Improving and expanding hedgerows—Recommendations for a semi‐natural habitat in agricultural landscapes.
1.Hedgerows provide habitat, shelter and resources for many species including functionally important taxa and threatened species. Hedgerows store carbon both above- and below-ground and provide a range of other ecosystem services. Policies incentivizing increases in the extent and quality of hedgerows require evidence to determine how these increases may best support a wide range of taxa and to improve hedgerow habitat quality. 2.Here, available evidence for increasing hedgerow extent and improving their quality is discussed in the context of current conservation policy. Moderate evidence supports a substantial increase in average hedgerow extent from 4.2 km/km2 to around 10 km/km2 in the United Kingdom, to optimize support for many wildlife taxa, habitat connectivity and carbon storage. 3.Evidence also supports the development of wider and structurally denser hedges with more diverse structures and management approaches, and hedgerow networks that are well connected with each other and with other semi-natural habitats. 4.However, barriers may hinder the implementation of hedgerow policies, and there remain substantive gaps in the evidence base. Knowledge gaps include the current quality or condition of UK hedges, understanding in which landscape contexts new hedges would best be planted to support biodiversity, the role of hedgerows in connectivity as species' ranges change under a future climate, and whether an increase in hedgerow extent might increase the spread of invasive species, tree pests or diseases. 5.These gaps must be filled if conservation policies, including future agri-environment schemes, are to ensure that hedgerows reach their considerable potential in aiding nature's recovery and addressing climate change. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12209
Interventions for sourcing EAT-Lancet diets within national agricultural areas: A global analysis.
Trade has helped the global food system drastically reduce world hunger. However, it has also left nations vulnerable to food-trade shocks that can lead to local food shortages. National food resilience may be increased by exploring the feasibility of adapting healthy diets to local production and sourcing. The EAT-Lancet diet has been proposed as a healthy and environmentally friendly diet, but the feasibility of sourcing it nationally remains unknown. Using FAOSTAT production data and EAT-Lancet Commission guidelines, we create a unique EAT-Lancet diet for each nation. We compare the agricultural land required for each country to supply this diet to their available agricultural land. For nations that did not have sufficient agricultural land, interventions to reduce land use were elaborated by adjusting production and consumption efficiencies of all modeled diets, revealing that 95% of the global population live in countries with a potential pathway toward food self-sufficiency. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2022.12.002
Marketing Orders
USA: Assessment Rate, California Prunes
This rule implements a recommendation from the Prune Marketing Committee to increase the assessment rate established for the 2022-23 crop year. This final rule increases the assessment rate from $0.28 per ton of assessed dried prunes, the rate that was established for the 2020-21 and subsequent crop years, to $0.33 per ton of assessed dried prunes for the 2022-23 and subsequent crop years.
USA: Marketing Order 984, California Walnuts
This proposed rule proposes amendments to Marketing Order No. 984, which regulates the handling of walnuts grown in California, and provides growers with the opportunity to vote in a referendum to determine if they favor the changes.
The referendum will be conducted from April 3 through April 21, 2023. The representative period for the purpose of the referendum is September 1, 2021, through August 31, 2022.
Latest Trade News and Agreements: April 2023
Costa Rica and Ecuador Sign FTA
On March 1, 2023, Costa Rica and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement. This FTA intends to establish clear and transparent rules to regulate and promote trade between both countries.
Israel-UAE Sign Free Trade Agreement
Israel and the United Arab Emirates have signed a free trade agreement which, according to Reuters, will include removing tariffs on about 96% of goods traded between both countries.
Spain-China: Spanish Almonds Allowed to be Exported to China
Spain and China sign agreements allowing Spanish almonds and persimmons to be exported to China. Negotiations on the Spanish almond export dossier to China began in October 2017. According to the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, it is estimated that 50,000 tons will be destined for this country by 2025 and an extra 90,000 tons by 2032.
