Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Category: Industry News

  • New Research Explores Walnuts & Mental Health

    New Research Explores Walnuts & Mental Health

    Over the past decade, the California Walnut Commission (CWC) has been conducting research on walnuts and various aspects of cognitive health. A new epidemiological study from Dr. Lenore Arab of UCLA, is the first time the CWC has looked at symptoms of depression, and suggests consuming walnuts may be associated with a lower prevalence and frequency of depression symptoms among American adults1. Researchers examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which draws from a large sampling of the U.S. population. After evaluating study participants for depression, researchers found that depression scores were 26% lower for walnut consumers and 8% percent lower for consumers of other nuts, compared to those who did not consume nuts at all.

    More than 26,000 American adults were asked about their dietary intake over the course of one to two days as well as depression symptoms over the past two weeks. Using a widely accepted questionnaire, participants ranked how often they experienced factors such as little interest in doing things, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling tired or having little energy, and trouble concentrating. According to the findings, walnut consumers were more likely to have greater interest in activities, higher energy levels, less hopelessness (for women), better concentration, and greater optimism.

    “According to the CDC, one out of every six adults will have depression at some time in their life. It is important to find low-cost interventions, such as dietary changes, that are easy to implement and may help reduce the incidence of depression,” says lead investigator, Dr. Lenore Arab of the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California, Los Angeles.

    “Walnuts have previously been investigated for their potential role in cardiovascular and cognitive health, and now we see an association with depression symptoms – providing another reason to include them in a healthy eating plan.”

    As with any scientific research, some study limitations should be considered. Due to the cross-sectional observational nature of the study, the findings cannot prove causality and are subject to the risk of diet changing after a diagnosis occurs in response to the condition. Depression may also change typical appetite and eating behaviors resulting in apparent associations that are not causal. In addition, participants were asked about their dietary choices over the course of one to two days, which may not be representative of usual consumption patterns.

  • Almond Board Honored for Outstanding Contributions to Food Safety

    Almond Board Honored for Outstanding Contributions to Food Safety

    The Almond Board of California (ABC) has been selected to receive the GMA Food Safety Award from the International Association for Food Protection, in recognition of the Board’s “preeminence in and contributions to the field of food safety.” The award comes after nearly 50 years of Almond Board-funded research and innovation leading to numerous improvements in the way almonds are harvested and handled to ensure safety.

    “This award is the culmination of many years and countless hours of work by ABC staff, researchers, and industry leaders to elevate California almonds to an honored, best of class, position in the field of food safety,” said Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the Almond Board. “While much of this work often goes on out of the view of the public eye, this recognition will shed some much-deserved light on the work of the dedicated team of food safety professionals at the Almond Board and our colleagues in the industry.”

    ABC’s submission for the award detailed nearly five decades of research and advancements in food safety funded by the almond industry through the Almond Board.

    “ABC is honored to be the recipient of the 2019 GMA Food Safety Award in recognition of our long- term commitment to food safety, and we are truly humbled to be included in the long line of extremely worthy past recipients,” said Tim Birmingham, ABC director of Quality Assurance and Industry Services. “Food safety is a cornerstone of what we do. Since the early 2000s, ABC has been focused on producing the highest quality, safest crop possible through research, food safety programs and industry wide education. We will continue to look for ways to improve, and share what we know, to help ensure the integrity of tree nuts and low moisture foods in general to protect consumers around the world.”

    The most recent advances in almond safety began in 2007 with the establishment of the mandatory pasteurization program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service. Since the implementation of the self-imposed pasteurization program there have been no reported foodborne illnesses related to almond consumption.

    “The credit for this award really belongs to the almond growers and handlers who invested their hard earned dollars in the research and the ABC Board of Directors’ willingness to make difficult decisions that put the good of the industry ahead of individual concerns,” said Birmingham. “But while the award is nice recognition, the real payoff is in the foodborne illnesses that have been prevented by the collective efforts of the industry, demonstrating our commitment to food safety from the orchard to the consumer.”

