Flexitarians have reduced their meat consumption showing a rising interest in plant-based meat alternatives with 'meaty' characteristics, and we are witnessing an unprecedented growth of meat ...substitutes in the Western market. However, to our knowledge, no information regarding the 'simulated beef burgers' nutritional profile compared to similar meat products has been published yet. Here we show that, whilst both plant-based and meat-based burgers have similar protein profile and saturated fat content, the former are richer in minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids. We found that the most abundant minerals in both categories were Na, K, P, S, Ca, and Mg; being Na and S content similar between groups. Only six amino acids differed between categories, being hydroxyproline exclusively in meat-based burgers. Plant-based burgers revealed fourfold greater content of n-6 than meat-based burgers, and greater short-chain fatty acids proportion. Our results demonstrate how 'simulated beef' products may be authenticated based on some specific nutrients and are a good source of minerals. We believe that there is a need to provide complete and unbiased nutritional information on these 'new' vegan products so that consumers can adjust their diet to nutritional needs.
The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes.
Moving from conventional (CMS) to automatic (AMS) ...milking systems could affect milk quality. Moreover, the type and preservation methods of the forages used in the TMR, such as alfalfa hay (HTMR) or corn silage (STMR) have been demonstrated to modify milk composition. Thus, this study investigated the effect of implementing AMS and different diet forage types on the quality of Italian Holstein-Friesian bulk milk. Milk samples (n = 168) were collected monthly from 21 commercial farms in northern Italy during a period of 8 mo. Farms were categorized into 4 groups according to their milking system (CMS vs. AMS) and diet forage type (HTMR vs. STMR). Milk quality data were analyzed through the mixed procedure for repeated measurement of SAS with the milking system, diet forage type, and sampling day as fixed effects. Milking through the AMS led to lower milk fat, freezing point, and β-LG A; longer coagulation time; and higher K content, pH, and β-LG B than CMS. Cows fed STMR produced milk with greater fat, protein, casein, Mg content, titratable acidity, and β-LG A, but with reduced curd firming time, freezing point, and β-LG B than those fed HTMR. In conclusion, milk quality is not only altered by the diet's forage type and characteristics but also by the milking system.
Various management practices can influence milk quality traits in dairy cattle. As an example, an increasing investment in automatic milking system to substitute milking parlors has been observed in ...the last 2 decades in dairy farms which could have affected certain bulk milk quality traits. What is more, milking practices can also affect certain milk parameters; as an example, teat disinfectants containing I are used in commercial farms where pre- or postdipping is performed, leading to presence of some I in the bulk milk. However, this trace mineral is also supplied in cows' diet to fulfill their nutritional requirements, partly contributing to the milk I final concentration. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the sources of variation of milk I along with other traditional milk quality traits. A total of 91 dairy farms in northeastern Italy were enrolled in the study. In each farm, diet and bulk milk samples were collected on the same day for chemical analysis. Concentration of I, in particular, was determined in both milk and feed with gold standard. Pearson correlations were calculated among the traits available for milk and diet, and a general linear model was used to test significance of fixed effects (feeding system, milking system, farming system, herd size, herd stage of lactation, and sampling month) on milk quality traits including the I concentration. In the case of milk I, diet I and presence of I-based predipping and postdipping teat disinfect application were also tested as fixed effects. Results showed a positive linear correlation between milk and diet I content (correlation coefficient r = 0.78). Although milk I was also positively correlated with lactose content (r = 0.25), dietary I was not correlated with other milk traits. Milk I content was significantly affected by dietary I, I-based predipping teat disinfectant application, and herd composition. Compared with conventional farms, organic farms showed lower protein content and greater somatic cell score (SCS) but similar milk I. Milking system significantly affected only lactose content and SCS of milk. Sampling month was only significant for milk urea nitrogen and herd composition, feeding system, herd size, and herd average days in milk did not modify milk gross composition and SCS. In conclusion, dietary supply of I is the main factor affecting milk I concentration and findings suggest that I level in milk can be naturally improved in dairy cows by modulating the I content in the diet administered. However, further research is needed to evaluate the effect of I-based sanitizers on milk I.
