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The aim of the present study was (1) to investigate what consumers include within the concept of food sustainability and its link with sustainable consumption, by identifying meaningful consumer typologies from the concept of food sustainability and food choice factors framed by SDG 12, and (2) to know how different farm systems attributes affecting purchase behavior are associated with such typologies. Consumers from two Spanish regions (n = 403) answered a paper questionnaire to know their degree of knowledge of sustainability, and beliefs, behavior, attitudes and preferences towards food sustainability, and the importance given to product characteristics and shopping practices. A principal component analysis was conducted to identify groups with similar answers, to average some of the questions before the final analysis of variance, which includes demographic classes as fixed effects. A cluster analysis using the most representative questions identified two clusters. cluster 1 (68.4%) responded to more sustainability-related attributes, and cluster 2 (31.5%) presented a less-expanded concept of sustainability. The origin of the product and quality certification (local, organic) was important for food purchase practices. The place of residence and gender differences of the consumers were the most influential factors. In the conjoint study, regarding the purchase of Iberian pork, cluster 1 remained unwilling to sacrifice outdoor systems and local breed at the expense of the price, in the case of the Iberian pig production. The most important demographic differentiator was the region of residence of the consumer. In conclusion, consumers are not aware of the wider aspects included in the sustainability concept. Moreover, the concept of sustainability elicits different meanings to the segments of the consumers identified.
Isabel Blanco-Penedo; Javier García-Gudiño; Elena Angón; José Perea; Alfredo Escribano; Maria Font-I-Furnols. Exploring Sustainable Food Choices Factors and Purchasing Behavior in the Sustainable Development Goals Era in Spain. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7397 .
AMA StyleIsabel Blanco-Penedo, Javier García-Gudiño, Elena Angón, José Perea, Alfredo Escribano, Maria Font-I-Furnols. Exploring Sustainable Food Choices Factors and Purchasing Behavior in the Sustainable Development Goals Era in Spain. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (13):7397.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIsabel Blanco-Penedo; Javier García-Gudiño; Elena Angón; José Perea; Alfredo Escribano; Maria Font-I-Furnols. 2021. "Exploring Sustainable Food Choices Factors and Purchasing Behavior in the Sustainable Development Goals Era in Spain." Sustainability 13, no. 13: 7397.
Phosphorus (P) is an essential mineral for growing piglets, which is poorly accessible in vegetable feedstuffs as it is stored as phytates. Thus, phytase supplementation is essential to increase P availability. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate a novel 6-phytase (EC 3.1.3.26) in weaned pigs fed low-P diets. In each experiment, one hundred and twenty piglets were fed a positive control (PC; adequate in Ca and P), a negative control (NC; limiting in Ca and P), or NC supplemented with 125, 250, or 500 FTU/kg of phytase (NC125, NC250, and NC500, respectively). P content was lower in diets of Experiment 1 than diets of Experiment 2. In Experiment 1, piglets offered PC or phytase diets had higher growth and efficiency compared with NC diets. In Experiment 2, similar effects were obtained, but the effects were less significant. In both experiments, P and Ca ATTD and bone density were significantly increased with phytase supplementation. Moreover, PC and NC500 had higher P concentrations and lower alkaline phosphatase activity in plasma than NC. To conclude, supplementation with the new 6-phytase at doses up to 500 FTU/kg enhanced P utilization, growth performance, and bone density in piglets fed P-limiting diets.
Núria Tous; Joan Tarradas; Maria Francesch; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Peter Ader; David Torrallardona. Effects of Exogenous 6-Phytase (EC 3.1.3.26) Supplementation on Performance, Calcium and Phosphorous Digestibility, and Bone Mineralisation and Density in Weaned Piglets. Animals 2021, 11, 1787 .
AMA StyleNúria Tous, Joan Tarradas, Maria Francesch, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Peter Ader, David Torrallardona. Effects of Exogenous 6-Phytase (EC 3.1.3.26) Supplementation on Performance, Calcium and Phosphorous Digestibility, and Bone Mineralisation and Density in Weaned Piglets. Animals. 2021; 11 (6):1787.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNúria Tous; Joan Tarradas; Maria Francesch; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Peter Ader; David Torrallardona. 2021. "Effects of Exogenous 6-Phytase (EC 3.1.3.26) Supplementation on Performance, Calcium and Phosphorous Digestibility, and Bone Mineralisation and Density in Weaned Piglets." Animals 11, no. 6: 1787.
Because castrated male pigs convert feed into meat less efficiently than entire males, they are less efficient regarding the utilization of resources
Ulrike Weiler; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Igor Tomasevič; Michel Bonneau. Alternatives to Piglet Castration: From Issues to Solutions. Animals 2021, 11, 1041 .
AMA StyleUlrike Weiler, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Igor Tomasevič, Michel Bonneau. Alternatives to Piglet Castration: From Issues to Solutions. Animals. 2021; 11 (4):1041.
Chicago/Turabian StyleUlrike Weiler; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Igor Tomasevič; Michel Bonneau. 2021. "Alternatives to Piglet Castration: From Issues to Solutions." Animals 11, no. 4: 1041.
Types of diets and energy intakes of animals, feeding types and withdrawal times were perceived as most important pre-harvest and the use of vacuum and active packaging in combination with lower temperatures post-harvest factors influencing meat color. The color remains one of the most important meat quality attributes when consumers are concerned. According to the literature survey of 600 manuscripts, published only in the last two years, more than 40% of them failed to include information necessary to replicate and/or properly interpret instrumental color results. Color measuring systems and devices, that can successfully resolve the problem of meat translucency and its non-uniform refraction index, should be a preferred instrumental choice in the future.
