Experts call for enhanced food security.

Experts call for enhanced food security.Nutrition experts have urged Nigerians to invest in food security to enhance healthy lifestyle and human development. They spoke at a workshop held in Lagos by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Postharvest Alliance for Nutrition (PLAN) said women and children in Africa were under fed due to poor investment. The CEO/Director General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) Mrs. Gloria Elemo said Nigeria would feed its citizenry adequately, if the private and public sector ensure food security. She said food and nutrition security would ensure that vital ingredients for healthy living were sustained, noting that efforts should not be spared to preserved perishable foods for growth.

Pet food mix-ins: adding fresh foods to dog, cat food.

Pet food mix-ins: adding fresh foods to dog, cat food. As more consumers aim for customization of their pets’ food, human foods are merging with pet food options.Packaged Facts surveyed dog and cat owners about their use of pet food toppers, mix-ins or gravies/sauces. Clearly, a varying combination of palatability, pampering, nutritional, customization and coaxing issues are front-of-mind for many pet food purchasers, given that 28 percent of dog owners and 22 percent of cat owners use commercial pet food toppers, mix-ins or gravy/sauce products, and 32 percent of dog owners and 18 percent of cat owners mix human foods or food products in with their commercial pet food. When it comes to human food, the range of mix-ins that pet owners turn to is almost as broad and chaotic as American cuisine and eating patterns. This range includes breakfast foods (biscuits, donuts, pancakes, muesli, sausage gravy, scrambled eggs), sandwich classics (ham and cheese, peanut butter and jelly), fast-food fare and condiments (French fries, hamburgers, hot dogs and KFC fried chicken, along with ketchup, mustard and even hot sauce) and hot meal standards (beef stew, macaroni and cheese, meat and potatoes, meatloaf). International foods and ingredients also get a nod (Belgian cheese, curry, mango, papaya, salsa), as do the related realms of culinary trends (hummus, legumes, olive oil, salami, sweet potato, yogurt) and trendy human market health food ingredients (coconut oil, turmeric).

US pet food market report reveals pet humanization trend.

US pet food market report reveals pet humanization trend. A US pet food market report has revealed that sales of pet treats have outpaced both dog and cat food.Interest in rewarding and even spoiling pets may be encouraging higher spending on treats among American pet owners. A US pet food market report from market intelligence agency Mintel reveals that sales of pet treats have outpaced both dog and cat food over the last five years, with treats sales increasing by 29 percent between 2012-17 to reach US$4.39 billion. Meanwhile, dog food sales grew eight percent between 2012-17 to reach US$11.8 billion, while cat food sales increased 11 percent to reach US$6.83 billion during the same timeframe. more

Dogs' pet food ingredient preferences studied with toy.

Dogs' pet food ingredient preferences studied with toy.An experiment by a Kansas State University researcher pioneered a method for assessing dog’s delight in particular pet food ingredients or formulations. What’s more, his method requires no more special equipment than a commercially available rubber puzzle dog toy.

Waste-generated biogas is turning homes into power plants.

Waste-generated biogas is turning homes into power plants.Sandra Sassow wants to talk about sticky subject of waste. Just the word, the umbrella term for our uneaten – or indeed, post-eaten – food carries the whiff of dismissal (among other things). What’s in those bin bags? Just waste. What about the septic tank? Waste. Nothing of value. But ‘waste’ – at least most of it – isn’t just some unavoidable byproduct of human life, that accumulates until the council turns up to put it out of sight and out of mind once a week. If you can get past the ‘yuck’ factor, it could be what powers your home, apartment block, supermarket, workplace or even your hospital.

Dogs' social skills linked to oxytocin sensitivity.

Dogs' social skills linked to oxytocin sensitivity.The tendency of dogs to seek contact with their owners is associated with genetic variations in sensitivity for the hormone oxytocin, according to a new study. The results contribute to our knowledge of how dogs have changed during their development from wolf to household pet. During their domestication from their wild ancestor the wolf to the pets we have today, dogs have developed a unique ability to work together with humans. One aspect of this is their willingness to "ask for help" when faced with a problem that seems to be too difficult. There are, however, large differences between breeds, and between dogs of the same breed.

Fish shrinking as ocean temperatures rise.

Fish shrinking as ocean temperatures rise. One of the most economically important fish is shrinking in body weight, length and overall physical size as ocean temperatures rise, according to new research by LSU Boyd Professor R. Eugene Turner . The average body size of Menhaden -- a small, silver fish -- caught off the coasts from Maine to Texas -- has shrunk by about 15 percent over the past 65 years.