Food Safety Update: April 2023
Codex Alimentarius, News and Updates
The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) is requesting comments on the recommendations of the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues. During the last meeting, the FAO Panel of Experts agreed to review residue and analytical aspects of several pesticides, including data on their metabolism, fate in the environment and use patterns, and to estimate the maximum levels of residues that might occur as a result of the use of these pesticides according to good agricultural practice. The deadline for comments is May 25, 2023. More information
In addition, the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis (CCMAS) is requesting comments on the cereals, pulses and legumes workable package. Deadline for comments is May 24, 2023. More information
Moreover, the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL) is requesting comments on the discussion paper on sustainability labeling claims with deadline: April 14, 2023. More information
FAO: Strategic Priorities for Food Safety 2022 to 2031
The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced its strategy for enhancing food safety in the coming years. The FAO Strategic Priorities for Food Safety 2022-2031 were created upon the request of the FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG) and approved by the FAO Council in December 2022. The strategy is centered around four key areas, including governance, provision of scientific advice for food safety decisions, reinforcement of national food control systems, and encouragement of public-private partnerships across the food supply chain.
Chile: Amendments of Nomenclature of Certain Products
Notified to the World Trade Organization on March 22, 2023, the proposal amends the nomenclature of products that are currently classified as so-called dried fruits, to move to a more specific category: "tree nuts". This category includes groundnuts.
Chile: Phytosanitary Requirements Governing the Importation of Certain Plants
The notified document establishes phytosanitary requirements governing the importation of plants, cuttings and twigs of the following stone fruit species: Prunus armeniaca, P. avium, P. cerasifera, P. cerasus, P. davidiana, P. domestica, P. dulcis, P. fruticosa, P. insititia, P. mahaleb, P. persica, P. persica var. nucipersica, P. salicina, P. serotina, P. serrulataand P. spinosa, coming from Member States of the European Union.
In addition, it establishes a time frame for companies in the sector to bring their processes into line with the phytosanitary requirements established.
China: National Food Safety Standard, MRLs for Pesticides in Foods
On March 13, 2023, China notified the WTO of a new standard that establishes 421 maximum residue limits for 85 pesticides in or on foods, including certain nuts and fruits.
Canada: MRLs Update
| Pesticide | Commodity | MRL (ppm) |
| Pyrifluquinazon (1) | Tree nuts | 0.02 |
| Ipflufenoquin (2) | Almonds | 0.01 |
(1) Adopted on February 28, 2023. More information
(2) Adopted on March 23, 2023. More information
EU: Canarium Indicum L. Dried Nuts Is Authorized as Novel Food
The Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/667 has been released by the European Commission, allowing the sale of dried nuts of Canarium indicum L. (also known as galip nut, a mainly dioecious tree indigenous to eastern Melanesia) as a traditional food from a third country, and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted an analysis of the available data on the composition and the history of the requested use of dried nuts of Canarium indicum L. and found no safety concerns.
Effective March 23, 2023.
EU: MRLs Update
New MRLs:
| Pesticide | Commodity | New MRL (mg/kg) |
| Isoxaben (1) | Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Peanuts | ||
| Tetraconazole (2) | Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Dates | ||
| Figs | ||
| Peanuts | ||
| Novaluron (3) | Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Bromopropylate (4) | Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Chloridazon (5) | Tree nuts | 0.04 |
| Dates | 0.03 | |
| Figs | ||
| Imazaquin (6) | Tree nuts | 0.01 |
(1) (2) (3) Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/466 of 3 March 2023 amending Annexes II, III and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels for isoxaben, novaluron and tetraconazole in or on certain products. This Regulation shall apply from September 26, 2023. More information
(4) (5) (6) Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/710 of 30 March 2023 amending Annexes II, III and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels for bromopropylate, chloridazon, fenpropimorph, imazaquin and tralkoxydim in or on certain products. More information
Japan: 254th Food Safety Group
On March 29, 2023, the Foreign Agricultural Service of the United States Department of Agriculture published a report analyzing the proposed revisions to Japan’s maximum residue levels for 11 agricultural chemicals for various agricultural commodities, including nuts and fruits.
