MEGA-ESOPHAGUS.

This refers to a condition where peristalsis is altered because of an enlarged esophagus.The esophagus is the passage of food from mouth to stomach,thus when its enlarged the food passage is stalled leaving food in the throat for a prolonged time,the food is usually regurgitated or inhaled in lungs resulting in aspiration pneumonia The food often times decays in the throat resulting in foci of infection. The condition is common in horses,cats,dogs and humans,and it could be inherited as in the Friesian horse. The common signs associated with mega-esophagus are 1) inappetence 2) frequent episodes of regurgitation 3) severe weight loss. There are certain breeds predisposed to mega-esophagus, these include 1) great Dane,2) German shepherd 3)golden retriever 4)corgis,5) Siamese cat 6)Persian cat 7)Boston terrier 8)rottweiler 9)french bulldog e.t.c. The prognosis of the condition is guarded and the remedy is feeding the subject in a raised position; where the neck is stretched vertically to receive food and create an easy passage to the stomach. Dogs are usually fed in special chairs,to ensure they have required calories and prevent food stasis. photo credit; The telegraph.

TELECOMMUNICATION AS A TOOL FOR FOOD SECURITY AND SAFETY.

The role of telecommunication as a tool for food security,food safety and sustainability. This is how to use telecommunication to trace,track and report food fraud thus promoting food safety.

This involves creating a platform , a central data pool of various farmers and agricultural value chain.This platform will be multifaceted, linking all the aspects of the agricultural chain thus providing a tracking and tracing model. This will be a planning tool,marketing tool and learning platform.

 The platform will have data of those involved in the various aspect of the chain,their location, the aspect of production they are involved in and the population of the animals.

This information will give data on vaccination/medication, so that at any point in time the health status of various sets of animals can be accessed.




The platform will be a vital tool for planning,because you know the number of birds in chain,the vaccines can be acquired, medications/vitamins can be sourced and distributed.

 The platform will be a marketing tool,where manufacturers of drugs,feed,farm tools can reach out to customers.Each chain operator will have a code,this will allow tracing,tracking and tailored medical interventions.

 The platform will grant open access to all strata of the chain; linking all aspects together so that customers can access all sale information on the site.

Training and learning will be available on site,with hand outs,webinars and interactive forum;where farmers can be tutored and also create an opportunity for interested farmers and investors to be trained.

BENEFITS OF ACETIC ACID.

Common household products that can be useful in bio-security but you never thought about. I love to clean,its a passion for me. This passion has seen me using some un conventional agents as cleaning agents. There are products in your shelf that can rid you and your environment of germs thus preventing sickness and diseases. VINEGAR, normally you use it to wash your salad,but there is more to it. I normally mix a part of vinegar with water to clean my kitchen table. I also use it in the same dilution to wash meat and chicken . Add 4 tablespoons of vinegar to my washing soap in the washing machine. When floors need to be disinfected, i just add my vinegar to water, and i use it to clean the washed floors. Cleaning glass doors and dinning just got easy,just damp your cleaning rag with diluted vinegar,and wipe= super clean surfaces. OOps! spilled coffee on your rug,no worries; mix the vinegar and spot it on= =,no more stains. Vinegar is actually acetic acid,that is capable of killing bacteria.

TRACING WITH QR CODES TO PREVENT FOOD FRAUD.

The recalls concerning a lot of food items and pet products have sensitized the public about food sources,handling and codes.

The recalls are usually done per batches or dates of manufacture depending on where the error occurred, this has led to various means of tracing and tracking products that are fast,cheap and easy to use.   A company recently came up with an innovation using QR CODE

 A traceability system developed in New Zealand uses Quick Response (QR) codes so consumers with smartphones can have an easily accessible history of the source and status of an item, whether it happens to be a dairy product, a car, or any other merchandise.

 ID locate is a relatively new product developed by a company based in Auckland, NZ. Companies implementing the system pay a one-time setup charge and then a monthly maintenance fee, while consumers interested in their brands can use it for free.

 Woman scanning food with phone at storeSimon Bell, who handles technical and operational issues for the company, explained that the generated information can alert consumers to a food fraud problem, a related recall, or other issues involving a particular product.

