The impact of different levels of L-methionine (L-Met) on carcass yield traits, serum metabolites, tibial characters, and profitability of broilers fed conventional diet.

OBJECTIVES: The experiment was undertaken to investigate the performances of broilers with respect to meat yield traits, leg bone quality, blood metabolites, and economic profitability fed conventional diets supplemented with L-methionine (L-Met). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Day-old broiler chicks (n = 144) of either sex were used to conduct the experiment from d1 to 33 days in a battery cage rearing system. Birds were distributed randomly into four dietary treatments, i.e., D0 (DL-Met), D1 (0.20% L-Met), D2 (0.25% L-Met), and D3 (0.30% L-Met) in a completely randomized design. Broiler chicks were fed complete starter ration for the first 2 weeks and then test diets were supplied ad libitum from d15 to 33 days. All the formulated rations had the same calorie and proteinous values. Similar housing, feeding, and rearing management were provided to the birds for all the experimental period. Data on carcass yield traits, such as dressing %, thigh, breast, back, drumstick, shank, neck, and wing weights, etc, were measured on the last day of the trial. Blood serum profile (total protein, glucose, albumin, uric acid, creatinine, and triglycerides), right tibial bone traits (bone weight, bone width), and mineral concentrations (Ca% and P%) were also assessed on the last day of the experiment. The economic profitability of broilers fed on the L-Met diet was also measured in this study. RESULTS: The results revealed that except for dressing % (p < 0.05) and back weight (p < 0.01); all other meat characteristics measured this study were found similar (p > 0.05) between treatments. The highest dressing % and back weight were observed in the D3 group and the lowest being in D0. Blood serum metabolites did not differ (p > 0.05) among treatments. Leg bone traits of broilers were found similar (p > 0.05) between treatments. Higher profit (p < 0.01) and lower production cost (p < 0.05) were observed in the birds fed the D3 diet than other treatments. CONCLUSION: It can be inferred that broilers might show improved dressed yield and profitable broiler production fed on L-Met supplemented diet (D3).

Evaluation of adaptive low cost solar water pasteurization device for providing safe potable water in rural households.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a simplified, low cost, pasteurization device in inactivating the diarrheal pathogens present in pond/lake/river water in order to provide safe potable water to people living in the rural areas of low resource countries. In this process, water in polyethylene bags was exposed to sunshine, where UV radiation emissions and heat absorption from the sunshine occurs simultaneously, and maintaining the heating at <60 °C, and minimum UV radiation emissions of 996.2 W/m2 for approximately 30 minutes was found enough to inactivate diarrheal pathogens in water. The synergistic effect of heat, UV radiation emission and holding time causes the destruction of diarrheal pathogens. However, the performance of the device depends on the thickness of the insulation and the air gap between polyethylene bags. Regardless of sample sources, the highest population reduction of Escherichia coli observed in the bacterial challenge study was 6.8 ± 0.4 log CFU/ml. The physicochemical properties were found acceptable compared with USEPA potable water quality except turbidity, which is acceptable according to the BDS standard, and the shelf-life study results demonstrated that 6 months' storage of pasteurization device-treated water at room temperature is possible without compromising water quality. Therefore, this simplified pasteurization device could be useful in potable water-scarce areas of the world.

Food Safety Challenges towards Safe, Healthy, and Nutritious Street Foods in Bangladesh.

The street foods play an important socioeconomic role in meeting food and nutritional requirements of city consumers at affordable prices to the lower and middle income people. The number of food poisoning notifications rose steadily worldwide since the inception of E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in the 1980s to date. This may be partly attributed to improved surveillance, increased global trade and travel, changes in modern food production, the impact of modern lifestyles, changes in food consumption, and the emergence of new pathogens. Consumer's knowledge and attitude may influence food safety behavior and practice. For the sake of public health, it is important to understand the epidemiology of foodborne illnesses that help in prevention and control efforts, appropriately allocating resources to control foodborne illness, monitoring and evaluation of food safety measures, development of new food safety standards, and assessment of the cost-effectiveness of interventions. This review paper described the sociodemographic characteristics, common hazards, and occupational hazards of street food vendors, microbial risk associated with street food, food safety interventions and control measures, regulatory aspects and legal requirements, financial constraints, and attitudes.