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Developing robust food composition models: Strategies for handling temperature and packaging variations in dry-cured ham using near infrared spectrometry
Get PDFLow-cost near infrared devices intended for consumers able to easily determine composition and quality of food products may boost adoption of sustainable healthy diets. However, predictive algorithms robust to external variations are needed. The aim of this work was to evaluate different data analysis strategies to develop robust predictive models for food composition when using spectrometric data subjected to external variations, specifically temperature and packaging material, acquired using low-cost sensors. Usefulness of global modelling (GM), Generalised least squares weighting (GLSW), Loading space standardisation (LSS), Multiplicative Effects Model (MEM) were explored, and the effect of samples heterogeneity evaluated. To do so, two low-cost handheld NIR-based devices with different spectral ranges and resolutions were used. The food matrix samples were obtained from different anatomical muscles of commercial dry-cured ham. Spectra were acquired on two types of packaging films at different temperatures to further explore the usefulness of global modelling (GM), generalised least squares weighting (GLSW), loading space standardisation (LSS), and multiplicative effects model (MEM) to retrieve these effects. Results show that the inherent food sample heterogeneity produces as much spectral variability as temperature and packaging materials. For temperature compensation, LSS did not decrease the predictive error caused by this factor probably due to the heterogeneity of the samples used. In contrast, the GLSW method decreased the predictive errors from 0.52% to 0.46% for salt and from 2.10% to 1.40% for water.. Only a slight effect of packaging was observed, and GM models were found to be the best strategy to compensate it, showing a decrease of bias from −1.35 to 0.012. The examined compensation strategies could facilitate the deployment of low-cost spectrometers for consumer use, as they offer an effective means to mitigate or eliminate variations from any source in the data that are unrelated to the properties of interest.This work was supported by CCLabel project (RTI-2018–096883-R-C41) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Spanish Government (MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033). Ricardo dos Santos received a grant [PRE2022-103798] funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and ESF + . Acknowledgements are extended to the consolidated Research Group (2021 SGR 00461), CERCA programme from Generalitat de Catalunya, Centre for Process Analytics and Control Technology (CPACT) and Engineering and Physical Sciences research Council (EPSRC; EP/P006965/1). Elena Fulladosa acknowledges the receipt of a fellowship from the OECD Co-operative Research Programme: Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems in 2022 and a mobility grant from the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) within the Incentives For Research Program 2023.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Impact of intervention strategies on listeriosis risk in cooked ham: Biopreservation and high pressure processing
Get PDFBiopreservation and post-lethality treatments (PLT) are the basis of operating procedures applied to reduce the levels of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat food. The combination of these strategies must be wisely selected, and their interaction should be considered in quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRA) assessing the listeriosis risk. The aim of the present study was to develop a QMRA model to assess the impact of intervention strategies, including formulation with lactate, bioprotective cultures and the use of high-pressure processing (HPP), on reducing the listeriosis risk associated to the consumption of cooked meat products by elderly populations. Particularly, the interaction between the formulation with lactate and the application of HPP was addressed as lactate is reported to exert (i) a piezo-protection on L. monocytogenes inactivation by HPP and (ii) a piezo-stimulation effect on the growth rate of survivors. Results showed that the reduction of product's shelf-life or the use of biopreservation strategies (lactate and bioprotective cultures) were more effective in reducing the listeriosis risk than mild HPP treatments. Moreover, the application of a mild HPP treatment in combination with the formulation with lactate did not result in a higher risk reduction compared to the formulation of lactate alone. On the other hand, the application of a 5-log PLT was more effective for risk reduction compared to other strategies. The results provided in this work can help in the design of measures to control L. monocytogenes that have the desired impact on risk of reduction.This work was supported by the Consolidated Research Group (2017 SGR 1650) and the CERCA Programme (Generalitat de Catalunya). Cristina Serra-Castelló was a recipient of IRTA mobility fellowship 2022.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
El saltricó en cultius d’horta
No full textEls saltricons són un grup d'espècies de petits coleòpters que salten fàcilment i que s'alimenten de diversos cultius d'horta: cruciferes com la col, la coliflor, el bròquil, el nap, el rave o la ruca; amarantàcies com la bleda o l'espinac; i solanàcies com l'albergínia. Durant quatre anys hem dut a terme proves de camp per esbrinar quines espècies de saltricó trobem en els cultius d'horta i quins possibles mètodes de control es poden emprar per la seva gestió.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
La detección de insectos en los productos almacenados: perspectiva actual y futura sobre el diagnóstico molecular
No full textLas plagas de insectos provocan importantes pérdidas a la industria agroalimentaria a partir de la infestación tanto de las materias primas como de los productos elaborados finales. De esta forma, la gestión de plagas en productos almacenados es de suma importancia, siendo la detección de plagas uno de los puntos más importantes.
