Meal portion sizes and their potential impacts on food waste: case study of school meals in Italy

School catering services are characterized by a significant level of inefficiency regarding the food processed but not consumed during meals. This work analyses the meal supply in primary schools in Italy in order to highlight new areas of inefficiency upstream of the food chain. A lack of conformity of food portions with nutritional guidelines can potentially lead to a double negative externality: overweight children and food waste. Data were collected between April and June 2017 from the municipality website of each regional capital (RC) of the 20 Italian regions. From the tendering process for primary school meal provision, data on the portions (in grams) of the most representative food categories were extracted and classified. To evaluate the degree of homogeneity amongst different regions, the average, minimum and maximum values, standard deviations and relative standard deviations of each individual food category were estimated. To verify the adherence to nutritional recommendations, ANOVA was performed for multiple comparisons combined with Duncan's multiple range test, with significance set at a p value < 0.05. The specific benchmarks for the evaluation of meal portion sizes were calculated based on the National Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake Levels. The results (table 1) show a great variability of food portions amongst the RCs analyzed. Food categories with highest relative standard deviations values were cooked and raw vegetables (0.29 and 0.35 respectively) that indicate great levels of heterogeneity in food portions amongst Italian regions. Conversely, pasta and rice portions were more uniform (0.10 and 0.13), although on average above than the recommended portion. The only food categories characterized by a smaller mean portion than recommended are fish, raw vegetables and cooked vegetables. The educational role of eating at school can contribute to raising children's awareness about one of the most urgent environmental challenges - food waste - by introducing the best strategies for waste reduction, reuse and recycling

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical control point) to guarantee safety in food recovery for social solidarity’s purposes

FAO estimates that each year 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted almost 1/3 of the total production intended for human consumption.The amount of food wasted each year in Italy is around 5.1 million tons, of which only 500.000 tons recovered (9% of food surplus).During the last three years, in Italy there was an important increase of the number of charitable organizations (OCs) active in recovering and distributing food for social solidarity’s purposes.The purpose of this study was to carry out hazards identification and potential risks analysis in the phases of recovery, collection, storage and distribution of food surplus with the aim to guarantee food safety among this supply chain.Based on the results of the analysis, the main critical control points (CCPs) were identified to guarantee the microbiological quality and safety of food recovery: (i) the best practices for managing the recovery of the different categories of food, (ii) the control of the correct storage temperatures and (iii) the volunteers required training on good hygiene procedures.The study of the CCPs allowed defining the significant prerequisite programme (PRP) that must be adopted by the OCs.All the PRP have been collected in the Manual of Good Procedures for Charitable Organizations validated by Italian Ministry of Health in conformity to Regulation (EC) n. 852/2004.Thanks to the Manual it has been also possible to write a simplified HACCP system for the benefit of the Centro di Raccolta Solidale per il Diritto al Cibo of Lodi

Exploring the Landscape of Innovative “from Food to Feed” Strategies: A Review

The identification of new strategies to prevent or at least reduce the volume of food waste needs to consider a wide range of solutions and priorities that EU policy is recently implementing. Based on the principles of the circular economy, one of the most promising solutions is to prevent food losses turning into waste by working synergistically on different action points. Amongst them, the strategy of repurposing food waste through conversion in a safe and sustainable feed product is acquiring huge interest amongst scientists and policy makers. In this context, the aim of the work is to depict the landscape of the existent solutions for the valorisation of food waste for animal feeding, through a systematic review of the literature, to answer the following three research questions: 1) To what extent is the interest of the academic research increasing, in line with the priorities of the international political agenda? 2) Which kinds of approaches have been used to explore this issue? 3) What type of solutions is the scientific literature able to propose to support policy makers in setting the strategies for the re‐use of food waste as animal feed? A set of keywords has been applied for the search in the “Topic” option of the Web of Science Core Collection resulting in 114 references. The application of filters for the identification of the relevant papers led to a final dataset composed of 31 scientific studies. Papers have been coded according to the nature of the study, namely theoretical or experimental, the source and the type of food waste considered, the type of technology used to process food waste (if any) and the destination of the final product. The literature suggests thatthe most positive aspect related to these practices is the low environmental impact, while the most critical issue regards compliance with the EU legal framework that is strictly dependent on the composition of the wasted food. The analysis revealed a growing interest in this field of research, with a great focus on the estimation of the environmental impact but few studies targeted on the assessment of the economic dimension

