health

Can the wildfire particles get into the soil and our food?

Can the particles in the air currently from the Canadian wildfires get into the soil and then into our food being grown locally?

lettuce transplantsSmoke and ash from current Canadian wildfires have raised questions about the safety of produce growing on farms and gardens in Connecticut and beyond. While the number 1 concern from wildfire smoke is human health, chemicals found in the smoke don’t just stay in the air and can deposit onto plants and soils.

From a food safety perspective, there is generally low concern about the chemicals present on soils and produce. A study conducted in California examined 200 samples of greens (collard greens, lettuces, kale, and chard) that were exposed to wildfire smoke and ash. The study found no detectable levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, or chromium in any of the samples. However, it is still important to practice basic food safety measures, such as washing hands before handling produce and thoroughly washing produce before consumption.

When the smoke is light to moderate, it can actually enhance crop growth by diffusing light into the plant canopy. However, severe smoke that blocks sunlight can negatively impact photosynthesis and hinder plant growth and development.

Toxic gases present in smoke, such as nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone, can enter plants through their stomata and cause damage to plant tissues. Ozone, in particular, can burn or oxidize tissues in sensitive plants like cucumber, watermelons, beans, and potatoes. Exposure to wildfire smoke can affect the flavor of certain crops like wine grapes, giving them a smoky taste. The reduced photosynthesis and presence of toxic gases can increase plant stress and delay the physiological processes, resulting in delayed growth and harvest.

Smoke from wildfires can also have indirect effects on agriculture, creating a ripple effect throughout the farming process. The health concerns of farm workers due to the presence of smoke can hinder various farm activities, including crop scouting, fertilization, spraying, and other essential tasks. These disruptions have the potential to adversely impact crop production and overall agricultural output. Pollinator activity is also reduced due to smoke there by having a potential issue with crop pollination.

Answered by: Shuresh Ghimire, PhD, Vegetable Crops Assistant Extension Educator

Protecting Indoor Air from Wildfire Smoke

wildfire smoke in New York City
The Empire State Building in New York City with wildfire smoke. Photo: Ahmer Kalam

Wildfire smoke can damage your lungs, heart, eyes, nose, throat and immune system. Smoke can enter homes and contaminate indoor air. Protect yourself by staying indoors and taking steps to reduce indoor air pollution. Here are tips on how to protect the air in your home.

Why is smoke harmful?

In a wildfire, the major contributor to smoke is fine particulate matter. Of particular concern are the

smallest particles, known as PM2.5. These particles are invisible to the eye. Because they are so small, they can travel deep into the lungs and be absorbed into the body. Larger particles, called PM10, are usually visible in the form of ash. When inhaled, small bits are trapped high in the lungs and typically can be coughed out. However, they can still cause irritation.

Who is at risk?

People sensitive to wildfire smoke include:

  • Children younger than 18
  • Adults 65 or older
  • Pregnant women
  • People with chronic health conditions such as heart or lung disease, asthma or diabetes
  • Anyone who is seriously ill
  • Outdoor workers
  • People of low socioeconomic status, including those who are homeless and those who have limited access to medical care

How does smoke enter homes?

Outdoor air can enter your home in several ways:

  • Open windows and doors
  • Bathroom or kitchen fans that vent to the outdoors
  • Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems with a fresh air intake
  • Small openings, joints and cracks, including those around closed windows and doors

Improve indoor air quality

Take steps to protect the air quality in your home and stay inside.

Keep smoke out of your home

  • Close windows and doors, but don’t block or tamper with
  • Minimize use of exhaust fans or range hoods that don’t vent outside.
  • If your window air conditioner or HVAC system has a fresh air option, turn it off or close the

Adapted from article by Glenda Hyde, Extension Family and Community Health faculty, Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson and Wheeler counties, and associate professor of practice, Oregon State University. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9379-protecting-indoor-air-wildfire-smoke

Sesame in the News

Article by Sharon Gray MPH, RD 

As of January 1, 2023, Sesame is now required to be labeled as an allergen on packaged foods, including dietary supplements. This has been the culmination of efforts for years among food allergy advocates. Sesame is now the country’s ninth major allergen, affecting approximately 1.6 million people (about the population of West Virginia) in the United States. Cases of Sesame allergy, some quite severe, have been rising in recent years along with a growing number of foods that contain the ingredient. Dr. Michael Pistiner, Director of Food Allergy, Education and Prevention at Mass General Hospital for Children believes one reason for the rise in sesame allergies is due to more people in the United States eating sesame- containing products (2019). 

Sesame can be found in obvious places like sesame seeds on bagels. But it is also an ingredient in many foods from ice cream, hummus to protein bars and can be added to sauces, dips and salad dressings and hidden in spices and flavorings. Because it is in a lot of foods as hidden ingredients, it is very hard to avoid. 

The Food Allergy, Safety, Treatment, Education and Reasearch (FASTER) Act became law in April 2021, requiring sesame to be listed on packaged foods beginning January 1, 2023. 

This federal law establishing Sesame labeling by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require food products that were already on their way to the store or in stock before 2023 to list sesame as an allergen. So, unlabeled packaged foods will still be on store shelves in the near future. However, the new federal law did go into effect on January 1, adding sesame to the list of allergens that must appear on food labels if present in the product. Unfortunately, the new labeling requirements are so strict that it costs less to add sesame to food products than to try and keep it out of those foods not meant to contain it. Some of the companies adding sesame to foods that didn’t contain it before include Olive Garden, Wendys, and Chick-fil-A and bread makers that stock grocery shelves and serve schools.  Bakers, especially, find it simpler and less expensive to add sesame to a food – than to try and keep it away from other foods or equipment with sesame.  

Although these actions don’t violate the law, the FDA does not support them. These moves have the unintended effect of the law making it more difficult for sesame allergic customers to find foods that are safe for them to consume. Sesame labeling has been required for years in Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. So, labeling can be done. It is of interest how many companies in the United States will comply with the new labeling law or simply add sesame to their list of ingredients to avoid the law. 

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/allergic-sesame-food-labels-now-must-list-sesame-allergen 

New Label Law has Unintended Effect:  Sesame in More Foods, J. Aleccia 12/21/22 apnews.com 

Here are two examples of how sesame would be labeled on a food package under the new law: 

example of sesame food label example of sesame food label

Questions About Feeding Your Family?

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle may be difficulty when you are worried about the affordability of healthy foods and creating nutritious meals. UConn EFNEP, UConn Healthy Family CT, and SNAP-Ed are dedicated to helping you and your family achieve health goals. Scan the QR code to learn more or visit communitynutrition.cahnr.uconn.edu
community nutrition postcard in english community nutrition postcard in spanish

Invest in Your Health: Cultivating a Healthy Mind Train the Trainer Workshop

Stigma exists across all age groups for those struggling with mental health. Navigation of the
teen years in everyday situations can create angst and uncomfortable feelings that are difficult
to express. According to the CDC, rates of depression and anxiety climb significantly during the
ages of 12-17. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of youths in the United States.

AgriSafe offers Invest in Your Health Trainer Exchange, where educators can be certified to train
on the AgriSafe modules. AgriSafe provides the course instruction and training materials. Under
their open share platform, once certified, educators would be free to use the training materials
in their classroom or out of school settings.

Friday, January 27, 2:00-3:30pm, Middlesex County Extension Center
Saturday, January 28, 1:30-2:30 pm, virtual
Monday, January 30, 6-7:30pm, Litchfield County Extension Center

Register here for Middlesex
Register here for virtual
Register here for Litchfield

Invest in Your Health:
Cultivating a Healthy Mind
Train the Trainer Workshop
Lisa Ford, MA, LADC, LPC
Lisa has served on the board of Connecticut Association for
Addiction Professionals (CAAP), the state chapter of the
National Association of Alcohol and Drug Counselors
(NAADAC) as communications chairperson. She is a member
of NAMI and NAADAC.

Respecting Our Roots with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

A partnership between UConn and local tribes led to the development of Meechooôk Farm and other programs that strengthen the tribal community, their land-base, and self-sufficiency. Learn more about the project by reading this article.

Financial support for this work was provided by the USDA NIFA Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP Awards 2017-41580-26950 and 2022-41580-37944).

 

Visit Extension at the Gather New Haven Festival

Gather New Haven festival flier

Our UConn Extension Master Gardeners will be at the 1st Annual Gather New Haven Festival on Sunday, September 18th, celebrating health, wellness, and nature. Stop by and visit us to learn more about the program, ask your plant and horticulture questions, or pick up an application for our 2023 class.

The First Annual Gather New Haven Festival is scheduled for Sunday, September 18, 2022,  11:00 AM to 5:00 PM in

Degale Field / Goffe Street Park

in the Dixwell neighborhood of New Haven, CT.

The Gather New Haven Festival (Festival) is a celebration and full day of activities focusing on improving community wellbeing through connections with health, wellness, and nature. The Festival considers our communities’ physical, psychological, social, and environmental health concerns. It seeks to inform and excite community members on how they can live healthier lives through fun and enriching activities centered on the natural world’s resources.

The Festival amplifies the promotion of the benefits involved with spending more time outdoors, fitness, dietary health, food access, community gardening, entrepreneurship, and access to health care resources.

By bringing together an array of resources, speakers, performers, specialists, and vendors, the Gather New Haven Festival will convey a call to action encouraging New Haven’s citizens to work towards being amongst the healthiest cities in Connecticut. 

UConn 4-H New Haven County: Here to Be Healthy!

4-H dance squad members pose in the grassDo you need some tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle? Do you have a project that you are passionate about, but haven’t shown it off? Are you looking for a place to both learn and enjoy what you learn about? My name is Genesis Rosario and I’m the Summer 2022 Intern for UConn Extension’s 4-H New Haven County office working with Margaret Grillo, where the fundamentals of living healthy are exhibited through creative and interactive workshops. Being held both virtually and in-person, there are Healthy Living workshops being offered throughout New Haven county where the youthful community, alongside their adult chaperones, are welcome to attend. From learning how to identify mold in the house to learning how to be safe in the kitchen, these workshops will introduce all participants to information that is valuable for staying healthy in their everyday lives. Have a specific interest in cooking healthy recipes in the kitchen? There are even 4-H cooking workshops that have a step-by-step process of cooking your favorite meals with substitutes of certain ingredients to maintain an effective diet-based meal. Participants of all ages are welcome to attend the 4-H cooking workshops. 

4-H is an organization that emphasizes the importance of living healthy while bringing insight on topics that can impact the community of all ages. Nonetheless, every year 4-H hosts a fantastic 4 H-fair for community members to show off their best interests and hobbies, while still being able to attend and learn about healthy living through local workshops. These projects can suit anyone! Projects exhibited at the fair range from raising livestock to showing off home art crafts. The 4-H fair has a variety of entertaining and inclusive attractions that serve as a way to incorporate education and genuine interest for a project on a personal level. Come join the fun

Article by Genesis Rosario

What is SNAP-Ed? Intern Jenna Zydanowicz Explains

My name is Jenna Zydanowicz, I am a rising junior, and an Allied Health Science major. I have a passion for nutrition, engaging with the community, and trying to promote healthy lifestyles. I love being able to educate families, children, and adults on the importance of nutrition and still eating well on a low income budget. I am an intern for UConn School and Family, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program- Education Program (SNAP-Ed). The purpose of the SNAP-Ed program is to assess, develop, implement, and evaluate tailored direct nutrition education to SNAP recipients at multiple diverse sites in numerous Connecticut towns. We provide fact-based and tailored online information to support healthy eating and physical activity. A few of our direct education reaches parents of young toddlers, preschoolers, and parents with children ages 5 to 18. We also reach adults, senior centers, food pantries and mobile food distribution to provide recipes and information related to healthy eating for those in need. We facilitate access to affordable healthy foods by partnering with experts at UConn and in the community. We use multiple social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to reach target audiences and provide easy access to nutrition information. We provide many different types of nutrition related resources such as recipes, handouts, food samples, and access to our Healthy Family CT website. A few goals the SNAP- Ed program have are to increase the target audience’s knowledge and skill to achieve healthier diet and access local and affordable healthy food, improve their willingness to consume a healthier diet while encouraging an increase in physical activities, and increase their diet quality.

Website: https://healthyfamilyct.cahnr.uconn.edu/

Ian Harrington – Agencia de Acción Comunitaria Access – Vacunarse

Ian Harrington de Access Community Action Agency en Windham explica por qué recibió la vacuna contra el COVID-19.
La financiación de este proyecto fue posible gracias a Extension Foundation, USDA-NIFA, los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades y UConn Extension.

Watch the video in English at https://youtu.be/2UC8a9C0Bs0.