These are some recent scientific articles that examine vegetarian diets’ role in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Note: This is not a comprehensive listing.

Craig WJ.
Nutr Clin Pract . 2010 Dec;25(6):613-20.
Health effects of vegan diets.

Craig WJ.
Am J Clin Nutr . 2009 May;89(5):1627S-1633S. Epub 2009 Mar 11. Review.
Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets.

Craig WJ, Mangels AR; American Dietetic Association.
J Am Diet Assoc . 2009 Jul;109(7):1266-82.
Vegetarian diets: what do we know of their effects on common chronic diseases?

Fraser GE.
Am J Clin Nutr . 2009 May;89(5):1607S-1612S. Epub 2009 Mar 25. Review.

Erratum in: Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jul;90(1):248.
Health effects of vegetarian and vegan diets.

Key TJ, Appleby PN, Rosell MS.
Proc Nutr Soc . 2006 Feb;65(1):35-41. Review.
Effects of plant-based diets on plasma lipids.

Ferdowsian HR, Barnard ND.
Am J Cardiol . 2009 Oct 1;104(7):947-56. Review.
These are some research articles on vegetarian diets in treatment of heart disease/high cholesterol: Intensive lifestyle changes for reversal of coronary heart disease.

Ornish D, Scherwitz LW, Billings JH, Brown SE, Gould KL, Merritt TA, Sparler S, Armstrong WT, Ports TA, Kirkeeide RL, Hogeboom C, Brand RJ.
JAMA . 1998 Dec 16;280(23):2001-7. Erratum in: JAMA 1999 Apr 21;281(15):1380.

The contribution of changes in diet, exercise, and stress management to changes in coronary risk in women and men in the multisite cardiac lifestyle intervention program.

Daubenmier JJ, Weidner G, Sumner MD, Mendell N, Merritt-Worden T, Studley J, Ornish D.
Ann Behav Med . 2007 Fe b;33(1):57-68.
The portfolio diet for cardiovascular risk reduction.

Jenkins DJ, Josse AR, Wong JM, Nguyen TH, Kendall CW.
Curr Atheroscler Rep . 2007 Dec;9(6):501-7.
Effect of plant sterols in combination with other cholesterol-lowering foods.

Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Nguyen TH, Marchie A, Faulkner DA, Ireland C, Josse AR, Vidgen E, Trautwein EA, Lapsley KG, Holmes C, Josse RG, Leiter LA, Connelly PW, Singer W.
Metabolism . 2008 Jan;57(1):130-9.
A dietary portfolio: maximal reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with diet.

Kendall CW, Jenkins DJ.
Curr Atheroscler Rep . 2004 Nov;6(6):492-8.
Assessment of the longer-term effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods in hypercholesterolemia.

Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Faulkner DA, Nguyen T, Kemp T, Marchie A, Wong JM, de Souza R, Emam A, Vidgen E, Trautwein EA, Lapsley KG, Holmes C, Josse RG, Leiter LA, Connelly PW, Singer W.
Am J Clin Nutr . 2006 Mar;83(3):582-91.
Direct comparison of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods with a statin in hypercholesterolemic participants.

Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, Faulkner DA, Wong JM, de Souza R, Emam A, Parker TL, Vidgen E, Trautwein EA, Lapsley KG, Josse RG, Leiter LA, Singer W, Connelly PW.
Am J Clin Nutr . 2005 Feb;81(2):380-7.
A dietary portfolio approach to cholesterol reduction: combined effects of plant sterols, vegetable proteins, and viscous fibers in hypercholesterolemia.

Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Faulkner D, Vidgen E, Trautwein EA, Parker TL,
Marchie A, Koumbridis G, Lapsley KG, Josse RG, Leiter LA, Connelly PW.
Metabolism . 2002 Dec;51(12):1596-604.

Thanks to VRG volunteer Sara Griffith for designing the graphic below for VRG’s annual scholarship!

Copy the text below and paste it into your website to use this image to promote our scholarship on the web!

<a href="http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.vrg.org/img/home/scholarship_banner.jpg" width="195" height="135" alt="Vegetarian Resource Group College Scholarships!" /></a>

Click here to learn more about the scholarship, download the application, and read about past winners.

Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $10,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Two awards of $5,000 each will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2011. Deadline is February 20, 2011. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2011. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by telephone.

