USDA releases innovations report including allergen-free peanuts
June 25, 2015 |10:16 AM
The Agriculture Department on Wednesday released a report on discoveries by USDA researchers that have led to new patents and inventions with the potential for commercial application and potential economic growth.
The inventions include allergen-free peanuts and mosquito control.
“USDA has a proven track record of performing research that has tangible benefits for the American public, and studies have found every dollar invested in agricultural research returns $20 to our economy,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“USDA is now accelerating the commercialization of federal research, and government researchers are working closely with the private sector to develop new technology and transfer it to the marketplace.”
According to the report, USDA:
USDA’s technology transfer program is administered by the Agricultural Research Service.
Highlighted discoveries from the 2014 Technology Transfer Report include:
The inventions include allergen-free peanuts and mosquito control.
“USDA has a proven track record of performing research that has tangible benefits for the American public, and studies have found every dollar invested in agricultural research returns $20 to our economy,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“USDA is now accelerating the commercialization of federal research, and government researchers are working closely with the private sector to develop new technology and transfer it to the marketplace.”
According to the report, USDA:
- Received 83 patents in fiscal year 2014, up from 51 patents in 2013
- Filed 119 patent applications and disclosed another 117 new inventions, which may lead to future patents
- Has 267 active Cooperative Research and Development Agreements with outside partners, which includes universities, and other organizations, and more than 100 small businesses.
USDA’s technology transfer program is administered by the Agricultural Research Service.
Highlighted discoveries from the 2014 Technology Transfer Report include:
- Procedures to remove up to 98 percent of the allergens from peanuts without affecting the flavor;
- A process for pasteurizing shelled eggs using radio frequency energy that is 1.5 times faster than the current pasteurization process;
- A portable method for identifying harmful bacteria in food that could improve the response to foodborne illness outbreaks;
- A new method for mosquito control that silences genes in the mosquito so it does not pose a danger to other insects, including pollinators;
- A new soil nitrogen test that rapidly and inexpensively determines the total amount of nitrogen in the soil that is available to a plant, reducing costs for farmers while benefiting the environment;
- Improved information on non-honey bee pollinators and methods for trapping bees to assure quality apple production.
