Chinese authorities investigate dumped pork

Chinese authorities investigate dumped pork: Worries over cold chain integrity and food safety in the imported meat business have arisen in China, where authorities are seeking to trace the origins of a shipment of Danish pork found in a city dump.

Baker's yeast can make plants tolerate soil contamination.

Baker's yeast can make plants tolerate soilcontamination. Most plant species, including crops, cannot tolerate the toxic effects of soil pollutants, which dramatically impair their growth and development. In a new study, a research team discovered that two genes from baker's yeast can increase plant resistance to a broad range of toxic substances, enabling their growth in contaminated soils. The study published in Scientific Reports, a research team led by Paula Duque from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC; Portugal) discovered that two genes from baker's yeast can increase plant resistance to a broad range of toxic substances, enabling their growth in contaminated soils. Heavy metals and organic pollutants released into the environment by the industry, as well as the misuse of herbicides and pesticides commonly used in agriculture, negatively affect the quality of soils. Although some plant species are able to remove soil contaminants and grow normally, but these are a small minority. The current strategies to decontaminate soils are very expensive and not so effective. Researchers has been looking for alternative strategies to make plants more resilient to toxic compounds,and a possible solution may lie in Saccharomyces cerevisiae the common baker's yeast. The incorporation of the yeast to soil will boost growth and also solve an environmental problem of pollution and toxicity.

How cats and cows protect farm children from asthma.

How cats and cows protect farm children from asthma. Microbes on farms protect children from asthma and allergies, but even non-microbial molecules can have a protective effect. Immunologists have shown that a sialic acid found in farm animals is effective against inflammation of lung tissue. This study opens up a wide variety of perspectives for the prevention of allergies Many people suffer from allergies and asthma and in the past decades, these diseases have massively increased in industrialized countries. Today, about 30 percent of children have allergies -- with the exception of farm children. Among farm children, the disease is increasing less dramatically than in the case of their friends who live in the same village, but not on a farm. Microbes that occur in higher amounts and greater diversity on farms protect farm children from allergies and asthma. An environment that is not highly hygienic has a positive effect on the development of the immune system as it learns not to react to harmless materials as is the case with allergies. Not only microbes protect against asthma evidently, but also farm animals: Petting cats and cows and drinking farm milk can also prevent asthma, according to a team of researchers of the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research from the University of Zurich in cooperation with the Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE) in Davos and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland in St. Gallen: Early childhood contact with animals and the consumption of food of animal origin seems to regulate the inflammatory reactions of the immune system, more

Pregnant mother consuming sweets may lead to future allergies for child.

Pregnant mother consuming sweets may lead to future allergies for child.A study revealed that higher intake of sugary products during pregnancy could increase the chances of the child developing allergic asthma. Pregnant mothers who have a craving for sweets and sugary products may be putting their child at risk of allergies and Asthma, according to new research. Researchers studied all kinds of asthma allergies ranging from cat allergies to those caused by dust mites and grass. Allergic asthma is caused when a person is allergic to dust particles. The study published in the European Respiratory Journal is significant because according to the World Health Organization around 235 million people in the world suffer from asthma, a large portion of those are children. According to the WHO’s predictions, this number will almost double to around 400 million people by 2025. It does becomes vital to understand what causes asthma and if there is any way to prevent it. more

The health hazards associated with consumption of soft drinks.

The health hazards associated with consumption of soft drinks. Soft drinks, otherwise known as sugar drinks, are the beverage of choice for millions of Nigerians. Urbanization also drives demand for ready-to-drink soft drinks amongst busy, on-the-go consumers, not minding the health implication. In an interview with most of these consumers, their reason for consuming sugary drinks varies: For Mrs. Adenike Akinlotan, she’s so addicted to sugary drinks that she has to take it on a daily basis. “I find it difficult to stop because my taste bud is used to sugary drinks, I know it’s not good for my health but I can’t stop,” she lamented. For Mr. Jude Onyenma, he is a business man who is always on the road, sugary drinks are always available for him to relieve his hunger. However, research have also shown that people (men and women) who consume sugary drinks regularly – 1 to 2 bottles a day or more – have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart attack or even at risk of gout, (among others) than people who rarely have such drinks. more

Veterinary doctors to be a part of National Disease Surveillance Program.

Veterinary doctors to be a part of National Disease Surveillance Program.National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) is exploring the option of involving veterinary public health specialists in the national disease surveillance programme. With the threat of zoonotic diseases—ailments transmitted from animals to humans—looming large, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is exploring the option of involving veterinary public health specialists in the national disease surveillance programme. Zoonotic diseases include brucellosis (caused by unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat), swine flu, rabies, plague, and bovine tuberculosis. The role of veterinary public health specialists will be clearly defined so that the disease pattern of many emerging and re-emerging diseases that are showing up in different places in the country, and most of which are going undiagnosed and unreported, can be studied. There is utmost need in the country today to build bridges of cooperation between medical researchers and practitioners, veterinary scientists and practitioners, and environmentalists to solve the problem. If we want to have a proper surveillance system of these diseases, role of veterinary public health specialists cannot ignored, more

Nigeria develops new schemes for agricultural export to Europe.

Nigeria develops new schemes for agricultural export to Europe. Olusegun Awolowo, Executive Director. Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, says the Federal Government has developed “Conduits of Excellence (CoE)’’ to ensure consistent and stringent quality management for all exportable products. Mr. Awolowo told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday that the Federal Government had also set up a committee for the realisation of the objective. According to him, the committee will work under the technical guidance of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO. He also said the committee would also develop the code of practice and Standard Operating Procedure, SOP, for production and processing of selected products. more