Networking News www.dietetics.com/nepdpg Winter 2015 Research and Education in Food Preservation By Elizabeth L. Andress, PhD Home-based activities related to food processing and preservation have been the subject of high interest for several years now. Today’s consumer food world is full of interest in cooking, gardening and “community” around food, whether that community is virtual or in person. Issues of food security and safety, as well as household economy, have been driving a return to home food production. Artisan and entrepreneurship interests canning 100 to 200 quarts of food; many enough in recent years to establish a are also pushing activity to new heights. canned 200 to 500 quarts (4). In 1976, home canning section on their website (7). The community gardening movement one out of three households and return to small, local farm markets participating in a national survey The federal government has provided are other drivers to food preservation surveyed canned fruits and/or leadership since the early 1900s in advising activity. USDA offers community garden vegetables (5). The majority of U.S. consumers about preserving food at (1) planning and development guidance households canned 100 quarts of food continued on page 3 as well as Department-side efforts to or less; 10 percent canned 200 quarts or promote gardening and local foods, more. In 2000-2001 and again in 2005, such as The People’s Garden Initiative to the National Center for Home Food IN THIS ISSUE promote employee activity in establishing Processing and Preservation (NCHFP) 1 Research and Education in gardens (2) and a USDA-wide Know Your conducted national telephone surveys. Food Preservation Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2) effort to These surveys did not capture the 2 Chair Message strengthen local and regional food percentage of U.S. households engaging 4 Ask the Expert systems (3). There has been a 67 percent in various methods of preservation, but 5 Grassroots Advocacy 101 – increase in farmers markets since 2008, did report that 22-27% of respondents Your Role as an Advocate with more than 7,800 now listed in did home canning the year before the 5 Food & Nutrition Conference & USDA’s database (3). As people produce survey, while 94% reported freezing Expo 2014 more and more food locally, interest in food preservation. These more recent preserving the harvest at home or in surveys, as well as the 1976 national 6 Student Award Recipient: Nataliia Johnson community kitchens has also been survey, point out that there is still work increasing. to be done in the U.S. to encourage 7 Student Award Recipient: science-based methods of canning. Michael Hidrosollo A look at the few snapshots we have of Over half the canners in the 2005 NCHFP 8 Focus on Resources home food preservation in the U.S. survey underprocess low-acid foods, 10 Web Watch reveals that in 1944, a period of putting them at high risk for potentially 11 Check out the New & Improved promoting gardens and preserving food fatal botulism food poisoning. A large NEP DPG Website! due to World War II, seven out of ten percentage of the respondents also 12 Resolve to be Food Safe in the households (over 24 million) preserved adapt recommendations they find on New Year – It’s Not Hard fruits and vegetables. The primary their own. CDC reports that botulism 13 Refrigerator & Freezer Storage Chart method of preservation was canning, from improper home canning still 14 Calendar of Events with the majority of households occurs in the U.S. and was concerned 2014-2015 NUTRITION EDUCATION FOR THE PUBLIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair Message CHAIR (v) Karen Chapman-Novakofski, PhD, RD [email protected] CHAIR-ELECT(v) Ingrid Richards Adams, PhD, RD [email protected] IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR (v) Dear Nutrition Education for the Public DPG members, Frances Alloway, MA, RD, LDN [email protected] With this issue’s focus on food safety and food preservation, I want to add my SECRETARY (v) thanks to all the contributors, as well as the newsletter editors, for highlighting this Rita Mitchell, RD [email protected] important topic. I didn’t realize there was an American National Standards Institute TREASURER (v) Accredited Manager Certification program until reading our Ask the Expert feature Megan Squires, MS, RD, CDN [email protected] in this issue. With my focus primarily on nutrition education strategies for NOMINATING COMMITTEE Chair (v) overweight, bone health, and diabetes, I tend not to focus on this area so much. Laura Palmer, MS, RD, CD But of course, I should! Food safety is important for those with diabetes, and [email protected] NEWSLETTER EDITORS especially the elderly, who are a particularly important group for me. And it Maureen Ternus, MS, RD should be important for each and every one of us. [email protected] Carol Berg