Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
News

Olive Oil Hunter News #186

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies Recipe, Spotlight on Hazelnuts and Chocolate Chunks, Weight Loss Diets for YOU, and Evening Activity for Better Sleep

How often do you want to indulge in a sweet treat yet wish that it could be healthier? I’ve got you covered with melt-in-your-mouth cookies! They have a nice dose of fiber, one of the key elements mentioned in a new study on weight loss. And if you’re looking for ways to get more sleep, you’ll be intrigued by the other study I’m sharing—it found that short bursts of activity in the evening may help. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

  • Chocolate hazelnut cookies Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

    These cookies take inspiration from buttery shortbread. They come together in minutes, taste sublime, and pack in a good amount of fiber thanks to the whole wheat pastry flour, the hazelnuts, and even the chocolate! 

    Ingredients

    • 3/4 cup pastry flour
    • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
    • 2 ounces roasted and skinned hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt. Add the olive oil, chocolate, and hazelnuts, and mix with your hands to form a dough.

    Step 2

    Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper about 13 inches by 18 inches and pat it down to flatten it a bit. Top with another piece of parchment and roll out the dough to roughly a 10-inch square. Pop it in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up slightly. 

    Step 3

    Discard the top piece of parchment and use a serrated knife to cut the dough into 20 cookies. Carefully separate the cookies (use a small offset spatula if needed), putting about an inch of space between them.

    Step 4

    Slide the parchment with the cookies onto a large cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through. Let the cookies cool to room temperature before eating.

    Yields 20 cookies

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Hazelnuts

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are one of the unsung stars in the nut category, with a sweet taste that’s best when roasted but not salted. These crunchy nuts pack a lot of nutrients into a single ounce: 3 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 17 grams of fat—76 percent of which are healthy monounsaturated fats and 12 percent are healthy polyunsaturated fats. Hazelnuts also provide great amounts of vitamin E and the minerals copper and manganese, plus some B1, B6, and magnesium. Toss a handful into salads and vegetable dishes for an added layer of flavor. Ground hazelnuts can be used for baking as well as a substitute for breadcrumbs. 

Because their brown skins can be bitter, remove them when using in a dessert recipe. The simplest way is to boil them for 2 minutes in water and baking soda in these proportions: 1 cup  hazelnuts, 2 cups water, and 3 tablespoons of baking soda. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, use your fingers to pop the nuts out of their skins.

Briefly roasting hazelnuts brings out their sweetness. Spread your skinned nuts in a single layer in a rimmed sheet pan and place in a 350°F preheated oven for 10 minutes or until you can smell their aroma. Note: To save time, you can roast hazelnuts in their skins, then transfer them to a clean dish towel and rub them vigorously; this technique will remove most, though usually not all, of the skins. 

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Chopping Your Own Chocolate Chunks

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Chopping Your Own Chocolate Chunks

I like to fold chocolate chunks rather than store-bought chips into recipes because I can use my favorite chocolate bars and not be limited by the few cacao options in the baking aisle of my supermarket. Simply place your favorite bar on a secure cutting board and use a serrated knife to make cuts along its length, starting from one of the short sides.

For Your Best Health: Weight Loss Diets - Do It Your Way...With These Suggestions

For Your Best Health

Weight Loss Diets: Do It Your Way…With These Suggestions

Foods high in fiber and protein for weightloss

“Flexibility and personalization are key to creating programs that optimize dieters’ success at losing weight and keeping it off,” said Manabu T. Nakamura, PhD, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the leader of the new study “Successful dietary changes correlate with weight‐loss outcomes in a new dietary weight‐loss program.”

The research involved a group of dieters who participated in a regimen called the “Individualized Diet Improvement Program,” or iDip, which uses data visualization tools and intensive dietary education sessions to increase dieters’ knowledge of key nutrients, enabling them to create a personalized, safe, and effective weight-loss plan. “Sustainable dietary change, which varies from person to person, must be achieved to maintain a healthy weight. The iDip approach allows participants to experiment with various dietary iterations, and the knowledge and skills they develop while losing weight serve as the foundation for sustainable maintenance,” explained Dr. Nakamura. 

