Appetizers

by Diane Lofshult

Here’s a taste of what’s cooking in the world of nutrition:

Managed by a team of registered dietitians, the website www.nutritionresource.com offers practical advice for those confused by the many conflicting food studies that make headlines.

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, are testing a new obesity vaccine on rats; the vaccinated rats appear to store less fat and gain less weight than the control animals, even after both groups have eaten similar amounts of food.

Food manufacturers are getting creative when it comes to packaging new products; look for self-cooling beer cans that chill the beverage in 3 minutes flat and new stickers that change color when a piece of produce is ripe enough to eat.