The School Nutrition Association and the School Nutrition Foundation announced that Dallas Independent School District in Dallas, Texas, Polk County Public Schools in Bartow, Florida, Willamina School District in Willamina, Oregon, and El Paso Independent School District in El Paso, Texas have received the District of Excellence in School Nutrition distinction...

WHO Suspends Distribution, Purchase Of Pentavalent Vaccine A WHO spokeswoman announced Wednesday that the agency "has suspended the distribution and purchase of the Shan5 vaccine, produced by Sanofi-Aventis's Indian unit Shantha Biotechnics, pending a quality investigation," after several reports of white sediment on the walls of the vaccine vials, the Wall Street Journal reports...

Researchers at Children's National Medical Center have discovered that African American children with asthma in metropolitan Washington, DC, are significantly more likely to have low levels of vitamin D than healthy African American children. This study supports recent research that suggests vitamin D plays a greater role in the body than just keeping bones healthy...

Some 40% of commercial disinfectants used to clean surfaces are believed to be ineffective in eliminating noroviruses, a group of viruses responsible for more than half of all foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks...

Diets full of fruits, vegetables and healthy grains may be associated with higher rates of ovarian cancer survival, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the Los Angeles Times' "Booster Shots" reports...

While increasing fruit and vegetable consumption remains a national priority, a new international survey has revealed the extent to which people are not meeting government guidelines on diet and nutrition in the UK...

The obesity epidemic is spreading among children, not just in the US, but worldwide, and preventive measures - with an emphasis on a low fat diet and regular activity - should be implemented during the first two years of life...

A new heart-healthy, essential omega-3 fatty acid is about to improve an American pantry staple: soybean oil. The new scientific advance will move biotechnology onto the average consumer's daily radar. U.S. soybean farmers are also using biotechnology to deliver positive environmental impacts and increase production to feed a growing world population...

Ontario's Registered Dietitians and their colleagues across the country are celebrating the first Dietitians Day. Dietitians of Canada (DC) designates each March as National Nutrition Month, and Dietitians Day celebrates the professionals who bring nutrition to the public...

Experts meeting at the 14th Intergovernmental Committee meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, which kicked off on Sunday, are focusing on food security in East Africa, where FAO says 20 million people are vulnerable, the New Times/allAfrica.com reports. The U.N...

Using spices eaten in the Mediterranean diet as natural antioxidants is a good way forward for the food industry, given the beneficial health effects of these products. This has been shown by researchers from the Miguel Hernández University (UMH), who have put the clove in first place...

Aspiring moms may be advised to achieve a healthy weight before they become pregnant, and to gain only the recommended amount of weight during their pregnancy. Now ongoing studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded investigator Kartik Shankar and colleagues could provide new insights into those recommendations...

Multitudes of people worldwide begin each day with a cup of steaming hot coffee. Although it is sometimes referred to as "the devil's brew," coffee contains several nutrients (eg, calcium) as well as hundreds of potentially biologically active compounds (eg, polyphenols) that may promote health...

Preventing and treating heart disease in some patients could be as simple as supplementing their diet with extra vitamin D, according to two new studies at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah. Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute last fall demonstrated the link between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk for coronary artery disease...

Experts To Discuss Food Security In East Africa The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) meeting this week in Kigali, Rwanda "will provide a forum for experts, government ministers, regional economic communities and other stakeholders to discuss how best to handle the food security issue in" East Africa, New Times/allAfrica.com reports. The U.N...

Researchers looking at whether using a drug that lowers blood pressure (Valsartan) or a drug that lowers blood glucose levels (Nateglinide) could prevent Type 2 diabetes from developing found no great difference in the number of people who went on to develop the condition when prescribed either drug compared with the people who were prescribed a dummy pill...

Functional Technologies Corp. (TSX VENTURE:FEB), a world leader in yeast research and development, announced today that it has developed, tested and filed patent applications for yeast technology that reduces the formation of acrylamide, a carcinogen formed when starchy foods are baked, fried or toasted...

Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, announced today that it has successfully completed the first commercial production of SONOVA™ 400 High GLA Safflower Oil...

Increasing calcium intake is a common - yet not always successful - strategy for reducing bone fractures. But a study supported in part by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) underscores the importance of vitamin D and its ability to help the body utilize calcium. The study also may explain why increasing calcium alone isn't always successful in dealing with this problem...

At a meeting this week in Nigeria to address African agriculture production, "African leaders and donor agencies have endorsed an ambitious plan to generate employment, income and food security in Africa by developing agribusiness and agro-industries," Punch reports...