Imagine a World Without Chocolate

The United States leads the world in exporting chocolate products, and U.S. consumption accounted for more than $50 billion in sales in 2023.

Chocolate is made from beans of the cacao tree, which thrives in warm, humid climates. Unfortunately, research shows that up to 40% of the world's cacao beans are lost due to diseases affecting cacao trees.

One disease in particular, black pod rot, can be found in every region where cacao is commercially grown. The disease is caused by several species of fungal-like organisms called oomycetes that spread rapidly on cacao pods under humid conditions. Within days of being infected, cacao pods turn black and rotten, rendering them useless for harvesting. Black pod rot is responsible for the greatest production losses in cacao. However, there are also several viruses that affect cacao plants, such as the cacao mild mosaic virus, which can cause a mosaic pattern on infected pods that leads to the production of abnormally small pods, as well as the loss of entire branches.

Because of these devasting diseases and the global sweet tooth for chocolate, ARS researchers at the Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research Station in Mayaguez, PR, are studying ways to protect cacao from harmful viruses and diseases.  See how in this video.

Farmers know that a healthy pollinator population is critical for their crops. One way to gauge how healthy a population and its environment are, is through examining how much diversity there is: the more kinds of organisms and species, the healthier the system. 

In the desert southwest, researchers are studying bee populations that are quite diverse — and highly specialized. The extreme conditions of the desert have led bees there to develop unique adaptations in order to survive: some species only feed on and pollinate particular plants, some have developed ways to go long periods without water, and other solutions are still being discovered. 

Researchers are looking at the bees’ genetic profiles, behavior, and more to learn about how they can benefit pollinator populations everywhere. Learn more about these fascinating bees.

Keeping America Healthy: ARS's Human Nutrition Centers 

USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is conducting ground-breaking research on human nutrition, paving the way for Americans to lead healthier lives while reducing the risk of diseases. Our research supports human health at all stages of life by better understanding relationships between nutrient intake, eating patterns, exercise, health conditions disease prevention, and how nutrition promotes health. ARS has six human nutrition research centers in Maryland, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Texas, Arkansas, and California. Our research on human nutrition gives Americans the tools and knowledge to make science-backed decisions for taking care of their bodies. 

Human nutrition research as we know it has its origins in the work of ARS chemist Wilbur Olin Atwater (1844-1907). Dr. Atwater developed a system of assigning a calorie value to each gram of protein, fat, and carbohydrate found in foods. These calorie values were known as the “Atwater Factors” and pioneered the Nutrition Facts label that can be found on food containers today. Fast forward over 100 years, and ARS today provides Americans with research findings that they can use to stay healthy and happy. We even have a web-based App known as FoodData Central, which enables users to see the nutrient breakdown of thousands of food products.

ARS scientists support human health at all stages of life by conducting research to better understand relationships between nutrient intake, eating patterns, and health conditions and how nutrition promotes health. 
 

Cooking with Science Recipes

Do you enjoy cooking? We've got you covered from soups to desserts! Get cooking with these great recipes featured in our Cooking with Science videos.  Each delicious recipe features nutritious ingredients and was created by a professional chef. 

Want to add a little science to your cooking? Check out the Cooking with Science video series to learn more about the featured ingredient used in each recipe.

The Amazing Apple

The domesticated apple, Malus domestica, is an important fruit crop grown in most of the world. The United States is a major apple producer and consumer. The United States ranks third in apple production and Americans ate an average of 9 pounds of fresh apples in 2021  according to USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.

Researchers believe that central Asia—Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in particular—is likely the ancestral home of familiar domestic apples (Malus x domestica) such as Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and McIntosh. Centuries of selection and propagation across Asia, Europe, and North America resulted in an array of apple cultivars rich in quality and cultural significance.

Apples Are an All-American Success Story

Apples are an abundant and healthy fruit that’s available year-round in most markets. ARS has played a key role over the years in the quality, variety, and production of apples. For example, the apples today can be stored for as long as 9 months, and they’ll still remain crisp, thanks to controlled-atmosphere-storage methods devised by ARS. Our fruit-breeding research has enabled farmers and nurseries to provide consumers with more abundant, healthy, and flavorful new varieties every year. ARS is collecting and preserving the world's bounty of apple genestock, so that the apples of tomorrow may be even sweeter, crunchier, and better than ever. Never before have growers had a better chance against pests and diseases in the apple orchard, thanks to new, nonchemical biocontrols. ARS scientists have worked to harness naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria and turn them against apples' enemies. And our researchers have developed robotic tools built on AI technology to drastically improve the way apples are picked, sorted, and treated for pests and diseases.

ARS researchers are at the forefront of innovative new technologies in orchard management to help growers reduce losses, maximize yields, and provide consumers with a sweet (and sometimes tart!), crunchy, healthy snack. Check out our research highlights below:

Diabetes — a disease that affects how your body uses blood glucose (sugar) — is a major health concern for millions of people worldwide. Because their bodies are unable to produce enough insulin, for people with diabetes, glucose management is essential. Without proper medical care, diabetes can lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage.

Medications can improve glucose uptake, but they can also have side effects. These drawbacks have spurred increased research to find natural foods and supplements that can help manage the disease.

ARS researchers have found an interesting possibility. They examined the ability of colored rice bran extracts to stimulate glucose uptake. Learn more.

Knowledge, data, and understanding of soils is vital for advancing agriculture and society. Until recently, however, Native American farmers lacked the foundational soil property information they needed to sustainably produce culturally important crops with improved yield and to promote food security on their tribal lands.

ARS researchers in Fayetteville, AR, are working with the Quapaw tribe to create the first-ever high-resolution digital maps of soil properties and land-use interpretations for their lands in northeastern Oklahoma. 

Watch this video to learn more.

Sorghum bran, often a low-cost byproduct of sorghum milling, can enhance gluten-free bread's nutritional value without compromising its flavor, according to a study published in the Journal of Food Science.

While gluten-free foods are in demand to meet consumers' medical needs and dietary preferences, these foods sometimes are deficient in nutrients and lack taste and texture that appeals to consumers. In gluten-free bread, wheat flour is typically replaced with refined flour and starches from other sources. Adding dietary fiber, a carbohydrate found in whole grains that has important health benefits, to gluten-free bread can lead to a hard texture and more rapid staling. Sorghum bran could provide both good flavor and nutritional value. Read this article to learn more.