The inclusion of fresh forage in the lactating buffalo diet affects fatty acid and sensory profile of mozzarella cheese

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of inclusion of fresh forage in diet for lactating buffalo on properties of mozzarella cheese under intensive farming conditions. Thirty-two buffalo cows were equally allotted into 2 groups fed diets with (fresh group, FRS) or without (control group, CTL) fresh sorghum. The study consisted of 2 trials. In the first one, animals from group FRS were fed a diet containing 10 kg of fresh sorghum (10-FRS diet) that was doubled to 20 kg (20-FRS diet) in the second trial. All diets were isonitrogenous and isoenergetic, and fresh forage accounted for 13.4 and 26.5 of dietary dry matter, respectively, for the 10-FRS and 20-FRS diet. In each trial, milk from the 2 groups was used to produce 3 batches/diet of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana Protected Designation of Origin cheese. Milk yield and composition were not influenced by dietary treatment. The use of 10-FRS diet did not affect any properties of mozzarella. As the inclusion rate of fresh sorghum doubled to 20 kg, an increment of unsaturated fatty acid percentages and a lowering of short-chain and saturated fatty acids were observed. Moreover, the sensory characteristics of mozzarella were modified, although no effects were observed on consumer acceptance. We conclude that the use of green fodder can represent a low-cost feeding strategy to improve the healthiness of buffalo mozzarella under intensive farming conditions with no detrimental effect on consumer blind acceptance

Chickpea can be a valuable local produced protein feed for organically reared, native bulls

We assessed the effects of inclusion of chickpea from 24 to 21%, as feed basis, in diets for organically reared bulls. Sixteen young bulls (270 ± 6.4 days of age; 246 ± 0.13 kg in weight) belonging to a native Italian breed (Maremmana) were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments. The control diets were based on mixed grass hay, maize meal, and barley meal. In the experimental diets, barley was equally substituted by locally produced chickpea. Animals were weighed every 2 weeks until the prefixed slaughtering weight (630 kg). Plasma metabolites were measured at the 1st, 7th, and 14th month of the experiment. Chemical composition, colour, shear force, and water holding capacity of meat were assessed on Longissimus thoracis et lumborum 7 days after slaughter. The chickpea-fed animals showed a significantly greater average daily gain (1064 vs. 1168 kg/day), a shorter growing phase (364 vs. 335 days), and a better carcass conformation. Plasma metabolites and meat quality were not influenced by the treatments. The better growth performance and carcass quality of the chickpea fed bulls resulted in a higher economic profit for the chickpea-based diets. Results suggest that chickpea may allow sustainable performance improvement of native breeds within their traditional farming systems

Seasonal variation of chemical composition, fatty acid profile, and sensory properties of a mountain pecorino cheese

This study aims to assess the compositional traits and sensory characteristics of a traditional pecorino cheese associated with management and feeding system seasonality. The study was carried out on two mountain dairy farms using an outdoor, pasture-based system from April to October (OutS), and an indoor system (InS) during the rest of the year. Outdoor-produced milk had higher fat content and a tendency for protein and somatic cell count to be higher. The OutS cheeses showed higher dry matter and fat content, higher percentages of unsaturated fatty acids, C18:3, cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid, and trans-11 C18:1, and lower percentages of C14:0 and C16:0. These modifications in fatty acid composition determined the reduction of the atherogenic index. The OutS cheeses also displayed higher intensity of almost all sensory attributes, including odor, flavor, taste, and texture descriptors. The outdoor system partly reduced the liking of consumers for pecorino. However, changes in the productive process leading to an increment in the water content and softness of the cheeses (i.e., controlled humidity and temperature during ripening) may increase the overall liking of pasture-based products, thus promoting the consumption of healthier foods

Hemp cakes composition and ruminal degradability as influenced by the cold pressing parameters

The growing consumers interest in the oil has made available several hemp by-products for animal feeding. The main of them are the cakes resulting from mechanical extraction of oil which may contain remarkable levels of protein, but also varying amounts of fibre and fat in relation to both seeds’ composition and extraction process. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the pressure and the botanical variety on hemp cakes composition. Seeds from Futura75 and Uso31 cultivars with rather similar composition (respectively, in percent of dry matter, Crude protein, CP, 20.9 vs. 19.9, fat 23.6 vs. 23.3, NDF 48.8 vs. 49.6) were pressed in an experimental mechanical screw press powered by 2.2 kW electric motor and equipped with temperature sensors to control the oil extraction temperature. Each hemp variety was pressed at growing extraction pressures gained by fitting four different nozzle diameters on the screw press (14, 12, 8, 6mm). For each pressure level, the seeds were pressed twice for a total of 16 cake samples which were analysed for chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of DM (IVDMD) and NDF (IVNDFD), determined based on a 48-h incubation in a Daisy II system. A two-way analysis of variance (proc GLM) was performed with variety (n=2), pressure (n=4), and their interaction as factors. Statistical significance was attained only between the extreme values of pressure (14 vs. 6mm) and resulted in an increment of the concentration of NDF, ADF and lignin (p < .05) as an effect of the reduction of the fat content (p < .05). Despite the small differences between the whole seed compositions, the Uso31 and Futura75 cakes diverged for the CP, ADF (p < .05), NDF and lignin (p < .001), whereas no differences were observed for fat. It is self-evident that the pressure worked differently on the two varieties, though no significant interactions pressure*- variety were highlighted. The IVDMD and IVNDFD were affected by both pressure and variety (p < .001) with the higher values observed for pressure at 14mm and the variety Uso31. Overall, the nutritional characteristics of hemp cakes can be strongly influenced by the botanical variety even regardless of the chemical composition whereas they can be significantly modified only by more than doubling the pressure applied to seeds

