Explore the vast range of titles available.

Abstract For the proper growth of fish, it is necessary to feed the fish with a proper and balanced diet. A study was conducted to find out the effect of different protein-based diets on fingerlings of Tor putitora (mahseer). A feed with dietary protein levels of 35%, 40%, 45%, and 50% were prepared. The effect of different protein-based feed on weight gain, standard growth rate (SGR), food conversion ratio (FCR), percent weight gain, food conversion efficiency (FCE), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) was studied. An increase was observed in the growth rate with an increase in protein concentration up to 45%. The fingerlings fed a 45% protein diet shown the highest growth, followed by 50%, 40%, and 35%. The SGR value was greatest for 45% protein diet (8.56) followed by 50% and 40%, while the least values were observed for 35% protein feed (1.57). The same trend was observed for FCE. The highest PER values was observed in fishes fed 45% protein-based feed (0.65) followed by 50% (0.56), 40% (0.38) and35% (0.17). The food conversion ratio was lowest for 45% protein diet (3.41), while the greatest for 35% protein feed (16.85). It was concluded that a 45% protein-based diet was the best feed formulation for higher production of Tor putitora. However, research on the same percentage of protein diet is recommended for yearlings. Resumo Para o bom crescimento dos peixes, é necessário alimentá-los com uma alimentação adequada e balanceada. Um estudo foi realizado para descobrir o efeito de diferentes dietas à base de proteínas em alevinos de Tor putitora (mahseer). Foi preparado um alimento com níveis de proteína dietética de 35%, 40%, 45% e 50%. O efeito de diferentes alimentos à base de proteína no ganho de peso, taxa de crescimento padrão (SGR), taxa de conversão alimentar (FCR), ganho de peso percentual, eficiência de conversão alimentar (FCE) e taxa de eficiência proteica (PER) foi estudado. Foi observado um aumento na taxa de crescimento com um aumento na concentração de proteína de até 45%. Os alevinos alimentados com dieta de 45% de proteína apresentaram o maior crescimento, seguidos de 50%, 40% e 35%. O valor de SGR foi maior para dieta com 45% de proteína (8,56), seguido de 50% e 40%, enquanto os menores valores foram observados para ração com 35% de proteína (1,57). A mesma tendência foi observada para FCE. Os maiores valores de PER foram observados em peixes alimentados com 45% de ração à base de proteína (0,65), seguido por 50% (0,56), 40% (0,38) e 35% (0,17). A taxa de conversão alimentar foi menor para a dieta com 45% de proteína (3,41), enquanto a maior para a dieta com 35% de proteína (16,85). Concluiu-se que a dieta à base de proteína de 45% foi a melhor formulação alimentar para maior produção de Tor putitora. No entanto, a pesquisa sobre a mesma porcentagem de dieta proteica é recomendada para animais de um ano.

Estimating food intake is an important means of assessing dietary exposure to chemicals. However, while sources of concentration data (e.g., safety levels and nutrient content) are often available for food raw materials, foods are consumed in both processed and raw forms. Therefore, processed food intake levels must be properly converted to those of their constituent ingredients to accurately estimate food intake. On this premise, the current study aimed to generate processed‐to‐raw food conversion factors (PRCFs). To generate PRCFs, two approaches were primarily employed. One approach involved the percentage yield method, wherein conversion factors were generated by calculating reverse percentage yield. For foods that had undergone simple processing procedures (e.g., soaking and dehydration) as a whole foods, percentage yield was exclusively used. Nevertheless, numerous processed foods (e.g., milled grains and butter) are simultaneously produced from distinct fractions after undergoing separation from their initial raw materials. For these foods, PRCFs were derived using partition ratios in combination with reverse percentage yield. For the remaining processed foods (e.g., vinegars and tea infusions) in which weight changes were not easily traceable, the migration rate method, which calculates the content of specific components in the final processed food relative to that in the initial food ingredients, was utilized. The literature was extensively reviewed to collect the required data. In addition, polyphenol content was directly measured using the Folin–Ciocalteu assay to derive polyphenol migration rates for tea infusions and stocks prepared with spices. In total, the current study generated 120 PRCFs across diverse processing procedures and food types. These factors will serve as a valuable tool for the accurate estimation of food intake, thereby facilitating adequate dietary exposure assessments associated with food chemicals, such as pesticide residues, food contaminants, nutrients, and other substances. One approach of generating processed‐to‐raw food conversion factor was the percentage yield method wherein the weight ratio of initial raw materials to final processed products was calculated. For foods that had been processed as a whole food, percentage yield was exclusively used, whereas partition ratios were also used for foods that had been produced after separation from their initial raw materials. The other approach entailed the migration rate method, which calculated the content ratio of specific components in the final processed foods relative to their initial raw ingredients.