Based on the dietary guidelines issued by the Institutes of Medicine, the iDip team created a one-of-a-kind, two-dimensional quantitative data visualization tool that plots foods’ protein and fiber densities per calorie and provides a target range for each meal. The pillars of iDip are increasing protein and fiber consumption—80 grams of protein and 20 grams of fiber a day—as part of a 1,500-calorie or less daily diet. 

Starting with foods they habitually ate, the dieters created their individualized plans. And, indeed, in addition to personalization and flexibility, participants who consumed greater amounts of protein and fiber had the greatest success. In tracking dieters’ protein and fiber intake, the team found a strong correlation between protein and fiber consumption and weight loss at 3 and at 12 months. “[This] suggests that participants who were able to develop sustainable dietary changes within the first three months kept losing weight in the subsequent months, whereas those who had difficulty implementing sustainable dietary patterns early on rarely succeeded in changing their diet in the later months,” Dr. Nakamura said. The team hypothesized that this correlation could also have been associated with some dieters’ early weight-loss success, which may have bolstered their motivation and adherence to their program.

At the one-year mark, successful dieters (41 percent of participants) had lost 12.9 percent of their body weight, compared with the remainder of the study sample, who lost slightly more than 2 percent of their starting weight. “The research strongly suggests that increasing protein and fiber intake while simultaneously reducing calories is required to optimize the safety and efficacy of weight loss diets,” said first author and University of Illinois alumna Mindy H. Lee, registered dietitian-nutritionist for the iDip program.

Dr. Nakamura emphasized the importance of preserving lean mass while losing weight, especially when using weight-loss drugs. “Recently, the popularity of injectable weight-loss medications has been increasing,” he said. “However, using these medications when food intake is strongly limited will cause serious side effects of muscle and bone loss unless protein intake is increased during weight loss.”

Body composition analysis indicated that iDip dieters maintained their lean body mass, losing an average of 7.1 kilograms of fat mass and minimal muscle mass at the six-month interval. Among those who lost greater than 5 percent of their starting weight, 78 percent of the weight they lost was fat.

The project was funded by the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.

Fitness Flash: Evening Activity for Better Sleep

Fitness Flash

Evening Activity for Better Sleep

Young woman exercising before bed

Rigorous exercise before bed has long been discouraged because it can be stimulating, but researchers from University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, found that short bursts of light activity can lead to better sleep.

For the study, published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, participants completed two four-hour evening sessions of prolonged sitting broken up with 3-minute activity breaks every half hour. The scientists found that after the intervention the participants slept 30 minutes longer.

Lead author Jennifer Gale, PhD candidate in the Department of Human Nutrition at Otago, said that sitting for long periods is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and death. “We know that for many of us, our longest period of uninterrupted sitting happens at home in the evening. In our previous studies we have found that getting up and doing two to three minutes of exercise every 30 minutes reduces the amount of sugar and fat in your bloodstream after a meal. However, many sleep guidelines tell us we shouldn’t do longer bouts of higher intensity exercise in the hours before sleep, so we wanted to know what would happen if you did very short bouts of light intensity activity repeatedly throughout the evening.” 

The activity breaks involved three exercises: chair squats, calf raises, and standing knee raises with straight-leg hip extensions. “These simple body-weight exercises were chosen because they don’t require equipment or a lot of space and you can do them without interrupting the TV show you are watching,” said primary investigator Meredith Peddie, PhD, senior lecturer in the Department of Human Nutrition. “From what we know from other studies, you could probably get a similar effect if you walked around your house, marched on the spot, or even danced in your living room. The most important thing is that you get out of your chair regularly and move your body.” 

The fact that this exercise resulted in longer sleep is particularly important, the researchers pointed out, because insufficient sleep can negatively affect diet and has been associated with heart disease and type 2 diabetes. “We know higher levels of physical activity during the day promote better sleep, but current sleep recommendations discourage high-intensity exercise before bed because it can increase body temperature and heart rate resulting in poor sleep quality,” Dr. Peddie said. She added, “It might be time to review these guidelines as our study has shown regularly interrupting long periods of sitting is a promising health intervention.” 

