Effects of including full-fat dried black soldier fly larvae (DBSFL) in laying hen diets on egg quality, fatty acid and metal compositions of the yolk, and the sensory characteristics of hard-boiled eggs were investigated. In addition to the control soy-based layer diet, two experimental diets with soybean meal partially (50%) and completely substituted by chopped DBSFL (10 and 18%, respectively) were examined. Ninety 18-wk-old Novogen Brown layers were randomly divided into six mobile trailers (3 diets × 2 replications) in a 17 week trial. Five eggs from each trailer were collected, weighed and stored in 4 °C for 24 hours on weeks 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 of the study. Egg shell characteristics (presence of cracks, deformation, and weight and thickness) and interior egg quality (albumen weight and height, yolk weight and colour, and Haugh units) tests were then conducted, and the proportions of the weights of shell, yolk and albumen were calculated. For the yolk nutrient composition tests, 12 eggs from each group was randomly selected, and yolks were extracted and mixed to provide 100 g sample per diet. Six judges also evaluated the sensory attributes of eggs in six sessions (two eggs/session). Control eggs were heavier, and had higher shell and albumen weights than DBSFL eggs. They also had a thicker shell compared to 18% DBSFL eggs. 10% DBSFL eggs had heavier shell and higher yolk to albumen ratio than 18% DBSFL eggs. Yolk fat content increased with the increase in the DBSFL content of the feed. However, odour, flavour and texture perceptions were not affected. In conclusion, partial substitution of soybean meal and oil with DBSFL resulted in the production of eggs with comparable quality to control eggs.

Textural characteristics of fruit are important for their quality, storability, and consumer acceptance. While texture can be evaluated instrumentally or sensorially, instrumental measurements are preferred if they can be reliably related to human perception. The objectives of this research were to validate instrumental measurements with sensory determinations, develop a classification scheme to group apples by their textural characteristics, and create models to predict sensory attributes from instrumental and compositional analyses. The textural characteristics (crispness, hardness, juiciness, and skin toughness) of 12 apple cultivars were evaluated on new and established cultivars. Fruit was also evaluated using five instrumental measurements from TA.XTplus Texture Analyzer, and three compositional determinations. The experiment was repeated for analysis and validation purposes. Principal component (PC) analysis revealed that 95.88% of the variation in the instrumental determinations could be explained by two components (PC 1 and PC 2); which were highly correlated with flesh firmness and skin strength, respectively. Four textural groups of apples were identified, and the accuracy of classification was established at 94.44% by using linear discriminant analysis. The predictive models that were developed between the sensory and instrumental-compositional data explained more than 85% of the variation in the data for hardness and crispness, while models for juiciness and skin toughness were more complex. The work should assist industry personnel to reduce time-consuming and costly sensory testing, yet have an appreciation of the textural traits as perceived by the consumer.

Purchase behavior and preferences for consumers of fresh apples were investigated using a consumer survey conducted at a special-event apple market. Survey respondents were asked to list apple cultivars they had purchased at the retail market and the special-event market. The special-event market offered many uncommon cultivars packed in clear plastic bags with a fixed weight and price. Respondents were also asked to identify their reasons for selection of each apple cultivar and answer demographic questions. A total of 169 customers completed the survey. Profiles of customers were identified using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and the impact of the change in available apple cultivars on consumers’ purchase behavior was explored. Consumers primarily indicated four main reasons in the selection of their apples: visual appearance, previous experience, taste/aroma, and texture. The first two reasons, evaluated before eating an apple, were loaded on the first MCA dimension, while the last two reasons (i.e., eating quality) were loaded on the second dimension in data from both marketplaces. HCA identified five classes of customers in both markets, and results indicated that similar market segments existed within the two marketplaces, regardless of the availability of apple cultivars.

Identifying alternative feedstuffs to replace conventional nutrient sources in poultry diets is crucial to supplying the growing demand for animal feed. A 17-week-long feeding experiment with three diets, including 0% (control), 10%, and 18% full-fat dried black soldier fly larvae (DBSFL), was conducted to evaluate the production efficiency and feed safety of using the larvae for partial (50%) and full (100%) substitutions of soybean meal and 90% replacement of soybean oil in free-range laying hen diets. Thirty hens (18–36 weeks old) were housed in two mobile poultry trailers per treatment level. The weight gain of hens, their feed intake, egg production, egg weights, feed conversion ratios, bird welfare parameters, hematology and blood metabolites, fecal microbiology, and digestive tract weights were examined. Control hens had higher weight gains, laid more and bigger eggs while consuming less feed, and had lower feed conversion ratios than 18% DBSFL hens. However, the production performances of 10% DBSFL hens were not significantly different from the control in many of the parameters considered (e.g., hen-day egg production or HDEP). In conclusion, partial replacement of soybean meal and oil with DBSFL in layer diets maintains production efficiency, feed safety, and hen health and welfare status.

In an effort to protect intellectual property beyond patent and plant breeders’ rights and as a marketing tool to increase and maintain sales, the creation and trademarking of brand names for fruit is growing and gaining importance in the fruit industry. New fruit varietals, especially from long-lived tree fruits and vines, take many years of research to develop and bring to market. Differentiating what is essentially a commodity product is difficult, especially given bulk sales and packaging limitations. A distinctive brand name can be a powerful method of differentiating a new fruit from its competitors. To the best of our knowledge there has not been any study examining the process of brand name creation for fruits. This English language literature review examines the brand name creation process overall. A step-by-step process is discussed and situated in the context of fruits. Research on the overall process is dated: We propose a new preliminary research step to improve the process and discuss the need for future research on the role of the Internet and social media in the naming process. An overview of trademark considerations is provided. Knowledge of this process will assist breeders and marketers with brand name creation whether achieved internally or through an external agency or combination thereof.