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Agronomy/Food Science
Results 1 - 20 of 25.
Environment - Agronomy / Food Science - 17.07.2024
Researchers predict fewer, pricier strawberries as temperatures warm
Study examined effect of rising temperatures on California's crop Strawberries could be fewer and more expensive because of higher temperatures caused by climate change, according to research from the University of Waterloo. Using a new method of analysis, the researchers found that a rise in temperature of 3 degrees Fahrenheit could reduce strawberry yields by up to 40 per cent.
Life Sciences - Agronomy / Food Science - 06.06.2024
Maple syrup to improve animal health
A probiotic made from maple syrup with flavor defects could theoretically enrich the gut microbiota of farm animals, improve their resistance to disease and reduce the need for antibiotics Approximately 2% of the 200 million pounds of maple syrup produced each year in Quebec suffers from a flavor defect that makes it more suitable for use as an ingredient in processed products than for consumption in its natural state.
Environment - Agronomy / Food Science - 06.05.2024
Eating the way we do hurts us and the planet
In an age of abundance and variety in food options, are Canadians eating better than they were half a century ago' According to a recent paper by researchers at McGill University and the International Food Policy Research Institute, those relying on Canada's food supply for their dietary needs not only face deficiencies in healthier alternatives, but they also contribute to the disproportionate levels of environmental degradation caused by Canadian agricultural and food distribution policies.
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 30.04.2024
Economic impact of eating disorders in Canada
National study finds that cost and impact of eating disorders in children and youth during COVID-19 has been vastly underestimated. A new pan-Canadian analysis on the cost of eating disorders in children and youth before and during the COVID-19 pandemic shows a sharp increase that the researchers say is only the tip of the iceberg.
Environment - Agronomy / Food Science - 17.04.2024
Wind turbines: a smaller footprint than you might think
Wind power is an affordable and renewable energy source. Yet decision-makers are reluctant to invest in this sector because they generally believe that wind farms require more land than fossil fuel power plants. A McGill University study assessing the extent of land occupied by nearly 320 wind farms in the USA - the largest study of its kind - paints a very different picture.
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 11.03.2024
Replacing some refined sugar with maple syrup would reduce metabolic harm
In mice, partial substitution reduces refined sugar digestion, intestinal glucose absorption and lipid accumulation in the liver Replacing some of the refined sugar we consume every day with maple syrup could alleviate some of the negative effects of a diet rich in fats and sugars. At least, that's what a study published by a Laval University team in the American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism suggests.
Agronomy / Food Science - Life Sciences - 18.01.2024
Counter the loss of organic soil with straw and wood shavings
Karolane Bourdon, a doctoral student at Université Laval's Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, shows that the application of straw or wood shavings could regenerate soils and restore their yield . Half of the field vegetable sector's sales come from production in organic soils, but if these are not protected from degradation, they could disappear within 50 years.
Agronomy / Food Science - Health - 12.01.2024
Less red meat and more legumes reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
Replacing a daily serving of processed red meat with a serving of legumes or nuts reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 41% . If, at the start of 2024, you're looking for a simple resolution that will produce long-term health benefits, it wouldn't hurt to consider reducing your red meat intake. Indeed, a study just published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirms that there is a direct link between red meat consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Agronomy / Food Science - Life Sciences - 12.12.2023
Infertility in dairy cows: from father to daughter
Declining fertility in dairy cows could be mitigated by taking into account the epigenetic profile of the "fathers" . Around the world, dairy cows are finding it increasingly difficult to "get pregnant". Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain this drop in fertility, but a team from Laval University has just identified a factor that has passed under the radar of most researchers until now.
Environment - Agronomy / Food Science - 12.12.2023
Finding more sustainable ways to use plastics in agriculture
International scientists including UdeM professor Kevin Wilkinson address the worrisome problem of millions of tonnes of plastic being used on farms around the world. Every year, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, some 12.5 million tonnes of plastic are used in agricultural production worldwide.
