Evolutionary analysis of GRAS gene family for functional and structural insights into hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum).

GRAS proteins are multi-functional, regulating various aspects of plant growth and development. Besides, they are also involved in the stress tolerance of plants. Wheat is one of the major cereal crops of the world and efforts are being made to boost its productivity and stress tolerance to feed the increasing world population. Being a physiologically important transcription factor, GRAS genes can open up new avenues for improvement in wheat. The recent availability of the hexaploid genome sequence of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) provides us an excellent opportunity to analyse the GRAS gene family and gain functional insights. In this study, we identified 183 GRAS genes coding for 194 GRAS proteins. Chromosomal location was identified for all the genes to give some idea about gene duplications. Sequence alignment, followed by phylogenetic analysis helped to classify the TaGRAS genes in 12 subfamilies. Gene and protein structure analysis revealed conservation among the different sub-families. Transcriptome analysis was done using available databases, to reveal the expression pattern under developmental conditions as well as different stress conditions. Altogether, these datasets give important insights into the functional role of different GRAS family members of bread wheat. Besides, it provides an important resource for future investigations into the physiological role of GRAS genes in bread wheat. Finally, this study identified potentially important TaGRAS genes which may help to boost yields and stress tolerance of wheat via control of various physiological aspects.

The Availability and Nutritional Adequacy of Gluten-Free Bread and Pasta.

Management of coeliac disease (CD) requires the removal of gluten from the diet. Evidence of the availability, cost, and nutritional adequacy of gluten-free (GF) bread and pasta products is limited. GF flours are exempt from UK legislation that requires micronutrient fortification of white wheat flour. This study surveyed the number and cost of bread and pasta products available and evaluated the back-of-pack nutritional information, the ingredient content, and the presence of fortification nutrients of GF bread and pasta, compared to standard gluten-containing equivalent products. Product information was collected from four supermarket websites. Standard products were significantly cheaper, with more products available than GF (p < 0.05). GF bread products were significantly higher in fat and fiber (p < 0.05). All GF products were lower in protein than standard products (p < 0.01). Only 5% of GF breads were fortified with all four mandatory fortification nutrients (calcium, iron, niacin, and thiamin), 28% of GF breads were fortified with calcium and iron only. This lack of fortification may increase the risk of micronutrient deficiency in coeliac sufferers. It is recommended that fortification legislation is extended to include all GF products, in addition to increased regulation of the nutritional content of GF foods.

Breaking bread: examining the impact of policy changes in access to state-funded provisions of gluten-free foods in England.

BACKGROUND: Coeliac disease affects approximately 1% of the population and is increasingly diagnosed in the United Kingdom. A nationwide consultation in England has recommend that state-funded provisions for gluten-free (GF) food should be restricted to bread and mixes but not banned, yet financial strain has prompted regions of England to begin partially or fully ceasing access to these provisions. The impact of these policy changes on different stakeholders remains unclear. METHODS: Prescription data were collected for general practice services across England (n = 7176) to explore changes in National Health Service (NHS) expenditure on GF foods over time (2012-2017). The effects of sex, age, deprivation and rurality on GF product expenditure were estimated using a multi-level gamma regression model. Spending rate within NHS regions that had introduced a 'complete ban' or a 'complete ban with age-related exceptions' was compared to spending in the same time periods amongst NHS regions which continued to fund prescriptions for GF products. RESULTS: Annual expenditure on GF products in 2012 (before bans were introduced in any area) was £25.1 million. Higher levels of GF product expenditure were found in general practices in areas with lower levels of deprivation, higher levels of rurality and higher proportions of patients aged under 18 and over 75. Expenditure on GF food within localities that introduced a 'complete ban' or a 'complete ban with age-related exceptions' were reduced by approximately 80% within the 3 months following policy changes. If all regions had introduced a 'complete ban' policy in 2014, the NHS in England would have made an annual cost-saving of £21.1 million (equivalent to 0.24% of the total primary care medicines expenditure), assuming no negative sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of more restrictive GF prescribing policies has been associated with 'quick wins' for NHS regions under extreme financial pressure. However, these initial savings will be largely negated if GF product policies revert to recently published national recommendations. Better evidence of the long-term impact of restricting GF prescribing on patient health, expenses and use of NHS services is needed to inform policy.

The Science of Salt: A regularly updated systematic review of the implementation of salt reduction interventions (March-August 2016).

This review aims to identify, summarize, and appraise studies reporting on the implementation of salt reduction interventions that were published between March and August 2016. Overall, 40 studies were included: four studies evaluated the impact of salt reduction interventions, while 36 studies were identified as relevant to the design, assessment, and implementation of salt reduction strategies. Detailed appraisal and commentary were undertaken on the four studies that measured the impact of the interventions. Among them, different evaluation approaches were adopted; however, all demonstrated positive health outcomes relating to dietary salt reduction. Three of the four studies measured sodium in breads and provided consistent evidence that sodium reduction in breads is feasible and different intervention options are available. None of the studies were conducted in low- or lower middle-income countries, which stresses the need for more resources and research support for the implementation of salt reduction interventions in these countries.