    The GMA Food Safety Award is sponsored by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and will be presented on Wednesday, July 24, at IAFP 2019 in Louisville, Ky.

    About the Almond Board of California

    California Almonds make life better by what we grow and how we grow. The Almond Board of California promotes natural, wholesome and quality almonds through leadership in strategic market development, innovative research, and accelerated adoption of industry best practices on behalf of the more than 6,800 almond farmers and processors in California, most of whom are multi-generational family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit Almonds.com or check out California Almonds on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and the California Almonds blog.

  • ABC Funds $1 Million in Navel Orangeworm Research

    ABC Funds $1 Million in Navel Orangeworm Research

    The Almond Board of California recently approved funding of $1 million dollars of a Navel Orangeworm Sterile Insect Technique research project. This is the single largest production research project ever funded by the Almond Board.

    The Almond Board of California (ABC) has been funding Navel Orangeworm (NOW) research for over twenty years and has made great progress in determining various production practices growers can implement for NOW control, including mating disruption and winter sanitation. While these practices have proven effective, this pest problem is still growing in some regions. Through the funding of this project the Almond Board is ramping up efforts in finding solutions by exploring all possible options for NOW control and providing growers with additional tools to combat this pest. Orange worm research

    “We’ve been funding Navel Orangeworm research since 1973 – that’s nearly half a century of scientific findings focused on one pest and its impacts,” said Richard Waycott, Almond Board of California President and CEO. “Putting $1 million of growers’ dollars towards Navel Orangeworm research demonstrates our seriousness in combating this pest. We want to explore all available options to find effective controls for NOW.”

    The concept around the sterile insect technique (SIT) is simple: Researchers use radiation to sterilize male insects and then release them into the orchard when the first generation of mating occurs. While the physical aspect of mating still takes place, the female is not fertilized, resulting in an unproductive mating process and, overtime, reducing the NOW population.

    However, using SIT to reduce the NOW population in almonds alone would only bring short-term success; controlling NOW requires solutions that work beyond almonds. Even if NOW damage is reduced on an annual basis in almonds, the pest will still be flying to other crops, such as pistachios and walnuts, and replenishing its population there. Therefore, the Almond Board’s big-picture approach to NOW control involves a collaborative effort with other nut industries. By working together, each industry will be able to establish new options for pest management that can be applied across the various crops.

    “Together, the California almond industry and other crops will test the viability of  the sterile insect technique to determine how this control method will work across the various commodities,” said Josette Lewis, director of Agricultural Affairs at the Almond Board.

    Federal funds may also be available to support SIT research and the facilities where the sterile insects will be raised prior to being released and tested in almond and pistachio orchards. Almonds growers and other industry members who want to learn about the process to obtain federal funding for this project can contact Elaine Trevino (etrevino@almondalliance.org) at the Almond Alliance for more information.

    “The Almond Board has spent decades researching NOW to better understand how growers can combat this pest and better protect their crop, and through that research we’ve had great findings,” said Lewis. “Still, there’s more work to be done and the Almond Board looks forward to partnering with researchers, the almond industry and the broader ag community in exploring this sterile insect opportunity for NOW control.”

    Those interested to learn more about the SIT project, as well as the almond industry’s research in NOW and its effects, should attend the Almond Board of California’s NOW Summit on June 18 at the Modesto Junior College Agricultural Pavilion. During this event nut growers, PCAs and others involved in California agriculture can gather to learn more about ABC’s current NOW research, what problems remain and what potential solutions lie on the horizon. Speakers and the agenda are still being finalized, but one of the items that will be discussed is the NOW SIT project. Visit Almonds.com/Events for more information about the summit.

    About the Almond Board of California

    California Almonds make life better by what we grow and how we grow. The Almond Board of California promotes natural, wholesome and quality almonds through leadership in strategic market development, innovative research, and accelerated adoption of industry best practices on behalf of the more than 6,800 almond farmers and processors in California, most of whom are multi-generational family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit Almonds.com or check out California Almonds on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and the California Almonds blog.