Kwanzaa is right around the corner, so thanks to Gia’s Irie Kitchen for adapting and sharing this recipe with us!

Kwanzaa Cranberry Cheese Dip (Vegan)

Ingredients:

8 oz Tofutti cream cheese (soften)
¼ cup Tofutti sour cream
½ cup dried cranberries (sun dried preferably)
½ tsp chives
½ tsp dried thyme
orange zest
　
Mix all ingredients well. Serve with bread or crackers

Plain Vanilla? Hardly. The Alternative Baking Company, well known to vegan cookie lovers everywhere, has come up with a cookie that is a direct hit to the comfort food area of the vegan soul. The texture—chewy, but not too soft—is the perfect complement to the warm, vanilla hug that the cookie gives your tongue. On a cold and bitter winter’s day, grab a few of these and a cup of something hot, and you will have a hard time finding anything wrong with the world. That is, until you eat the last one.

You can order the Alternative Baking Company’s cookies from their website or wherever fine vegan snack items are sold.

The Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2010 extends tax-free donations to charities such as VRG from individual retirement accounts (IRAs). This legislation allows seniors (age 70 1/2 and older) to transfer up to $100,000 per year directly from their IRAs to charities in 2011. The withdrawal would be tax-free and would fulfill the requirements for required minimum distributions. There would be no additional deduction for the charitable donation. This provision is especially beneficial to those individuals who do not need the money from their required minimum distributions and who could be obligated to pay alternative minimum tax as a result of such distributions. This is not personal tax or financial advice. Please speak to your tax, legal, and financial advisers about specifics.

Chapter 21: Party Planning For People with Diabetes

Excerpted from:

Vegans Know How to Party
OVER 465 VEGANS RECIPES, INCLUDING DESSERTS, APPETIZERS, AND MAIN DISHES
By Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD

Purchase a copy for $25.00 here
**And for a limited time, click here to order 4 books for $50 – a great holiday gift for friends and family!**

Fast Overview

Just as a fast review, there are two basic types of diabetes. People with Type I diabetes are reliant on injectable insulin. In the past, Type I diabetes was called juvenile diabetes. Individuals with Type II diabetes many times can be treated without insulin, with diet and exercise being important parts of treatment. In the past, Type II diabetes was called adult- onset diabetes. Neither type of diabetes limits itself to a particular age group, and so the more appropriate Type I and Type II terms are used today.

Everybody's cells get their energy from a sugar called glucose. Glucose is obtained from many different types of foods, such as potatoes, fruit, breads, pasta, etc. Glucose is stored in the liver. Your liver releases glucose into the blood when your body needs energy. The organs that needed the energy capture the glucose and use it. Insulin, a substance released by the pancreas helps glucose get inside cells. If you are a Type II diabetic, your pancreas might not be able to release all the insulin it makes. Without insulin, the body doesn't know how to use glucose. When the glucose can't get inside the cells, it accumulates in the blood. Too much glucose in the blood can lead to many medical problems. If necessary, you can help your body use the glucose it needs by taking diabetic medication properly, exercising, and eating properly. It has been found that just a ten-pound weight loss (in people who need to lose weight) helps insulin to work better and that regular exercise also helps your body use insulin.

What to Eat?

In the 1920's, after it was understood that injected insulin alone was not enough to control diabetes and that the way one ate affected one's diabetes, researchers set out to find exactly what type of diet should be recommended to people with diabetes. One theory, in the 1930's, was that people with diabetes knew intuitively what to eat. In other words, researchers thought that your body would tell you what it needed. That didn't work. Eliminating all sugar from the diet didn't either. After much trial and error, it was found that people with diabetes did best when they ate a balanced diet that kept them at their ideal body weight. Based on the balanced diet theory, the American Dietetic Association began to formulate diabetic diets. From observation it was found that the avoidance of certain foods did little to control diabetes, where a diet balanced in protein, fat, and carbohydrates seemed to help the condition. But how do you design balanced menus for all people with diabetes all the time? It couldn't be expected that every diabetic would visit their dietitian regularly to pick up menus. It was also not realistic to expect that people with diabetes could or would adhere strictly to menus for which they gave no input. This is when a great solution was devised – the exchange lists for meal planning.

