Viability of seeds in food products proposed for field trips in Galapagos

Seeds of 14 plant species extracted from food products proposed for field trips in Galapagos were tested for viability. Strawberry Fragaria ananasa and Blackberry Rubus glaucus jams (Snob and Gustadina brands) contained no viable seeds. Schullo brand granola contained inviable Sesame Sesamum indicum seed, but Sesame in granolas prepared in Galapagos was viable. Sesame seed in bread was viable but Flax Linum usitatissimum seed in bread was not. Brown Rice Oryza sativa and Sunflower seeds Helianthus annuus were both viable. Fresh Apple Malus domestica, Naranjilla Solanum quitoense, Cucumber Cucumis sativus, Pineapple Ananas comosus, Pear Pyrus communis, Bell Pepper Capsicum annuum, Tomato Solanum lycopersicum, Grape Vinis vinifera all contained viable seeds. We recommend prohibiting any product with viable seeds from field trips to uninhabited areas. CDF Contribution Number 1009.

An objective method to monitor and quantify texture of salted herring during ripening in barrels at 4°C

Changes in the texture (elastic nature) of the flesh of barrel salted herring during the ripening process at 4°C have been monitored. The method employs the analysis of stress-relaxation curves after compression to half of the sample thickness on an lnstron Model 1112. The parameter 'T/P' for each sample represents the reciprocal of the gradient of a line connecting P and T0.368p. This parameter characteristic of each sample's texture was calculated as the ratio of 'T/P' where, T is the relaxation time and is defined as the time required for a stress at constant strain to decrease to 1/e of its original value, where 'e' is the base of natural logarithms (2.7183). Since 1/e=0.368, the relaxation time is the time required for the force to decay to 36.8% of its original value. P is the peak height of the curve (i.e. the force value at the maximum height). This method was adopted from the bakery industry for testing the degree of gluten development in bread dough. The 'T/P' values obtained over the course of ripening for differently treated salted-herring in barrels ranged between 1 and 12. The trends in 'T/P' value, during ripening period for the different samples, appeared to be parallel changes in texture perceived by sensory observation (subjective measurement), although the heterogeneous nature of the samples gave standard deviations, about the replicate sample mean, around 5%. The method appears promising as an objective measure for monitoring this aspect of the textural quality of barrel salted-herring through ripening if reproducibility of test results can be improved by more careful standardization of sample preparation and test protocol.

Protein concentrate from shark

A simple method of leaching the minced muscle with water repeatedly followed by cooking, pressing, drying the cake and powdering has been described for the preparation of fish protein concentrate (FPC) from shark without the use of solvents. The FPC thus prepared had high protein content and was completely free of urea. It contained all the essential amino acids in a balanced proportion with high lysine content and had a storage life up to 12 months. This product can be used for the fortification of bread, biscuits and chappathis respectively at 10, 5 and 2% levels.

The propagation of the mud crab Scylla serrata (F.) de Haan

The mud crab Scylla serrata is an important commercial species found in many brackish areas in the Philippines. During spawning and hatching, the berried females migrate to the sea. Seeds for pond stocking are obtained from the wild. Because of the unpredictability of seed supply, there is a need to propagate the species artificially. Thus, spawning, larval rearing, maturation, and rematuration of the species are being studied. The first attempts at hatching S. serrata were successful with rates varying between 75% and 90%. Two out of three trials on larval rearing yielded a few megalops. The first zoeal stages were fed diatoms, rotifers, Artemia salina, and bread yeast. Overfeeding programs were implemented during the critical premolting periods to prevent weakening of the larvae and lessen cannibalism. Larval weakening during the premolt makes them susceptible to attacks by fungi like Lagenidium and ciliates like Vorticella. S. serrata larvae survived salinity levels as low as 15 ppt until the 14th day of rearing. Other larvae were able to survive in salinities of 30-32 ppt for 8 to 13 days. Zoeal molting was hastened by lowering the salinity to 25-27 ppt. Artificial broodstocking of juveniles and adult crabs has been made possible using a simple refuge system made of three-compartmented hollow blocks. This system has been helpful in minimizing fighting among crabs. Remarkable growth rates have been observed with feeds like mussel meat and trash fish. Average growth increments of 11 mm carapace length and 20 . 35 g body weight have been observed every fortnight. A newly spent spawner could gain additional weight of 22 . 5 g in only 6 days. Feeding rates of juveniles and adult crabs have been established based on the average body weight from an experiment using mussel meat. Crabs feed more at night. In another experiment, eyestalk ablation was found to be effective in inducing growth and mating. Aside from hastening the molting process, copulation is induced even among the small crabs (average carapace length = 55 mm). Natural mating lasts about 26 hr. A copulation which lasted for seven days with a break in between was observed.

The effect of different binders on the water stability of feeds for prawn

Corn starch, gelatin, sago palm starch, agar, and bread flour were tested for their binding capacity in pelleted diets for Penaeus monodon . Agar was found to be good binder, but it costs too much, while bread flour was also good but as it's commonly used for human comsumption its use for animal feed should be minimized. The use of 20% bread flour, or a combination of 5% sago palm starch or corn starch with 15% bread flour is recommended, depending on the cost and availability. Basic composition of the formulated diet is tabulated, as is water stability of 2 and 4 mm diameter steamed pellets after 2, 6 and 18 h.