Introduction of the nudging method in penitentiary facilities in Italy in view of food waste reduction: Preliminary data

The aim of this study was to analyze different aspects of food waste in the specific context of prisons by introducing the nudging method, thanks to the collaboration of District House and Prison of Larino (Italy) involving staff and guests of the penitentiary structure, providing them with the knowledge of the topic and encouraging them to propose creative and effective solutions to prevent and reduce food waste. The study involved n. 50 participants out of total of about 200 prisoners. Data were collected using n.3 questionnaires related to the knowledge of food waste food, the second related to the origin of consumed and food waste and the third collected the participants’ proposals how to reduce food waste. The results show that effects of nudging has awakened the prisoners’ conscience about the social, ethical and economic importance of reducing food waste and a proactive attitude in providing proposals for the reduction of food waste. The most wasted food is bread (35%), pasta (27%) and fresh fruit (20%), provided by the administration because they are considered of inferior quality or prepared and cooked badly. The overwhelming majority (96%) of the participants showed sensitivity about the ethical and economic reasons behind the fight against food waste, making themselves available to contribute to its reduction and suggesting some initiatives. The data collected from the questionnaires related to the causes of waste indicate the need to implement actions aimed at the correct conservation of food and the promotion of good hygiene practices

Effect of Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum) Supplementation on Reproductive Performance of Rabbit Does

Simple Summary Infectious diseases represent serious problems for the reproductive performance of livestock animals because they negatively affect not only the welfare of the animals, but also the profitability of the farm. Moreover, the European Community continues to promote the reduction of the use of antibiotics and hormones in animal breeding. In this context, it is necessary to find new nutritional approaches to reduce the negative energy balance, and at the same time, to reinforce the immune system of the animals. In this research, the effect of goji berry supplementation on the reproductive activity and productive performance of rabbits is evaluated. Lycium barbarum fruit is considered a nutraceutical natural product containing various biologically active substances that show health benefits for both humans and animals. In particular, the berry can modulate hormones and metabolites involved in energy balance and reproduction, stimulate and balance the immune system activity, contributing to the defense of the organism against pathogens. Our results suggest that the integration with goji berry in the rabbit diet at 1% affects the reproductive activity, influencing the pattern secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and estrogens, as well as the sexual receptivity. Moreover, the fruit induced a higher milk production, improving the productive performance of young rabbits. Goji berry shows a wide range of beneficial properties in human health, but only a few studies evaluated its effects in livestock animals. The objective of this research was to assess the effects of goji berry supplementation on the hormonal profile, productive, and reproductive performance of does. Two months before artificial insemination, 105 nulliparous does were randomly divided into three groups (n = 35) based on the dietary treatment: commercial diet (C), or a diet supplemented with either 1% (G1), or 3% (G3) of goji berry, respectively. The results showed that receptivity was higher in G1 than in the C group (p < 0.05). Trends toward significance for differences between the G1 and G3 groups in marginal means of LH concentrations (p = 0.059), and between G1 and C in LH AUC values (p = 0.078), were evidenced. Estrogen concentrations showed a more fluctuating trend but a significant interaction effect (p < 0.001). The G1 group showed higher litter weight than C at birth (p = 0.008) and weaning (p < 0.001), as well as higher litter size at weaning (p = 0.020). The G1 group also exhibited the highest mean milk production (p < 0.01). In conclusion, goji berry influenced reproductive and productive performance, probably via modulating hormonal patterns and milk production in rabbits. However, further studies are needed to validate these preliminary results

Ante-mortem and Post-mortem Inspection and Relationship between Findings in a North Albanian Pig Slaughterhouse