Actualmente, los métodos de detección más comunes, como la inspección visual tras el tamizado del producto, tiene algunas limitaciones en comparación con otros métodos más novedosos, como el diagnóstico molecular, que presenta una mayor sensibilidad y fiabilidad. Éste se basa en la utilización de diversas técnicas para analizar diferentes tipos de marcadores biológicos, como el ADN, permitiendo una detección precisa y específica de plagas de insectos en los productos almacenados.
El proyecto INSECT-FREE financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, la Agencia Estatal de Investigación y la Unión Europea, pretende desarrollar un nuevo test molecular de fácil utilidad y fiable como herramienta para la detección de plagas de insectos al servicio de las empresas del sector agroalimentario. Una encuesta realizada por nuestro grupo a más de 50 empresas de la industria agroalimentaria europea muestra a este sector empresarial abierto a la utilización de técnicas moleculares para la detección de plagas. Esto representa un gran paso para una implementación realista y aplicable del diagnóstico molecular de plagas de insectos en productos almacenados.Los autores agradecen a Marisa Amo su ayuda en la realización de la encuesta y en la gestión de los datos recogidos. Esta investigación ha sido financiada por el MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 y el Next Generation EU/PRTR de la Unión Europea (PDC2022-133321-I00), el Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA, España), del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España (RTI2018- 095526-R-100), y por el Programa CERCA (Centres de Recerca de Catalunya) de la Generalitat de Catalunya.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Natural infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 in wild birds between 2020 and 2023 in the UK: a retrospective study with focus on microscopic lesions, viral distribution and neurotropism
No full textSince the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4 Goose/Guangdong lineage in Europe in 2014, an unprecedented outbreak occurred during the 2021–2022 epidemiological year, causing mass mortalities in wild birds, including birds of prey, but also increasingly affecting Charadriiformes, which has imposed substantial ecological and infection pressure at the wild-bird–poultry and avian–mammalian interface. Neurological signs have been associated with higher fatalities in birds but pathological examinations of natural cases, including viral distribution, are currently lacking. In this study, we have thoroughly assessed the histopathological lesions and antigen distribution by immunohistochemistry (IHC) from 115 PCR-positive wild birds that died naturally from HPAI, including Charadriiformes, birds of prey, gamebirds, waterfowl and captive wild birds. The commonest histological lesion was pancreatic necrosis followed by splenic necrosis, encephalitis or neuronal necrosis, myocardial necrosis or myocarditis, necrosis of the respiratory tract and hepatic necrosis. Overall, 96 birds tested positive by IHC in multiple organs and most of the viral antigen was detected in the brain followed by the respiratory tract, heart, pancreas and kidney. In the brain, viral antigen was most commonly detected in neurons, neuropil and endothelium. In conclusion, HPAI-associated mortality in different wild birds can be associated with multisystemic viral dissemination and tissue damage, with endothelial tropism being a key feature in neuroinvasion and disease pathogenesis.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra); the devolved administrations of the Scottish and the Welsh Governments (grant no.: SV3400).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Evaluating the impact of natural and artificial light treatments on fear response and welfare parameters in commercial broilers
