MAX FACTS
growing tips, news and trivia
Disinfecting Honeycomb with Ozone
Sometimes even honeybees need help with housekeeping, especially when it comes to cleaning their
honeycombs once the honey’s been removed. USDA research has shown that fumigating honeycombs
with ozone gas can eliminate pests and pathogens that threaten honeybee health and productivity. Ozone
fumigation may also help reduce pesticide levels in honeycombs. Results from the first part of the study
demonstrated that fumigating honeycombs with ozone gas at concentrations of 215 to 430 ppm killed
all life stages of the greater wax moth, depending on length of exposure. Ozone, a highly reactive state
of oxygen, also destroyed spores of the chalkbrood fungus after 24 to 36 hours of exposure
using 1,500 ppm. Another honeybee pathogen, the American foulbrood bacterium, required
substantially longer exposure times and an ozone concentration twice as high. An ozone
fumigation chamber is something beekeepers can set up on their own.
(Source: ars.usda.gov)
Demand for Organics
The global organic food and
beverages market is expected
to reach $211 billion by 2020.
Growing adoption of organic
food and beverages owing to
associated health benefits and
eco-friendly characteristics is
expected to drive demand over
the next six years. In addition,
regulatory support for organic
farming is also expected to
have a positive influence on
the market by improving supply
and product quality. Further key
findings from the study suggest
organic fruits and vegetables
dominated the product market,
accounting for more than 35%
of global market revenue in
2013. However, meat, fish
and poultry are expected to be the fastest-growing organic food products.
The North American market for organic food and beverages was valued at
more than $38 billion in 2013. Some of the major companies operating in
the global market include Hain Celestial Group, Amy’s Kitchen, Whole Foods
Market, Organic Valley Family of Farms and Starbucks.
(Source: grandviewresearch.com)
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Maximum Yield USA | May 2014
Medicinal Foods
The Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans
has added an unconventional course to its curriculum.
Medical students can now take cooking classes in
addition to their usual training. The idea behind this
culinary medicine program—the first of its kind in
the United States—is to improve doctors’ nutritional
knowledge and encourage them to use food to prevent
or cure illnesses. According to an article in Bon Appétit,
most medical students in the country receive on average
20 hours of nutritional education throughout their entire
education. This is an appallingly low number, especially
when one considers that diet is at the core of many
modern diseases. In the new course, doctors will be
able to explain which foods are best to eat and how to
prepare them. The culinary medicine model seems to be
catching on. Two other medical schools have licensed
the curriculum and are adding it to their courses.
(Source: treehugger.com)