 “It’s all database-driven so when they scan the QR code, it generates a particular URL so whatever information we have around that particular product is unique. It could be anything.

When a consumer scans it, it instantly tells them whether there’s a recall on that product,” “We’ve got a really good understanding of unique coding and imaging and a really good understanding of the application process.

 It’s incredibly secure and incredibly mobile; we can roll and do it in 15 minutes. We haven’t found anybody else who can do what we can do,” he said.

 There is almost no limit to the information which can be tracked on a food item. Besides the origin and recall history, it could be data from an outbreak investigation, video footage, or other content specific to that individual product,

 Bell noted. Lots of research is being done these days involving genetically engineered foods and various product investigations, but nothing has systematically been done linking that research with the consumer, he said.

 Read more here;http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/11/food-traceability-tool-developed-in-new-zealand-uses-qr-codes/#.VlRqzHarSM8

Most Turkey Producers Allow Routine Antibiotic Use.

A report shows that most turkey producers allow the indiscriminate use of antibiotics as growth promoters. Humane farming advocates Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) have released an overview of the antibiotics and other drugs used in turkey production.The organization is part of the Keep Antibiotics Working coalition, which recommends that food animal producers limit the use of medically important antibiotics to disease treatment in order to prevent overuse and subsequent spread of antibiotic resistance. FACT found that among the top 20 turkey producers, only Hain Pure Protein, marketed under the Plainville Farms Brand, and Tyson Foods, marketed under the Hillshire Brand, stated that they don’t allow their producers to routinely use antibiotics related to those used in humane medicine either for disease prevention or for growth promotion. FACT recommends that consumers avoid companies that allow ractopamine or routine antibiotic use and seek out companies that are transparent about the drugs they use in food production. The report also recommends that consumers look for products that are produced under a third-party certification that includes controls on veterinary drug use. read more here; http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/11/report-most-turkey-producers-allow-routine-antibiotic-use/#.VlRn23arSM8

NANO TECH WOUND HEALING OPTION FOR DIABETIC PATIENTS.

Scientists have developed antibacterial nano fibres of cellulose acetate loaded with silver that could be used in a new type of dressing to promote tissue repair. People with diabetes mellitus often suffer from impaired wound healing. Now, scientists in Egypt have developed antibacterial nanofibres of cellulose acetate loaded with silver that could be used in a new type of dressing to promote tissue repair. They reveal details of the new materials and their properties in the International Journal of Nanoparticles. The dressing absorbs fluids exuded by the wound, but also protects the wound from infectious agents while being permeable to air and moisture, the team reports. The use of this dressing also promotes collagen production as the wound heals, which helps to recreate normal skin strength and texture something that is lacking in unassisted wound healing in diabetes mellitus. The nano fibres from cellulose acetate, an inexpensive and easily fabricated, semisynthetic polymer used in everything from photographic film to coatings for eyeglasses and even cigarette filters. It can be spun into fibres and thus used to make an absorbent and safe wound dressing. The report is available here; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150810123758.htm

THE POWER OF VINEGAR!!!

Vinegar is acetic acid and it has antibacterial properties aside from it being a powerful cleaning agent.The benefits of acetic acid are utilized in the food industry where its utilized to clean food,table tops,food cabinets e.t.c. Check out older posts on vinegar. Vinegar can be used in various strength depending on what you want to use if for; the vinegar-water combination can be used as follows 1) can be used to clean and disinfect wounds. 2) as a flea repellent. 3) clean and disinfect tables,kitchen utensils. 4) wash fruits and vegetables. A new study now reveals that vinegar can be used in treatment of burn wounds;Infections of burn wounds are difficult to treat with traditional antibiotics as they do not effectively reach the wound, and the infecting organisms are often highly antibiotic resistant.The study, published in PLOS ONE, demonstrated that low concentrations of acetic acid can be used to treat bio films, and therefore could be used as alternatives to topical (surface applied) antimicrobials and traditional antimicrobial dressings for preventing bacterial colonization of burns. Miss Fenella Halstead, NIHR SRMRC Clinical Scientist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, explained, "As resistance to antibiotics grows, we need to find ways to replace them with alternative topical agents that can kill bacteria and help our burns patients. The evidence in this study offers great promise to be a cheap and effective measure to do just that." Read more about study here; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150915105208.htm