Sloan, RD A natural partner to food safety issues is food preservation. It has been many years [email protected] since I have canned food, but I recently dug out my canner. Friends of my son CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS can a lot, and it was a natural give away for me. I don’t imagine myself canning CALENDAR OF EVENTS Lisa Shkoda, BS any longer, although I love to garden and make a tasty fresh salsa. We usually eat WEB WATCH everything we make as we make it. Maybe my son will can some next summer. Ingrid Jorud, MS, RDN, LD, CPT Or maybe I’ll refresh my memories and but a new canner when I retire. There is FOCUS ON RESOURCES something appealing about seeing all those rows of cans lined up as they cool. Adrienne Forman, MS, RD RESEARCH REVIEWS I know these topics, food preservation and food safety, are on the minds of our Jacqueline Gutierrez, MSEd, RD, CDN public. Who hasn’t had the turkey cooking question or the “my electricity went out EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD …is it still safe to eat” question? We, as educators of the public, need to have some Mary Anne Burkman MPH, RDN working knowledge in these areas, even if it is as a referral to a federal website. Adrienne Forman, MS, RD Those can also be found on our website www.nepdpg.org under “Resources”. Sharon Piano, RD Karen Chapman Novakofski, PhD, RD In speaking of our website, do you have a great resource you use in Food Safety or NEWSLETTER SCHEDULE Food Preservation? If so, please send to Leia Kedem, MS, RD, our website coordinator Spring 2015 Dead line—March 5, 2015 and contribute to our collection ([email protected]). Have a great recipe to Summer 2015 Dead line—June 15, 2015 share? Check out our recipe of the month section on nepdpg.org, and send your Fall 2015 Dead line—August 1, 2015 recipe to Leia! Be sure to include the nutrient analysis and a photo if possible. Winter 2016 Dead line—November 22, 2015 While we all look forward to a bright new year, I am reminded to glance backwards Viewpoints and statements appearing in Networking News do not necessarily reflect policies and/or official at 2014. A bright spot for me has been my involvement in NEP’s leadership team. positions of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or the Some much talent, so many interesting, knowledgeable people. Make your New Nutrition Education for the Public Dietetic Practice Group. Networking News is a publication of Nutrition Education Year’s resolution to join our team! Email me if you want information about ways for the Public (NEP),adietetic practice group of The to serve, or visit our website. We love learning from each other and welcome Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Networking News is published quarterly and is a benefit newcomers. to members of NEP. Address changes should be made directly to the Academy using the change of address card from The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and All the best, Dietetics. Missed issues should be reported to the NEP Karen Chapman-Novakofski, PhD, RD newsletter co-editors. Chair Contributions to the newsletter should be e-mailed/ mailed (double spaced, hard-copy and/or disc) to the 2 Winter 2015 Research and Education in Food Preservation continued from page 1 home(8). In fact, food preservation committee members. This Center remains messages on how canning actually was one of the first 4-H and home funded through August 2015, and has preserves food. For example there is economics programs in Cooperative conducted applied research in scientific confusion over how botulism results from Extension work. One of the first publi- literature reviews, product development canning, over when pressure canning is cations on the subject was Canning for 38 new homecanning procedure needed, how safe process times are Vegetables in the Home, Farmers recommendations, graduate student determined, and what a sealed jar actually Bulletin 359 (9), issued by the USDA training, undergraduate education at represents. Companies are marketing Bureau of Chemistry in 1909. In later the University of Georgia, and has canning equipment with uncertain years, the Office of Home Economics developed a website, instructional process determination methods that are and then the Bureau of Home Economics video series, online self-study modules, putting consumers at risk. The challenge conducted research and issued a blog, and a youth food preservation for public resources and funding include consumer-oriented publications. curriculum. On-site trainings have been keeping up with the changing market- Home canning research switched to delivered to at least 10 states, and a place of equipment and ingredients, and emphasizing freezing in the 19050s. revised USDA Complete Guide to Home consumer demands for nutritious changes Since the major USDA efforts in canning Canning was issued in 2009.