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

Olive Oil Hunter News #185

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Seared Scallops with Farro Recipe, Spotlight on Farro and Scallops, A Fresh Look at Health and Fitness Apps, Plus 15 Minutes to Change Your Health

Craving shellfish, but hesitant to make it at home? Scallops are a great seafood choice and simple to prepare—a quick sear is all it takes for these sweet bites. My recipe pairs them with farro, a fantastic ancient grain. Both are high in nutrients and fit perfectly in a health-conscious diet. If you’re looking for more ways to boost health, two studies from researchers at the University of South Australia are full of easy-to-implement ideas to help people reach their goals.

Seared Scallops with Farro

  • Seared Scallops Seared Scallops with Farro

    This dish comes together in short order yet makes for an elegant presentation. The technique also lends itself to shrimp (if you make that swap, use one pound of peeled shrimp).

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon onion powder
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 pound dry sea scallops
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1/2 cup white wine or clam juice
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 2 cups cooked farro
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

    Directions

    Step 1

    Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a pie plate. Heat a large skillet. While the pan is heating, pat the scallops with a paper towel and dredge in the spice mixture. When the pan is ready, add the olive oil and the scallops. Sear the scallops until browned and crispy on the edges, about two minutes on each side, then transfer them to a dish. 

    Step 2

    Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine or clam juice and add the butter, swirling it until it melts into the pan juices. Add the cooked farro and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the parsley. Mound equal amounts of the farro on 4 plates and add equal amounts of scallops. 

    Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Farro

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Get Familiar with Farro

Farro salad

Ancient grains are having a resurgence thanks to growing interest in eating foods that haven’t been refined or altered genetically to make mass production easy. Farro is one of these tasty whole grains though it might not be as well-known as barley and quinoa…yet! 

Grown for centuries in the swath of land in the Middle East known as the Fertile Crescent, farro’s popularity first spread across Europe, notably Italy. Its nutty flavor and toothsome texture make it extremely versatile—it’s delicious as a hot side dish, a cold salad, an enrichment to soups and stews, and a breakfast bowl with yogurt and fruit. 

Rich in protein, farro is also a great source of fiber if you choose whole, which is intact, or semi-pearled, which has some of the bran removed. As with dried beans, whole farro benefits from an overnight soak in water before cooking on the stove—put 1 cup in a bowl, cover with water, and pop in the fridge. To cook, drain the farro and add to a pot along with 3 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes; the texture should be similar to pasta cooked al dente, slightly firm and chewy, not mushy or gummy.

To extend shelf life, store farro with other whole grains and nuts in the fridge or freezer. 

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Selecting Scallops

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Selecting Scallops

With their sweet taste and firm texture, scallops are a succulent seafood that sautés quickly. You can enjoy them in a traditional garlic and parsley sauce or a tomato-based preparation, or season them with exotic spices. They can be costly but there’s no waste and they’re a great source of protein and other nutrients, including some of the B vitamins and the minerals selenium, zinc, iron, and phosphorus.

Since scallops aren’t typically sold in the shell, like oysters, clams, and other shellfish, you don’t run the risk of getting an “old maid,” or a piece that doesn’t open. But there’s more to choosing scallops than meets the eye. Specifically, you want to always ask for “dry scallops,” which are natural, and avoid “wet” scallops. As the experts at New York’s famed Fulton Fish Market, which ships scallops nationwide, explain, “wet scallops are treated with water and a chemical solution (sodium tripolyphosphate, or STPP) to preserve [them] and keep them white. They have a faint chemical taste and are near-impossible to sear because of the high water content. They release water when cooked, causing them to steam instead of sear.” Always ask if the scallops aren’t marked as being dry.

Unlike other farmed seafood, line-farmed scallops, often produced by small-scale farmers in Maine, are a sustainable alternative to wild-caught. They feed naturally in the ocean as do other farmed bivalves, like mussels and oysters. 

The big question is often whether to buy sea scallops—the large round ones—or small, nugget-like bay scallops. The answer often depends on taste and timing. Sea scallops are usually available year-round, while bay scallops, notably the famed ones from the Northeast’s Nantucket Bay and Peconic Bay, are available in season, which runs from November through March.