Improvement of Rumen Fermentation Efficiency Using Different Energy Sources: In Vitro Comparison between Buffalo and Cow

During haymaking and ensilage, a significant loss of sugars occurs. The addition of a total mixed ratio (TMR) with a liquid feed might provide promptly utilisable energy and recover the nutrients lost during the conservation. Interesting results were already obtained by including liquid feed in a TMR in a dairy cow. However, the possibility to also utilize them in Italian Mediterranean buffalo is not yet supported by data. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro fermentation characteristics and kinetics of different types of liquid feed, utilising bovine and buffalo rumen liquor as inocula. TMR supplemented with 0.025 g of four different liquid feeds was incubated with the TMR as control with buffalo and bovine rumen fluid using in vitro gas production technique. Considering bovine inoculum, all the experimental diets showed lower organic matter degradability and higher volatile fatty acid production than control TMR, while with buffalo rumen liquor, significant differences were observed between experimental and control diets in terms of gas production and fermentation kinetics. The tested liquid feeds can have different fermentation patterns depending on their ingredients and compositions. Supplementing liquid feeds to a standard diet seems to provide a source of energy that improves fermentation. No negative effects were observed on the in vitro fermentation at the dosage utilised

Use of Cyanobacterium Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) in Buffalo Feeding: Effect on Mozzarella Cheese Quality

The high demand for PDO buffalo mozzarella cheese is leading to the use of new strategies for feeding supplementation. Spirulina is acknowledged as a valuable source of protein with antioxidant and immune-modulatory effects in humans and animals. This investigation aimed to examine the effect of Spirulina integration in buffalo diets on mozzarella cheese quality, sensory profile, consumer acceptability, and willingness to pay (WTP). The trial was carried out on two groups of 12 buffaloes that differed in Spirulina integration: 50 g/head/d before calving (1 month) and 100 g/head/d after calving (2 months). Both the bulk milk and mozzarella cheese samples from the two groups did not differ in chemical composition. However, Spirulina inclusion influenced the sensory quality of mozzarella cheese, which resulted it being externally brighter, with a higher butter odour and whey flavour and greater sweetness, bitterness, juiciness, tenderness, oiliness, and buttermilk release than the control. The consumer test showed that information about Spirulina affected consumer liking, causing them to be in favour of the Spirulina group, leading to a higher price for it. In conclusion, Spirulina inclusion in buffalo diets affected the sensory quality of mozzarella cheese. The provision of product information to consumers can be a crucial factor in determining their liking and WTP

Hay or silage? How the forage preservation method changes the volatile compounds and sensory properties of Caciocavallo cheese.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the forage preservation method (silage vs. hay) on volatile compounds and sensory properties of a traditional Caciocavallo cheese during ripening. A brown-midrib sudangrass hybrid was cultivated on a 7-ha field and at harvesting it was half ensiled in plastic silo bags and half dried to hay. Forty-four lactating cows were equally allotted into 2 groups fed a isonitrogenous and isoenergetic total mixed ration containing as the sole forage either sorghum hay (H group) or sorghum silage (S group). Milk from the 2 groups was used to produce 3 batches/diet of Caciocavallo ripened for 30, 60, and 90 d. Milk yield and composition as well as cheese chemical and fatty acid composition were not markedly affected by the diet treatment and ripening time. By contrast, ripening induced increased levels of the appearance attribute "yellowness," along with the "overall flavor," the odor/flavor attributes "butter" and "hay," the "salty," "bitter," and "umami" tastes, and the texture attribute "oiliness," whereas the appearance attribute "uniformity" and the texture attribute "elasticity" were reduced. The silage-based diet induced higher perceived intensities of several attributes such as "yellowness"; "overall flavor"; "butter"; "grass" and "hay" odor/flavors; "salty," "bitter," and "umami" tastes; and "tenderness" and "oiliness" textures. In S cheese we also observed higher amounts of ketones and fatty acids. Conversely, H cheese showed the terpene α-pinene, which was not detected in S cheese, and a higher intensity of the appearance attribute "uniformity." These differences allowed the trained panel to discriminate the products, determined an increased consumer liking for 90-d ripened cheese, and tended to increase consumer liking for hay cheese

Evaluation of in vitro starch digestibility and chemical composition in pasta former foods

: Former food products include various leftovers from the food industry which, although they have lost values for human consumption, could be safely used for livestock, thus limiting environmental impact of food waste, and reducing feeding costs. The aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional characteristics of different types of former foods from pasta industry. Four types of dry pasta refusal (wholemeal, semolina, purple, and tricolor) and whole barley grain (control) were analyzed for chemical composition and in vitro starch digestibility; the energy content was also estimated. For each product type, samples collected in three different times at a pasta plant were analyzed. All products showed higher (p 60% DM). The energy content was higher (p < 0.05) in pasta former food compared with whole barley grain. Purple pasta showed different in vitro starch digestibility compared to the other former foods (p < 0.001). However, all products showed higher values of resistant starch, whereas barley was mainly composed by slowly digestible starch. The results indicated that dry pasta former foods could be suitable energy sources for feeding pig, but their inclusion in diets must consider the slow digestibility