Culture experiments on the copepod, Tisbintra elongata MORI, and evaluation of that species as food organism for milkfish larvae

Five types of food were used to culture T. elongata: rice bran, cow dung, bread, cow dung, bread yeast, fermented fish solubles and Spirulina. Bread yeast was found to give the highest densities. An evaluation was also made of the effectivity of rice bran and fermented fish solubles for the outdoor mass culture of T. elongata . A comparative study on the growth and survival rate of milkfish fry (Chanos chanos) fed with T. elongata and Artemia showed there to be no significant differences between the diets.

Determination of proximate composition, shelf life and fatty acid profiles of breaded kilka (Clupeonella cultriventris) during frozen storage

The present study aimed production of a new product with various texture and sensory properties in chase of the impetus for increasing human consumption considering suitable resources of Kilka fish in Caspian Sea. Following deheading, gutting, and brining, common Kilka were battered in two different formulations, i.e. simple batter and tempura batter, via automated predusting machinery and then, they were fried through flash frying for 30 seconds at 170°C in sunflower oil after they were breaded with bread crumbs flour. The products were subjected to continuous freezing at -40°C and were kept at -18°C in cold storage for four months once they were packed. Chemical composition (protein, fat, moisture, and ash), fatty acid profiles (29 fatty acids), chemical indices of spoilage (peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid, free fatty acids, and volatile nitrogen), and microbial properties (total bacteria count and coliform count) were compared in fresh and breaded Kilka at various times before frying (raw breaded Kilka), after frying (zero-phase), and in various months of frozen storage (phases 1, 2, 3, and 4). Organoleptic properties of breaded Kilka (i.e. odor, taste, texture, crispiness, cohesiveness of batter) and general acceptability in the phases 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 were evaluated. The results obtained from chemical composition and fatty acid profiles in common Kilka denoted that MUFA, PUFA, and SFA were estimated to be 36.96, 32.85, and 29.12 g / 100g lipid, respectively. Levels of ù-3 and ù-6 were 7.6 and 1.12 g / 100 gr lipid, respectively. Docosahexaonoic acid (20.79%) was the highest fatty acid in PUFA group. ù-3/ù-6 and PUFA/SFA ratios were 7.6 and 1.12, respectively. The high rates of the indices and high percentage of ù-3 fatty acid in common Kilka showed that the fish can be considered as invaluable nutritional and fishery resources and commonsensical consumption of the species may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Frying breaded Kilka affected overall fat and moisture contents so that moisture content in fried breaded Kilka decreased significantly compared to raw breaded Kilka, while it was absolutely reverse for fat content. Overall fat content in tempura batter treatment was significantly lower than that of simple batter treatment (P≤0.05). Presence of hydrocolloids, namely proteins, starch, gum, and other polysaccharides, in tempura batter may prohibit moisture evaporation and placement with oil during frying process in addition to boosting water holding capacity through confining water molecules. During frying process, fatty acids composition of breaded Kilka with various batters changed so that rates of some fatty acids such as Palmitic acid (C16:0), Stearic acid (C18:0), Oleic acid (C18:1 ù-9cis), and linoleic acid (C18:3 ù-3) increased considerably following frying; however, ù-3/ù-6, PUFA/SFA, and EPA+DHA/C16:0 ratios (Polyan index) decreased significantly after frying. ù-3/ù-6, PUFA/SFA, and EPA+DHA/C16:0 ratios in tempura batter treatment were higher than those of simple batter treatment which is an indicator of higher nutritional value of breaded Kilka with tempura batter. Significant elevations were found in peroxide, thiobarbituric acid, and free fatty acids in fried breaded Kilka samples compared to raw samples which points to fat oxidation during cooking process. Overall microorganism count and coliform count decreased following heating process. Both breaded Kilka samples were of high sanitation quality at zero-phase according to ICMSF Standard. The results acquired from organoleptic evaluation declared that odor, cohesiveness, and general acceptability indices, among others, had significant differences between the treatments (P≤0.05). In all evaluated properties, breaded Kilka with tempura batter in different phases gained higher scores than breaded Kilka with simple batter. During cold storage of various treatments of breaded Kilka, total lipid content, PUFA, MUFA, ù-3, ù- 3/ù-6, PUFA/SFA, Polyen index decreased significantly. The mentioned reductions in addition to significant elevation of spoilage indices, namely peroxide, thiobarbituric acid, and free fatty acids, during frozen storage, indicate to oxidation and enzymatic mechanism activity during frozen storage of breaded Kilka. Considering sensory evaluation at the end of the fourth month and TVB-N contents exceeded eligible rate in the fourth month, shelf life of the products during frozen storage was set to be three months at -18°C. The results obtained from statistical tests indicate to better quality of breaded Kilka processed with tempura batter compared to simple batter in terms of organoleptic evaluation, spoilage indices, and high quality of fat in various sampling phases.