FoodData Central (FDC) is the center of the USDA-based food-composition information web. It is an integrated data system that presently provides—in 1 place—5 distinct types of data containing information on food and nutrient profiles. Each data type has a unique purpose. Two of the data types—Foundation Foods (FF) and Experimental Foods (EF)—represent “a bridge to the future” in food and nutrient composition. They provide data and metadata that have never previously been available from a database. The other 3 data types are well established and familiar to many users: Standard Reference (SR) Legacy, Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS), and Global Branded Foods Products Database (GBFPD). After >100 y of maintaining food-composition data within the USDA, it was clear that change was needed to respond to the rapid increase in the number and variety of foods in the food supply, evolution of analytical approaches, and new agricultural practices and products. FDC is USDA's answer to the challenge of providing reliable, web-based, transparent, and easily accessible information about the nutrients and other components of foods to meet the increasingly diverse needs of many audiences, including public health professionals, agricultural and environmental researchers, policy makers, nutrition professionals, health care providers, product developers, and the public at large.

Iodine intake is of contemporary public health interest. The recommended daily iodine intake is 150 µg for most adults, and milk is an important source of iodine in the U.S. diet. Iodine concentration in cow’s milk is affected by diet and iodine supplementation levels, milking sanitation practices, and other factors. Current analytical iodine data in U.S. retail milk are crucial for evaluating population-wide health outcomes related to diet. Samples of whole (3.25% fat), 2%, 1%, and skim (0–0.5% fat) milk were procured from 24 supermarkets across the U.S. using a census-based statistical plan. Iodine was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, including certified reference materials and control samples to validate results. No difference in iodine content was found between milkfat levels (F_3,69 1.033, p = 0.4). Overall mean (SEM) was 85(5.5) µg/serving (240 mL). However, the 95% prediction interval of 39–185 µg/serving for individual samples indicated high variability among individual samples. Given the recommended 150 µg iodine per day for most adults along with the study mean, one milk serving can provide approximately 57% of daily intake. Researchers, health care professionals, and consumers should be aware of iodine variability in milk, while additional research is needed to investigate the impact of iodine variability factors.

The water and ethanol extracts of huangqin, the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. with potential antiviral properties and antioxidant activities, were investigated for their chemical profiles and their abilities to interfere with the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and ACE2, inhibiting ACE2 activity and scavenging free radicals. A total of 76 compounds were tentatively identified from the extracts. The water extract showed a greater inhibition on the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and ACE2, but less inhibition on ACE2 activity than that of the ethanol extract on a per botanical weight concentration basis. The total phenolic content was 65.27 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry botanical and the scavenging capacities against HO^●, DPPH^●, and ABTS^●+ were 1369.39, 334.37, and 533.66 µmol trolox equivalent (TE)/g dry botanical for the water extract, respectively. These values were greater than those of the ethanol extract, with a TPC of 20.34 mg GAE/g, and 217.17, 10.93, and 50.21 µmol TE/g against HO^●, DPPH^●, and ABTS^●+, respectively. The results suggested the potential use of huangqin as a functional food ingredient in preventing COVID-19.

This study evaluated the fruits of Forsythia suspensa (Lianqiao), an important economic crop, for the chemical components of its water and ethanol extracts, inhibitory effects on SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein binding to ACE2, inhibition of ACE2 activity, and capacity to scavenge free radicals. A total of 42 compounds were tentatively identified in the extracts via HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The water extract showed a greater ACE2 inhibition but a weaker inhibition on SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding to ACE2 than the ethanol extract on a per-botanical-weight-concentration basis. The phenolic content was found to be greater in the water extract at 45.19 mg GAE/g dry botanical weight than in the ethanol extract (6.89 mg GAE/g dry botanical). Furthermore, the water extract had greater scavenging capacities against HO^●, DPPH^●, and ABTS^●+ at 448.48, 66.36, and 121.29 µmol TE/g dry botanical, respectively, as compared to that of the ethanol extract (154.04, 3.55, and 33.83 µmol TE/g dry botanical, respectively). These results warrant further research into, and the development of, the potential COVID-19-preventive applications of Lianqiao and its extracts.

Background: Iron deficiency, a pervasive problem among low-income women of childbearing age, threatens maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was designed to alleviate health problems and provides supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education, and health care referrals. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the benefits associated with participation in WIC in terms of biochemical tests of postpartum iron status in nonlactating women. Design: WIC participants (n = 57) and eligible nonparticipants (n = 53), matched by race and age, were followed bimonthly over 6 mo postpartum. Finger stick blood samples (500 μL) were collected for measurement of plasma ferritin, transferrin receptor (TfR), and hemoglobin (Hb). Results: The mean (±SE) Hb concentration of participants exceeded that of nonparticipants from months 2 through 6. At 6 mo, the mean Hb concentration of participants was significantly higher than that of nonparticipants (8.01 ± 0.12 and 7.63 ± 0.12 mmol/L, respectively; P < 0.05) and the prevalence of anemia was significantly lower (17% and 51%, respectively; P < 0.05). TfR and ferritin concentrations (consistently within the reference ranges) and dietary iron intakes did not differ significantly between participants and nonparticipants and were not correlated with Hb concentrations. Conclusions: Our results suggest that WIC participants were significantly less likely to become anemic if uninterrupted postpartum participation lasted for 6 mo. The lack of correlation among iron status indicators suggests that the lower mean Hb concentration in nonparticipants at 6 mo may not have been related to improved iron status in participants but to other nutrient deficiencies or differences in access to health care and health and nutrition education.