely used class of food additives, termed emulsifiers, which are added to many processed foods to enhance texture and promote shelf life. It had long been assumed that CMC was safe to ingest because it is eliminated in the feces without being absorbed. Experiments in mice found that CMC, and some other emulsifiers, altered gut bacteria resulting in more severe disease in a range of chronic inflammatory conditions, including...

A steak knife made from a new form of hard wood was able to slice through meat with easeBo Chen VIEW 1 IMAGES -------------------------------------------------------------------------- By experimenting with alternative methods of wood processing, scientists have come up with a new hardened form of the natural material that can be fashioned into sharp knives and sturdy nails. The team reports the resulting knives are nearly three times sharper than a standard dinner table knife, and can even be thrown into the dishwasher after use. This hardy new form of wood is the handiwork of scientists at the University of Maryland, who set...

Simple processes can make wood tough, impact-resistant—or even transparent Some varieties of wood, such as oak and maple, are renowned for their strength. But scientists say a simple and inexpensive new process can transform any type of wood into a material stronger than steel, and even some high-tech titanium alloys. Besides taking a star turn in buildings and vehicles, the substance could even be used to make bullet-resistant armor plates. Wood is abundant and relatively low-cost—it literally grows on trees. And although it has been used for millennia to build everything from furniture to homes and larger structures, untreated wood...

Enlarge Image Future food? Cellulose from switchgrass and other nonfood plants might be converted into edible starch to feed the hungry. Credit: Peggy Greb/ARS/USDA The main ingredient of wood, cellulose, is one of the most abundant organic compounds on Earth and a dream source of renewable fuel. Now, bioengineers suggest that it could feed the hungry as well. In a new study, researchers have found a way to turn cellulose into starch, the most common carbohydrate in the human diet. Ethanol is today's most common biofuel used to power vehicles. It's typically made using sugars from crop plants such...

What is often in shredded cheese besides cheese? Powdered cellulose: minuscule pieces of wood pulp or other plant fibers that coat the cheese and keep it from clumping by blocking out moisture. One of an array of factory-made additives, cellulose is increasingly used by the processed-food industry, producers say. Food-product makers use it to thicken or stabilize foods, replace fat and boost fiber content, and cut the need for ingredients like oil or flour, which are getting more expensive. Cellulose products, gums and fibers allow food manufactures to offer white bread with high dietary fiber content, lowfat ice cream that...

The Uses of Wood Rot Feb 16, 2009 — Wood rot fungus doesn’t sound like a useful thing. Most people would rather get rid of it – especially those who have seen their houses decay because of it. Some scientists, however, are intrigued by it. It may have properties that could some day help power your car...

One of Japan's largest sake manufacturers, Gekkeikan, has announced the development of a new "super yeast" able to produce cellulosic ethanol from non-edible parts of plants, such as paddy straw and chaff. The super yeast that produces alcohol was created with genetic engineering, by integrating koji mold genes that produce cellulolytic enzymes into sake yeast. These enzymes become densely displayed on the surfaces of the yeast cells. Since this super yeast has the functions of the standard koji mold, it achieves one-step production of ethanol from pretreated cellulose. The company claims the whole process is completed with a new easier...

NEW YORK: Sugar-powered cars may be in our future. Researchers have developed a "revolutionary" process for converting plant sugars into hydrogen, which they claim could be used to cheaply and efficiently run vehicles. According to the researchers, the conversion process involves combining plant sugars, water and a cocktail of powerful enzymes to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide under mild reaction conditions. The new system helps solve the three major technical barriers to the so-called "hydrogen economy" the roadblocks involve how to produce low-cost sustainable hydrogen, how to store hydrogen and how to distribute it efficiently, the researchers said. "This is...

President Bush's State of the Union address, which called for a nearly fivefold increase in the nation's alternative-fuel consumption by 2017, did little to silence critics who contend that new fuels like ethanol and biodiesel aren't likely to play a major role supplying the world's energy needs in the years ahead. They see two key problems. First, the profitability of many alternative fuels -- without sizable subsidies -- is still in question. This is especially true now that the cost of raw ingredients used to produce "biofuel," including corn, has rocketed, squeezing profit margins for producers of those fuels. At...

President Bush last week called on the nation to invest in new technology to reduce dependence on foreign oil. The president set specific targets for the U.S., calling for a 20% reduction in gasoline use over the next 10 years. He said that a boost in the use of alternative fuels such as ethanol would account for most of that reduction, cutting gasoline use by 15%. Stricter gas-mileage standards for vehicles, he said, should lead to the other 5% reduction. The president also proposed doubling the nation's strategic-petroleum reserves to hedge against oil-supply interruptions. Increased calls for energy independence come...

The effort to make cellulosic ethanol into a full-blown power source to run America's cars is embryonic, and its outcome uncertain. But the fuel has two big things going for it: High oil prices and backing from the Bush administration, which sees it as a potentially important part of future energy supplies and is putting up money to help launch the first "biorefineries" to make it. Adherents think it could reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil, cut emissions that cause global warming and shore up the nation's rural economy. Already, the race is attracting big names, with the likes of...

If ambitious plans taking shape in Washington and in state capitals come to fruition, this pile of stalks and many more like it will become the oil wells of the 21st century. The idea is to run the nation's transportation system largely on alcohol produced from bulk plant material, weaning America from foreign oil and the risks that go with it, including wars, global warming and terrorism. ... Yet fundamental questions about the biomass alternative have yet to be answered. The economics of making ethanol from biomass remain unproven on a commercial scale. Simply collecting all the necessary straw, cornstalks,...

Ethanol stirred Wall Street last week when the second-largest ethanol producer went public, a sign that the corn-based fuel has become hot as gas prices soar. In its first day of trading, VeraSun Energy Corp.'s stock jumped 30% to $30 a share. Production capacity of ethanol in the U.S. has more than doubled since 1999, and the total number of ethanol plants has nearly doubled as well, to 97, with at least 30 more under construction. In April, Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., bought a large stake in Pacific Ethanol Inc., which produces ethanol. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. recently said...

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) -- New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is leading an effort to stop the Department of Veterans Affairs from closing underused and outdated hospitals, including one in her state.</p> <p>Clinton and a group of both other Democratic and Republican senators want to slow down a VA plan to shift the agency's health care focus to outpatient facilities and shutter seven hospitals, including one in Canandaigua, N.Y.</p>