Religious Slaughter in Europe

Halal and Shechita slaughter were assessed in 135 European abattoirs. Shechita is carried out without stunning in all abattoirs, while 65% of cattle abattoirs, 50% small ruminants and 50% poultry abattoirs use preslaughter stunning for Halal Slaughter.

Sindicación de contenidos en un portal de revistas: Temaria

Se describe la sindicación de contenidos y sus aplicaciones en bibliotecas, centros de información y editoriales, y se destaca como una oportunidad en un momento en que las iniciativas en este terreno son todavía escasas. Se explica cómo la sindicación aplicada a Temaria, un portal de revistas españolas de biblioteconomía y documentación, facilita, entre otras cosas, el seguimiento de un autor o de un tema.

La renovación de los diarios digitales: rediseños y web 2.0

Se describen y analizan los cambios en los webs de diarios digitales españoles entre mayo y diciembre de 2006. Los principales son: la sustitución de la barra de navegación vertical por una barra horizontal superior, el diseño para una resolución de 1024 píxeles y el avance desigual en servicios de participación del lector. Se incluye una cronología de dichos cambios.

Media, investors and bubbles

We analysed the specific case of how information in the financial press influences economic bubbles. We found considerable flaws in the information market due to several factors: demand, the predominance of what are termed “irrational investors” (herding), and supply, which has the problem that the sources of information are biasedand feeds. A financial bubble is a deviation between real value of a financial asset and its persistent market price in time, which also has a speculative origin fed back by the illusion of the owners of these financial values, who will take benefits because of the future prices, which must be higher than the previous ones. The economical information in the media is submitting three problems. First of all, it is information generated by companies. In second place, the information circuit is fed back. A problem of informative independence becomes created, particularly serious in the case of the banks, which are very were as creditors. And in a third place, some informative biases are manifested for the companies of regulated sectors which are starring the economical information in the media.

Feeding of nauplii, copepodites and adults of Calanipeda aquaedulcis (Calanoida) in Mediterranean salt marshes

Feeding of the different developmental stages of Calanipeda aquaedulcis on natural particles (bacterio-, phyto- and microzooplankton) was measured in a Mediterranean salt marsh (Empordà wetlands, NE Iberian Peninsula). Bottle incubations were performed in the field both in autumn and spring. The results showed differences in the diet of the different developmental stages due to both prey type and size. In general, the size of the ingested prey increased with increasing size of the C. aquaedulcis stage. While C. aquaedulcis adults had high ingestion rates and selection coefficients for large prey (micro- and nanoplankton), nauplii preferentially consumed smaller prey items (picoplankton). Copepodites showed the widest prey size range, including pico-, nano- and microplankton. Nevertheless, the lower size limit for particle capture was similar for all stages, i.e. between 1.7 and 2.1 μm. Omnivory was observed in all stages of C. aquaedulcis. Heterotrophic prey (picoplankton, dinoflagellates and ciliates) were the most ingested items. The ability to partition the available food among the different developmental stages could represent an advantage in times of ood scarcity because it may reduce intraspecific competition. This may explain how C. aquaedulcis is able to predominate in the zooplankton community for several weeks during spring and summer ven in situations of low food availability

Projecte d’implantació d’una estació depuradora d’aigües residuals mitjançant un reactor biològic seqüencial (RBS) a una sala d’especejament de pollastre situada a Banyoles

En el procés productiu de la indústria alimentària l’aigua és un factor de vital importància, augmentantels volums consumits degut al desenvolupament de la producció. Conseqüentment es genera un granvolum d’aigua residual amb una important càrrega orgànica, causant greus problemes al ser abocadadirectament sobre el medi natural o generant càrregues no assumibles per les EDAR.El tractament de les aigües residuals preocupa als empresaris, pressionats per una legislació cadavegada més exigent. La seva depuració ha de passar d’una situació hostil a treure avantatgeseconòmics, d’imatge i de valor afegit. El projecte es realitza a la indústria d’especejament d’aviram ESPECIALITATS COSTA SLU, situadaa Banyoles. S’estudia la viabilitat d’implantar un sistema de depuració de les seves aigües residualsper a reduir al màxim possible els paràmetres de sortida i complir amb la legislació vigent.Com a conseqüència dels increments de producció i de la inexistència d’un sistema de depuracióeficaç per a complir amb la legislació mediambiental, precisa una nova instal•lació de depuració de lesseves aigües residuals per assolir els límits d’abocament que imposa la legislació vigent.La superfície del solar és de 4.700 m2 i l’àrea construïda de 3.310 m2. L’empresa també disposa d’unsolar a l’altra banda del carrer Barcelona, que actualment s’utilitza com a pàrquing, i és on s’ubicarienles instal•lacions del present projecte

Dietary n-6- or n-3-rich vegetable fats and antioxidants: effects on fatty acid composition and stability of rabbit plasma, liver and meat

