Smart glasses to revolutionise hygiene audits

Smart glasses to revolutionise hygiene audits: Wearable wireless technology – specifically, smart glasses with inbuilt video cameras – is set to revolutionise the way food hygiene audits and training is carried out, according to the boss of an international auditing company.

Aflatoxin poisoning in dogs.

Aflatoxin is a type of mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus specie of fungi commonly the Aspergillus flavus and the Aspergillus parasiticus. The aflatoxins are classed as B1,B2,G1 and G2 with B1 being the most potent. The aflatoxin B1 is the most potent and has been linked to cancer of the liver in many animals, most of the exposure are from feed produced from maize/corn, bread,peanut,sorghum,wheat and cotton seeds. Aflatoxins usually contaminate crops in the field or during processing and storage. There are certain conditions that predispose to contamination such as high temperature,insect activity and moist conditions. When harvested crops are contaminated,and same is used to produce pet food the result is a terrible poisoning referred to as aflatoxicosis. Dogs are more prone to this poisoning because most of the food is cereal based,aflatoxin poisoning basically affects the liver which sets up the chain reaction of other gastrointestinal disorder such persistent vomiting,bloody diarrhea and anorexia. Aflatoxicosis also causes reproductive issues such as abortion, dogs with aflatoxin poisoning also exhibit jaundice ,anaemia,fever ,lethargy and with discolored urine. Dog lovers should be alert if your dog is eating corn-based food, monitor the activity and check for signs of poisoning. There has been cases of several recalls of dog food due to aflatoxin poisoning. Thinking of a feed alternative? see this

How drinking low fat milk delays knee osteoarthritis progression in women.

A new research has shown that women who drink low-fat milk delay the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee, as opposed to women who ate cheese who had an increase in osteoarthritis progression in the knee. Yogurt on the other hand showed no impact on knee osteoarthritis in men or women. The research published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal, Arthritis Care & Research, show that women who ate cheese had an increase in knee osteoarthritis progression. The study also showed that women who frequently consumed fat-free or low-fat milk may delay the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee. Osteoarthritis(OA) is a common, degenerative joint disease that causes pain and swelling of joints in the hand, hips, or knee affecting millions of people worldwide,and because milk is vial to bone health the researchers decided to use its role as a platform for the study. The study engaged 2,148 participants (3,064 knees) with knee OA were recruited for the Osteoarthritis Initiative, at the onset of the study dietary data was collected and joint space width was measured by x-ray to evaluate OA progression. The participants were 888 men and 1,260 women who had follow-up at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months. In the course of the study,the intake of milk increased from 0 to less than 3 , 4-6, and more than 7 (8 oz) glasses per week and the joint space width in women also decreased by 0.38mm, 0.29mm,0.29mm and 0.26mm, respectively. The results persisted even after adjusting for disease severity, body mass index (BMI) and dietary factors,but this association between milk consumption and joint space width decrease was not observed in man.

A diet of low-fat milk and yogurt linked to lower depression rates.

A new research carried out in Japan and China has shown that people who drink a low-fat milk and yogurt have less tendency to be depressed as opposed to those who take the whole-fat milk and yogurt. The study published in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology reveals that people who consume low-fat dairy products may be less prone to depression.The study investigated the association between whole and low-fat dairy consumption and depressive symptoms such as exhaustion, sadness, anxiety, helplessness and hopelessness. The study carried out with 1,159 Japanese adults between the ages of 19 and 83, with 897 men and 262 women, of which 31.2% and 31.7% respectively, were depressed. The researchers used questionnaires to find out how often they consumed whole/low-fat milk or yogurt and the depressive symptoms were evaluated using the self-rating depression scale, which consists of 20 questions and is a tool to distinguish people with and without depression. The result showed that people who consumed low-fat dairy products between one and four times a week are less depressed. The correlation remained even after considering other critical factors such as age, sex, health status, nutrition status and life style.

Dairy farmers lobby for ban on soy and almond drinks being called 'milk'.

Dairy farmers lobby for ban on soy and almond drinks being called 'milk'.Every day, more milk drinkers are switching to almond, soy, oat and rice alternatives for a creamy coffee blend, leaving behind traditional cow's milk. But in a market that offers so many choices, what exactly constitutes milk? The labeling of plant-based milk alternatives is being protested by agricultural advocacy group Dairy Connect, which argues the products are confusing consumers. The push is being backed by farmers of camel, buffalo, sheep and goat milk, who agree the term "milk" is misleading, deceptive and harmful to the dairy industry.continue

The Grow Out Monitoring System Uses Vocalizations Of Birds To Determine Health Status.

The Grow Out Monitoring System Uses Vocalizations Of Birds To Determine Health Status by using analysed data with machine learning. The Growout Monitoring System collects and then analyzes bird vocalizations to determine if the birds are behaving in an unusual manner due to environmental stress or pathogenic invasion. The research gives farmers a better understanding of what flock is trying to communicate when faced with stress. The research carried out in the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), where researchers have started to identify unique sounds that communicate birds’ well-being. The researchers used the Grow Out Monitoring System to characterized when birds are under stress due to sickness or adverse environmental conditions inside the poultry house. The machine learning-based system comprises a data collection station and interconnected recording microphones, and uses algorithms to analyze the audio data, so training the system to characterize chicken vocalizations. In several studies, data was collected under normal and stressed as when temperatures were raised 10 degrees above normal conditions. Analyses revealed that a change can be detected in vocalizations due to temperature changes. Studies also investigated the relationship of vocalization to infectious bronchitis and laryngotracheitis. In both experiments, algorithms identified vocalizations correlating with the progression of disease. Broiler breeders raised under different feeding regimens, with one group fed daily and the other fed every other day were also listened to. Preliminary data suggests that the rates of vocalization appear to be different on the non-feeding days. more

The Tonga kingdom is using chicken to control obesity.

The Kingdom of Tonga, is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising 169 islands of which 36 are inhabited.The Livestock Division of Tonga’s Ministry of Agriculture, in conduction with independent agency Tonga Health, is giving the young birds away, and also offering subsidized feed across the country’s islands. The people of Tonga have increasingly favored imported fatty meat, particularly turkey tails and mutton flaps. Both are cheap, and have the cachet of being imported, but both contain high levels of fat. The country is not alone in its tastes or health predicament, with some neighboring countries having banned the import of both products in an attempt to halt in the increase in associated health problems. In 1973, 7 percent of the population were suffering from non-communicable disease – a synonym for diabetes in Tonga. By 2004, this figure had risen to 18 percent and, according to the Tongan Ministry of Health, is now 34 percent, although some think the figure could be higher. The government decided to supply the citizens with chicks and encouraging the consumption of lean meat as an healthy option and a cheaper alternative as the cost of medical intervention the country is facing is rising. Projects are already underway to change the lifestyle of Tongans to a more healthy one with encouragement of exercise,increase consumption of fruits and vegetables with a change in the type of meat to chicken and ducks. The Tonga kingdom is using chicken to control obesity;read