scholarly journals Slaughter Conditions and Slaughtering of Pregnant Cows in Southeast Nigeria: Implications to Meat Quality, Food Safety and Security

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1298
Author(s):  
Ugochinyere J. Njoga ◽  
Emmanuel O. Njoga ◽  
Obichukwu C. Nwobi ◽  
Festus O. Abonyi ◽  
Henry O. Edeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Meat Quality ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Herd Size ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Quality Food ◽  
Slaughter Cattle ◽  
Pregnancy Status ◽  
Zoonotic Disease Transmission

The increase in the slaughter of pregnant cows (SPCs) for meat (except as may be approved by veterinarians on health grounds to salvage the animal) is unethical. SPCs for meat is also counterproductive, detrimental to food security, and may enhance zoonotic disease transmission. In this context, therefore, this current study examined slaughter conditions and the slaughtering of pregnant cows, and the implications for meat quality, food safety, and food security in Southeast Nigeria. The direct observational method was employed to examine the slaughterhouse activities, from when the cattle arrived at the lairage to the post-slaughter stage. A pre-tested and validated closed-ended-questionnaire was used to elicit information on causes of the SPCs and the method of disposal of eviscerated foetuses. Pregnancy status of cows slaughtered was determined by palpation followed by visual examination of the eviscerated and longitudinal incised uteri. The study lasted for six months during which 851 cows out of 1931 slaughtered cattle were surveyed. Assessment/decision-making protocol of slaughterhouse conditions, welfare conditions of slaughter-cattle, reasons for sale or slaughter of pregnant cows, distribution of pregnant cows slaughtered, method of disposal of eviscerated foetuses, and estimated economic losses of SPCs were delineated. Of the 851 cows examined, 17.4% (148/851) were pregnant while 43.2% (64/148) of the total foetuses recovered were in their third trimester. Major reasons adduced for SPCs by proportion of involved respondents were: ignorance of the animals’ pregnancy status (69.7%, 83/119), high demand for beef (61.3%, 73/119), preference for large-sized cattle (47.9%, 57/119), economic hardship (52.1%, 62/119) and diseases conditions (42.9%. 51/119). The conduct of SPCs for meat would not be profitable. This is because within six months, an estimated loss of about 44,000 kg of beef, equivalent to ₦ 70.1 million or $186,400 would be associated with SPCs and the consequential foetal wastages. If losses were to be replicated nationwide across slaughterhouses, 4.3 tons of beef estimated at ₦ 8.6 billion or $23 million would be wasted. Improving slaughter conditions and the welfare of slaughter-cattle in Nigerian slaughterhouses through advocacy, training of slaughterhouse workers, and strict implementation of laws promoting humane slaughter practices is imperative. Preventing SPCs for meat and inhumane slaughter practices at the slaughterhouse would enhance the welfare needs of slaughter cattle, grow the national herd size, and improve meat safety as well as food security.

scholarly journals Perception of Food Security at Household Level by Students of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-46
Author(s):  
Renata Marks-Bielska ◽  
Inga Zenkova ◽  
Aneta Parzonka ◽  
Damian Opalach
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
National Average ◽  
Research Tool ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Quality Food ◽  
The University

SummarySubject and purpose of work: The aim of this paper was to identify how students of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn perceived food security at household level. It was verified whether selected students were able to define properly the terms connected with the topic and how food safety was assessed.Materials and methods: The survey was performed using a questionnaire as the research tool. The survey was conducted at three faculties in the following courses of studies: economics, law, and bioengineering of food production. Statistical data were included.Results: Most of the respondents considered food security at household level in Poland to be at a satisfying level. In most respondent’s households, expenditure on food in relation to income was at a higher level than the national average.Conclusions: Food security in the households of the surveyed students was ensured. The economic availability of food in the analysed households was good, as most respondents were able to purchase high quality food products.

scholarly journals Asian badgers—the same, only different: how diversity among badger societies informs socio-ecological theory and challenges conservation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youbing Zhou ◽  
Chris Newman ◽  
Yayoi Kaneko ◽  
Christina D. Buesching ◽  
Wenwen Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Natal Philopatry ◽  
Trophic Guild ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
Road Development ◽  
Carnivorous Species ◽  
Zoonotic Disease Transmission ◽  
Attitudinal Changes

Of thirteen extant species of true badger, eleven have a distribution in Asia, as do the more loosely affiliated stink- and honey-badgers. Even though these badgers show superficial similarities, they exhibit very different societies, even within same species under different circumstances, and provide an informative model to advance understanding of socio-ecology. They illustrate how group-living is promoted by natal philopatry, and food security; enabled by omnivory and hibernation in cold-winter regions. Conversely predatory, carnivorous species, and those competing for food security within a broader trophic guild, tend to be more solitary. This socio-ecological diversity poses conservation challenges, with Asian badgers vulnerable to habitat loss, urban and road development, direct conflict with people, culling to manage zoonotic disease transmission, and hunting pressure – often for traditional medicine. These threats are ever-more prevalent in expanding Asian economies, where cultural and attitudinal changes are urgently needed to safeguard biodiversity for the future.