The environmental impact of fertilizer embodied in a wheat-to-bread supply chain.

Food production and consumption cause approximately one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions1-3, and therefore delivering food security challenges not only the capacity of our agricultural system, but also its environmental sustainability4-7. Knowing where and at what level environmental impacts occur within particular food supply chains is necessary if farmers, agri-food industries and consumers are to share responsibility to mitigate these impacts7,8. Here we present an analysis of a complete supply chain for a staple of the global diet, a loaf of bread. We obtained primary data for all the processes involved in the farming, production and transport systems that lead to the manufacture of a particular brand of 800 g loaf. The data were analysed using an advanced life cycle assessment (LCA) tool9, yielding metrics of environmental impact, including greenhouse gas emissions. We show that more than half of the environmental impact of producing the loaf of bread arises directly from wheat cultivation, with the use of ammonium nitrate fertilizer alone accounting for around 40%. These findings reveal the dependency of bread production on the unsustainable use of fertilizer and illustrate the detail needed if the actors in the supply chain are to assume shared responsibility for achieving sustainable food production.

An In-Store Experiment on the Effect of Accessibility on Sales of Wholegrain and White Bread in Supermarkets.

Even though whole grain foods have various health benefits, consumers have been found not to eat enough of them. Nudging interventions are built on the premise that food purchases and consumption are strongly influenced by the environment in which decisions are made. Little research has been conducted to examine the influence of a small and inexpensive nudging intervention on bread choices in a real-life supermarket context. An in-store experiment was conducted in two six-week periods in two supermarkets to investigate the effects of accessibility on consumers' purchase of healthier whole grain and other types of bread. In the high accessibility condition, healthier bread was placed in a more convenient location for the shopper on the left side of the shelves where it was encountered first. In the low accessibility condition, it was placed on the right side. There were consistent significant differences in sales between supermarkets, types of bread, day of the week, but not between low and high accessibility. Additional research is needed to better understand the effects of convenience and accessibility on bread choices.

Development of a community-sensitive strategy to increase availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in Nashville's urban food deserts, 2010-2012.

BACKGROUND: Food deserts, areas that lack full-service grocery stores, may contribute to rising rates of obesity and chronic diseases among low-income and racial/ethnic minority residents. Our corner store project, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative, aimed to increase availability of healthful foods in food deserts in Nashville, Tennessee. COMMUNITY CONTEXT: We identified 4 food deserts in which most residents are low-income and racially and ethnically diverse. Our objectives were to develop an approach to increase availability of fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat or nonfat milk, and 100% whole-wheat bread in Nashville's food deserts and to engage community members to inform our strategy. METHODS: Five corner stores located in food deserts met inclusion criteria for our intervention. We then conducted community listening sessions, proprietor surveys, store audits, and customer-intercept surveys to identify needs, challenges to retailing the products, and potential intervention strategies. OUTCOME: Few stores offered fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, low-fat or nonfat milk, or 100% whole-wheat bread, and none stocked items from all 4 categories. Major barriers to retailing healthful options identified by community members are mistrust of store owners, history of poor-quality produce, and limited familiarity with healthful options. Store owners identified neighborhood crime as the major barrier. We used community input to develop strategies. INTERPRETATION: Engaging community residents and understanding neighborhood context is critical to developing strategies that increase access to healthful foods in corner stores.

Changes in the texture and viscoelastic properties of bread containing rice porridge during storage.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of rice porridge on the texture and viscoelastic properties of bread during storage. Three types of bread, wheat flour bread, 15% rice flour bread, and 15% rice porridge bread, were prepared. After baking and storing the bread for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h at room temperature, we measured the texture and viscoelastic properties of the bread crumbs by texture profile analysis (TPA) and creep test. The 15% rice porridge bread showed a significantly higher specific volume and maintained softer crumbs than the other two types (p<0.05). It also had a slightly stickier texture than the others. It can be concluded that rice porridge improves the specific volume, texture, and viscoelastic properties of bread crumbs during storage.