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 15.11.2023
The herpes virus could be transmitted through food
The virus that causes cold sores can survive and remain infectious for several hours on food or food-related surfaces. It is generally accepted that the virus responsible for cold sores is transmitted via saliva or direct contact with the lesions it causes. However, there are other potential transmission routes, according to a study published by a team from Université Laval in the Journal of Applied Microbiology .
Agronomy / Food Science - Health - 27.06.2023
Ready-to-drink cocktails and alcoholic sodas: a confusing health halo
Nearly 70% of ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages such as cocktails and sodas are sold in containers bearing nutritional information that falsely gives these products a healthy image, reveals a study conducted by a research team from Université Laval and Public Health Ontario. In light of this finding, the study's authors believe that regulations surrounding the marketing of these products should be tightened.
History / Archeology - Agronomy / Food Science - 19.06.2023
The old grind just got a little older
An Italian study involving UdeM researchers shows new evidence that humans and Neanderthals milled flour as long as 43,000 years ago, several thousand years before what was previously thought, making Long before the invention of agriculture, humans already knew how to process cereals and other wild plants into a flour suitable for food - and now there's new evidence they did so long before scientists was previously thought.
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 29.03.2023
AI shows the need for healthier diets in long-term care homes
Waterloo researchers develop new AI technology to examine data on food and fluids consumed in LTC homes A detailed analysis of consumed food showed there is a need to improve diets in long-term care (LTC) homes to make them healthier for residents. The analysis found that eating more whole grains, plant-based proteins, and plain fruits and vegetables would help residents meet government guidelines and reduce their risk of inflammation.
Agronomy / Food Science - Health - 16.03.2023
Fresh produce contaminated with toxic BPA-like chemicals found in food labels
BPA is banned in some countries but similar chemicals like BPS are still allowed. Steps were taken in Canada to reduce the use of Bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical linked to prostate and breast cancer, commonly found in plastics, the lining of food cans, water bottles, and paper receipts. But in many cases, it has been replaced with similar hormone disrupting chemicals, like Bisphenol S (BPS).
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 06.03.2023
More evidence that sugary drinks cause weight gain: Study
A review of dozens of studies from the last decade recently found that sugar-sweetened beverages promote weight gain in children and adults. The review, led by researchers at the University of Toronto and Harvard University, is the largest and most thorough analysis to date of research on sweetened drinks, and overweight and obesity - both of which heighten risks for diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and other diseases.
Agronomy / Food Science - Life Sciences - 13.12.2022
Intensive agriculture turned a wild plant into a pervasive weed
New research published in Science shows how the rise of modern agriculture turned a North American native plant, common waterhemp, into a problematic agricultural weed. An international team led by researchers at the University of British Columbia with colleagues at the University of Toronto, compared 187 waterhemp samples from modern farms and neighbouring wetlands with more than 100 historical samples dating as far back as 1820 that had been stored in museums across North America.
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 16.08.2022
Researchers developing new methods for controlling deadly honeybee parasites
A new chemical compound under development at Simon Fraser University could give beekeepers an edge in the fight against varroa mites, a deadly parasite that affects honeybees. At her apiary in South Surrey, SFU Chemistry professor Erika Plettner is in the third year of field trials of a new treatment for managing these pests, which have become a serious problem for beekeepers around the world.
Agronomy / Food Science - 09.08.2022
How artificial intelligence can make our food safer
Food recalls could be a thing of the past if artificial intelligence (AI) is utilized in food production, according to a recent study from UBC and the University of Guelph. The average cost of a food recall due to bacterial or microbial contamination, like E. coli , is US$10 million according to study co-author Dr. Rickey Yada (he/him) , a professor and the dean of the UBC faculty of land and food systems.
Environment - Agronomy / Food Science - 13.07.2022
Using compost instead of nitrogen as fertilizer in Canada can slow global warming
Greenhouse gas production is significantly less when biobased residues like compost replaces widely used nitrogen fertilizer during spring freeze-thaw events in cold temperate regions. A new study led from the University of Waterloo discovered greenhouse gas production is significantly less when biobased residues like compost replaces widely used nitrogen fertilizer during spring freeze-thaw events in cold temperate regions.