USA: Standards for Grades of Processed Raisins
Published on March 8, 2023, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the United States Department of Agriculture proposes to revise the Standards for Grades of Processed Raisins. AMS is proposing to modify two references to the allowances for capstems within the standards to modernize the standards to reflect current industry practices. The proposal also includes minor editorial changes to table headings to align with updated Code of Federal Regulations formatting requirements.
Deadline for comments is May 8, 2023.
Labeling Update: April 2023
Italy: Provisions on the Naming of Food Products Containing Vegetable Proteins
A law proposal introduced to the Italian Parliament is seeking to prevent plant-based meat alternatives from using ‘meaty’ names. The provisions of this law proposal apply to food products containing vegetable proteins manufactured and marketed in Italy.
Sustainability Update: April 2023
IPCC: Climate Change, Synthesis Report
On March 20, 2023, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the final part of its Sixth Assessment Report. The report summarizes the state of knowledge of climate change, its widespread impacts and risks, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. It integrates the main findings of the AR6 based on contributions from the three Working Groups, and the three Special Reports.
EU: Proposal for a Directive on Green Claims
Published on March 22, 2023, this proposal aims to stop companies from making misleading claims about environmental merits of their products and/or services.
The key objectives of the proposal on environmental claims are thus to:
- Increase the level of environmental protection and contribute to accelerating the green transition towards a circular, clean and climate neutral economy in the EU;
- Protect consumers and companies from greenwashing and enable consumers to contribute to accelerating the green transition by making informed purchasing decisions based on credible environmental claims and labels;
- Improve the legal certainty as regards environmental claims and the level playing fields on the internal market, boost the competitiveness of economic operators that make efforts to increase the environmental sustainability of their products and activities, and create cost saving opportunities for such operators that are trading across borders.
EU: Proposal for a Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste
Last November, the European Commission published the proposal for a regulation on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR). Packaging used in transport will be affected in terms of re-use obligations. Some forms of packaging will be prohibited under Annex V. Importers will have to ensure that packaging from third countries entering the Union market complies with the PPWR. The feedback period ends on April 24, 2023.
Where We Are and Where We Are Going in Nut Research.
Nuts have been part of the human diet for thousands of years. Traditionally, nuts have been incorporated as an ingredient in many dishes, and over the years, nuts have been consumed in various forms from raw or minimally processed to more processed forms and eaten as snacks as well as included within recipes for main dishes. In the last decades of the 20th century, the prevailing belief that dietary fat was harmful was at the basis of nuts being discouraged due to their high fat content. However, this perspective started to change following the first scientific studies demonstrating the potential health benefits of nut consumption. In 1992–1993, seminal publications from Loma Linda University showed that walnut consumption significantly reduced serum cholesterol and that the frequency of nut consumption was inversely associated with coronary heart disease incidence according to data from the Adventist Health Study cohort. Since then, many randomized clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and in vitro/in vivo mechanistic studies have explored and described the role of the consumption of different types of nuts on reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, management of lipid disorders, and glycaemic control, without undue effects on body weight or overall adiposity, among other cardiometabolic and health-related risk factors and conditions. More recently, several studies have examined the potential beneficial effects of nuts on the gastrointestinal system, cognitive performance, fertility, and different types of cancer, as well as the potential mechanisms implicated in the observed benefits. Importantly, landmark studies, such as the Adventist Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, the Physicians’ Health Study, and the PREDIMED trial, have consistently reported that frequent nut consumption was associated with a lower risk of different cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality. Based on the available scientific evidence, specific health claims have been accepted for nuts. Particularly, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized qualified health claims for nuts in general and for walnuts and macadamias in particular concerning heart disease prevention when daily consuming one and one-half oz (42 g). However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has only agreed on a specific health claim for walnuts regarding beneficial effects on endothelial function. At the same time, nuts have been recommended over the last two decades by several health organizations and agencies worldwide. Due to the accumulating evidence on nut consumption and health outcomes, we thought it would be important to recapitulate and examine in detail what is well known and established, and what avenues of knowledge are still lacking in nut research. It is for this reason that we organized the NUTS 2022 Conference with the slogan: Where we are and where we are going in nut research.