For Your Best Health: A Fresh Look at Health and Fitness Apps

For Your Best Health

A Fresh Look at Health and Fitness Apps

Calorie counters and step trackers have sometimes gotten mixed reviews when it comes to their usefulness as diet and exercise aids. But a new analysis by researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) in Adelaide that looked at data from 206,873 people across 47 studies found that digital health tools, like mobile apps, websites, and text messages, can indeed pack a real punch when it comes to getting results.

Specifically, electronic and mobile health interventions can help people achieve:

  • 1,329 more steps per day

  • 55 minutes more moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week

  • 45 minutes more overall physical activity per week

  • 7 hours less sedentary behavior per week

  • 103 fewer calories consumed per day

  • 20 percent more fruits and vegetables consumed per day

  • 5.5 grams less saturated fat consumed per day

  • 1.9 kilograms of weight loss over 12 weeks

  • Improved sleep quality

  • Less severe insomnia

“With the rise of preventable chronic diseases like obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, finding mechanisms that can help reduce people’s risk is important,” said UniSA’s Dr. Ben Singh, the paper’s lead researcher. “Our study found that digital and mobile health interventions can have a positive effect on people’s health and well-being, not only helping them to increase their physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior, but also improving their diet and quality of sleep.

“Given the wide accessibility and popularity of health apps, their capability to tailor information and deliver timely reminders and prompts, and scalability to diverse populations, they could be a very effective intervention to promote better health. Making positive changes to your health and well-being can be a challenge—it’s always easier to add kilos to your waistline than it is to reduce them—but by incorporating digital tools into your everyday life, you’re more likely to achieve positive outcomes.”

The research identified consistent findings across different age groups, health behaviors, interventions, and health populations, indicating that digital health apps could help underpin broader public health campaigns. While the researchers recommend more study to better understand the impacts among specific groups of people, at the top line, digital health apps appear to be a win-win for all. Their study were published in the open-access journal npj Digital Medicine.

Fitness Flash: 15 Minutes to Change Your Health

Fitness Flash

Got 15 Minutes to Change Your Health?

In a separate study led by UniSA’s Dr. Singh, researchers found that it takes just 15 minutes and a touch of gamification to put people involved in company wellness programs on the path to success. Assessing results from 11,575 participants across 73 Australian, New Zealand, and UK companies, UniSA researchers found that a gamified six-week workplace wellness program called the 15 Minute Challenge led to substantial increases in physical activity levels, with 95 percent of participants meeting (36 percent) or exceeding (59 percent) physical activity guidelines.

In addition, participants’ average daily physical activity levels increased by 12 minutes per day (85 minutes per week) throughout the six-week challenge, with a median daily exercise duration of 45 minutes. Participants also reported improvements in fitness (14 percent), energy (12 percent), overall health (8 percent), sleep quality (8 percent), and mood (7.1 percent).

The WHO recommends that adults ages 18 to 64 do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity over a week. 

“Regular physical activity provides significant physical and mental health benefits,” said Dr. Singh. “It plays a key role in preventing and managing chronic disease, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, and it also reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. Yet around half of Australian adults do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity. With the majority of adults spending much of their waking time working, workplaces present ideal settings for promoting physical activity. The 15 Minute Challenge presents an effective mechanism to help boost employee health and well-being in the workplace.

Office colleagues enjoying exercise at work

“In this study we showed that as little as 15 minutes of physical activity per day can make a big difference when it comes to people’s health and well-being. And while the program only required 15 minutes of daily activity, most people tended to do more. The 15-minute goal essentially serves as an accessible starting point, especially for people who are particularly sedentary. So, it reduces barriers to entry and helps build the habit of regular exercise. Ultimately, the 15 minutes is a catalyst for increased physical activity, with many participants ending up exceeding the minimum goal and moving closer to or surpassing national recommendations.”

UniSA professor Carol Maher, PhD, a co-researcher on the study, said that part of the program’s success is in the gamification and the social aspects of the app. “Encouraging and keeping your teammates accountable through friendly competition is central to the 15 Minute Challenge app, and a key part of what motivates participants to stay committed and connected,” Dr. Maher said. “The program encourages team collaboration to track rankings and display cumulative exercise. Achievements are clearly noted, and successes are celebrated. So, it’s certainly a tool that engages people to work together and have fun. 