Igor Tomasevic; Ilija Djekic; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Nino Terjung; Jose M Lorenzo. Recent advances in meat color research. Current Opinion in Food Science 2021, 41, 81 -87.
AMA StyleIgor Tomasevic, Ilija Djekic, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Nino Terjung, Jose M Lorenzo. Recent advances in meat color research. Current Opinion in Food Science. 2021; 41 ():81-87.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIgor Tomasevic; Ilija Djekic; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Nino Terjung; Jose M Lorenzo. 2021. "Recent advances in meat color research." Current Opinion in Food Science 41, no. : 81-87.
At present, two types of fattening are carried out in Iberian traditional pig production. The montanera is the fattening system where fatteners are fed on acorns and pasture in the dehesa, and cebo de campo is the fattening where the pigs are fed on compound feed and natural resources, mainly pasture. The aim of this paper is to analyze Iberian fattening production from an economic and environmental approach in order to identify fattening strategies to increase the sustainability of this traditional livestock activity. Based on technical-economic and environmental variables, the differences between Iberian farms according to the types of fattening were determined using discriminant analysis techniques. The model based on environmental variables showed a greater predictive ability than that found in the model based on technical-economic variables. Consequently, environmental variables can be used as reference points to classify the Iberian farms according to the type of fattening. Furthermore, canonical correlation analysis allowed to study the relationships between both sets of variables, showing that environmental values had a strong correlation with technical-economic variables. The results of this study show that it is possible to improve the sustainability of Iberian traditional pig production through fattening strategies in both types of fattening.
Javier García-Gudiño; Isabel Blanco-Penedo; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Elena Angón; José Perea. Analysis of the Sustainability of Fattening Systems for Iberian Traditional Pig Production through a Technical and Environmental Approach. Animals 2021, 11, 411 .
AMA StyleJavier García-Gudiño, Isabel Blanco-Penedo, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Elena Angón, José Perea. Analysis of the Sustainability of Fattening Systems for Iberian Traditional Pig Production through a Technical and Environmental Approach. Animals. 2021; 11 (2):411.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJavier García-Gudiño; Isabel Blanco-Penedo; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Elena Angón; José Perea. 2021. "Analysis of the Sustainability of Fattening Systems for Iberian Traditional Pig Production through a Technical and Environmental Approach." Animals 11, no. 2: 411.
The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper
Marijke Aluwé; Evert Heyrman; João M. Almeida; Jakub Babol; Gianni Battacone; Jaroslav Čítek; Maria Font I Furnols; Andriy Getya; Danijel Karolyi; Eliza Kostyra; Kevin Kress; Goran Kušec; Daniel Mörlein; Anastasia Semenova; Martin Škrlep; Todor Stoyanchev; Igor Tomašević; Liliana Tudoreanu; Maren Van Son; Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans; Galia Zamaratskaia; Alice Van Den Broeke; Macarena Egea. Erratum: Aluwé, M. et al. Exploratory Survey on European Consumer and Stakeholder Attitudes towards Alternatives for Surgical Castration of Piglets. Animals 2020, 10, 1758. Animals 2020, 10, 2388 .
AMA StyleMarijke Aluwé, Evert Heyrman, João M. Almeida, Jakub Babol, Gianni Battacone, Jaroslav Čítek, Maria Font I Furnols, Andriy Getya, Danijel Karolyi, Eliza Kostyra, Kevin Kress, Goran Kušec, Daniel Mörlein, Anastasia Semenova, Martin Škrlep, Todor Stoyanchev, Igor Tomašević, Liliana Tudoreanu, Maren Van Son, Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans, Galia Zamaratskaia, Alice Van Den Broeke, Macarena Egea. Erratum: Aluwé, M. et al. Exploratory Survey on European Consumer and Stakeholder Attitudes towards Alternatives for Surgical Castration of Piglets. Animals 2020, 10, 1758. Animals. 2020; 10 (12):2388.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarijke Aluwé; Evert Heyrman; João M. Almeida; Jakub Babol; Gianni Battacone; Jaroslav Čítek; Maria Font I Furnols; Andriy Getya; Danijel Karolyi; Eliza Kostyra; Kevin Kress; Goran Kušec; Daniel Mörlein; Anastasia Semenova; Martin Škrlep; Todor Stoyanchev; Igor Tomašević; Liliana Tudoreanu; Maren Van Son; Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans; Galia Zamaratskaia; Alice Van Den Broeke; Macarena Egea. 2020. "Erratum: Aluwé, M. et al. Exploratory Survey on European Consumer and Stakeholder Attitudes towards Alternatives for Surgical Castration of Piglets. Animals 2020, 10, 1758." Animals 10, no. 12: 2388.
Classification of carcasses at the slaughter line allows an optimisation of its processing and differentiated payment to producers. Boar taint is a quality characteristic that is evaluated in some slaughter plants. This odour and flavour is mostly present in entire males and perceived generally by sensitive consumers as unpleasant. In the present work, the methodologies currently used in slaughter plants for boar taint classification (colorimetric method and sensory quality control-human nose) and the methodologies that have the potential to be implemented on/at the slaughter line (mass spectrometry, Raman and biosensors) have been summarized. Their main characteristics are presented and an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) has been carried out. From this, we can conclude that, apart from human nose, the technology that arises as very promising and available on the market, and that will probably become a substitute for the colorimetric method, is the tandem between the laser diode thermal desorption ion source and the mass spectrometry (LDTD-MS/MS) with automation of the sampling and sample pre-treatment, because it is able to work at the slaughter line, is fast and robust, and measures both androstenone and skatole.
