News on Health and Nutrition from Northern America

Renal specialists have called for clear labeling on products that use potassium chloride as a salt replacer because it could pose a hidden risk for dialysis patients. Potassium chloride has been seen as a potential candidate for salt replacement becaus...

The province Alberta has put an end to Calgary's trans fat initiative. In January 2008, the Calgary Health Region began limiting the amount of trans fats restaurants could use to less than two percent. It was the first part of a multi-phase initia...

Portion-controlled packaging for snacks could play a dual role in fighting raging obesity rates by reducing consumer calorific in-take and heightening awareness to portion size, finds new research from the US. Scientists at the University of Colorado D...

Potatoes are for more than just french fries. With the federal government's aid, a nation-wide network of researchers co-ordinated from Fredericton is hoping to develop new uses for spuds - and help Canadian farmers cash in. The federal government is i...

The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) today announced a new wave of investment - $350,000 - into research on the role of canola in the prevention and treatment of heart disease and diabetes.The announcement of funding under the Canola Product Research Fun...

Ever wonder why those French fries taste so good when you are depressed?Here’s one theory: Salt is a natural antidepressant, which might explain why we have a tendency to over-ingest it.Kim Johnson, a psychologist from the University of Iowa, discovere...

Un nuevo estudio sugiere que una sustancia química potencialmente cancerígena presente en algunos alimentos ricos en carbohidratos no elevaría el riesgo de desarrollar tumores mamarios. La sustancia, llamada acrilamida, ganó notoriedad hace varios año...

Bell Flavors and Fragrances has introduced a new sodium-reducing flavor technology for use in meats, snacks, condiments and soups, which it claims mimics the flavor of salt without its negative health impacts. ReduxSo is a natural flavor system based o...

Un nuevo estudio realizado en Polonia sobre los efectos sobre la salud de la acrilamida en los alimentos indica que podría aumentar el riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular, lo que refuerza la idea de que los alimentos que tengan un alto contenido en est...

Es probable que McDonald´s, Berger King, Popeye, Subway, Friendly´s, Wendy´s, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) y muchas otras cadenas de comidas rápidas y atractivas a los niños, tengan una gran parte de la culpa en relación a los altos niveles de colecto...

An investigative report on a Michael Foods plant that aired on WCCO news over the weekend has generated concern among residents in northern Chaska who could soon be living next to the new potato processing plant. Michael Foods purchased the old Mammo...

Sorry, men: Baked Lay's are no longer meant for you. Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, is overhauling all of its calorie-conscious snacks to make them appeal to women, including the baked versions of Lay's, Fritos, Ruffles, Doritos, Cheetos and Tosti...

Worries that Canadians might be inadvertently ingesting too much cancer-causing acrylamide from French fries, potato chips and other processed foods has prompted Health Canada to recommend adding the chemical to the country's toxic substances list. Ac...

Northern Star Co. today initiated a voluntary product recall of certain retail cut-and-bagged potato products. The recall is being initiated due to laboratory testing that showed a package of Simply Potatoes Southwest Style Hash Browns to contain Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) today issued a consumer advisory for certain refrigerated potato products after testing conducted by the MDA laboratory discovered a sample of Simply Potatoes Southwest Style Hash Browns containing Listeri...

Good news about fast-food french fries: Tests show they are free of artery-clogging trans fats. The chains stopped using trans fats to make fries over the past few years, but ShopSmart magazine from Consumer Reports, tested some  samples from Burger Ki...

National Restaurant Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs Beth Johnson issued the following statement in response to today's U.S. Court of Appeals decision to uphold a New York City Board of Health regulation that dictates how nutrit...

A new survey conducted by foodservice consultants Technomic, Inc. revealed that the mandated calorie disclosure for New York City restaurants with 15 or more units is affecting what items consumers order and which restaurants they visit. Technomic fou...