Norma sanitaria para la fabricación, elaboración y expendio de productos de panificación, galletería y pastelería: Norma técnica de salud Nº 088-MINSA/DIGESA-V.01 / Health Standard for the manufacture, processing and sale of bakery products, biscuits and pastries: Technical Standard No. 088-MINSA/DIGESA-V.01 health

El presente documento describe los dispositivos legales y las normas legales para que las municipalidades fiscalicen el cumplimiento de los principios generales de higiene en las llamadas “panaderías de barrio” para que el pan diario que llega a las mesas familiares no constituya riesgo por la presencia de peligros que pueden dañar la salud de la población. Entre otras disposiciones, la norma señala las condiciones sanitarias que debe cumplir el expendio de productos de panadería, pastelería y/o galletería en la modalidad ambulatoria o de reparto a domicilio (camioneta, triciclo, moto, u otros) donde resulta de importancia que el consumidor conozca la procedencia del producto que consume y verifique que este sea transportado y expendio en condiciones de higiene(AU)

Norma sanitaria para la fabricación, elaboración y expendio de productos de panificación, galletería y pastelería: Norma técnica de salud Nº 088-MINSA/DIGESA-V.01 / Health Standard for the manufacture, processing and sale of bakery products, biscuits and pastries: Technical Standard No. 088-MINSA/DIGESA-V.01 health

El presente documento describe los dispositivos legales y las normas legales para que las municipalidades fiscalicen el cumplimiento de los principios generales de higiene en las llamadas “panaderías de barrio” para que el pan diario que llega a las mesas familiares no constituya riesgo por la presencia de peligros que pueden dañar la salud de la población. Entre otras disposiciones, la norma señala las condiciones sanitarias que debe cumplir el expendio de productos de panadería, pastelería y/o galletería en la modalidad ambulatoria o de reparto a domicilio (camioneta, triciclo, moto, u otros) donde resulta de importancia que el consumidor conozca la procedencia del producto que consume y verifique que este sea transportado y expendio en condiciones de higiene

Low-fat milk and high-fiber bread availability in food stores in urban and rural communities.

As part of the Albany Prevention Research Center's Core Project to understand environmental influences on a healthy lifestyle, all food stores in downtown Albany (N=79) and rural Columbia and Greene counties (N=177) in New York State were visited and surveyed for their availability of low-fat milk and high-fiber bread. Stores in the rural community were significantly (P < .01) more likely to stock low-fat milk (71%) and high-fiber bread (55%) than stores in Albany (40% and 33%, respectively). The rural community also had a significantly higher population ratio of "healthy milk & bread (M&B) stores" (carrying both items) than Albany (7.6 vs 3.9 per 10,000 residents). Urban healthy M&B stores were more likely to be a convenience store and accept food stamps, whereas rural healthy M&B stores were more likely to be a gas station store and offer off-street parking. Multiple logistic regression analysis found that healthy M&B stores were inversely associated with proportions of ethnic/racial minorities in the census block group (CBG). More than 80 percent of minorities in Albany resided in a CBG without a healthy M&B store. Urban residents in predominantly minority neighborhoods were most likely to encounter environmental barriers to obtain healthy staple food, and intervention should be tailored to aid this population.

Mistura em pó de soro de queijo ultrafiltrado e extrato proteíco líquido de soja em produtos de panificaçäo / A powder mixture of ultrafiltrated cheese whey and soybean protein liquid extract in bakery products

O trabalho mostra os efeitos da substituiçäo parcial do leite em formulaçöes de produtos de panificaçäo dos tipos päo, bolo e biscoito por mistura de soro de queijo ultrafiltrado mais "leite" de soja. Após ultrafiltraçäo do soro de queijo, foi feita a mistura com "leite" de soja e, a seguir, desidratada em "spray-drier". Os resultados obtidos mostraram a viabilidade técnica da substituiçäo, inclusive com melhorias de sabor dos produtos processados

"Bread: it's a great way to go". Increasing bread consumption decreases laxative sales in an elderly community.

OBJECTIVE: To test the effects on laxative sales of two methods of promoting increased consumption of wholemeal/wholegrain bread by the elderly. DESIGN: Community intervention trials were carried out in two test communities and one control community on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. PARTICIPANTS: Small retirement communities with a high proportion of the population aged over 55 years. INTERVENTIONS: A community organisation strategy (COS) involving the media, community activities and social marketing principles using the theme "Bread: It's a Great Way to Go" was compared with a patient education strategy (PES) through local doctors and a control community (CON). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Wholemeal/wholegrain bread sales and laxative sales. RESULTS: There was a 49% decrease in laxative sales corresponding to a 58% increase in sales of wholemeal/wholegrain bread in the COS community but no significant changes in either the PES or CON communities. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests a positive, cost effective approach for increasing fibre intake and improving gastrointestinal problems in the elderly.

Cereal foods today and tomorrow.

The present place of cereal foods in the UK diet is assessed. In particular, the role of wheat and of bread white or brown in providing nutrients is reviewed. An examination is carried out of the forces--including nutritional and medical suggestions that the health of the nation would benefit from increased use of 'unrefined' cereals--which favour or inhibit change in future production and consumption of cereals in the UK.