“What we need to remember, however, is that addressing inactivity is everyone’s responsibility. So, if an employer can initiate an effective, enjoyable, and cost-effective option to support their employees, it’s a win-win. Physically active employees are happier and healthier; they are more productive, more satisfied, less stressed, and less likely to get sick. Sustainable, scalable initiatives like the 15 Minute Challenge that can support employees to change their health and well-being for the better should be on every employer’s agenda.”

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

Olive Oil Hunter News #184

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Roasted Pear Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Pears and Halloumi, plus Another Reason to Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods

Do you love the crispness of autumn and one of the season’s most succulent fruits—pears? Then you’ll love the following recipe, which highlights pears along with one of my favorite cheeses, halloumi. Eating whole foods enhanced with natural ingredients like extra virgin olive oil is a tasty way to get healthy nutrients at every meal. And my dish shows how easy it is to enjoy delicious flavors in just a few steps. Processed foods, on the other hand, might offer greater convenience, but they often come at a cost. I’m sharing the details of a very important report from a group of noted scientists about questionable ingredients in packaged foods that fly under the oversight of the FDA. Though many should probably be considered and called out as additives, an FDA rule allows them to be termed “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, and added to products without scrutiny. It’s another serious situation of buyer beware. I hope you’ll read the summary in its entirety.

Roasted Pear Salad

  • Roasted pear salad Roasted Pear Salad

    As with pears, roasting red onions brings out their sweetness. Rather than just drizzling them with olive oil and maple syrup, this recipe melds those two ingredients first—it’s my take on the “instant caramel” craze that swept the internet over the summer. Its richness is balanced by the slight saltiness of the halloumi and the bitterness of the greens. 

    Ingredients

    • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more for drizzling
    • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
    • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 4 large ripe firm baking pears, like Anjou, Bosc, or Starkrimson 
    • 1 small red onion 
    • 8 ounces halloumi 
    • 4 cups fresh greens
    • 16 walnut halves

    Directions

    Step 1

    In a large bowl, vigorously whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil and the maple syrup until they meld and the sauce becomes a rich caramel color, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the salt and set aside. 

    Step 2

    Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cut the pears into halves and use a small spoon or melon baller to scoop out the seeds. Cut each pear half in two. Peel the onion and cut into 8 wedges. Add the pears and onions to the sauce and toss gently to coat. Transfer to a rimmed sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes or until caramelized, flipping over the pears and onions halfway through the roasting. 

    Step 3

    Toward the end of the roasting time, sauté the halloumi. Cut the cheese into 8 sections. Heat a frying pan large enough to hold them. When hot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the halloumi pieces. Cook until browned, up to 5 minutes, then flip and repeat.

    Step 4

    Divide the greens among four plates or bowls. Top with equal amounts of pears, onions, halloumi, and walnuts, then drizzle with the roasting pan juices and a splash of olive oil.

    Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Halloumi

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Halloumi

Fried Halloumi cheese

Members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club know I’m a huge fan of halloumi (yes, there’s even a video of me grilling it on our Facebook page!). Halloumi not only tastes delicious, but also has the perfect texture for grilling—the mild and slightly briny cheese develops a wonderful smoky flavor while holding its shape. 

This cheese, made from sheep’s (and sometimes goat’s) milk, hails from the island nation of Cyprus in the Mediterranean where it is made according to centuries-old tradition. Just as I always shop for true Parmigiano-Reggiano and not “parmesan” cheese, buy true halloumi by looking for the special Protected Designation of Origin or PDO mark that certifies it was made there. 

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Choosing pears

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Choosing Pears

There are many sweet and succulent pears to enjoy throughout the fall. If you tend to reach for Bartletts as a default, it’s time to try varieties like Seckel, Comice, and Concorde pears. While any pear that’s ripe can be eaten raw, when you want to roast, poach, or bake pears for special dishes, do choose the firmer ones that won’t fall apart at hot temperatures—Anjou and Bosc. 

If you’ll use them within a few days, keep pears at room temperature. Indeed, they may not be ripe enough to eat when you first get them home because, unlike many other fruits, they must be picked well before they ripen (or else their texture will turn grainy or mushy). If you want to slow the ripening process, keep them in the fridge until 2-3 days before you’ll eat them.  

For Your Best Health: Another Reason to Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods

For Your Best Health

Another Reason to Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods

The article “Regulation of Added Substances in the Food Supply by the Food and Drug Administration Human Foods Program,” published in theAmerican Journal of Public Health, details how a legal loophole is allowing unsafe ingredients in US foods. Here is the summary of the findings provided by New York University, where the first author is an associate professor.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tasked with overseeing the safety of the US food supply, setting requirements for nutrition labeling, working with companies on food recalls, and responding to outbreaks of foodborne illness. But when it comes to additives already in our food and the safety of certain ingredients, the FDA has taken a hands-off approach.

The current FDA process allows the food industry to regulate itself when it comes to thousands of added ingredients—by determining for itself which ingredients should be considered “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS—with companies deciding on their own whether to disclose the ingredients’ use and the underlying safety data to the FDA. As a result, many new substances have been added to our food supply without any government oversight.

“Both the FDA and the public are unaware of how many of these ingredients—which are most commonly found in ultra-processed foods—are in our food supply,” said Jennifer Pomeranz, JD, MPH, associate professor of public health policy and management at New York University School of Global Public Health and the study’s first author.

Since 1958, the FDA has been responsible for evaluating the safety of new chemicals and substances added to foods before they go to market. However, food safety laws distinguish between “food additives” and “GRAS” ingredients. While compounds considered “food additives” must be reviewed and approved by the FDA before they are used in foods, ingredients considered GRAS are exempt from these regulations.

The GRAS designation was initially established for ingredients already found in foods—for instance, vinegar and spices. But under a rule used since 1997, the FDA has allowed the food industry to independently determine which substances fall into this category, including many new substances added to foods. Rather than disclose the new use of these ingredients and the accompanying safety data for FDA review, companies can do their own research to evaluate an ingredient’s safety before going to market, without any notification or sharing of the findings. The FDA suggests—but does not require—that companies voluntarily notify the agency about the use of such substances and their findings, but in practice, many such substances have been added without notification.

In their analysis, the researchers review the history of the FDA’s and industry’s approach around adding these new compounds to foods and identify the lack of any real oversight. This includes a federal court case in 2021 upholding the FDA’s hands-off approach. “Notably, the court did not find that the FDA’s practices on GRAS ingredients support the safety of our food supply,” said Pomeranz. “The court only ruled that the FDA’s practice was not unlawful.”

“As a result of the FDA’s policy, the food industry has been free to ‘self-GRAS’ new substances they wish to add to foods, without notifying FDA or the public,” said senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, director of the Food is Medicine Institute and distinguished professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. “There are now hundreds, if not thousands, of substances added to our foods for which the true safety data are unknown to independent scientists, the government, and the public.”

According to the researchers, the FDA also lacks a formal approach and adequate resources to review those food additives and GRAS substances already on the market. After an ingredient is added to foods, if research later suggests harms, the FDA can review the new data and, if needed, take action to reduce or remove it from foods. In a rare exception, the FDA announced in March that it would be reviewing 21 chemicals found in foods, including several food ingredients—a tiny fraction of the thousands of food additives and GRAS substances used today.

Man reading food label at grocery store

An example of the 21 food additives to be reviewed is potassium bromate, a chemical added to baked goods and drinks with evidence that it may cause cancer. Potassium bromate is banned in Europe, Canada, China, and Japan. California recently passed a law to ban its use, along with three other chemicals, and similar bills have been introduced in Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania. “This is a stark example of the FDA’s regulatory gap,” said Pomeranz. “We’re seeing states starting to act to fill the regulatory void left by the FDA’s inaction over substances increasingly associated with harm.”

The FDA’s oversight of GRAS ingredients on the market is also limited. The agency rarely revokes GRAS designation (an FDA inventory only shows 15 substances that were considered GRAS and then later determined to not be), nor does the FDA review foods on an ongoing basis with GRAS ingredients that can be safe when added at low levels but not in large quantities—for instance, caffeine, salt, and sugar.