Maria Font-I-Furnols; Raúl Martín-Bernal; Marijke Aluwé; Michel Bonneau; John-Erik Haugen; Daniel Mörlein; Johanna Mörlein; Núria Panella-Riera; Martin Škrlep. Feasibility of on/at Line Methods to Determine Boar Taint and Boar Taint Compounds: An Overview. Animals 2020, 10, 1886 .
AMA StyleMaria Font-I-Furnols, Raúl Martín-Bernal, Marijke Aluwé, Michel Bonneau, John-Erik Haugen, Daniel Mörlein, Johanna Mörlein, Núria Panella-Riera, Martin Škrlep. Feasibility of on/at Line Methods to Determine Boar Taint and Boar Taint Compounds: An Overview. Animals. 2020; 10 (10):1886.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Font-I-Furnols; Raúl Martín-Bernal; Marijke Aluwé; Michel Bonneau; John-Erik Haugen; Daniel Mörlein; Johanna Mörlein; Núria Panella-Riera; Martin Škrlep. 2020. "Feasibility of on/at Line Methods to Determine Boar Taint and Boar Taint Compounds: An Overview." Animals 10, no. 10: 1886.
Surgical castration of piglets without pain relief is still common practice in many countries. Possible alternatives for surgical castration are application of pain relief or anaesthesia or production of boars (entire males) and immunocastrates. Each of these alternatives faces advantages and disadvantages which may result in different citizen attitudes and consumers acceptability. Understanding which practice is acceptable to whom and why may further stimulate implementation. Consumer (n = 3251) and stakeholder (n = 1027) attitudes towards surgical castration without pain relief, surgical castration with anaesthesia, immunocastration, and production of boars were surveyed from April to June 2020 via an online questionnaire in 16 countries (>175 respondents per country). Surgical castration without pain relief was separated from each of the alternatives due to animal welfare and showed the lowest acceptability (32%). Within the alternatives, a further partitioning between the alternatives was based on perceived quality and food safety, with an acceptance of 85% for applying anaesthesia, 71% for immunocastration, and 49% for boar production. Differences depending on professional involvement and familiarity with agriculture could be observed, mainly for the acceptance of surgical castration without anaesthesia, immunocastration, and boars. Castration with anaesthesia was highly accepted by all types of respondents.
Marijke Aluwé; Evert Heyrman; João M. Almeida; Jakub Babol; Gianni Battacone; Jaroslav Čítek; Maria Font I Furnols; Andriy Getya; Danijel Karolyi; Eliza Kostyra; Kevin Kress; Goran Kušec; Daniel Mörlein; Anastasia Semenova; Martin Škrlep; Todor Stoyanchev; Igor Tomašević; Liliana Tudoreanu; Maren Van Son; Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans; Galia Zamaratskaia; Alice Van Den Broeke; Macarena Egea. Exploratory Survey on European Consumer and Stakeholder Attitudes towards Alternatives for Surgical Castration of Piglets. Animals 2020, 10, 1758 .
AMA StyleMarijke Aluwé, Evert Heyrman, João M. Almeida, Jakub Babol, Gianni Battacone, Jaroslav Čítek, Maria Font I Furnols, Andriy Getya, Danijel Karolyi, Eliza Kostyra, Kevin Kress, Goran Kušec, Daniel Mörlein, Anastasia Semenova, Martin Škrlep, Todor Stoyanchev, Igor Tomašević, Liliana Tudoreanu, Maren Van Son, Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans, Galia Zamaratskaia, Alice Van Den Broeke, Macarena Egea. Exploratory Survey on European Consumer and Stakeholder Attitudes towards Alternatives for Surgical Castration of Piglets. Animals. 2020; 10 (10):1758.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarijke Aluwé; Evert Heyrman; João M. Almeida; Jakub Babol; Gianni Battacone; Jaroslav Čítek; Maria Font I Furnols; Andriy Getya; Danijel Karolyi; Eliza Kostyra; Kevin Kress; Goran Kušec; Daniel Mörlein; Anastasia Semenova; Martin Škrlep; Todor Stoyanchev; Igor Tomašević; Liliana Tudoreanu; Maren Van Son; Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans; Galia Zamaratskaia; Alice Van Den Broeke; Macarena Egea. 2020. "Exploratory Survey on European Consumer and Stakeholder Attitudes towards Alternatives for Surgical Castration of Piglets." Animals 10, no. 10: 1758.
Due to the strong public initiative in Europe and increased regulator focus to mitigate pain, surgical castration of pigs is being gradually abandoned, while the importance of other sex categories like entire males (EM) and immunocastrates (IC) increases. Although beneficial for animal welfare and economics, their use also brings forward several quality problems. Besides the occurrence of boar taint in EM, these include excessive carcass leanness, softer fat, meat color and pH deviations, inferior water holding capacity and increased meat toughness. In this paper, the raw material differences between the male sex categories and their influence on product quality are reviewed, and possible solutions are presented. Using EM for dried or thermally processed products may result in lower processing yields and inferior sensory quality, which may partially be prevented by applying specific processing adaptations. Immunocastration is a viable solution, especially when prolonging the vaccination to slaughter interval. Low to medium levels of boar taint can be effectively managed in most of the meat products, applying procedures like cooking, microbial inoculation or masking (by spices and especially smoking), while highly tainted material can be valorized only by combining various methods and/or with dilution of the tainted meat.