scholarly journals Molecular detection of cattle Sarcocystis spp. in North-West Italy highlights their association with bovine eosinophilic myositis

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Selene Rubiola ◽  
Tiziana Civera ◽  
Felice Panebianco ◽  
Davide Vercellino ◽  
Francesco Chiesa
Keyword(s):  
18S Rdna ◽  
Inflammatory Myopathy ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Diaphragm Muscle ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Slaughter Cattle ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pcr Targeting

Abstract Background Cattle are intermediate hosts of six Sarcocystis species, among which Sarcocystis hominis and Sarcocystis heydorni can infect humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat. In addition to the zoonotic potential, there is increasing interest in these protozoa because of the evidence supporting the role of Sarcocystis spp. in the occurrence of bovine eosinophilic myositis (BEM), a specific inflammatory myopathy which leads to carcass condemnation and considerable economic losses. Actually, all the prevalence studies carried out on cattle in Italy have been based on either morphological or 18S rDNA-based molecular techniques, most likely leading to misidentification of closely related species. Therefore, there is a strong need for new data on the prevalence of the different Sarcocystis spp. in cattle in Italy and their association with bovine eosinophilic myositis. Methods To reach our aim, individual striated muscle samples from BEM condemned carcasses (N = 54) and diaphragm muscle samples from randomly sampled carcasses (N = 59) were obtained from Northwest Italy slaughterhouses. Genomic DNA was extracted and analyzed by multiplex-PCR targeting 18S rDNA and cox1 genes. PCR products amplified using the genus-specific primer set in absence of the specific fragment for S. hirsuta, S. cruzi, S. hominis or S. bovifelis were sequenced to achieve species identification. Results Sarcocystis DNA was detected in 67.8% of the samples from slaughter cattle and in 90.7% of the samples from BEM condemned carcasses. S. cruzi was identified as the most prevalent species in slaughter cattle (61%), followed by S. bovifelis (10.2%), S. hominis (8.5%) and S. hirsuta (1.7%). Notably, among the different Sarcocystis spp. detected, the presence of S. bovifelis and S. hominis was significantly higher in samples isolated from BEM condemned carcasses (46.3% and 40.7% respectively), while there was no statistically significant difference between the presence of S. cruzi or S. hirsuta in BEM condemned carcasses (42.6% and 1.8%, respectively) and randomly sampled carcasses. Furthermore, DNA sequence analysis revealed the presence of a putative new species in two carcasses. Conclusions Our study contributes to updating the data on the prevalence of the different Sarcocystis spp. in cattle in Italy, highlighting the presence of three Sarcocystis spp., S. cruzi, S. hominis and S. bovifelis, in BEM lesions and allowing us to speculate on the possible role of S. hominis and S. bovifelis as the major sarcosporidian species involved in bovine eosinophilic myositis. Graphic Abstract

scholarly journals Livestock movement informs the risk of disease spread in traditional production systems in East Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Divine Ekwem ◽  
Thomas A. Morrison ◽  
Richard Reeve ◽  
Jessica Enright ◽  
Joram Buza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Herd Size ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Transmission Potential ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Transmission Distance ◽  
Risk Of Disease

AbstractIn Africa, livestock are important to local and national economies, but their productivity is constrained by infectious diseases. Comprehensive information on livestock movements and contacts is required to devise appropriate disease control strategies; yet, understanding contact risk in systems where herds mix extensively, and where different pathogens can be transmitted at different spatial and temporal scales, remains a major challenge. We deployed Global Positioning System collars on cattle in 52 herds in a traditional agropastoral system in western Serengeti, Tanzania, to understand fine-scale movements and between-herd contacts, and to identify locations of greatest interaction between herds. We examined contact across spatiotemporal scales relevant to different disease transmission scenarios. Daily cattle movements increased with herd size and rainfall. Generally, contact between herds was greatest away from households, during periods with low rainfall and in locations close to dipping points. We demonstrate how movements and contacts affect the risk of disease spread. For example, transmission risk is relatively sensitive to the survival time of different pathogens in the environment, and less sensitive to transmission distance, at least over the range of the spatiotemporal definitions of contacts that we explored. We identify times and locations of greatest disease transmission potential and that could be targeted through tailored control strategies.

scholarly journals Light Cross-Linkable Marine Collagen for Coaxial Printing of a 3D Model of Neuromuscular Junction Formation

Biomedicines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Borja Sanz ◽  
Ane Albillos Sanchez ◽  
Bonnie Tangey ◽  
Kerry Gilmore ◽  
Zhilian Yue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Attractive Alternative ◽  
Waste Products ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Zoonotic Disease Transmission ◽  
And Migration