“In 1977, the FDA approved caffeine as a GRAS substance for use in sodas at a low level: 0.02%,” said Pomeranz. “But today, caffeine is added to energy drinks at levels far exceeding this, which is causing caffeine-related hospitalizations and even deaths. Given that the FDA regulates the use of GRAS substances, the agency could set limits on the amount of caffeine in energy drinks.”

“The sheer number of GRAS substances and food additives on the market, combined with the lack of knowledge about the existence of self-GRAS ingredients, insufficient resources, and documented time delays even for well-supported action, renders reliance on post-market authority flawed and unreliable to ensure a safe food supply,” said study coauthor Emily Broad Leib, JD, director of Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation and founding director of the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic. “FDA is only starting to utilize its post-market powers to review a tiny number of ingredients in the food supply, even though evidence of harm has been present for decades.”

The authors’ analysis provides the FDA and Congress with several potential actions to better assess and oversee the safety of both GRAS substances and food additives. This could include introducing a new requirement that companies must publicly notify the FDA of the use of GRAS ingredients, and share their underlying safety data, before they are put in foods; creating a robust review process to reevaluate the safety of GRAS ingredients and food additives once they are already on the market; and clarifying the distinction between GRAS ingredients and food additives.

In order to fund this stronger oversight of the food supply, the researchers suggest that Congress could allocate additional resources to the FDA or establish a user fee program in which food companies pay for the FDA to review the safety of their ingredients before they are added to foods. “Both the FDA and Congress can do more to enable the FDA to meet its mission of ensuring a safe food supply,” said Pomeranz. The National Institutes of Health supported the research.

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

Olive Oil Hunter News #183

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Late Summer Fruit Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Nectarines, Zesting-then Squeezing, Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) and Your Sleep, Preventing Falls

It’s still stone fruit season—the perfect excuse for a luscious fruit salad with a zesty dressing. My recipe is a great example of healthy eating that still tastes indulgent. Enjoying “whole” foods, meaning foods in their most natural state, is the antidote to the dangers of ultra-processed foods, which now include insomnia. Read more on this below, along with a new advisory on avoiding falls for people over 65—food for thought for anyone at risk for falling, regardless of age.

Late Summer Fruit Salad

  • Stone fruit salad Late Summer Fruit Salad

    Stone fruit—nectarines, peaches, and plums—are the stars of this juicy dessert, with figs, berries, and a sweet and citrusy dressing in supporting roles. This salad, high in antioxidants, also makes a delicious breakfast

    Ingredients

    • 2 nectarines
    • 2 plums
    • 2 peaches
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons apple balsamic vinegar 
    • 1 tablespoon local honey 
    • Zest and juice of 1 lime (see “Quick Kitchen Nugget” in newsletter)
    • 1 tablespoon chopped spearmint leaves 
    • 2 fresh figs, quartered
    • 1 cup whole blackberries, rinsed and patted dry

    Directions

    Pit and section the stone fruit, then place in a large serving bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and honey. Whisk in the lime juice, zest, and mint. Pour the dressing over the fruit in the bowl and toss gently. Allow the juices and the dressing to meld for 30 minutes. Just before serving, arrange the figs and blackberries on top of the stone fruit.

    Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Nectarines

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Nectarines

Nectarines and plums

Think of nectarines as peaches’ little siblings. The main difference between the two popular fruits is simply genetic—nectarines lack the fuzz gene that peaches have. Also, nectarines tend to be smaller and firmer yet sweeter and more intensely flavored and scented than peaches…a strong aroma is a key sign of ripeness. 

As with peaches, there are dozens of varieties to choose from, though they fall into the same main categories: freestone and cling free (cling-free varieties making slicing much easier) as well as white and yellow flesh. Nectarines are antioxidant rich and have twice the amount of vitamin A and slightly more vitamin C and potassium than peaches, along with vitamin E, B vitamins, calcium, fiber, and some iron. 

To ripen nectarines, store them at room temperature until they’re no longer firm. If you can’t eat them right away, you can refrigerate them, but for no more than three to five days.

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Zest, then Squeeze 

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Zest, then Squeeze 

Whenever a recipe calls for zest and juice from a piece of citrus, always zest first, optimally with a handheld Microplane grater. It’s not only easier than trying to zest halves, but you’ll also get the most zest. When juiving, if you’re using a handheld press, always position the fruit cut-side down into the empty cup to extract the most juice.

For Your Best Health: Why Those Chips Are Wrecking Your Sleep

For Your Best Health

Why Those Chips Are Wrecking Your Sleep

We know that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are the unhealthiest food choices because they have the highest levels of saturated fats, starches, and added sugars plus all sorts of additives like artificial colors and flavors; are devoid of nutrients; and have virtually no fiber. Packaged baked goods and snacks, frozen foods, and processed meats are typically considered ultra-processed. Much of the research on the detriments of UPFs has looked at the links between these foods and health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Now a new study has added sleep problems, including chronic insomnia, to that list. This can have a snowball effect on health because sleep disorders and insomnia have independently been linked with anxiety and depression as well as health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. With sleep health now a wellness goal on its own right, a better diet can be one way to get there.

Lead investigator Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, associate professor of nutritional medicine and director of Columbia University Irving Medical Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research, said, “At a time when more and more foods are highly processed and sleep disturbances are rampant, it is important to evaluate whether diet could contribute to adverse- or good-quality sleep. Our research team had previously reported associations of healthy dietary patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, with a reduced risk of insomnia and poor sleep quality (both cross-sectionally and longitudinally), and high-carbohydrate diets with an elevated risk of insomnia.”

Sleepy woman holding pillow and yawning

For this cross-sectional study, Dr. St-Onge and some of her colleagues included 38,570 French participants with a mean age of 50 who completed a sleep questionnaire and at least two 24-hour dietary records. An analysis revealed a statistically significant association between ultra-processed food intake and chronic insomnia, independent of participants’ sociodemographic, lifestyle, diet quality, and mental health status. Overall, the study participants got 16 percent of their daily energy from UPFs. Nearly 20 percent of participants reported symptoms of chronic insomnia, and this group tended to eat more ultra-processed foods.

There are various reasons for the diet-sleep link. First, people who eat more saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and free or added sugars tend to eat less fruit, vegetables, legumes, and seafood, which are all sources of sleep-promoting compounds, the researchers pointed out. Also, ultra-processed foods are highly inflammatory and can negatively affect the gut microbiome—and the gut microbiome is known to play a role in the quality of your shuteye. 

Fitness Flash: Preventing Falls

Fitness Flash

Preventing Falls

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a volunteer group of experts in different fields from across the country, recently issued its guidance regarding preventing falls in people over age 65. According to the CDC, over 14 million Americans, or one in four adults ages 65 and older, report falling each year, and for about 37 percent, doing so resulted in an injury that required medical treatment or restricted their activity for at least one day.

After its review of existing research, the USPSTF concluded with moderate certainty that exercise interventions provide a moderate net benefit and that multifactorial interventions, such as three-dimensional exercises (movement through all three spatial planes or dimensions: forward and back, side to side, and up and down), provide a small net benefit in preventing falls and fall-related morbidity in older adults at increased risk for falls. Effective exercise interventions include supervised individual physical therapy and group exercise classes. 

While the USPSTF stated that it’s difficult to identify specific components of exercise that are particularly effective, the most commonly studied exercise components were gait, balance, and functional training, followed by strength and resistance training, flexibility, and endurance training. A smaller number of trials included three-dimensional exercise, such as group dance or tai chi classes. The most common frequency and duration for exercise interventions was two to three sessions per week for 12 months, although the duration of the studies ranged from two to 30 months. 

The USPSTF also recommended that a program be tailored to each individual based on the findings of a health and risk factor assessment that might include balance, gait, vision, postural blood pressure, medication, environment, cognition, and psychological health. This could be done by your doctor or another expert familiar with your health history so that he or she can factor in any chronic medical conditions, medications taken, and alcohol use as well whether you had a prior fall, all of which could affect your fall risk. 

The USPSTF statement included a reminder about the multiple health benefits associated with physical activity that go beyond fall prevention: a lower risk of cardiovascular disease events, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality, as well as lower blood pressure, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and lower risk of high cholesterol. It added: “The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults do at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity—or 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity—aerobic physical activity, as well as muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity and that involve all major muscle groups, twice a week or more.” 

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!