Martin Škrlep; Igor Tomašević; Daniel Mörlein; Saša Novaković; Macarena Egea; María Dolores Garrido; María Belén Linares; Irene Peñaranda; Marijke Aluwé; Maria Font-I-Furnols. The Use of Pork from Entire Male and Immunocastrated Pigs for Meat Products—An Overview with Recommendations. Animals 2020, 10, 1754 .
AMA StyleMartin Škrlep, Igor Tomašević, Daniel Mörlein, Saša Novaković, Macarena Egea, María Dolores Garrido, María Belén Linares, Irene Peñaranda, Marijke Aluwé, Maria Font-I-Furnols. The Use of Pork from Entire Male and Immunocastrated Pigs for Meat Products—An Overview with Recommendations. Animals. 2020; 10 (10):1754.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMartin Škrlep; Igor Tomašević; Daniel Mörlein; Saša Novaković; Macarena Egea; María Dolores Garrido; María Belén Linares; Irene Peñaranda; Marijke Aluwé; Maria Font-I-Furnols. 2020. "The Use of Pork from Entire Male and Immunocastrated Pigs for Meat Products—An Overview with Recommendations." Animals 10, no. 10: 1754.
The Spanish market offers a greater variety of Iberian pork products. The aim of this paper is to determine the perception of consumers of several aspects of Iberian pig production and animal welfare depending on the consumers' characteristics. Consumers from two Spanish regions (n = 403) answered a questionnaire about their beliefs and the importance of pig production, their purchase intentions and their willingness to pay. Consumers were segmented according to their level of knowledge about Iberian pig production. The results of this work indicate that consumers have poor knowledge about Iberian pig production. Even so, consumers show a remarkable preference for Iberian products, especially when the animals are reared freely and in natural conditions, giving great importance to animal welfare. Consumer preferences indicate the importance of emphasizing Iberian traditional pig product characteristics on the label to promote their purchase choices.
Javier García-Gudiño; Isabel Blanco-Penedo; Marina Gispert; Albert Brun; José Perea; Maria Font-I-Furnols. Understanding consumers' perceptions towards Iberian pig production and animal welfare. Meat Science 2020, 172, 108317 .
AMA StyleJavier García-Gudiño, Isabel Blanco-Penedo, Marina Gispert, Albert Brun, José Perea, Maria Font-I-Furnols. Understanding consumers' perceptions towards Iberian pig production and animal welfare. Meat Science. 2020; 172 ():108317.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJavier García-Gudiño; Isabel Blanco-Penedo; Marina Gispert; Albert Brun; José Perea; Maria Font-I-Furnols. 2020. "Understanding consumers' perceptions towards Iberian pig production and animal welfare." Meat Science 172, no. : 108317.
The aim of this exploratory work, because of the existing bias on the size of the sample and some of the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, was to investigate the Eastern European consumers’ beliefs and attitudes toward animal welfare, to perform a cross-country segmentation analysis and to observe possible differences with their Western European counterparts. For this purpose, a survey was conducted with 5508 consumers from 13 Eastern European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine) using a questionnaire with nine statements about consumers beliefs regarding animal welfare (aspects of management, ethical issues about animals, and consequences of animal welfare on meat quality and price), one statement about the willingness to pay more for meat produced under better welfare conditions, and four statements regarding attitudes toward animal welfare. Differences between countries were detected for all the statements. Moreover, three clusters of consumers were identified: one with consumers indifferent towards animal welfare; one with consumers concerned about animal welfare, but they believe it is difficult to achieve; and one with consumers concerned about animal welfare, and they believe it is possible to achieve it.
Igor Tomasevic; Ivan Bahelka; Jaroslav Čítek; Marjeta Čandek-Potokar; Ilija Djekić; Andriy Getya; Luis Guerrero; Sonya Ivanova; Goran Kušec; Dimitar Nakov; Bartosz Sołowiej; Maricica Stoica; Csaba Szabó; Liliana Tudoreanu; Ulrike Weiler; Maria Font-I-Furnols. Attitudes and Beliefs of Eastern European Consumers Towards Animal Welfare. Animals 2020, 10, 1220 .
AMA StyleIgor Tomasevic, Ivan Bahelka, Jaroslav Čítek, Marjeta Čandek-Potokar, Ilija Djekić, Andriy Getya, Luis Guerrero, Sonya Ivanova, Goran Kušec, Dimitar Nakov, Bartosz Sołowiej, Maricica Stoica, Csaba Szabó, Liliana Tudoreanu, Ulrike Weiler, Maria Font-I-Furnols. Attitudes and Beliefs of Eastern European Consumers Towards Animal Welfare. Animals. 2020; 10 (7):1220.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIgor Tomasevic; Ivan Bahelka; Jaroslav Čítek; Marjeta Čandek-Potokar; Ilija Djekić; Andriy Getya; Luis Guerrero; Sonya Ivanova; Goran Kušec; Dimitar Nakov; Bartosz Sołowiej; Maricica Stoica; Csaba Szabó; Liliana Tudoreanu; Ulrike Weiler; Maria Font-I-Furnols. 2020. "Attitudes and Beliefs of Eastern European Consumers Towards Animal Welfare." Animals 10, no. 7: 1220.
