- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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Oct. 3, 2008
U.S. drafts new rules for genetically engineered animals used for food
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released for public comment their proposed guidelines for regulating genetically engineered animals and their products as well as their guidance for them entering into the food system.
A genetically engineered (GE) animal has had its genetic traits intentionally altered to result in a more desirable trait or product. From a food standpoint, these animals might be altered to be more resistant to disease, grow faster, or to provide healthier food products — such as meats higher in omega-3 fats. Other GE food would include milk from GE cows, eggs from GE chickens, and honey from GE bees.
The proposed guidelines divide GE animals into several classes depending upon their intended use. Some will be engineered to produce products for therapeutic use such as tissue for transplantation, or to produce pharmaceutical products. It is proposed that products from these animals will be regulated like drugs. The safety and effectiveness of these products will need to be extensively tested and proven before they are released.
Although there are regulations that help ensure food safety, they are not as strict as those for drugs. The developer must provide "sufficient evidence of safety" to the FDA in order for GE foods to be approved to enter the foods supply.
What is more interesting is that the FDA did not require or recommend that foods from a GE animal, or products with ingredients from a GE animal be labeled so that consumers are aware. So there is no direct way to know if the food you are eating has come from a GE animal, or contains ingredients from one.
The FDA did state however that if food from the GE animal differs from the traditional counterpart, the difference would need to be indicated on the label. The example given was if the GE food differed in nutrient content it would need to be stated on the Nutrition Facts label. However, in my mind, this reflects nutrient content — not origin of the nutrients.
Finally, food is regulated by several governmental agencies: The FDA oversees labeling of fish, seafood, milk and dairy products, and whole eggs in the shell. The Department of Agriculture oversees meat, poultry and other egg products. In addition, the oversight of GE animals includes a host of other regulatory issues and agencies including oversight of:
- humane care, handling and slaughter of the animal
- environmental safety
- import and export of animals and their products
To me, the release of these guidelines for comment is important. This is everyone's chance to weigh in. I expect comments — pro and con — from those concerned about animal rights, the environment, health and safety, and nutrition. I also expect comments about how the oversight of GE animals is complicated and confusing.
At the very least, when and if GE animals and foods from them are deemed safe, how about requiring manufacturers to identify them as such? This, to me, is truth in labeling. I'm certain that some manufacturers will voluntarily do this. In fact, some have already gone on record that they will.
Exercise your right. Comments are invited up until Nov. 18, 2008: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/, type in Docket FDA-2008-D-0394, and click on "send a comment or submission."
Let me know what you think. What is decided has the potential to significantly change many things about the future of our food.
- Jennifer
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