Back to the Future

The exchange lists for meal planning, with variations on a theme, are what dietitians and healthcare workers have used to calculate diabetic diets for the past four decades. The exchanges are arranged into three groups. The carbohydrate group includes starch, fruit, milk, and vegetable exchanges; the meat group includes very lean, lean, medium-fat, and fat meats, seafood, poultry, and meat substitute exchanges; and the fat group includes saturated and unsaturated fat exchanges. Each exchange is assigned a calorie level; for example, one fat exchange is 45 calories. Each food within the exchange is assigned a portion amount. For example, one slice of bacon, one-eighth of an avocado, and one teaspoon of margarine are all one fat exchange and all worth 45 calories. People who have worked with the exchanges for a while find they can analyze a recipe or a menu in a matter of minutes.

The exchanges give patients and menu planners freedom of choice. Instead of being told that they must have grapefruit juice at breakfast time, a patient is told that they are entitled to one fruit exchange in the morning. This can be translated into the correct portion size of juice, fresh fruit, dried fruit, or canned or frozen unsweetened fruit.

People with diabetes are counseled as to the correct calorie level for maintenance of good health. The exchange lists allow them to select types and amounts of food while maintaining a healthy calorie level. For example, if told they could have 1 fruit exchange, 2 lean meat exchanges, 2 starch exchanges, and 1 fat exchange for breakfast, one person might select cantaloupe wedges, steamed tofu, and 2 slices of toast and margarine, while another individual might select tomato juice, hummus (as the meat exchange), and a toasted bagel. Both meals comply with the exchanges.

Let's Party

Holidays and special meal events can be frustrating times for people with diabetes and the people providing meals for them. While current theory has it that no foods need be excluded from diabetic diets (except for severe cases), daily intake must be balanced and within the person's calorie level. And although an occasional piece of cake might be allowed, holiday meals often have very few options for people with diabetes.

When designing festive menus, consider that everyone, including people with diabetes, can benefit from menu items that are tasty and fun yet lower in fat and concentrated sweets. Rather than having to create separate dishes for people with diabetes, offer lots of dishes that everyone can enjoy, with perhaps a portion variation for some of the more controlled people with diabetes.

Many of your favorite festive menu items already fit the bill, especially entrées (serve the sauces on the side). Instead of cranberry sauce, offer stewed apples with almonds, raisins, and cinnamon. Instead of chocolate sauce, offer fruit coulis made with frozen fruit, flavoring extracts, and fruit juice concentrate. Tofu makes a creamy base for savory or sweet sauces, requiring little sugar for sweetness (make a creamy dessert sauce with silken tofu, puréed strawberries, and orange zest). Poached or stewed fruit or salsas make low-sugar, lowfat accompaniments to roasted tempeh or seitan or other savory entrées. Once you get into this, you will be surprised at how easy it is to convert your party menus into diabetic-friendly meals.

Here's a traditional festive meal (and our thoughts on making it diabetic-friendly):

• Crudités platter with sour-cream based dip (replace dip with a bean or lowfat soy yogurt-based dip)
• Assorted dinner rolls (no problem)
• Roasted seitan with rosemary and mushroom gravy (seitan is fine; serve gravy on the side or offer a fresh berry relish)
• Cranberry sauce (offer stewed fruit compote or hot seasoned applesauce)
• Mashed potatoes made with soymilk and vegan margarine (no problem; for a lower fat version, try using lowfat soymilk or lowfat vegetable broth)
• Canned sweet potatoes with pineapple (Have you ever tasted baked fresh sweet potatoes? They put canned to shame. Simply bake, cube, and serve with a bit of vegan margarine, or mash them with a small amount of vegan margarine, nutmeg, and ginger. Canned, unsweetened pineapple is fine.)
• Green beans with almonds (no problem)
• Bread stuffing (no problem; a little high in fat, but it's a party!)
• Traditional pumpkin pie (several choices here: for example, make a lower sugar, lower fat pumpkin custard with canned pumpkin, silken tofu, and apple juice concentrate)

Parties for Everybody

With an eye to individual people with diabetic needs, here are some suggestions for festive foods that can fit into a diabetic pattern.