As obesity incidence is alarmingly rising among young individuals, we aimed to characterize an experimental model of this situation, considering the similarity between human and porcine physiology. For this reason, we fed prepubertal (63 days old) Duroc breed females (n=21) either with a standard growth diet (3800 kcal/day) or one with a high-calorie content (5200 kcal/day) during 70 days. Computerized tomography, mass-spectrometry-based metabolomics and lipidomics, as well as peripheral blood mononuclear cell transcriptomics, were applied to define traits linked to high-calorie intake. Samples from a human cohort confirmed potential lipidomic markers. Compared to those fed a standard growth diet, pigs fed a high-calorie diet showed an increased weight gain (13%), much higher adiposity (53%), hypertriacylglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia in parallel to insulin resistance. This diet induced marked changes in the circulating lipidome, particularly in phosphatidylethanolamine-type molecules. Also, circulating specific diacylglycerol and monoacylglycerol contents correlated with visceral fat and intrahepatic triacylglycerol concentrations. Specific lipids associated with obesity in swine (mainly belonging to glycerophospholipid, triacylglyceride and sterol classes) were also linked with obesity traits in the human cohort, reinforcing the usefulness of the chosen approach. Interestingly, no overt inflammation in plasma or adipose tissue was evident in this model. The presented model is useful as a preclinical surrogate of prepubertal obesity in order to ascertain the pathophysiology interactions between energy intake and obesity development.
Mariona Jové; Joan Tibau; José Ce Serrano; Rebeca Berdún; María Rodríguez-Palmero; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Anna Cassanyé; Reyna Rodriguez-Mortera; Joaquim Sol; Helene Rassendren; Emma Fàbrega; Anna Crescenti; Anna Castell; Mònica Sabater; Francisco J Ortega; Meritxell Martin-Gari; Raquel Quintanilla; Joaquim Puigjaner; Jose Antonio Moreno; Joan Prat; Lluis Arola; Josep Manuel Fernández-Real; Reinald Pamplona; Manuel Portero-Otin. Molecular phenomics of a high-calorie diet-induced porcine model of prepubertal obesity. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2020, 83, 108393 .
AMA StyleMariona Jové, Joan Tibau, José Ce Serrano, Rebeca Berdún, María Rodríguez-Palmero, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Anna Cassanyé, Reyna Rodriguez-Mortera, Joaquim Sol, Helene Rassendren, Emma Fàbrega, Anna Crescenti, Anna Castell, Mònica Sabater, Francisco J Ortega, Meritxell Martin-Gari, Raquel Quintanilla, Joaquim Puigjaner, Jose Antonio Moreno, Joan Prat, Lluis Arola, Josep Manuel Fernández-Real, Reinald Pamplona, Manuel Portero-Otin. Molecular phenomics of a high-calorie diet-induced porcine model of prepubertal obesity. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2020; 83 ():108393.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMariona Jové; Joan Tibau; José Ce Serrano; Rebeca Berdún; María Rodríguez-Palmero; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Anna Cassanyé; Reyna Rodriguez-Mortera; Joaquim Sol; Helene Rassendren; Emma Fàbrega; Anna Crescenti; Anna Castell; Mònica Sabater; Francisco J Ortega; Meritxell Martin-Gari; Raquel Quintanilla; Joaquim Puigjaner; Jose Antonio Moreno; Joan Prat; Lluis Arola; Josep Manuel Fernández-Real; Reinald Pamplona; Manuel Portero-Otin. 2020. "Molecular phenomics of a high-calorie diet-induced porcine model of prepubertal obesity." The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 83, no. : 108393.
Restricted feed can affect the body composition of pigs. Body composition can be studied non-destructively in live pigs using computed tomography (CT). The objective was to investigate the effect of different feeding restriction strategies on the productive and carcass quality parameters of gilts during growth via CT images and the effects of such strategies on meat quality, sensory properties and consumer preferences. Moreover, we sought to determine whether CT is a suitable tool for this purpose in this type of study. Thus, 36 Pietrain x (Large White x Landrace) gilts were assigned to the following three feeding strategies: 1) ad libitum feeding (AL) during all fattening periods (AL-AL); 2) AL feeding between 30 and 70 kg target body weight (TBW) followed by restriction (84% of AL) until 120 kg TBW (AL-RV); and 3) restriction feeding (78% of AL) between 30 and 70 kg TBW followed by AL until 120 kg TBW (RV-AL). When the pigs reached 30, 70, 100 and 120 kg, they were CT scanned to obtain the carcass composition parameters. At 120 kg TBW, the pigs were slaughtered, and the carcass and meat quality was determined. The loins were collected for trained panel evaluation and consumer tests. The panellists evaluated the odour, flavour and texture attributes of cooked loins. A total of 120 consumers scored the overall acceptability, tenderness, odour and flavour. The results showed a decrease of 76% and 80% in the average daily gain and average daily feed intake during the restriction period compared with the ad libitum in the growth phase, respectively, and a decrease of 89% and 87% in these parameters during the fattening phase, respectively. A restriction reduces the body fat content during the period of the restriction. Differences in the carcass and cut composition and meat quality were not observed at the end of the experiment among the treatments. Regarding sensory quality, meat from the animals in the AL-AL treatment was tougher than that from animals in the RV-AL and AL-RV treatments. Nevertheless, these differences were not detected by consumers, who did not provide significantly different scores for acceptability. Thus, when preparing feeding strategies, these results should be considered to optimize costs and increase benefits. Furthermore, computed tomography represents a non-destructive technology suitable for determining carcass composition before slaughter.
M. Font-I-Furnols; X. Luo; A. Brun; R. Lizardo; E. Esteve-Garcia; J. Soler; M. Gispert. Computed tomography evaluation of gilt growth performance and carcass quality under feeding restrictions and compensatory growth effects on the sensory quality of pork. Livestock Science 2020, 237, 104023 .
