Magnet found in sausage mix sparks recall

Magnet found in sausage mix sparks recall: Florida-based Uncle John’s Pride has issued a recall for over 63 tonnes (t) of ready-to-eat smoked meat and chicken sausages after a magnet was found in a product mix.

Canadian meat recall triggered over E.coli fears

Canadian meat recall triggered over E.coli fears: A recall operation for a large quantity of minced meat products is under way in Canada's most populous province, Ontario, due to fears of E.coli contamination.

Multiple meat recalls hit America

Multiple meat recalls hit America: The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has reported three major meat recalls in the country over the past three days.

How To Prevent and Manage Equine Disease With Nutrition.

How To Prevent and Manage Equine Disease With Nutrition. Feeding horses is for growth,wellness and disease prevention thus what you feed the horse impacts the whole system.This can then be used as a platform to manipulate dietary ingredients to reduce a horse's risk of developing particular medical conditions such as colic, gastric ulcer syndrome, and developmental orthopedic disease and to help manage some pre-existing conditions such as obesity and equine metabolic syndrome. These are ways nutrition can be managed to prevent the following conditions in horses ; 1) Sand Colic occurs when sand consumed alongside feed is large enough that it does not pass out with waste leading to impaction of intestine thus reducing gastrointestinal motility. The preventive measure will be to provide feed off the ground or add a bit of psyllium supplement to diet to get rid of sand in the intestine. Sand colic management 2) Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome.(EGUS) Horses of all ages, breeds, and walks of life can have ulcers ,but the incidence can be reduced by carefully planning what you feed and how often you feed. Horses with EGUS generally have these ulcers and erosion in the lower portion of the esophagus, the stomach, and the beginning of the small intestine. These ulcers normally form when there's an imbalance between the factors that buffer the ingested feed and protect the stomach which in horses is saliva, and the factors that incite erosion which is the stomach acid. The typical signs are poor body condition, colic and lethargy. The solution will be for the horse to have constant access to feed to promote saliva secretion to protect stomach from ulcers. 3) Obesity; this is the precursor of so many metabolic diseases and basically occurs when high carbohydrate diet is fed with limited exercise of the horse. There is an imbalance in the high energy feed consumed and utilization of same in terms of burning calories. The way forward is to reduce diet and encourage exercise. 4) Impaction colic; occurs when feed material obstructs the colon thus making elimination of waste difficult. The common cause is reduced intake of water,which can arise when horses dont drink enough water because of lack of access to water or because these horses dont like to drink water. The solution is to provide clean water always and also encourage drinking of water by the horses. Horses that dont like to drink can be made to drink required amount of water by using any of the following means; a) Give flavored water but the glucose level of such drinks should be regulated. b) Soaking hay before feeding will also count for increase in water consumption c) Adding salt to the water about 1-3 tablespoons once/twice a day will stimulate drinking.

What is PPID?.

What is PPID?. PPID is pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction also known as equine Cushing's disease and this condition makes the pituitary gland work overtime causing severe problems. The signs at onset are subtle while the advanced stage has quite prominent signs that are easily associated with the condition. The early signs of PPID are 1) selective deposition of fat on the neck or tail head. 2) abnormal hair growth in the small region referred to as regional hypertrichosis. 3) wasting of muscle especially of the topline region. 4) reduced athletic performance. 5) delayed shedding of hair thus exhibiting patches of longer hair in the jugular groove and back of legs. The advanced signs are 1) blindness. 2) excessive thirst and urination. 3) recurrent infections such as sole abscess and skin infection. 4) rounded abdomen. 5) reduced performance 6) generalized hypertrichosis 7) abnormal sweating 8) infertility;mares dont cycle. 9) lethargy.

Does Equine PPID Affect Immune Responses to Vaccination?

Does Equine PPID Affect Immune Responses to Vaccination? 20% or more of the equine population consists of horses older than 20. Veterinarians report that 30% of these are afflicted with Cushing’s disease (PPID or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction), a degenerative endocrine condition that causes muscle wasting, an overly shaggy hair coat that doesn’t shed well, and/or susceptibility to the hoof disease laminitis. As horses age, the immune system also changes and experiences an overall decline (immunosenescence) and enhanced inflammation, now termed “inflamm-aging.” Inflamm-aging describes a key characteristic of the aging process that involves a shift toward circulation of substances (pro-inflammatory cytokines) that elicit low-grade, chronic inflammation. In PPID horses, this immune function is even more diminished than it is in normal aging horses. So researchers have asked the question: Does PPID affect horses' immune response to vaccination? A study was conducted evaluating 33 horses immunized with a multivalent vaccine (Vetera Gold by Boehringer) containing Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis (EEE/WEE), tetanus, equine influenza, rhinopneumonitis, and West Nile virus (WNV). There was no significant difference in immune response to the influenza vaccine between PPID horses and non-PPID horses of matched age. However,there was significant differences in rhinopneumonitis and West Nile vaccine responses, with lessened antibody titers following immunization, in PPID horses. The study emphasize the need to maintain geriatric horses on regular vaccine programs and keep up to date with core vaccines (EEE/WEE, tetanus, WNV, and rabies). If there is a high risk of extensive travel or co-mingling of horses, then influenza and rhinopneumonitis vaccines should be boosted every six months. source.

AFRICA'S AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL.

AFRICA'S AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL:The average African farm performs at only about 40% of its potential and with the present trends the continent will only produce 13% of its food needs by 2050. Yet African agriculture also has the greatest promise: a growing population, vibrant markets and half the world's uncultivated arable land. How can these farms rise to their potential to address hunger and malnutrition while boosting livelihoods and promoting inclusive growth? 80% of all Africa's farms are small plots yet contribute as much as 80% of food production. It's not pity and handouts that are needed. It is access to markets and finance, land tenure security, knowledge and technology, and the right policies. more