Company Breakfast:

• Fresh fruit slices with citrus-maple syrup dip (dip made with 2 cups lowfat soy yogurt, 1 Tablespoon orange or lime juice, and 2 Tablespoons maple syrup to serve 12 people)
• Baked apples seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and apple juice
• Peaches with raspberry sauce (frozen or juice-packed peaches; sauce made with soy yogurt, frozen unsweetened raspberries, and orange juice concentrate)
• Silken tofu omelets with fresh chopped herbs and veggies
• Cornbread and zucchini muffins (made with juice concentrate rather than sugar) with raisins and nuts and served with hot fruit compote (stewed apples, pears, peaches, and dried fruit)
• Baked oatmeal (made with layers of prepared oatmeal, unsweetened canned or frozen fruit, dried fruit, and fruit-flavored soy yogurt)

Buffet:

• Grilled vegetable platter (zucchini, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers sliced, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with chopped oregano and basil then grilled); served with fresh salsa
• Twice-baked potatoes (stuffed with potatoes mashed with silken tofu and unflavored soy yogurt, chopped fresh parsley, and onion and garlic powder)
• Mock "Shrimp" and "crab" stuffed mini-pitas (vegan shrimp and crab products chopped with fresh vegetables) or vegan "shrimp" wrapped with snow peas
• Stuffed mushrooms (bread stuffing made with water chestnuts, chopped onions, and minced garlic)
• Spinach dip (thawed frozen chopped spinach mixed with soy yogurt, fresh bread crumbs, chopped fresh parsley, and chopped green onions)
• Crudités with creamy dill dip (dip made with dill weed, soy yogurt or sour cream, chopped bell peppers, and black pepper); cruditiés can be any crunchy veggie, such as jicama, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, radishes, canned asparagus, canned baby corn, snow peas, or mushrooms.

Desserts:

• Banana cake (see recipe later in this chapter) served with a fresh or frozen fruit sauce (purée strawberries with a small amount of orange juice concentrate and vanilla extract)
• Chocolate banana cake (banana cake made with the addition of 2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder) served with fresh or frozen berries
• Poached pears (poach pears in apple juice flavored with cinnamon and ginger)
• Fruit smoothies (made with fresh or frozen fruit, soy yogurt or silken tofu, and juice concentrate)
• Pudding parfaits (made from vegan pudding mix and lowfat soymilk, layered with unsweetened granola and chopped dried fruit)
• Fruit tarts (purchase prepared tart shells or arrange vanilla wafers or ginger snaps in individual dishes; fill with low-calorie vegan pudding and top with fruit)
• Mini sundaes (made with sorbet or frozen vegan desserts, topped with chopped nuts, chopped fruit, and fruit sauce)
• Ice cream club sandwiches (made with vegan graham crackers, sorbet or frozen vegan dessert, chopped fruit, and chopped nuts)

Beverages:

• Flavored coffees
• Hot herbed tea with citrus slices and mint sprigs
• Fruit punch (made with unsweetened juices, sparkling water, and sherbet)
• Fruit smoothies (made with unflavored soy yogurt or tofu, fresh or frozen fruit, spices)

The following recipes are written in amounts for caterers, or for prepping ahead and freezing or storing for later use.

Red Onion and Basil Salad Dressing

Makes 1 pint or 2 cups

• 3 Tablespoons diced red onions
• 1 Tablespoon diced white onion
• 1 Tablespoon dried basil
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cold vegetable broth
• 2 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (or 3 Tablespoons soft tofu)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

One portion (1 ounce) = 20 calories, 3 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fat, and no protein, or approx. 1/3 bread exchange, 1/8 fat exchange

Oatmeal Apricot Bars

Makes fifty 2 x 3-inch bars

• 1 pound vegan margarine
• 1 pound brown sugar or sugar (favorite vegan variety)
• 1/2 pound unsweetened applesauce (1 cup)
• 3 ounces unsweetened apple juice concentrate (1/3 cup)
• 11/2 pounds all purpose flour (or half and half unbleached and whole wheat flour)
• 1 pound 12 ounces uncooked quick oats (43/4 cups)
• 3 Tablespoons baking soda
• 2 pounds chopped dried apricots (31/2 cups)
• 1 pound chopped golden raisins (2 cups)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixer bowl, combine margarine and sugar and beat until well mixed. Add applesauce and concentrate and beat until smooth.

Combine flour, oats, and soda. Add to margarine and mix until just combined. Mixture should be crumbly.