AMA StyleM. Font-I-Furnols, X. Luo, A. Brun, R. Lizardo, E. Esteve-Garcia, J. Soler, M. Gispert. Computed tomography evaluation of gilt growth performance and carcass quality under feeding restrictions and compensatory growth effects on the sensory quality of pork. Livestock Science. 2020; 237 ():104023.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Font-I-Furnols; X. Luo; A. Brun; R. Lizardo; E. Esteve-Garcia; J. Soler; M. Gispert. 2020. "Computed tomography evaluation of gilt growth performance and carcass quality under feeding restrictions and compensatory growth effects on the sensory quality of pork." Livestock Science 237, no. : 104023.
Castration of male piglets is a common practice to avoid boar taint but is being questioned. The present work has an exploratory character and aims to investigate the beliefs and attitudes of Eastern European consumers regarding boar taint, surgical castration immunocastration and perception of meat from castrated pigs and to find out possible segments of consumers regarding these attitudes and beliefs. For this purpose, a consumer study was carried out involving 5508 consumers from 13 Eastern European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine). The questionnaire included statements related to beliefs about castration and perception of meat from castrated pigs, attitudes towards meat from castrated pigs. Results show that in general beliefs and attitudes of the consumers are not defined, probably because of the lack of knowledge (information was not provided to the consumers) towards these issues. Three different clusters of consumers were obtained with different beliefs towards castration.
Igor Tomasevic; Ivan Bahelka; Marjeta Čandek-Potokar; Jaroslav Čítek; Ilija Djekic; Ivona Djurkin Kušec; Andriy Getya; Luis Guerrero; Gabriela Iordăchescu; Sonya Ivanova; Dimitar Nakov; Bartosz Grzegorz Sołowiej; Csaba Szabó; Liliana Tudoreanu; Ulrike Weiler; Maria Font-I-Furnols. Attitudes and beliefs of Eastern European consumers towards piglet castration and meat from castrated pigs. Meat Science 2019, 160, 107965 .
AMA StyleIgor Tomasevic, Ivan Bahelka, Marjeta Čandek-Potokar, Jaroslav Čítek, Ilija Djekic, Ivona Djurkin Kušec, Andriy Getya, Luis Guerrero, Gabriela Iordăchescu, Sonya Ivanova, Dimitar Nakov, Bartosz Grzegorz Sołowiej, Csaba Szabó, Liliana Tudoreanu, Ulrike Weiler, Maria Font-I-Furnols. Attitudes and beliefs of Eastern European consumers towards piglet castration and meat from castrated pigs. Meat Science. 2019; 160 ():107965.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIgor Tomasevic; Ivan Bahelka; Marjeta Čandek-Potokar; Jaroslav Čítek; Ilija Djekic; Ivona Djurkin Kušec; Andriy Getya; Luis Guerrero; Gabriela Iordăchescu; Sonya Ivanova; Dimitar Nakov; Bartosz Grzegorz Sołowiej; Csaba Szabó; Liliana Tudoreanu; Ulrike Weiler; Maria Font-I-Furnols. 2019. "Attitudes and beliefs of Eastern European consumers towards piglet castration and meat from castrated pigs." Meat Science 160, no. : 107965.
Osteochondrosis (OC) is a multifactorial defective endochondral ossification that causes lameness and early culling in gilts and sows. Previous research suggested that nutrition and growth rate could influence OC development and progression. As part of a broader study [n = 360 gilts; 28.8 ± 8.8 kg body weight (BW)] designed to evaluate the effect of 4 dietary treatments: 1) basal diet (CON); 2) CON plus organic micro-minerals (MIN, copper, manganese and zinc at 10, 20 and 50 mg/kg, respectively); 3) additional methionine (MET, at 102% methionine:lysine); and, 4) the organic micro-minerals plus the additional methionine (MM), on lameness and performance, a sub-sample of 40 heavy replacement gilts (10 gilts/treatment, 171.5 ± 8.1 kg of BW) was used. Within treatment, gilts were classified for final average daily gain (ADG) as low (LG, 838 ± 36.3 g/day; n = 20) or high (HG, 922 ± 31.1 g/day; n = 20). Dietary treatment and growth classification were the fixed effects to evaluate gait, OC, tibia bending measures, metacarpal mineralization; and using computerized tomography, the carcass composition, bone size, and whole bone density (WBD). The WBD was expressed as volume of Hounsfield values (HU), where higher values indicate increased density. A porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus outbreak occurred during this trial. It differentially affected MM gilt performance and consequently may have influenced the results for this treatment. Gilts fed MIN diet had 0.75 cm larger tibia than CON (P < 0.05), and 10% increase of WBD > 140 HU compared to CON and MET (P < 0.05). The volume of high dense bones (> 1,000 HU) was also increased in MIN and MET compared with CON (P < 0.05). Tibia bending moment and breakage strength were greater (P < 0.05) in MIN than in CON, with MET and MM intermediate. Metacarpal ash, Ca, and P content, but not proportions, were higher in gilts fed MIN than CON (P < 0.05). Total score of OC lesions was lower in MM gilts compared to CON (P < 0.05). The OC total score increased with ADG from 35.8 to 109.8 kg BW (R2 = 0.10; P < 0.10). However, between 109.8 and 171.5 kg BW OC score increased with decreased ADG (R2 = 0.14; P < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementing growing gilts with MIN enhanced bone strength and bone density, MET increased the proportion of highly dense bone (>1,000 HU), and MM dietary treatment reduced OC lesion score compared with CON.
