NOTES FROM THE SCIENTIFIC DEPARTMENT.

Some activities of The Vegetarian Resource Group/ Vegetarian Journal are highlighted below.

VRG in the News

VRG Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, was interviewed for a story on vitamin [B.sub.12] and the elderly for <WellPlanet.com>, a natural health website. Nutrition Advisor Suzanne Havala, MS, RD, was interviewed by E-Magazine for a story about sugar substitutes, and by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette for a story about how to make the transition to a plant-based diet. She was also a guest on station WAVE 990 AM out of Providence, Rhode Island, for a segment about vegetarian diets and natural foods.

ADA Awards Go to VRG Nutrition Advisors

The American Dietetic Association's Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group has awarded VRG Nutrition Advisors Suzanne Havala and Reed Mangels Awards of Excellence in Service and Leadership. The awards were presented at the ADA's annual meeting held last year in Denver, Colorado.

National Meetings and Conferences

Suzanne Havala presented a session on federal nutrition policy and dietary recommendations at the Go Veggie Fest, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event was sponsored by Animal Advocates, Inc. Suzanne presented a similar session later that month in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the Culture and Animals Foundation's annual conference.

This year's annual meeting of The American Dietetic Association was held in Denver, Colorado, and VRG was on hand with a booth in the exhibition hall, distributing nutrition education materials and samples of the Vegetarian Journal to the nearly nine thousand attendees. Once again, VRG sponsored a vegan dinner on Monday evening of the conference week, drawing over 115 dietitians and VRG members to Denver's Mercury Cafe for a memorable evening of fine food and networking. The VRG dinner, which has become a much-anticipated tradition among dietitians at this annual conference, will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, next year at a yet undetermined location.

Outreach by VRG's Food Service Advisor

VRG's Food Service Advisor, Nancy Berkoff, recently assisted in writing a produce cookbook. She contributed the background vignettes for over 60 types of exotic produce, along with recipes using them. Nancy also was a judge for Pace Salsa--veggie entrees using Pace products (salsa, veggie sauces, tortillas, etc.)--at the Orange County Fair in California.

Nancy continues to promote vegetarianism in the media. She was on the nationally syndicated radio show Produce Buddies promoting the use of vegetables as entree foods. She also wrote two articles for <www.chowbaby.com> on vegetarian restaurants in Los Angeles and Orange County, California.