We supplemented diets with a-tocopheryl acetate (100 mg/kg) and replaced beef tallow (BT) in feeds with increasing doses of n-6- or n-3-rich vegetable fat sources (linseed and sunflower oil), and studied the effects on the fatty acid (FA) composition, the a-tocopherol (aT) content and the oxidative stability of rabbit plasma and liver. These effects were compared with those observed in a previous study in rabbit meat. As in meat, the content of saturated, monounsaturated and trans FA in plasma and liver mainly reflected feed FA profile, except stearic acid in liver, which increased as feeds contained higher doses of vegetable fat, which could be related to an inhibition of the activity of the stearoyl-CoA-desaturase. As linseed oil increased in feeds, the n-6/n-3 FA ratio was decreased in plasma and liver as a result of the incorporation of FA from diets and also, due to the different performance and selectivity of desaturase enzymes. However, an increase in the dose of vegetable fat in feeds led to a significant reduction in the aT content of plasma and liver, which was greater when the fat source was linseed oil. Increasing the dose of vegetable fat in feeds also led to an increase in the susceptibility to oxidation (lipid hydroperoxide (LHP) value) of rabbit plasma, liver and meat and on the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of meat. Although the dietary supplementation with a-tocopheryl acetate increased the aT content in plasma and liver, it did not modify significantly their TBA or LHP values. In meat however, both TBA and LHP values were reduced by the dietary supplementation with a-tocopheryl acetate. The plasma aT content reflected the aT content in tissues, and correlated negatively with tissue oxidability. From the studied diets, those containing 1.5% linseed oil plus 1.5% BT and 100 mg of a-tocopheryl acetate/kg most improved the FA composition and the oxidative stability of rabbit tissues.

Meat characteristics of chickens from an F1 cross of two improved Spanish breeds depending on slaughter age

The present study analysed the meat characteristics of i) improved Castellana Negra chickens slaughtered at 18 weeks (CN-18) and ii) F1 crossbred chickens from improved Castellana Negra hens and improved Penedesenca Negra cocks (CNPN) slaughtered at 12 weeks and 18 weeks of age (young and adult animals, respectively). Purebred and crossbred specimens were compared at similar weights (CN-18 and CNPN-12) and ages (CN-18 and CNPN-18). The protein content of the meat was similar for the three types of animals; heavier animals (CNPN-18) had more fat than those slaughtered at lower weights (CNPN-12 and CN-18). Adults had a higher saturated fatty acid content and the young CNPN chickens had more monounsaturated fatty acids than CN chickens. In the CNPN adults, less water was lost during cooking, which is directly related to the juiciness of the meat. With regard to sensory analysis, a darker colour was observed in the meat as much as the internal fat of adult animals, in addition to greater colour uniformity. The meat of young CNPN birds was juicier, whereas that of the CN chickens was more fibrous. Therefore, we conclude that meat from CNPN chickens presents chemical, physical, and sensorial characteristics that make these animals a genetic base for alternative poultry production.

Effect of feed fat by-products with trans fatty acids and heated oil on cholesterol and oxycholesterols in chicken

Chicken is the most widely consumed meat all over the world due to chickens being easy to rear, their fast growth rate and the meat having good nutritional characteristics. The main objective of this paper was to study the effects of dietary fatty by-products in low, medium and high levels of oxidized lipids and trans fatty acids (TFAs) on the contents of cholesterol and oxycholesterols in meat, liver, and plasma of chickens. A palm fatty acid distillate, before and after hydrogenation, and a sunflower-olive oil blend (70/30, v/v) before and after use in a commercial frying process were used in feeding trials after adding 6% of the fats to the feeds. Highly oxidized lipid and TFA feeds significantly increased the contents of cholesterol and oxycholesterols in all tissues of chicken (0.01 < p <= 0.05). The contents of oxycholesterols in chicken meat, liver and plasma obtained from TFA feeding trials varied between 17 and 48 μg/100 g in meat, 19-42 μg/100 g in liver and 105-126 μg/dL in plasma. In contrast, in the oxidized lipid feeding trials, oxycholesterols varied between 13 and 75 μg/100 g in meat, 30-58 μg/100 g in liver and 66-209 μg/dL in plasma. Meat from chickens fed with feeds containing high levels of TFAs or oxidized lipids may contribute to higher ingestion of cholesterol and oxycholesterols by humans.

Moderately oxidized oils and dietary zinc and alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation: effects on the oxidative stability of rabbit plasma, liver, and meat

The aim of this study was to assess the alterations in plasma, liver, and meat oxidative stability and R-tocopherol content when moderately oxidized sunflower oils were added to feeds and when feeds were supplemented with R-tocopheryl acetate (100 mg/kg) and Zn (200 mg/kg). The effects of cooking the meat and its subsequent refrigeration were also studied. When the content of primary oxidation compounds of the oil was high, rabbit plasma, liver, and meat R-tocopherol content was reduced and meat susceptibility to oxidation increased. The addition of oil with a high content of secondary oxidation compounds (oil heated at 140 'C, 31 h) to feed also led to an increase in meat susceptibi- lity to oxidation, although it presented an R-tocopherol content similar to that of nonheated oil. Feed supplementation with R-tocopheryl acetate increased tissue R-tocopherol content and improved the oxidative stability of liver and meat. However, in the latter, it was less effective when oil heated at 55 'C was added.