Spread half of mixture evenly on 4-5 ungreased baking sheets. Cover mixture with chopped fruit. Top evenly with remaining mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Depending upon oven space, you may have to do this in batches.

Cut into bars and serve warm or allow bars to cool. Serve with stewed fruit or yogurt with chopped dried fruit.

Note: Make this recipe ahead of time and either store in airtight containers in the freezer, or in a cool, dark area.

One bar = 245 calories, 46 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams fat, and 3 grams of protein. Approx. 21/2 starch exchanges and 11/2 fat exchanges.

Banana Cake

Makes three 9-inch cakes or 25 portions

• 1/2 pound vegan margarine (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 pound sugar (about 1 cup) (favorite vegan variety)
• 1 pound applesauce (about 4 cups)
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup silken tofu
• 21/2 pounds mashed bananas (about 51/2 cups)
• 2 pounds cake flour (about 4 cups)
• 3 Tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 8 ounces unflavored or vanilla soy yogurt (about 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer bowl, combine margarine, sugar, applesauce, and vanilla and mix until well combined and fluffy. Add tofu and mix until well combined. Add bananas and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Combine flour, powder, and soda. With the mixer at low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and yogurt. Mix until well combined.

Place batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans (if loaf pans are used instead, baking time will have to be increased). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean.

Cool and then remove from pans. Serve as breakfast bread with fresh fruit or as a dessert, served with sorbet.

One portion = 250 calories, 40 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams fat, and 3 grams protein, or approx. 31/2 bread exchanges, 2 fat exchanges.

Roasted Two-Pepper Soup

Serves 10 (4-ounce or 1/2 cup portions)

• 1 pound green bell peppers (about 2 cups)
• 11/2 pounds red bell peppers (about 3 cups)
• 1 ounce olive oil (about 2 Tablespoons)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup finely diced onions
• 1/2 cup finely diced fresh tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons ground oregano
• 11/2 pints vegetable stock (about 3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon white pepper

Pierce whole peppers and rub with oil. Place on ungreased baking sheet and roast in 375 degree oven until skins are blistered. Remove from oven, place in a plastic bag, and allow to cool (this makes removing the skin easier). Peel, seed, and chop peppers. Set aside.

Lightly sauté garlic and onions in a medium stockpot (use oil or vegetable spray). Add tomatoes and oregano. Sauté until soft. Add stock, white pepper, and chopped peppers and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

If desired, purée for a creamy texture. Pair with crudities and crunchy bread for a light supper.

One portion= 96 calories, 15 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fat, 3 grams protein, or approx. 1 bread exchange, 1/2 fat exchange

Fruit Cobbler with Biscuit Topping

Makes ten 3 x 2-inch portions

Use a combination of unsweetened peaches, apples, pears, cherries, and berries in this cobbler.

• 3 pounds mixed frozen fruit (peaches, apples, pears, cherries, and berries), drained (about 6 cups)
• 3 cups juice (juice drained from fruit plus unsweetened apple juice to make total amount)
• 1 cup sugar (favorite vegan variety)
• 6 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon fresh orange zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 cups vegan biscuit mix
• 3/4 cup water

Reserve fruit in large mixing bowl. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small stockpot, heat juice to boiling. Lower heat. Mix sugar, cornstarch, zests, cinnamon, and ginger together and add to juice. Stir to combine. Add water and whisk until thickened.

Place fruit in a 9 x 12-inch casserole or baking dish. Pour thickened juice over fruit.

In a separate bowl, combine biscuit mix and water. Mix until soft dough is formed. Roll biscuit dough on a floured board to a 2-inch thickness. Place rolled dough on top of fruit. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until browned.

Serve warm and use for breakfast, or allow to cool and serve as a holiday dessert with flavored whipped topping.

One portion = 195 calories, 30 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams fat, and 1 gram protein or approx. 21/2 starch exchanges, 2 fat exchanges

Excerpted from Vegans Know How to Party

By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RDB

Click here to order a copy of Vegans Know How to Party

Also of interest.

http://www.vrg.org/journal/diabetes.htm

Zogby recently released the following statement about the accuracy of interactive polls.

From Zogby International:

Vindicated Interactive Polling By John Zogby

Much has been written about the use of interactive, or Internet-based, polling. Most critics claim it is not trustworthy or credible, but I have found interactive polling has proven to be accurate.