Simple Summary In European Union abattoirs, the safety of meat is dependent on the favorable opinion from an official veterinarian, in accordance with the current legislation. From this perspective, the feedback generated from the ante-mortem visit and the post-mortem inspection can be investigated to control the health and welfare conditions of the animals in the pre-slaughter phases. From this perspective, we evaluated the ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection outcomes of slaughtered pigs in northern Albania and correlated the results in order to gain insight into the conditions and injuries of pigs slaughtered outside the European context and to extend knowledge on the possible relationship between ante-mortem and post-mortem relief. Dyspnea and tail, skin, and ear lesions were the most frequently observed conditions before slaughter, while pleuritis, pneumonia, liver alterations, white spots on the liver, and pericarditis were the most frequent lesions after slaughter. A significant increase in the total number of post-mortem findings was also observed as the number of ante-mortem findings increased. Overall, the prevalence of the findings observed in this study falls within the broad range of the data in the literature, but additional information should be collected during meat inspection so as to better understand the relationship between ante- and post-mortem outcomes. In June 2014, Albania was granted EU candidate status, thus starting a process of compliance with the membership criteria. In this context, a modern meat inspection approach in line with the European legislation was applied to a pig slaughterhouse in northern Albania in order to investigate the ante-mortem (AM) and post-mortem (PM) conditions and the relationship between these findings. For this purpose, 3930 pigs divided into 35 batches were evaluated over a 3-month period. The most frequent AM conditions recorded were tail lesions and dyspnea (9.1%), followed by skin (8.9%) and ear lesions (8.5%), while in the PM inspections, pleuritis was the most frequently observed condition (10.2%), followed by pneumonia (8.5%), liver alterations (5.7%), milk spot liver (3.8%), and pericarditis (3.3%). With the exception of liver alterations, the other PM lesions mentioned were positively associated with lesions on the ears (OR = 1.036; p < 0.001) and skin (OR = 1.026; p = 0.011) and dyspnea (OR = 1.021; p = 0.005), confirming the link between these variables and the health and welfare conditions of pigs on farms. Overall, the evidence that emerged from this Albanian slaughterhouse can be considered in line with other European contexts, especially in light of the considerable variability in the data present in the literature

Dietary Supplementation with Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum) Modulates the Microbiota of Digestive Tract and Caecal Metabolites in Rabbits

Simple Summary The microbial community that inhabits specific areas of the body, developing a symbiotic relationship with the host, is termed the microbiota. The intestinal microbiota plays a pivotal role in different physiological processes and is influenced by many factors, including nutrition. Goji berries are a popular nutraceutical product that have been proposed as a dietary supplement in some livestock species, including rabbits, but their effects on the composition of the microbiota have never been investigated. This study evaluated the effects of Goji berry supplementation on the microbiota of different digestive tracts (stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum and colon) of the rabbit, using a modern method of analysis. Our results suggest that Goji berries could modulate the microbiota of the rabbit's digestive tract increasing the growth of beneficial bacteria, such as Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Lactobacillaceae, and particularly, the genus Lactobacillus. These findings suggest that Goji berries could be used to produce innovative feeds for rabbits, although further studies are necessary to evaluate their impact on productive performance, gut immune system maturation, as well as resistance to gastrointestinal disorders. Goji berries show health benefits, although the possible mechanisms of action, including compositional changes in the gut microbiome, are still not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Goji berry supplementation on microbiota composition and metabolites in the digestive tracts of rabbits. Twenty-eight New Zealand White rabbits were fed with a commercial feed (control group, C; n = 14) or the same diet supplemented with 3% of Goji berries (Goji group, G; n = 14), from weaning (35 days old) until slaughter (90 days old). At slaughter, samples from the content of the gastrointestinal tracts were collected and analyzed by Next Generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing to evaluate the microbial composition. Ammonia and lactic acid were also quantified in caecum. Results showed differences in microbiota composition between the groups for two phyla (Cyanobacteria and Euryarchaeota), two classes (Methanobacteria and Bacilli), five orders, fourteen families, and forty-five genera. Ruminococcaceae (p < 0.05) and Lachnospiraceae (p < 0.01) were more abundant in G than in C group. Lactobacillaceae also showed differences between the two groups, with Lactobacillus as the predominant genus (p = 0.002). Finally, Goji berry supplementation stimulated lactic acid fermentation (p < 0.05). Thus, Goji berry supplementation could modulate gastrointestinal microbiota composition and caecal fermentation

Meat quality and sensory traits in rabbits fed with two different percentages of bovine colostrum

