We know what to avoid in our diets: fun foods like ice cream sundaes, chocolate pies and most anything sold at a baseball park. Researchers are now trying a different approach, emphasizing what we should eat. Reporting in the August edition of the Journal of Nutrition, scientists ranked foods based on how good they are for you to create a Nutrient-Rich Foods Index.

The concept is not new; in 1995, the USDA published the first Healthy Eating Index. It has been updated several times.

To give the index scientific weight, the researchers created a formula that combines values for nutrients and calories to produce the highest correlation to the index. The healthiest — though maybe not the best-tasting foods — rise to the top using their math.

“These results confirmed that better diets do not necessarily come from just restricting certain nutrients; the addition of beneficial nutrients is critical for a higher diet quality,” Nutrient Ingredients-USA quotes the scientists as writing in the article, which is restricted to subscribers.

Developing the ranking is just the beginning, say researchers Victor L. Fulgoni III of Nutrition Impact LLC, Debra R. Keast of  Nutrition Database Research Inc., and Adam Drewnowski of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington.

“Considerable research is still necessary to determine how to best present nutrient profiling to consumers in a way that will actually lead to selection of foods that improve the overall diet,” they are quoted as writing. In other words, persuading Americans to give up their peanuts and Cracker Jack will take some work.

• None Found

Following reports in the Washington Post that standards for classifying foods as organic had been relaxed, the U.S. Agriculture Department is launching an audit of its National Organic Program. The Post says that department thinks external scrutiny is needed to improve the integrity and reliability of the program.

The issue at hand is standards. Is the program following internationally recognized requirements for accrediting and monitoring nearly 100 private certifiers? Those entities determine whether foods meet federal organic standards. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is set to begin the review in October. The results will be released at the end of this year or in early 2010, complete with recommendations for USDA action.

“We applaud USDA’s willingness to submit its organic program to the rigors of these international norms and believe this will pave the way for continued growth and success of the U.S. organic industry,” Robynn Shrader, a National Organic Coalition founding member and CEO of the National Cooperative Grocers Association, said in a statement released Aug. 6.

The audit comes about a month after the Post reported that definitions for organic foods had been relaxed. For example, synthetic additives can be found in 90 percent of organic baby formula.

“It will unravel everything we’ve done if the standards can no longer be trusted,” Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), who sponsored the federal organics legislation, told the Post in July. “If we don’t protect the brand, the organic label, the program is finished. It could disappear overnight.”

• None Found

My daughters love the LOLcats website. This LOLcat was too funny (and appropriate) to pass up. Next time your supplements are seized at the border, don’t just stare in horror like Lenny, call NutriCompliance for help. TGIF and have a great weekend!

• None Found