Our own final 2010 Congressional generic Zogby Interactive poll was very accurate, and matched closely or exactly with the exit polling. Specifically, here are the percentages in our Zogby sample and the actual exit voter poll turnout numbers in parentheses: conservatives 40% (41%), Democrats 36% (36%), Republicans 35% (36%), independents 30% (28%), white 78% (79%) and college graduates 45% (49%).

Just as important our last pre-election poll had independents breaking for Republicans, 54%-37%. The exit polls found the GOP winning among Independents, 56%-39%, all within the margin of error of our interactive poll findings.

While 2010 proved to be a good year for interactive polling, so have previous election years. In 2004, the last Zogby Interactive poll before the election (results on Nov. 1, 2004) found almost exactly the same results as the exit polling on Election Day, the Zogby results in parentheses, Bush 51% (50%) and Kerry 48% (49%). In 2008, we did not poll all the way up until Election Day, however, our last poll results (Oct. 31, 2008), were still very close to the actual results and certainly accurate for four days from the election. Specifically, the Zogby numbers (in parentheses) matched very closely to the actual results: Obama 52% (49%) and McCain 46% (47%).

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Introduction
Growing 21st century interest and investment in renewable energy sources and biodegradable products mean that the food industry, as well as the pharmaceutical, textile, paper, and biomedical industries, is becoming greener, too. A major reason for this shift is the corn protein, zein, (pronounced “ZEE-in”). A major zein scientist told The VRG that zein is a “plastic protein with huge potential.”

Zein is considered Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and so can be used in food. Some of its characteristics that make it appealing in many different food applications described in this article include its ability to: form films and coatings; resist grease; act as a water vapor barrier; act as an oxygen barrier; resist microbial contamination; and be non-allergenic. Zein is considered renewable and biodegradable. Zein is of poor nutritional value as a protein source.

History and Uses of Zein
Zein was first identified and isolated from corn in 1821. Commercial production didn’t begin until the late 1930s and lasted only twenty years, until it was replaced mostly by cheaper petrochemical-based substances (for example, plastics, polyurethane varnishes, and nylon that typically cost less than $1/lb). At its height, zein was used in the manufacture of fiber, adhesives, and binders (for example, in ink).

The first major commercial use for zein, however, was as a coating. During World War II, when shellac (produced by an insect) was in short supply, zein was used as its replacement: in lacquers, varnishes, and coatings. Zein was commonly used as a floor coating for steamship engine rooms because of its durability and resistance to grease. Sometimes, zein was mixed with rosin (derived from trees or plants). A zein-rosin floor coating had improved resistance and remained glossy longer than shellac-covered floors.

However, zein would sometimes form a gel and not be usable as a coating. Despite chemical modifications that made zein remain in liquid form and not form a gel, 1950s consumers showed a stronger preference for shellac in spite of the fact that the shellac cost substantially more than zein at the time.

A quality assurance manager at a shellac company told The VRG that the 2010 lac resin (i.e., the raw material of shellac) harvest was particularly bad due to climate conditions and has doubled the price of shellac, (to ~$7/lb.) . Currently, zein is even more expensive than shellac per pound (~$10-$20/lb.), according to a zein company, but not so considering that only half as much zein is used as shellac for the same application. Scientists at several companies told The VRG that increasing supply of zein due to corn extraction improvements is predicted to make zein more price-competitive.

Zein was also frequently used in the mid-20th century to coat pharmaceutical tablets because of its ability to form films and resist microbes. It is still widely used today for this purpose, usually labeled as “vegetable protein” on a pill bottle. Several zein scientists in private industry and in government told The VRG that zein should continue to play a major role in the pharmaceutical industry.

During its peak, zein was also used to coat foods, such as fortified rice. A senior scientist at a major bioethanol company told The VRG that today there is interest in zein as a rice coating for use in rice-containing premixes in order to make cooking times for all ingredients in the premix more uniform.

Zein was also used to coat nuts (to prevent rancidity), fruit (to prevent mold growth and decrease dryness), and candy (as a protective film) in the 1940s-1950s. At the time, zein was believed to be equal or superior to shellac in terms of gloss and moisture resistance in candy. Today shellac or vegetable wax is more common in fruit, nuts and candy. More recently, there has been some work done with zein as a coating for tomatoes, because it delays color change, maintains firmness, and reduces weight loss during storage.

Grease resistance is one of the most important characteristics of zein, making it very useful in the food packaging industry. Zein coatings were, and still are, put on cartons of doughnuts, crackers, pies, and cookies. Often the coating consisted of zein, rosin, and other substances.

The VRG spoke with Dr. Nicholas Parris who has done much work with zein as a food packaging coating. Waxed paper boxes (such as those used for frozen foods) are not presently recyclable, because it is difficult to separate the paraffin wax (a petrochemical) from the paper fiber without damaging machinery. Parris was able to accomplish this on a test scale easily and inexpensively ($1/lb.) when zein was used along with corn lipid (i.e., fat) molecules known as free fatty acids (FFA). According to Parris, the lipid in the zein-lipid mixture replaced the paraffin and other petrochemical-based substances used to make wax paper and wax-coated packaging. In the mixture, the zein resisted grease and the fatty acids repelled water. Boxes coated in this fashion would not only be biodegradable; they would be also recyclable.

According to two zein companies, zein is expected to become common as a chewing gum base in the near future. One company is planning to build an Iowa plant (near the cornfields) for this purpose. Another new use for zein may be as a food coating to reduce fat absorption in high-fat foods.

Improvements in Zein Extraction from Corn
Zein is considered a “value-added” co-product of bioethanol production. This means that zein, if it is a marketable co-product of a process intended to make biofuel, could substantially lower the production cost of that biofuel. This is desired by (1) bioethanol companies because it increases their profits; and (2) all driving consumers paying for gasoline.

One of the reasons that zein is expensive is that it is traditionally extracted from corn gluten meal, an expensive byproduct of the corn industry. The corn gluten meal is produced by a wet-milling process that separates the oil, starch, protein, and fiber components of corn. In this process only 5% of the corn becomes corn gluten meal. In this process, sulfur dioxide, a very potent chemical, is used. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately 36% of total bioethanol production comes from the wet-milling operation.

Approximately sixty-four percent of fuel ethanol, however, is produced by the “dry grind” method. This method yields dried distiller’s grains, (DDGs), all the non-starch components of corn, equivalent to 28% of the corn processed. In bioethanol production today, there is approximately twice as much DDGs produced per year in the US as compared to corn gluten meal. Finding and perfecting a method to extract zein from DDGs is therefore more cost efficient for large scale production

POET, the largest bioethanol company in this country, which uses a dry grind process, does not use sulfur dioxide to separate out the zein in its “no-cook” (i.e., without heat) ethanol production. DDGs are usually sold as cheap animal feed. Now, DDGs are being re-routed and used to extract value-added co-products such as zein. Two zein scientists told the VRG about research being done to incorporate DDGs, which become nutritional sources of protein after zein is removed, into breads.

Much research is being done to perfect the extraction of zein from DDGs. A method to extract the zein using ethanol at a bioethanol plant is more cost effective than producing zein from corn gluten meal at an urban plant simply because two needed materials (corn and ethanol) are present. After some ethanol produced in the plant as fuel is diverted to extract the zein, this ethanol is separated and recycled back into the stream of production, eventually becoming part of the total ethanol yield at the plant.

Many refinements have occurred in the dry grind process to extract zein, including techniques used to decolorize and deodorize it by physical separation methods, making the final product purer and more abundant than before. Another technique, the COPE (corn oil and protein extraction) process developed by the University of Illinois, has been licensed to Prairie Gold, a Midwest company. The University of Nebraska is also developing its own method of zein extraction. A few bioethanol companies are actively conducting further research as well.

Conclusion
The current trend toward biofuels and its concomitant production of value-added, corn-based ingredients, all of which are biodegradable and annually renewable, means that “old’ uses for zein may become popular again. Zein as a replacement for shellac is just one example, used as a coating on produce, nuts, and candy.

Zein could also be used as a coating on disposable diapers, bed sheets or tablecloths. Zein may be used to replace a host of petrochemical-based products in the form of soda bottles, plastic bags, foam cups, etc., and is considered better than corn starch-based products. New food uses for zein include zein as a chewing gum base. New agricultural uses include zein as a mulch or fertilizer coating or as an edible hay bale wrapper. New biomedical uses include zein as a component in tissue scaffolding needed for skin and bone regeneration.