The conventional view of spawning in iteroparous bony fish, i.e., the “reproductive drain hypothesis,” is based on the observation that somatic growth (in length) slows down noticeably at approximately the time fish attain maturity, and hence the assumption is made that investment in gonadal development slows down growth. However, when this is translated as growth in weight, the weight at first maturity (or puberty) is usually smaller than the weight at which growth rate is highest, i.e., weight growth accelerates after first maturity. We solve this conundrum, with some emphasis on female cod (Gadus morhua), by proposing the hypothesis that the substantial loss of body mass experienced by fish as a result of spawning is quickly compensated for by increased somatic growth after the spawning period, notably because of the increase in food conversion efficiency resulting from a sudden loss of body weight, which necessarily leads to a large increase in relative oxygen supply via the gills. This is consistent with the argument developed elsewhere that declining relative oxygen supply by the gills, whose surface area cannot keep up with increasing body weight, is the reason for growth rate declining with weight in adult fish.

To measure the effect of organic food conversion projects on the percentage of organic food used in Danish public kitchens participating in the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. The current longitudinal study was based on measurements of organic food percentages in Danish public kitchens before and after kitchen employees participated in conversion projects. Public kitchens participating in the nine organic food conversion projects under the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020, initiated during autumn 2012 and spring 2013 and completed in summer 2015. A total of 622 public kitchens. The average (median) increase in organic food percentage from baseline to follow-up was 24 percentage points (P<0·001) during an overall median follow-up period of 1·5 years. When analysing data according to public kitchen type, the increase remained significant for seven out of eight kitchens. Furthermore, the proportion of public kitchens eligible for the Organic Cuisine Label in either silver (60-90 % organic food procurement) or gold (90-100 % organic food procurement) level doubled from 31 % to 62 %, respectively, during the conversion period. Conversion project curriculum mostly included elements of 'theory', 'menu planning', 'network' and 'Organic Cuisine Label method' to ensure successful implementation. The study reports significant increases in the level of organic food procurement among public kitchens participating in the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. Recommendations for future organic conversion projects include adding key curriculum components to the project's educational content and measuring changes in organic food percentage to increase the chances of successful implementation.

Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the effect of two prey species, Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) and Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on the biology, reproduction, and food consumption indices of Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Both species of prey were readily consumed by C. septempunctata larvae and adults. The predator was able to successfully utilize the psylla prey for larval development, but failed to lay eggs when fed this prey. However, A. gossypii fully supported both development and reproduction of C. septempunctata. Dry mass of ingested food was similar on both diets for each larval instar. However, the dry mass gained during each stadium for C. septempunctata was significantly greater with A. gossypii prey. The aphid diet was superior to the psylla diet in terms of food conversion efficiency as larvae consumed aphids more efficiently than psyllas, regardless of the higher consumption index on the psylla prey. Our results confirm that the study of prey suitability for larvae and adult stages of predatory lady beetles should be studied separately.

Compensatory growth (CG) is accelerated growth that occurs when food availability increases after food restriction. This rapid growth may be associated with sublethal consequences. In this study, we investigated the effects of food restriction and subsequent realimentation and CG on bone structure in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Turtles were fed ad libitum food for 12 weeks (AL), restricted food for 12 weeks (R), or restricted food for 5 weeks followed by ad libitum food for 7 weeks (R-AL). R-AL turtles demonstrated partial CG via enhanced food conversion efficiency (FCE) upon realimentation. After the 12th week, gross morphology (GM), microarchitecture, and mineralization of the right humerus of each turtle were analyzed. Many GM measurements (including proximal and maximal bone lengths, bone widths, and shaft thickness), most measurements of bone microarchitecture (excluding cortical and trabecular thickness and trabecular separation), and all mineralization measurements were labile in response to intake. We examined the possibility that changes in nutrient allocation to bone structure during realimentation facilitated CG in previously food-restricted turtles. Restoration of bone lengths was prioritized over restoration of bone widths during CG. Furthermore, restoration of trabecular number, connectivity density, and bone volume fraction was prioritized over restoration of cortical bone volume fraction. Finally, diaphyseal bone mineralization was partially restored, whereas no restoration of epiphyseal bone mineralization occurred during CG. Shifts in nutrient allocation away from certain bone attributes during food restriction that were not rectified when food availability increased probably provided an energy surplus that enhanced the conversion of food to growth and thus powered the CG response. Our study revealed how resource allocation to various bone attributes is prioritized as nutritional conditions change during development. These “priority rules” may have detrimental consequences later in life, indicating that conservation of green turtle foraging grounds should be given high priority.

