Lowering the sodium content in meat products, particularly in beef patties, can be challenging because sodium plays many functional roles in these products. Meat extenders can contribute to lower sodium content by imparting complementary flavors while reducing caloric and sodium content. A systematic comparison of two meat extenders, namely mushrooms and textured soy (TSP) in terms of physical and sensory characteristics, is presented herein. The physical properties of the samples suggested that the use of mushroom and TSP extender would perform statistically similar to an all‐meat control depending on the level of substitution. Hedonic sensory analysis showed meat extension using mushrooms yielded liking scores more similar to the all‐meat formulations than TSP in reduced sodium applications. The results of this research suggest that mushrooms have the potential to be successfully incorporated into reduced sodium meat products to provide a healthier product.

Although diet can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, American consumers continue to eat detrimental diets high in fat and sodium. Products need to be made that decrease fat and sodium intake while still delivering acceptable taste. Mushroom substitution into meat-based products can be a strategy to develop products that can decrease fat and sodium consumption while increasing vegetable intake without compromising the quality and taste consumers demand. This research shows how consumers can accept meat-based products containing mushrooms with potential for direct food service application.

The role of the family in the health of its members is critical from birth to death. This review focuses on the aging family, recognizing that the family is one of the earliest and longest lasting contexts influencing health. In particular, we emphasize the changing demographics of the family including the increased numbers of older family members and the decreased number of children. We consider how best to adapt to the changing family so that its critical role in maintaining individual and public health can be retained and enhanced. We begin by highlighting the importance of taking both a life span and life course perspective, recognizing that individuals develop and change over their lifetime. At the same time, they are members of groups and organizations, which shape their life course. We next consider the dramatically changing demographics of the population generally and within families specifically. We reflect on how these changes impact public health both positively and negatively, taking into account the potential of the family as a resource and a risk factor. We next consider five life course epidemiological models of health: the immediate effects model, the social trajectory model, the cumulative biological model, the sensitive period or latency model and the physiological effects of trajectory model. We explicitly consider the relevance of these models for the family and its aging members. Finally, we highlight what we consider the most important implications of these issues for the health and well-being of older adults and families in an aging society.

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