Fatty acid (FA) profile plays an important role on human health and on sensory quality of dairy products. There is few information about breed influence on milk FA profile of local goat breeds. This ...study aimed to characterize and compare the milk FA profile of 5 local endangered goat breeds (Garganica, Girgentana, Jonica, Maltese, and Mediterranean Red) and a cosmopolitan breed (Saanen) reared in the same farm during a complete lactation. A total of 252 milk samples were collected monthly from 42 goats (7 goats per breed) and analyzed for gross composition and FA profile. Individual FA was determined using gas-chromatography. Data were analyzed using a mixed model with repeated measures with breed and week of lactation as fixed effects. Results showed that the FA profile was significantly affected by week of lactation and only few FA by breed effect (
< 0.05). Overall, the main differences were found between Saanen and local breeds. This study contributed to the characterization of goat milk FA profile, and it may be of interest for the valorization of milk from local goat breeds which seem to have a healthier profile than milk of the cosmopolitan breed.
The present study evaluated the ability of near infrared transmittance (NIT) spectroscopy (FoodScan, 850–1050nm) to predict sodium (Na) content in commercial processed meat products (n=310) as intact ...and ground samples. Prediction models were built with all samples spectra and with spectra divided in 5 categories according to the manufacturing meat process. Sodium content (%) was determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Modified partial least squares regression for the overall samples showed satisfactory predictive ability for intact (coefficient of determination in cross-validation, R2CV=0.93) and ground samples (R2CV=0.95). Despite the low number of samples, good specific prediction models were developed for each commercial meat category. In conclusion, NIT is really promising for at-line application to predict Na in processed meat products which could help industry to accomplish the new labelling regulation.
•Near infrared transmittance (NIT) spectroscopy was used to predict Na (%) in a wide range of processed meat products.•Very good prediction for Na content was obtained in ground samples.•Prediction model for Na content was more robust using ground than intact samples.•NIT could be proposed as at-line instrument to predict Na content in processed meat products.
Plant feed additives (PFA) such as essential oils, extracts, and by-products from plant processing can be included in poultry diets. A total of 39 peer-reviewed articles were selected from the ...literature published in the last 20 years (2000-2020) comparing PFA antioxidant effects with synthetic antioxidant vitamins (mainly vitamin E) in poultry nutrition. The PFA can be used as an effective nutritional strategy to face poultry's oxidative stress with positive impact also on their productivity and efficiency. They can partially or completely replace antioxidant synthetic vitamins (the latter administered at doses between 150 and 500 mg/kg) in animal diets, sometimes affecting important physiological functions or expressing synergistic effect with the synthetic antioxidants. It is crucial to take into consideration the issues related to the absorption and the metabolism of these additives and their interaction with gut microbiota. However, some form- and dose-dependent negative effects on growth performances are observed.
The Murciano-Granadina (MG) goat breed was introduced in 2016 in northern Italy and it has become the third most widespread breed after Saanen (SA) and Alpine (AL). The study aimed to compare milk ...yield and composition of MG with SA and AL reared under the same farming system. A total of 11,682 milk test-day records from 1947 goats reared in 7 single- and 7 multi-breeds herds were evaluated. All breeds included out off-season kiddings: MG is a permanent polyestric breed whereas specific strategies are commonly adopted to induce oestrus across the year in SA and AL. The mixed model included breed, parity, stage of lactation, kidding season and first-order interactions as fixed effects; goat, herd-test-date and residual were random effects. All the effects were significant in explaining the variability of the traits (p < 0.01). The MG yielded 0.93 and 0.50 kg/d less milk (p≤0.05) than SA and AL, respectively, and showed the greatest fat, protein, casein and lactose content and the lowest SCS (p≤0.05). Oppositely to SA, the fat-to-protein ratio (F/P) of MG was always ≥1.00 regardless of lactation stage, parity and kidding season. In conclusion, MG can yield high-quality milk despite being less productive than SA and AL. Moreover, this recently introduced breed, whose reproductive behaviour is less sensitive to season compared to SA and AL, performs efficiently under the Veneto region farming system and can be a genetic resource of interest for the current Italian context.
Highlights
Milk composition differed among all three breeds: Murciano-Granadina (MG) milk had the greatest lactose and fat content and the lowest SCS.
MG goats milk was characterised by greater protein and casein content than Saanen (SA) and was similar to Alpine (AL).
The fat-to-protein ratio (F/P) was always >1.00 in MG, while in SA was usually <1.00.