Collagen is a major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that modulates cell adhesion, growth, and migration, and has been utilised in tissue engineering applications. However, the common terrestrial sources of collagen carry the risk of zoonotic disease transmission and there are religious barriers to the use of bovine and porcine products in many cultures. Marine based collagens offer an attractive alternative and have so far been under-utilized for use as biomaterials for tissue engineering. Marine collagen can be extracted from fish waste products, therefore industry by-products offer an economical and environmentally sustainable source of collagen. In a handful of studies, marine collagen has successfully been methacrylated to form collagen methacrylate (ColMA). Our work included the extraction, characterization and methacrylation of Red Snapper collagen, optimisation of conditions for neural cell seeding and encapsulation using the unmodified collagen, thermally cross-linked, and the methacrylated collagen with UV-induced cross-linking. Finally, the 3D co-axial printing of neural and skeletal muscle cell cultures as a model for neuromuscular junction (NMJ) formation was investigated. Overall, the results of this study show great potential for a novel NMJ in vitro 3D bioprinted model that, with further development, could provide a low-cost, customizable, scalable and quick-to-print platform for drug screening and to study neuromuscular junction physiology and pathogenesis.

scholarly journals The Utility of the Upcoming HyspIRI’s Simulated Spectral Settings in Detecting Maize Gray Leafy Spot in Relation to Sentinel-2 MSI, VENµS, and Landsat 8 OLI Sensors

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 846
Author(s):  
Mbulisi Sibanda ◽  
Onisimo Mutanga ◽  
Timothy Dube ◽  
John Odindi ◽  
Paramu L. Mafongoya
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Leaf Spot ◽  
Gray Leaf Spot ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Leaf Spot Disease ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
Landsat 8 Oli ◽  
Maize Crop ◽  
Sentinel 2

Considering the high maize yield loses caused by incidences of disease, as well as incomprehensive monitoring initiatives in crop farming, there is a need for spatially explicit, cost-effective, and consistent approaches for monitoring, as well as for forecasting, food-crop diseases, such as maize Gray Leaf Spot. Such approaches are valuable in reducing the associated economic losses while fostering food security. In this study, we sought to investigate the utility of the forthcoming HyspIRI sensor in detecting disease progression of Maize Gray Leaf Spot infestation in relation to the Sentinel-2 MSI and Landsat 8 OLI spectral configurations simulated using proximally sensed data. Healthy, intermediate, and severe categories of maize crop infections by the Gray Leaf Spot disease were discriminated based on partial least squares–discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) algorithm. Comparatively, the results show that the HyspIRI’s simulated spectral settings slightly performed better than those of Sentinel-2 MSI, VENµS, and Landsat 8 OLI sensor. HyspIRI exhibited an overall accuracy of 0.98 compared to 0.95, 0.93, and 0.89, which were exhibited by Sentinel-2 MSI, VENµS, and Landsat 8 OLI sensor sensors, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed that the visible section, red-edge, and NIR covered by all the four sensors were the most influential spectral regions for discriminating different Maize Gray Leaf Spot infections. These findings underscore the potential value of the upcoming hyperspectral HyspIRI sensor in precision agriculture and forecasting of crop-disease epidemics, which are necessary to ensure food security.

scholarly journals Social Media Versus Personal Experience in the Consumer’s Apprehension on Imported Food Security and Safety Dilemma

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110074
Author(s):  
Tariq H. Malik ◽  
Jae Chul Choi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Information Flow ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Direct Experience ◽  
Information Quantity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Imported Food ◽  
Aquatic Food

South Korea imports a large amount of agricultural and aquatic food products from China, which meets its food security. However, the import from China raises food safety questions, leading to food safety apprehension. We explored the source of the Korean consumer’s apprehension. Based on the apprehension reduction theory (ART) developed from interviews with Korean consumers in the first stage of the study, we conducted a survey to assess the social media as an indirect source of information and direct experience of the consumer in the second stage of the study. We received 504 responses, of which 1/3 of the respondents had visited China in the last year. Using FSS (Food Safety Satisfaction) as the dependent variable (1— low to 5— high), we link information from the social media vis-à-vis direct experience and made three discoveries. (a) The information quantity of social media increases the consumer’s apprehension, partially refuting the ART. (ii) FSS increased in response to information flow from the direct experience of the consumer with Chinese imported food. (c) The direct information from experience mediates the effects of indirect information (social media) on apprehension about agricultural and aquatic product imports. We made three inferences. First, information quantity and quality have separated roles in the ART. Second, social media increases the free-market style information flow, turning legitimate products to illegitimate and vice versa. Third, the collective irrationality from the information quantity needs institutional bricolage to legitimize the chaotic nature of the untamed information.

A Review of Aquaculture Practices and Their Impacts on Chemical Food Safety from a Regulatory Perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 541-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe O Boison ◽  
Sherri B Turnipseed
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Foreign Exchange ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Fish Products ◽  
Regulatory Perspective ◽  
The World ◽  
Aquaculture Industry

Abstract Aquaculture is currently one of the most rapidly growing food production industries in the world. The increasing global importance for this industry stems primarily from the fact that it is reducing the gap between the supply and demand for fish products. Commercial aquaculture contributes significantly to the economies of many countries since high-value fish species are a major source of foreign exchange. This review looks at the aquaculture industry, the issues raised by the production of fish through aquaculture for food security, the sustainability of the practice to agriculture, what the future holds for the industry in the next 10-20 years, and why there is a need to have available analytical procedures to regulate the safe use of chemicals and veterinary drugs in aquaculture.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document