  • Trade Mitigation Funding for CA Walnut Export Market Development

    Trade Mitigation Funding for CA Walnut Export Market Development

    The California Walnut Commission has the opportunity to continue its efforts to expand export market development with the USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) and Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP). Through a competitive grant process, the CWC was awarded $4.1 million in MAP funds on February 6, 2019. The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) partners with U.S. agricultural trade associations, cooperatives, state regional trade groups and small businesses to share the costs (by matching dollars) of overseas marketing and promotional activities that help build commercial export markets for U.S. agricultural products and commodities.

    This is on the heels of the January 31, 2019 announcement awarding the CWC $1.6 million in additional funding through the Agriculture Trade Promotion Program (ATP) to conduct activities that would augment and expand current export promotion activities. Administered by USDA’s FAS, the ATP is one of three USDA programs within the Trump Administration’s trade mitigation package announced last year, created to provide relief to farmers suffering from the effects of recent trade retaliation against U.S. farmers and exporters. With the industry facing challenges in some key markets due to tariff actions over the past year, additional resources like ATP funds are critical to bolster and expand export markets. As part of the trade mitigation package, the USDA will purchase $34.6 million in walnuts through the Food Purchase and Distribution Program which will remove volume from the market and shore up wholesale prices.

    California walnut growers have a long history of recognizing the value of export market development. The California walnut industry has grown in the past decade with production nearly doubling since 2007. MAP and ATP funds allow the Commission to develop and execute integrated marketing programs to increase awareness of walnuts grown in California, drive retail purchase, and educate food manufacturers, chefs and other key decision makers on how to incorporate California walnuts into their product and menu offerings.

  • New Governor, Wet Year, What Does this Mean For California Water Storage?

    New Governor, Wet Year, What Does this Mean For California Water Storage?

    A new governor, a new year, and lots of rain and snow!  It’s going to be an interesting year for California farmers and what kind of support they may or may not receive on the water front.  Check out this brief interview with Mike Wade from the California Farm Water Coalition for his insights and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • FDA Announces Enforcement Discretion Policy for Almonds in Action Applauded by the Almond Alliance

    FDA Announces Enforcement Discretion Policy for Almonds in Action Applauded by the Almond Alliance

    We have goods news on the FSMA front. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has initiated the regulatory process to put almonds on the “rarely consumed raw” list.  After years of discussions with the Almond Alliance and the Almond Board of California as to why almonds should be on the “rarely consumed raw”  list given the self-imposed pasteurization rule, FDA moved to make this a reality.

    The  California almond industry is a leader in food safety and through education and FDAs understanding on industry practices and requirements, we have worked together to prevent unnecessary regulation for our industry.

    The Almond Alliance President Elaine Trevino said the FDA action, “This is significant for the California almond industry.  The leadership at FDA has accepted the information and evidence that almonds are in fact rarely consumed raw. The industry went through an exhaustive process many years ago to get its pasteurization rule approved. We are pleased the FDA listened to the science and evidence that we presented and took the appropriate action in placing almonds on the rarely consumed raw list.”

    In 2015, FDA created the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). FSMA consists of seven regulations and one of which applies to almond growers, the Produce Safety Rule. The “Produce Safety Rule,” provides standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables for human consumption.  Since 2015, the Almond Alliance has been advocating on behalf of the California almond industry, explaining the pasteurization rule and why California almonds should be included on the “rarely consumed raw” list.

    Trevino thanked the Almond Board of California for its work in providing scientific research in support of the FDA’s action to place almonds on the “rarely consumed raw” list, singling out Tim Birmingham Director of Quality Assurance and Industry Services for the Almond Board, for his work.

    The Produce Safety Rule establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables for human consumption. The rule does not apply to produce that is considered to be rarely consumed raw (RCR), grown for personal or on-farm consumption, or not a raw agricultural commodity. Commodities considered to be RCR are those that the FDA has determined are typically cooked before consumption. Almond Alliance will continue to educate and encourage safe food and growing practices.