Consumer demand and economic necessity will drive the new markets for corn-based products such as zein as well as biofuels.

For more information on shellac, see http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php#lac-resin
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From The Humane Society of the United States:

U.S. Senate Passes Truth in Fur Labeling Act
President Obama Urged to Quickly Sign Bill into Law

WASHINGTON (Dec. 8, 2010) — The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund applaud the U.S. Senate for unanimously approving an important bipartisan bill to protect consumers and animals. The Truth in Fur Labeling Act (H.R. 2480), which passed the House of Representatives in July and now goes to President Obama’s desk, will bring much-needed accuracy and disclosure to fur products.

The HSUS and HSLF expressed their thanks to the sponsors of this legislation—Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and David Vitter, R-La., and Reps. Jim Moran, D-Va., Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., and Ed Whitfield, R-Ky.—for their leadership on this critical animal welfare and consumer protection issue, and to House and Senate leaders for working to bring the bill over the finish line in Congress.

The legislation closes a loophole in federal law that currently allows some animal fur garments to go unlabeled if the value of the fur is $150 or less, leaving consumers in the dark as to whether they are buying faux or animal fur. HSUS investigations have found jackets trimmed with animal fur being sold without labels or falsely advertised as “faux fur” across the country.

“Many consumers prefer to avoid buying and wearing animal fur, and everyone deserves to have accurate information to make informed purchasing choices,” said Michael Markarian, chief operating officer for The HSUS. “The Truth in Fur Labeling Act will protect consumers by requiring all garments containing animal fur to be accurately labeled. We applaud the U.S. Senate and House for passing this common-sense legislation and we urge President Obama to quickly sign it into law.”

Under current law, an estimated 13 percent of animal fur garments sold in the United States do not have to be labeled for fur content because the value of the fur is $150 or less, even if the fur is dyed pink or blue or otherwise processed to look synthetic. The Fur Products Labeling Act, originally passed by Congress in 1951, already requires seven out of every eight fur garments to be labeled with the species of animal and country of origin. The updating of this nearly six-decades-old labeling law will level the playing field, requiring that the remaining fur-trimmed garments meet the same labeling standard. The Federal Trade Commission, consumer organizations, designers, and retailers back this legislation.

Facts:

• Gucci Group, Burberry, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Buffalo Exchange, Overstock.com, Ed Hardy, Victoria Bartlett, Charlotte Ronson, and Andrew Marc, among other retailers and designers, have endorsed closing the fur labeling loophole.
• An HSUS investigation found raccoon dog fur on more than two-thirds of a nationwide sample of fur-trimmed jackets purchased from well-known retailers and designers. Of the raccoon dog fur jackets tested, not a single one properly identified the animal in advertising or labeling, instead calling it such things as faux fur, raccoon, or simply not labeling it at all.
• H.R. 2480 has 171 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, and S. 1076 has 34 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate.
• The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 banned the trade in domestic dog and cat fur after an HSUS investigation revealed the gruesome deaths of 2 million dogs and cats a year in China and other parts of Asia for the fur trade and found domestic dog and cat fur for sale in the United States. The HSUS later found domestic dog fur slipping into the country on unlabeled jackets.
• The HSUS testified in favor of the Truth in Fur Labeling Act at a House subcommittee hearing on May 13.

Those interested in this may also be interested in VRG’s Guide to Food Ingredients.

Life insurance is one valuable method to support nonprofit causes such as The Vegetarian Resource Group. You can designate as a beneficiary one organization, many organizations, or a mixture of organizaitons and your family and/or others. Many people who obtained life insurance to make sure the mortgage is paid or kids would make it through college change the designation once the family is older and those responsibilities are completed. To change the beneficiary with the insurance company, you only need the charity’s name, address, and federal tax number.

Beyond life insurance, any of the following assets can have a charity named as a beneficiary: 401(k) employer retirement plan; 403(b) employer retirement plan (for example TIAA/CREF plan); individual retirement accounts of all types such as Roth, traditional IRA, SEP, and Simple; commercial annuities, checking and savings accounts; and brokerage accounts.

Please obtain personal tax and legal advice from your own accountant, lawyer, or other professional.