The nutritional, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of bovine colostrum (BC) have encouraged its use in animal nutrition as a functional food in recent years. Nonetheless, the potential implications of BC supplementation on meat quality remain to be thoroughly assessed. To address this, thirty-nine New Zealand White rabbits (n = 13/group) were fed different dietary regimens until slaughter.: commercial standard diet for the control group (C) and C with 2.5% and 5% w/w of BC for BC-2.5 and BC-5 groups, respectively. Rabbits were slaughtered at 91 days of age and meat quality, and sensory characteristics were evaluated at days 2 (48 h after slaughter), 5, and 10 of refrigerated storage at 4 °C. The addition of colostrum in the diet resulted in a reduction of the total viable count, albeit only at the highest concentration and at the final detection, whereas for Lactobacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp., there was little or no effect. The colour coordinates showed no differences between the groups, but they varied over time according to diet. Some differences between groups emerged in the definition of sensory attributes but did not affect the overall liking and overall scores of individual descriptors. These results indicate that the use of colostrum in rabbit feeding does not significantly impart meat quality and sensory attributes, but the potential of this valuable by-product for the food industry needs further investigation

Bovine Colostrum Supplementation Modulates the Intestinal Microbial Community in Rabbits

Simple Summary Recently, research has focused on the modulation of the gut microbiota because of its central role in several digestive physiological functions and its involvement in the onset of not only gastrointestinal but also systemic diseases. Supplementing rabbit diets with nutraceutical substances could be a strategy to prevent dysbiosis, strengthen the immune system, and reduce mortality during the critical weaning period. Bovine colostrum (BC) is a by-product of the dairy industry and is very rich in compounds with several biological activities. Its use as an intestinal microbiota modulator in rabbits has never been investigated. This study evaluates the effects of diet supplementation with two different percentages of BC (2.5 and 5%) on luminal and mucosa-associated microbiota and its metabolism-associated pathways in the jejunum, caecum, and colon of rabbits. Although our results showed no effect of BC on microbiota biodiversity, there were significant differences between experimental groups in the microbial composition, mainly at the level of sub-dominant components depending on the dose of supplementation. The metabolism-associated pathways have also been affected, and particularly interesting are the results on the amino acids and lactose metabolism. Overall, findings suggest that BC could be used as a supplement in rabbit feed, although its effects on productive and reproductive performances, intestinal disease resistance, and economic aspects need to be further evaluated. BC is a nutraceutical that can modulate intestinal microbiota. This study investigates the effects of BC diet supplementation on luminal and mucosa-associated microbiota in the jejunum, caecum, and colon of rabbits. Twenty-one New Zealand White female rabbits were divided into three experimental groups (n = 7) receiving a commercial feed (CTRL group) and the same diet supplemented with 2.5% and 5% BC (2.5% BC and 5% BC groups, respectively), from 35 (weaning) to 90 days of age (slaughtering). At slaughter, the digestive tract was removed from each animal, then both content and mucosa-associated microbiota of jejunum, caecum, and colon were collected and analysed by Next Generation 16SrRNA Gene Sequencing. Significant differences were found in the microbial composition of the three groups (i.e., beta-diversity: p < 0.01), especially in the caecum and colon of the 2.5% BC group. The relative abundance analysis showed that the families most affected by the BC administration were Clostridia UCG-014, Barnesiellaceae, and Eggerthellaceae. A trend was also found for Lachnospiraceae, Akkermansiaceae, and Bacteroidaceae. A functional prediction has revealed several altered pathways in BC groups, with particular reference to amino acids and lactose metabolism. Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio decreased in caecum luminal samples of the 2.5% BC group. These findings suggest that BC supplementation could positively affect the intestinal microbiota. However, further research is needed to establish the optimal administration dose

Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. in Different Ready to Eat Foods from Large Retailers and Canteens over a 2-Year Period in Northern Italy

This study aims to give an overview of the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. in 9727 samples (2996 for L. monocytogenes and 6731 for Salmonella spp.) from different categories of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, collected over 2 years from 28 large retailers and 148 canteens in the regions of northern Italy. The RTE samples were classified into two groups according to the preparation methods: (i) multi-ingredient preparations consisting of fully cooked food ready for immediate consumption, or with minimal further handling before consumption (Group A), and (ii) multi-ingredient preparations consisting of cooked and uncooked food, or preparations consisting of only raw ingredients (Group B). L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were investigated in both of these categories. The overall prevalence of L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. was 0.13% and 0.07%, respectively. More specifically, L. monocytogenes was found in 0.04% of 2442 analysed RTE food samples belonging to group A and in 0.54% of 554 samples belonging to group B. Furthermore, 0.03% of 5367 RTE food samples from group A and 0.21% of 1364 samples from group B tested positive for Salmonella spp. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study can provide a significant contribution to L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. risk analysis in RTE foods