    About the Almond Alliance of California

    The Almond Alliance of California (AAC) was formerly the Almond Hullers and Processors Association and is a trusted non-profit organization with a mission of advocating on behalf of the Almond industry in California. AAC actively advocates for the positions of almond growers, hullers, shellers, handers and processors, while educating the industry about upcoming and existing regulatory changes.  Through workshops, newsletters, conferences and meetings, AAC serves as a clearing house of information that informs the almond industry and continues to position the industry as an agricultural leader in the state.

  • Deciphering the Walnut Genome

    Deciphering the Walnut Genome

    California produces 99 percent of the walnuts grown in the United States. New research could provide a major boost to the state’s growing $1.6 billion walnut industry by making it easier to breed walnut trees better equipped to combat the soil-borne pathogens that now plague many of California’s 4,800 growers.

    In a new study, a team of scientists at the University of California, Davis, and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS)used a unique approach to sequence the genomes of the English walnut and its wild North American relative by tapping into the capabilities of two state-of-the-art technologies: long-read DNA sequencing and optical genome mapping. The resulting genome sequences are believed to be of the highest quality ever assembled of any woody perennial.

    “By sequencing the genome of a walnut hybrid, we produced complete genome sequences for both parents in the time normally required to produce the sequence of one genome,” said Ming-Cheng Luo, leading genomics investigator on the project and a research geneticist in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis.

    This approach could be applied to genome sequencing of trees and many other woody perennials, opening the door to a better understanding of the genetic blueprints of almonds, pecans, pistachios and grapes.

    “Like walnut, these other crops naturally cross-pollinate and are therefore highly variable,” said Jan Dvorak, co-principle investigator and genetics professor at the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis. “Variability has always greatly complicated our ability to produce a high-quality genome sequence for such crops, but these new technologies now make it possible,” Dvorak added.

    In California, walnuts are grown commercially using rootstocks chosen specifically for their ability to tolerate various soil-borne diseases.  “We chose to cross the widely used English walnut specifically with the wild Texas Black walnut because of its native resistance to several soil-borne diseases and root nematodes, which are serious pests of walnut in California” said Dan Kluepfel, a USDA-ARS scientist and principal investigator of the walnut-rootstock development project.

    The assembled genome sequences of the two walnut species also will now help researchers identify genetic markers that breeders can use to develop new varieties with improved pathogen and pest resistance.

    Major contributors to the project included UC Davis scientists Tingting Zhu, Le Wang, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientistFrank You.

    The study was published online today in Horticulture Research. The research was funded by the California Walnut Board and the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative. The study can be found here.

    The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

  • Young Pistachio Orchard Nutrient Management 101 with Bob Beede

    Young Pistachio Orchard Nutrient Management 101 with Bob Beede

    When is it too late to plant a pistachio orchard?  How do you properly care for these young trees and ensure they get all nutrients they need to someday become healthy high yielding trees?  Watch the interview with UCCE Farm Advisor Emeritus Bob Beede as he answers these questions, and read more about it in Bob’s monthly pistachio Orchard Tasks column in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • When to Start Irrigating Young Pistachios in a Wet Year

    When to Start Irrigating Young Pistachios in a Wet Year

    As growers have experienced a wet winter and early spring, it may be a little more difficult to determine exactly when to start irrigating their young pistachio trees. In some cases, they might also notice what appears to be a boron deficiency as the young trees start leafing out, which might actually just be a symptom of too much water in the soil. Watch this interview with UCCE Farm Advisor Emeritus Bob Beede as he explains, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
  • Record High Pistachio Acreage Planted in 2018

    Record High Pistachio Acreage Planted in 2018

    Along with record high pistachio production in the western United States in 2018, a record number of acres were planted to pistachios as well last year. Is this good news or bad news for the pistachio industry? Watch this interview with American Pistachio Growers’ Executive Director Richard Matoian to find out, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.