Lluís Fabà; Josep Gasa; Mike D. Tokach; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Ester Vilarrasa; David Solà-Oriol. Effects of additional organic micro-minerals and methionine on carcass composition, gait score, bone characteristics, and osteochondrosis in replacement gilts of different growth rate. Animal Feed Science and Technology 2019, 256, 114262 .
AMA StyleLluís Fabà, Josep Gasa, Mike D. Tokach, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Ester Vilarrasa, David Solà-Oriol. Effects of additional organic micro-minerals and methionine on carcass composition, gait score, bone characteristics, and osteochondrosis in replacement gilts of different growth rate. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 2019; 256 ():114262.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLluís Fabà; Josep Gasa; Mike D. Tokach; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Ester Vilarrasa; David Solà-Oriol. 2019. "Effects of additional organic micro-minerals and methionine on carcass composition, gait score, bone characteristics, and osteochondrosis in replacement gilts of different growth rate." Animal Feed Science and Technology 256, no. : 114262.
The thickness of the subcutaneous fat (SFT) is a very important parameter in the ham, since determines the process the ham will be submitted. This study compares two methods to predict the SFT in slaughter line: an automatic system using an SVM model (Support Vector Machine) and a manual measurement of the fat carried out by an experienced operator, in terms of accuracy and economic benefit. These two methods were compared to the golden standard obtained by measuring SFT with a ruler in a sample of 400 hams equally distributed within each SFT class. The results show that the SFT prediction made by the SVM model achieves an accuracy of 75.3%, which represents an improvement of 5.5% compared to the manual measurement. Regarding economic benefits, SVM model can increase them between 12 and 17%. It can be concluded that the classification using SVM is more accurate than the one performed manually with an increase of the economic benefit for sorting.
Gerard Masferrer; Ricard Carreras; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Marina Gispert; Moises Serra; Pere Marti-Puig. Automatic ham classification method based on support vector machine model increases accuracy and benefits compared to manual classification. Meat Science 2019, 155, 1 -7.
AMA StyleGerard Masferrer, Ricard Carreras, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Marina Gispert, Moises Serra, Pere Marti-Puig. Automatic ham classification method based on support vector machine model increases accuracy and benefits compared to manual classification. Meat Science. 2019; 155 ():1-7.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGerard Masferrer; Ricard Carreras; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Marina Gispert; Moises Serra; Pere Marti-Puig. 2019. "Automatic ham classification method based on support vector machine model increases accuracy and benefits compared to manual classification." Meat Science 155, no. : 1-7.
Abandoning of male piglets castration in the European Union is a challenge for the pork production sector in particular for high-quality dry-cured traditional products. The information on consumer acceptability of dry-cured products from alternatives is limited, so the objective was to test the consumer acceptability of unsmoked traditional dry-cured belly (Kraška panceta) processed from three sex categories, i.e., surgical castrates (SC), entire males (EM) and immunocastrates (IC). Consumers (n = 331) were asked to taste dry-cured bellies from EM, IC and SC and to score the taste appreciation on a 9 cm unstructured scale. After tasting the pancetta of three sex categories, the consumers attributed the lowest acceptability scores to SC, whereas IC and EM received similar scores. Only about a quarter of consumers attributed the lowest score to EM, mainly when boar taint compounds were present. The results of this study indicate that a certain share of consumers was sensitive to taste deficiencies and that the leanness of this product is very important for consumers.
Marjeta Čandek-Potokar; Maja Prevolnik-Povše; Martin Škrlep; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Nina Batorek-Lukač; Kevin Kress; Volker Stefanski. Acceptability of Dry-Cured Belly (Pancetta) from Entire Males, Immunocastrates or Surgical Castrates: Study with Slovenian Consumers. Foods 2019, 8, 122 .
AMA StyleMarjeta Čandek-Potokar, Maja Prevolnik-Povše, Martin Škrlep, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Nina Batorek-Lukač, Kevin Kress, Volker Stefanski. Acceptability of Dry-Cured Belly (Pancetta) from Entire Males, Immunocastrates or Surgical Castrates: Study with Slovenian Consumers. Foods. 2019; 8 (4):122.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarjeta Čandek-Potokar; Maja Prevolnik-Povše; Martin Škrlep; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Nina Batorek-Lukač; Kevin Kress; Volker Stefanski. 2019. "Acceptability of Dry-Cured Belly (Pancetta) from Entire Males, Immunocastrates or Surgical Castrates: Study with Slovenian Consumers." Foods 8, no. 4: 122.
We studied the anatomy and cytology of the midgut gland (MGl) of the common spider crab Maja brachydactyla Balss, 1922 at several life stages (zoea, megalopa, first juvenile, and adult) using dissection, histology, electron microscopy, computed tomography, and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). In newly hatched larvae, 14 blind-end tubules form the MGl. The length of the tubules increases during the larval development. In the late megalopa, the number of tubules also increases. In adults, 35,000 to 60,000 blind-ending tubules comprise the MGl. In all life stages, a square-net network of muscle fibers surround the tubules. We describe five cell types in the MGl in all larval stages, which have a similar location, histology, and ultrastructure in larvae and adults: embryonary (E-) cells, resorptive (R-) cells, fibrillar (F-) cells, blister-like (B-) cells, and midget (M-) cells. Major difference between larval and adult cells is the larger size of the adult cells. Microapocrine secretion occurs from the microvilli of the B-cells. No ultrastructural changes were observed during larval development, which suggests that the function of each cell type might be similar in all life stages. The role of each epithelial cell type in larvae and adults is discussed.