Milk filtration procedures are gaining relevance in the dairy industry because milk ultra- and nanofiltrates are used to increase milk processing efficiency, and as additives for products with ...improved nutraceutical properties. This study aimed to develop Fourier-transformed mid-infrared spectroscopy calibrations for ultra- and nanopermeate and retentate fractions of defatted and delactosated milk. A total of 154 samples from different milk fractions were collected and analyzed using reference methods to determine protein, solids-not-fat, glucose, and galactose content. The obtained values were matched with their respective Fourier-transformed mid-infrared spectroscopy spectra to develop new prediction models. Calibrations for each trait were built following 3 different approaches to get the best prediction models: (1) using the entire data set, (2) using 3 subsets based on component concentrations (level approach), and (3) using hierarchical clusters calculated with pairwise Mahalanobis distance among spectra (cluster approach). Calibrations were developed using partial least squares regression, after removing low signal-to-noise ratio wavelengths, and validated through a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure. In addition, the accuracy of the predicted values within each fraction was checked for each approach. Dividing the data set into subsets improved prediction models for each trait and for the samples in each milk fraction. Without considering milk fraction, the best improvement was observed for glucose and galactose. Glucose ratio performance deviation in cross-validation (RPD) increased from 7.42 to 11.31 and 11.06, for cluster and level approaches, respectively, whereas galactose RPD increased from 8.86 to 11.69 and 11.27 for cluster and level approaches, respectively. Considering milk fractions, the best improvement was observed for protein content, where RPD ranged from 0.08 to 6.06 for the whole data set calibration, whereas it ranged from 0.43 to 40.34 for the subset calibration approaches. Cluster and level approaches to build calibration models were comparable for samples from different fractions, suggesting that the 2 subsetting protocols should be both investigated to get the best prediction performances.
Abstract
In developed countries, dogs and cats frequently suffer from obesity. Recently, gut microbiota composition in humans has been related to obesity and metabolic diseases. This study aimed to ...evaluate changes in body composition, and gut microbiota composition in obese Beagle dogs after a 17-wk BW loss program. A total of six neutered adult Beagle dogs with an average initial BW of 16.34 ± 1.52 kg and BCS of 7.8 ± 0.1 points (9-point scale) were restrictedly fed with a hypocaloric, low-fat and high-fiber dry-type diet. Body composition was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, before (T0) and after (T1) BW loss program. Individual stool samples were collected at T0 and T1 for the 16S rRNA analyses of gut microbiota. Taxonomic analysis was done with amplicon-based metagenomic results, and functional analysis of the metabolic potential of the microbial community was done with shotgun metagenomic results. All dogs reached their ideal BW at T1, with an average weekly proportion of BW loss of −1.07 ± 0.03% of starting BW. Body fat (T0, 7.02 ± 0.76 kg) was reduced by half (P < 0.001), while bone (T0, 0.56 ± 0.06 kg) and muscle mass (T0, 8.89 ± 0.80 kg) remained stable (P > 0.05). The most abundant identified phylum was Firmicutes (T0, 74.27 ± 0.08%; T1, 69.38 ± 0.07%), followed by Bacteroidetes (T0, 12.68 ± 0.08%; T1, 16.68 ± 0.05%), Fusobacteria (T0, 7.45 ± 0.02%; T1, 10.18 ± 0.03%), Actinobacteria (T0, 4.53 ± 0.02%; T1, 3.34 ± 0.01%), and Proteobacteria (T0, 1.06 ± 0.01%; T1, 1.40 ± 0.00%). At genus level, the presence of Clostridium, Lactobacillus, and Dorea, at T1 decreased (P = 0.028), while Allobaculum increased (P = 0.046). Although the microbiota communities at T0 and T1 showed a low separation level when compared (Anosim’s R value = 0.39), they were significantly biodiverse (P = 0.01). Those differences on microbiota composition could be explained by 13 genus (α = 0.05, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) score > 2.0). Additionally, differences between both communities could also be explained by the expression of 18 enzymes and 27 pathways (α = 0.05, LDA score > 2.0). In conclusion, restricted feeding of a low-fat and high-fiber dry-type diet successfully modifies gut microbiota in obese dogs, increasing biodiversity with a different representation of microbial genus and metabolic pathways.
The pet food industry is interested in performing fast analyses to control the nutritional quality of their products. This study assessed the feasibility of near-infrared spectroscopy to predict ...mineral content in extruded dry dog food. Mineral content in commercial dry dog food samples (
= 119) was quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and reflectance spectra (850-2500 nm) captured with FOSS NIRS DS2500 spectrometer. Calibration models were built using modified partial least square regression and leave-one-out cross-validation. The best prediction models were obtained for S (coefficient of determination
= 0.89), K (
= 0.85), and Li (
= 0.74), followed by P, B, and Sr (
= 0.72 each). Only prediction models for S and K were adequate for screening purposes. This study supports that minerals are difficult to determine with NIRS if they are not associated with organic molecules.
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