No full textIn recent years, there has been a movement driven by consumer demands towards adding windows in broiler houses to allow for natural light during rearing; however, little is currently known about the effects of natural light on bird welfare. The objective of this study was to compare the impact of raising broilers under natural light or artificial light on fear response and welfare parameters. Mixed-sex Ross 708 chicks (N = 704) were housed in 16 rooms (44 birds/room), with 8 rooms per light treatment and raised until 56d of age. Chicks were randomly assigned to one of two light treatments: artificial light provided via a 5000 K LED (AL), or natural light provided via window and supplemented with 5000k LED (NL). Three fear tests were performed, novel object test (at 14d and 35d), response to observer test (at 14d and 35d), and novel environment test (at 55d). Welfare indicators such as footpad dermatitis, hock burn, gait score, and latency to lie were assessed at 55d of age. Data from the novel object test and the response to observer test were analyzed using Proc Mixed, whereas data from the novel environment test and welfare indicators were analyzed using Proc GLIMMIX (SAS 9.4). Results showed that broilers raised under AL were more reluctant to approach Zone 2 (1-meter radius) of novel object than NL broilers (P = 0.03). Birds exposed to NL had a shorter mean latency to approach the novel object (69.9 seconds) compared to those under AL conditions (181.4 seconds; P < 0.01). No treatment effects were found on the response to observer test, novel environment test, or welfare parameters except for footpad dermatitis, as bird raised under NL showed lower scores than AL birds (P = 0.03). Overall, this study indicates that the provision of NL did not show significant improvement in the fear levels or the welfare measures of leg health on broiler chickens.This research was funded in part by USDA NIFA Grant Award No. 2023-69014-39713, USDA project 58-6064-0-010, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and the Hatch program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Principales problemas sensoriales de las carnes y de los preparados de carne (VI)
No full textContinuamos en este artículo con la serie sobre los problemas sensoriales que pueden presentar las carnes y los preparados de carne, en esta ocasión referidos a la textura.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
¿Por qué y cuándo se producen las bajas de los lechones en lactación?
No full textinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
La importancia del riego y la necesidad de optimizarlo
No full textEl agua destinada al riego es un recurso limitado que conviene gestionar de forma inteligente para sacar su máximo rendimiento (agronómico, económico, social, ambiental...) al mínimo coste posible (económico y ambiental).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
GIS-Based Approach for Modeling Vineyard and Apple Orchard Suitability in Mountainous Regions
Get PDFClimate change is expected to negatively impact agricultural production, leading to phenological and metabolic changes, increased water demands, diminished yields, and changed organoleptic characteristics, restricting the positive geographic productivity potential. As an adaptive strategy, agriculture in mountainous regions has gained prominence despite the fact that it entails new challenges. Indeed, mountain-specific conditions and limitations need to be considered, compared to the traditional productive regions. Consequently, there is a lack of information about the most suitable locations because the new conditions and limitations need to be accounted for. This study provides a crop suitability assessment approach to be used in mountainous regions where data about crop yield or development is scarce or nonexistent. Specifically, we evaluated the suitability of vineyards and apple orchards in the southern Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees. Using Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques, integrated with fuzzy logic and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), we combined traditional climatic, soil, and topographic indicators with factors relevant to mountainous regions. Our results indicated that the most suitable areas were primarily in lower basins and sunny hillsides, with smaller water needs. Vineyards would benefit from a very low risk of late spring frosts and elevated solar radiation, whereas apple orchards from a reduced risk of hailstorms, a very low risk of late spring frosts, and mild slopes. The fuzzy membership functions combined with the AHP facilitated the integration of indicators, effectively identifying areas with high potential for crop development. This approach contributes to landscape management and planning by offering a modifiable tool for assessing crop suitability in mountainous regions.The research leading to these results received funding from FIRE-RES Horizon 2020 project under Grant Agreement No. 101037419.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio