University of Guelph faculty are making headlines this week for their research and expertise, ranging from bees and pesticides to ice cream to work and family.
Prof. Sylvain Charlebois, College of Business and Economics, was interviewed by CBCNews.ca for a story on July 25 on how some people are incorporating more vegetables into their diets. Charlebois said that restaurants and food service outlets are generally becoming more accommodating of vegetarian preferences. He was also interviewed by the Business News Network for a story on rising food prices on July 18. Charlebois, who studies agricultural economics, said prices of meat proteins are increasing and unlikely to fall. He said contributing factors include drought in the U.S. leading to higher beef costs, and a disease that reduced the supply of pigs.
Prof. Nigel Raine was featured in the Globe and Mail July 23. The article is about a new report on the health of honey bees in Canada that says 58 per cent of the colonies in Ontario did not survive the winter. Among the possible causes cited are starvation during a long winter, weak queens, viruses and poisoning from pesticides. Raine recently co-authored a study that shows long-term exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide hampers bees’ ability to forage for pollen. The research involved fitting bumblebees with tiny radio frequency tags to monitor their day-to-day behaviour including pollen collection and which flowers worker bees chose to visit.
Prof. Donna Lero, Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, was interviewed by GlobalNews.ca on July 21 for a story about the potential of a three-day work week. Lero spoke about how Utah implemented a four-day work week, with longer hours each day, for government employees in 2008. She said longer days wore out employees and made it harder for them to focus on tasks by the end of an extended work day. Lero is the Jarislowsky Chair in Families and Work at the University of Guelph.
Prof. Doug Goff, Food Science, was interviewed by CTV News for a story on ice cream on July 18. Goff discussed what makes a good ice cream, the differences between ice cream and other frozen desserts, and how ice cream makers can improve product quality. He also discussed the U of G ice cream technology course, which will turn 100 this winter. The one-week course teaches manufacturers, suppliers and regulators the latest trends in making ice cream. Goff was also interviewed by the Toronto Star for a story looking at quirky ice cream flavours. He said unique flavours could help a business stand out in a crowded marketplace like Toronto.
Prof. Keith Warriner, Food Science, was interviewed for a Canadian Press story that appeared on CBCNews.ca and other media, including the Edmonton Journal, Vancouver Sun, GlobalNews.ca and CTVNews.ca on July 19. The story examined new regulations for labelling of mechanically tenderized beef, designed to improve consumer safety. Warriner, who studies food safety, said he approves of simple messaging but said labels will likely have little impact on consumer attitudes and behaviours.