Diego Castejón; Guiomar Rotllant; Javier Alba-Tercedor; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Enric Ribes; Mercè Durfort; Guillermo Guerao. Morphology and ultrastructure of the midgut gland ("hepatopancreas") during ontogeny in the common spider crab Maja brachydactyla Balss, 1922 (Brachyura, Majidae). Arthropod Structure & Development 2019, 49, 137 -151.
AMA StyleDiego Castejón, Guiomar Rotllant, Javier Alba-Tercedor, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Enric Ribes, Mercè Durfort, Guillermo Guerao. Morphology and ultrastructure of the midgut gland ("hepatopancreas") during ontogeny in the common spider crab Maja brachydactyla Balss, 1922 (Brachyura, Majidae). Arthropod Structure & Development. 2019; 49 ():137-151.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDiego Castejón; Guiomar Rotllant; Javier Alba-Tercedor; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Enric Ribes; Mercè Durfort; Guillermo Guerao. 2019. "Morphology and ultrastructure of the midgut gland ("hepatopancreas") during ontogeny in the common spider crab Maja brachydactyla Balss, 1922 (Brachyura, Majidae)." Arthropod Structure & Development 49, no. : 137-151.
Intramuscular fat (IMF) content depends on sex, genotype and diet and varies with pig growth. The aim of the present work was to determine the evolution of IMF by genotype-sex, muscle and muscle location, to determine relationships between IMF content of different muscles and to predict IMF in live pigs with computed tomography (CT). For this purpose, 155 pigs of seven combinations of genotype-sex were CT scanned and slaughtered at 70, 100 and 120 kg. From the carcasses, fat thickness was measured at several locations along the midline. Loin samples from three anatomical positions (between the eighth and ninth last ribs, between the third and fourth last ribs and between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae) and three ham muscles (biceps femoris, semimembranosus and gluteus medius) were extracted, weighed and IMF was determined with near-IR equipment. From CT images, the distribution of volume by Hounsfield value (unit related with the density) was obtained for each muscle and anatomical location. Marbling was evaluated in the three loin locations. The effects of genotype-sex and live weight and their interaction were included in the statistical model. For prediction of IMF with CT images, partial least square regression was used. The results show differences in IMF content by genotype-sex and muscle. In general, the most cranial part of the loin presented higher IMF content, as well as the biceps femoris muscle of the ham. Depending on the genotype-sex, IMF content increased during all growth or increased until 100 kg and then became constant. Correlation coefficients between IMF content by muscle/location were between 0.74 and 0.83 within loin locations and between 0.53 and 0.70 for ham muscles. Correlation coefficients between marbling and IMF content evaluated at the same location varied between 0.51 and 0.66. Prediction of IMF content from CT images is not accurate enough (residual predictive deviation statistical values lower than 1.3). Muscle weight increase with animal growth and allometric coefficients varied between 0.89 and 0.97 for the muscles evaluated. The conclusions of the present work are that IMF content differs between and within muscle, during growth and by genotype-sex and that prediction of IMF in CT images of live pigs is not accurate.
M. Font-I-Furnols; A. Brun; M. Gispert. Intramuscular fat content in different muscles, locations, weights and genotype-sexes and its prediction in live pigs with computed tomography. Animal 2019, 13, 666 -674.
AMA StyleM. Font-I-Furnols, A. Brun, M. Gispert. Intramuscular fat content in different muscles, locations, weights and genotype-sexes and its prediction in live pigs with computed tomography. Animal. 2019; 13 (3):666-674.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Font-I-Furnols; A. Brun; M. Gispert. 2019. "Intramuscular fat content in different muscles, locations, weights and genotype-sexes and its prediction in live pigs with computed tomography." Animal 13, no. 3: 666-674.
The thickness of the subcutaneous fat in hams is one of the most important factors for the dry-curing process and largely determines its final quality. This parameter is usually measured in slaughterhouses by a manual metrical measure to classify hams. The aim of the present study was to propose an automatic classification method based on data obtained from a carcass automatic classification equipment (AutoFom) and intrinsic data of the pigs (sex, breed, and weight) to simulate the manual classification system. The evaluated classification algorithms were decision tree, support vector machines (SVM), k-nearest neighbour and discriminant analysis. A total of 4000 hams selected by breed and sex were classified as thin (0–10 mm), standard (11–15 mm), semi-fat (16–20 mm) and fat (>20 mm). The most reliable model, with a percentage of success of 73%, was SVM with Gaussian kernel, including all data available. These results suggest that the proposed classification method can be a useful online tool in slaughterhouses to classify hams.
Gerard Masferrer; Ricard Carreras; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Marina Gispert; Pere Marti-Puig; Moises Serra Serra. On-line Ham Grading using pattern recognition models based on available data in commercial pig slaughterhouses. Meat Science 2018, 143, 39 -45.
AMA StyleGerard Masferrer, Ricard Carreras, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Marina Gispert, Pere Marti-Puig, Moises Serra Serra. On-line Ham Grading using pattern recognition models based on available data in commercial pig slaughterhouses. Meat Science. 2018; 143 ():39-45.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGerard Masferrer; Ricard Carreras; Maria Font-I-Furnols; Marina Gispert; Pere Marti-Puig; Moises Serra Serra. 2018. "On-line Ham Grading using pattern recognition models based on available data in commercial pig slaughterhouses." Meat Science 143, no. : 39-45.