With political support from the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020, organic public procurement in Denmark is expected to increase. In order to evaluate changes in organic food procurement in Danish public kitchens, reliable methods are needed. The present study aimed to compare organic food procurement measurements by two methods and to collect and discuss baseline organic food procurement measurements from public kitchens participating in the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. Comparison study measuring organic food procurement by applying two different methods, one based on the use of procurement invoices (the Organic Cuisine Label method) and the other on self-reported procurement (the Dogme method). Baseline organic food procurement status was based on organic food procurement measurements and background information from public kitchens. Public kitchens participating in the six organic food conversion projects funded by the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020 during 2012 and 2013. Twenty-six public kitchens (comparison study) and 345 public kitchens (baseline organic food procurement status). A high significant correlation coefficient was found between the two organic food procurement measurement methods (r=0·83, P<0·001) with measurements relevant for the baseline status. Mean baseline organic food procurement was found to be 24 % when including measurements from both methods. The results indicate that organic food procurement measurements by both methods were valid for the baseline status report of the Danish Organic Action Plan 2020. Baseline results in Danish public kitchens suggest there is room for more organic as well as sustainable public procurement in Denmark.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of probiotic isolated from digestive tracks of carp on growth and feed efficiency. Carp fingerlings with an average weight of 2.09±0.27 g were gathered from Tatelu Freshwater Aquaculture Fisheries Center. The probiotic Lactobacillus sp. was previously isolated from carp intestine at Fish Health, Environment and Toxicology Laboratory of the Fisheries and Marine Science Faculty Sam Ratulangi University Manado, Indonesia. After purification, probiotic was subsequently mixed into feed. The density of probiotic bacteria added to the feed was 1x106 cfu mL-1, 1x107 cfu mL-1, 1x108 cfu mL-1, 1x109 cfu mL-1. Commercial feed without addition of probiotic was used as a control treatment. Probiotic-supplemented feed was fed to carp fingerling having an average weight of 2.09±0.27 g for 30 days at a dose of 5%/body weight/day, twice a day at 09.00 am and 16.00 pm. Data collected included fish weight, feed efficiency and feed conversion ratio measured at the end of the study. The results found the addition of probiotic bacteria into feed significantly affected weight gain, daily growth, feed efficiency, feed conversion ratio (p<0.01) with the best results obtained in fish fed probiotic pellet supplemented with 1x108 cfu mL-1. Thus, incorporation of probiotic bacteria isolated from carp intestines is able to enhance growth, feed efficiency as indicated by the increase in growth, feed efficiency and reduce food conversion ratio.

An expert panel was convened in September 2019 by The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) to develop a definition for fermented foods and to describe their role in the human diet. Although these foods have been consumed for thousands of years, they are receiving increased attention among biologists, nutritionists, technologists, clinicians and consumers. Despite this interest, inconsistencies related to the use of the term ‘fermented’ led the panel to define fermented foods and beverages as “foods made through desired microbial growth and enzymatic conversions of food components”. This definition, encompassing the many varieties of fermented foods, is intended to clarify what is (and is not) a fermented food. The distinction between fermented foods and probiotics is further clarified. The panel also addressed the current state of knowledge on the safety, risks and health benefits, including an assessment of the nutritional attributes and a mechanistic rationale for how fermented foods could improve gastrointestinal and general health. The latest advancements in our understanding of the microbial ecology and systems biology of these foods were discussed. Finally, the panel reviewed how fermented foods are regulated and discussed efforts to include them as a separate category in national dietary guidelines. Although fermented foods have been consumed for thousands of years, a clear definition has been lacking. This Consensus Statement outlines a definition for the term ‘fermented foods’ as determined by an expert panel convened by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics in September 2019.

Food waste has been identified as one of the major factors that constitute numerous anthropogenic activities, especially in developing countries. There is a growing problem with food waste that affects every part of the waste management system, from collection to disposal; finding long-term solutions necessitates involving all participants in the food supply chain, from farmers and manufacturers to distributors and consumers. In addition to food waste management, maintaining food sustainability and security globally is crucial so that every individual, household, and nation can always get food. “End hunger, achieve food security and enhanced nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture” are among the main challenges of global sustainable development (SDG) goal 2. Therefore, sustainable food waste management technology is needed. Recent attention has been focused on global food loss and waste. One-third of food produced for human use is wasted every year. Source reduction (i.e., limiting food losses and waste) and contemporary treatment technologies appear to be the most promising strategy for converting food waste into safe, nutritious, value-added feed products and achieving sustainability. Food waste is also employed in industrial processes for the production of biofuels or biopolymers. Biofuels mitigate the detrimental effects of fossil fuels. Identifying crop-producing zones, bioenergy cultivars, and management practices will enhance the natural environment and sustainable biochemical process. Traditional food waste reduction strategies are ineffective in lowering GHG emissions and food waste treatment. The main contribution of this study is an inventory of the theoretical and practical methods of prevention and minimization of food waste and losses. It identifies the trade-offs for food safety, sustainability, and security. Moreover, it investigates the impact of COVID-19 on food waste behavior.