A start-up life sciences company has discovered a possible aid to keep cholesterol levels down in humans. Origo Biosciences has found an anti-cholesterol immunoglobulin in milk and is examining commercializing it as an ingredient for functional foods.

Research done so far has returned positive results for the ability of the protein to bind to cholesterol in the digestive tract and prevent its being absorbed into the blood stream. The naturally occurring protein has been dubbed “Anticholesterol.”

Source: NutraIngredients/ Jess Halliday, June 28, 2006
Source URL: http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=68753&m=1NIU628&c=kiliywpuldsefex

Final test results have confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a mature cross-bred beef cow from Manitoba.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a comprehensive investigation. Officials have confirmed the animal was purchased by the owner as part of an assembled group of cattle in 1992. This means that the animal was at least 15 years of age and would have been born well before the 1997 introduction of Canada’s feed ban.

Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency/ News Release, July 4, 2006
Source URL: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/newcom/2006/20060704e.shtml

Following are some of the headlines from news articles highlighted this week:

• APHIS: Idaho Drops in Brucellosis Class
• New England Dairies Sustain Heavy Flood Damages
• Alaskan Dairy Comes to End with Auction     
• Study: Prions’ Brittleness Helps Them Get Stronger
• Thank the Drought: Soybean Rust’s March Stalls

Click to read more of these and other news stories.

Agriculture had long awaited last Friday’s acreage report from USDA to see if farmers would really follow through with their intentions, revealed at the end of March, which indicated surprisingly large soybean and small corn acreage for 2006. It did not happen, likely as a result of the post March report market action which bought more corn and fewer bean acres. What are the implications? We’ll find out.

Source: Farmgate/ Stu Ellis/ University of Illinois, July 3, 2006
Source URL: http://www.farmgate.uiuc.edu/archive/2006/07/what_is_hidden.html

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today announced that U.S. ethanol supplies continued to increase in the month of April, immediately prior to oil refiners’ voluntary elimination of MTBE. According to Energy Information Administration data, stocks of ethanol reached a new pinnacle of 9.087 million barrels, or more than 380 million gallons. This marks the 4th month in a row ethanol stocks grew in 2006 and represents more than a 60 percent increase from the end of 2005.

Source: Renewable Fuels Association/ News Release, June 27, 2006
Source URL: http://www.ethanolrfa.org/media/press/rfa/2006/view.php?id=748

Following are some of the headlines from the market news and analysis highlighted from the past week:

• Dairy Products: Cheese, Butter Fly High
• Ag Prices: Monthly Milk Climbs
• Markets React to Crop Reports, Concerns

Click to read more of these and other market articles.

The aim of this study was to compare fertility of cloprostenol-induced oestrus to that of spontaneous oestrus in dairy cows.

Conception (59% vs 54.5%) and calving rates (93.7% vs 93%) were not significantly different between the two groups.

Source: Comparison between cloprostenol-induced and spontaneous oestrus fertility in dairy cows. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 41 (2): 175-179, 2006. Cairoli, F.; Mollo, A.; Veronesi, M.C.; Renaville, B.; et al.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate oxidative status in healthy cows during lactation (from lactation onset to peak lactation) using two parameters: (i) plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and (ii) total antioxidant status (TAS).

When the animal reaches peak lactation, metabolic status is stabilized, and this is reflected by antioxidant status with mean values of 28.87 +/- 5.33 mu m/L for MDA and 0.154 +/- 0.002 mmol/L for TAS values.

Source: Plasma malonaldehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant status (TAS) during lactation in dairy cows. Research in Veterinary Science 80 (2): 133-139, 2006. Castillo, C.; Hernandez, J.; Valverde, I.; Pereira, V.; et al.

The objectives in this study were to (i) study the effect of composted dairy manure on Windthorst soil (fine, mixed, active, thermic Udic Paleustalfs), (ii) evaluate two soil testing methods for measuring P when composted dairy manure is applied, and (iii) determine tall wheatgrass [Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkworth & Dewey ‘Jose’] yield response to six rates of composted dairy manure and two rates of inorganic N fertilizer.

Tall wheatgrass had similar crude protein (CP) (158–231 g kg–1), DM yields (3858–9536 kg ha–1), P concentrations (1.4–2.8 g P kg–1), and P removal rates (5.4–26.7 kg ha–1) compared to other cool-season perennial grasses.

Source: Dairy Manure Compost Improves Soil and Increases Tall Wheatgrass Yield. Agron J 98:1090-1096 (2006). Twain J. Butler and James P. Muir.

Antimicrobials are important tools that are integral to our complex food system. Antimicrobials (e.g., antibiotics and other substances that act against microorganisms) provide for high quality or good physical condition of crops and good health of food animals entering the food chain. Non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents enable disinfection or sanitization of animal production premises, transport equipment, carcasses, slaughter facility equipment, and effective sanitation during food processing, and ensure food quality and safety.

Antimicrobial resistance may be intrinsic to a microorganism, or it may develop via mutation or adaptation to stressors. Antibiotic-resistant pathogens may create an increased burden to human health in different ways:

Source: Institute of Food Technologists, June 2006
Source URL: http://members.ift.org/NR/rdonlyres/DE6ABEAD-56E5-47ED-80A7-CB8A248B68B1/0/InPress_AntimicrobialExpertReport.pdf