Food & Agriculture

Snack Maker Makes Donation to Continue Bee Health Research at UC Davis

Bees play a critical role in California’s agricultural ecosystems by pollinating many important crops, including almonds. Climate change, habitat loss, pesticides and other factors pose problems for bee populations.

To date, KIND Snacks has donated $350,000 for bee research at UC Davis, led by Entomology Professors Neal Williams and Elina Niño for continued research on bee health. California grows the vast majority of the world’s almonds, which rely on bees and other pollinators.

UC Davis to Build New $5.25M Greenhouse to Protect U.S. Grapevine Collection

A new, $5.25 million greenhouse is being built on the University of California, Davis, campus to safeguard an important grapevine collection from red blotch disease and other pathogens.  

The 14,400-square-foot greenhouse will have a vestibuled entry, be insect-proof and provide another level of disease protection. It is being spearheaded by Foundation Plant Services, or FPS, which provides the U.S. grape industry with high-quality, virus-tested grapevine plant material. 

Should There Be More Microbes on Your Plate?

Our diets provide us with the building blocks we need to stay healthy and fight disease. The nutrients in foods and beverages can be tallied up to know if we are getting what our bodies need. Yet what if a nutrient has been overlooked? For instance, friendly microbes in raw and fermented foods have not been measured as part of our diets — until now.

UC Davis Graduates Develop Allergen-free Ice Cream

Most people love eating a scoop of ice cream, but it’s not a treat that everyone can enjoy. A group of students who studied in the Department of Food Science and Technology created an innovative frozen dessert that is free of dairy, nuts and soy, making it something that people who have food allergies can savor.