The NUTS 2022 Conference offered the unique opportunity to bring together experts in the field of nut research from around the world with the following aims: (a) to summarize all the evidence related to the beneficial effects of nuts on health; (b) to identify new topics, needs, and opportunities in nut research; (c) to share knowledge with food industry and set new primary objectives for the future; and (d) to develop these scientific proceedings summarizing the current knowledge and new opportunities of research in the nut–health axis. We believed it would be important and extremely useful to summarize and discuss future lines of nut research in the context of a multidisciplinary group of investigators with expertise in different fields for the benefit of: (1) the investigators, since it allows us to interact, share new ideas, and establish collaborations in the future; (2) the food industry, because they need to know that we know relatively little and that knowledge needs to be invested in; and (3) health agencies, because they need the most up-to-date knowledge to establish appropriate public health recommendations. The NUTS 2022 Conference took place on 20–21 October 2022, and was organized in Reus by the University Rovira i Virgili together with Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere i Virgili (IISPV) and the Ciber Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN) of Instituto de Salud Carlos III of Spain. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15071691.
Effect of Nuts on Gastrointestinal Health
Nuts are high nutrient-dense foods containing healthy lipids, dietary fiber, and bioactive phytochemicals, including vitamins and minerals. Although the beneficial effect of nut consumption on different chronic diseases has been well documented, especially in relation to their cardiometabolic benefits, less scientific evidence is available on their possible beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health. In this narrative review, we summarize the most important findings and new research perspectives in relation to the importance of nut consumption on gastrointestinal health. The integrity of the cell wall structure, cell size and particle size after mastication are known to play a crucial role in energy, nutrient and bioactive release from nuts during digestion, therefore affecting bioaccessibility. Other mechanisms, such as cell wall composition, thickness and porosity, as well as stability of the membranes surrounding the oil bodies within the cell, are also important for energy extraction. As the undigested nutrients and phytochemicals are delivered to the colon, effects on gut microbiota composition are predicted. Although the overall effect of nut consumption on microbial alpha- and beta-diversity has been inconsistent, some scientific evidence suggests an increase in fecal butyrate after almond consumption, and a beneficial role of walnuts on the prevention of ulcerative colitis and protection against the development of gastric mucosal lesions. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15071733.
Bioactives, Effects on Gut Microbiota, and Possible Health Benefits—An Update.
Dried fruits contain many bioactive compounds broadly classified as phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, proanthocyanidins, stilbenes, chalcones/dihydrochalcones, and phytoestrogens. These compounds have antioxidant effects that may benefit health. Dried fruits are also a diverse group of foods with varying fibre contents. The evaluation of the biological activity of these bioactive compounds, including their bioaccessibility and bioavailability, may contribute to the understanding of the health effects of dried fruits. Limited evidence suggests that dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, dates, and prunes) affect human gut microbiota composition in a potentially beneficial manner (in terms of effects on Bifidobacteria, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Lactobacillus, Ruminococcaceae, Klebsiella spp., and Prevotella spp.). There is little epidemiological evidence about the association of dried fruit consumption with cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality, as well as the risk of type 2 diabetes or obesity. Clinical trial evidence for the effects of dried fruit consumption on cardiovascular risk factors, including glycaemic control, is mixed. Clinical trial evidence suggests prunes might preserve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Consumption of dried fruits is associated with higher-quality diets. Studies are needed to increase our understanding of the health effects of dried fruits and the underlying biological mechanisms. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15071611.