Assessment of the discrimination of animal fat by FT_Raman spectroscopy

In recent years, there has been an increased attention towards the composition of feeding fats. In the aftermath of the BSE crisis all animal by-products utilised in animal nutrition have been subjected to close scrutiny. Regulation requires that the material belongs to the category of animal by-products fit for human consumption. This implies the use of reliable techniques in order to insure the safety of products. The feasibility of using rapid and non-destructive methods, to control the composition of feedstuffs on animal fats has been studied. Fourier Transform Raman spectroscopy has been chosen for its advantage to give detailed structural information. Data were treated using chemometric methods as PCA and PLS-DA which have permitted to separate well the different classes of animal fats. The same methodology was applied on fats from various types of feedstock and production technology processes. PLS-DA model for the discrimination of animal fats from the other categories presents a sensitivity and a specificity of 0.958 and 0.914, respectively. These results encourage the use of FT-Raman spectroscopy to discriminate animal fats.

Complete genome sequence of the type strain of Bacillus toyonensis BCT-7112T, the active ingredient of the feed additive preparation Toyocerin

Strain BCT-7112, previously identified as Bacillus cereus var. toyoi, is the type strain of the species Bacillus toyonensis, a novel species of the B. cereus group. The complete genome of this strain, which is the active ingredient of the feed additive preparation Toyocerin, has been sequenced and annotated to reveal the genetic properties of this probiotic organism with a long history of safe use in animal nutrition.

Oxidized oils and dietary zinc and alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation: effects on rabbit plasma, liver and meat fatty acid composition and meat Zn, Cu, Fe and Se content

The effects of the addition of heated oils to feeds (3%, w/w) and the dietary supplementation with a-tocopheryl acetate (TA; 100 mg/kg) and Zn (200 mg/kg) on rabbit tissue fatty acid (FA) composition and on the Zn, Cu, Fe and Se content in meat were assessed. Heating unrefined sunflower oil (SO) at 558C for 245 h increased its content in primary oxidation products and reduced its a-tocopherol content. However, this did not significantly affect tissue FA composition. Heating SO at 1408C for 31 h increased its content in secondary oxidation products and in some FA isomers asc9,t11-CLA and di-trans CLA. This led to increases in di-trans CLA in liver and in t9,c12-18:2 in meat. The c9,t11-CLA was the most incorporated CLA isomer in tissues. The dietary supplementation with a-TA did not affect the FA composition of plasma, liver or meat. The cooking of vacuum-packed rabbit meat at 788C for 5 min reduced significantly but slightly its polyunsaturated FA content. The dietary supplementation with Zn did not modify the content of Zn, Fe or Se in meat, but it reduced its Cu content. On the other hand, it increased the content of some FAs in meat when SO heated at 1408C for 31 h was added to feeds.

Assessment of the levels of degradation in fat co- and by-products for feed uses and their relationships with some lipid composition parameters

This paper discusses the levels of degradation of some co- and byproducts of the food chain intended for feed uses. As the first part of a research project, 'Feeding Fats Safety', financed by the sixth Framework Programme-EC, a total of 123 samples were collected from 10 European countries, corresponding to fat co- and byproducts such as animal fats, fish oils, acid oils from refining, recycled cooking oils, and other. Several composition and degradation parameters (moisture, acid value, diacylglycerols and monoacylglycerols, peroxides, secondary oxidation products, polymers of triacylglycerols, fatty acid composition, tocopherols, and tocotrienols) were evaluated. These findings led to the conclusion that some fat by- and coproducts, such as fish oils, lecithins, and acid oils, show poor, nonstandardized quality and that production processes need to be greatly improved. Conclusions are also put forward about the applicability and utility of each analytical parameter for characterization and quality control.

Feeding habits of Ophichthus rufus (Anguilliformes, Ophichthidae) in the western Mediterranean

Ophichthus Rufus is a Mediterranean benthic fish with nocturnal habits. It lives in sand or mud bottoms at depths between 50 and 150m. Until now, nothing about its feeding habits was known. Stomach contents of 689 individuals, collected between 1985 and 1987, were analysed. The diet is basically composed of benthic organisms, among which the decapods processa canaliculata and Alpheus glaber and the teleost fish Callionymus maculatus are prominent. Young of both sexes and adult males have a euryphagic carnivorous diet, whereas adult females are closer to a stenophagic piscivorous diet