Download FCS Program Day

FCS Program Day
April 17, 2009
Mark A. Kantor – Extension Specialist, Nutrition and Food Safety
Extension projects
● Changing the health trajectory for older adults through effective diet and activity
modifications (USDA/CSREES Multistate Research Project, NE1039)
http://lgu.umd.edu/lgu_v2/homepages/home.cfm?trackID=10957
Overall objectives:
- To examine interventions to increase fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake and
physical activity in older adults.
- To identify biomarkers that reflect improvements in diet (fruit, vegetables, and whole
grains) and physical activity, and a reduction of chronic disease risk in older adults.
Objectives of specific projects:
- To develop, implement, and evaluate a whole grain foods educational curriculum in
older adults.
- To investigate food safety practices of older adults and develop, implement, and
evaluate a food safety education program targeted to recipients of the home delivered
meal program.
● Salad Tables to Kitchen Tables: Growing Greens, Gardeners, and Health
Develop nutrition-oriented fact sheets:
- Basic information about why vegetables are nutritious; key nutrients; importance of
eating a variety of vegetables (eating a “rainbow”).
- Information on incorporating vegetables into meals and snacks to show consumers how
to increase their vegetable consumption; recipes and practical consumer tips.
- Information about specific Salad Tables vegetables (lettuces, dark green leafy
vegetables, herbs, green beans, radish); when to harvest; storage tips.
Research projects with students
● Assessing the effectiveness of on-farm food processing regulations in Maryland
(Meryl Lubran).
● Growth deficits, nutrient intake, and dietary patterns of infants and toddlers with
infantile anorexia and sensory food aversions (Tova Jacobovits).
● Association of quinoa and amaranth consumption with prevalence of diabetes among
children and young adults in Peru (Kathy Sanchez).
● Integrated medicine and cancer: Use of herbal dietary supplements among breast
cancer survivors (Gemstone). http://teams.gemstone.umd.edu/classof2010/imac/.
Other interests
● Food safety for consumers
- Safety of fresh/local produce
- Home food preservation
- Seafood safety
- Food additives
● Dietary supplements
● Understanding the nutrition label
● Nutrition/physical activity and chronic disease risk reduction
Conclusion: “The lack of recent progress points to gaps in the current food safety
system and the need to continue to develop and evaluate food safety practices as food
moves from the farm to the table.” MMWR Weekly. April 10, 2009/58(13):333-337.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5813a2.htm?s_cid=mm5813a2_e
Mark A. Kantor, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Extension Specialist
University of Maryland
Department of Nutrition & Food Science
0125 Skinner Building
College Park, MD 20742-7640
Phone: 301.405.1018
Fax: 301.314.3313
[email protected]
http://agnr.umd.edu/directory/Bio.cfm?ID=mkantor