Report on a visit to Bangladesh to supervise the research students undertaking the research project entitled: Improvements in the production of livestock products in peri-urban areas of cities in Asia

D Silverside, J Sherington and N Marsland visited Bangladesh to clean and analyse data collected by research workers during a survey of approximately 100 villages in Sylhet, Mymensingh and Pabna. They assisted with the completion of the first phase of the project, which is to define the urban, peri-urban and rural areas of three study towns. Terms of reference also included the establishment of a work programme for phase 2 and the monitoring of the progress of the research workers. Phase 1 is now complete. The mauzas (small study areas of the towns) have now been defined according to a statistical technique based on census and primary data and may be classified as rural, peri-urban and urban. Phase 1 may now be written up by the researchers into a formal part for their PhD theses. A summary can be found in Appendix 3 of this report. Protocols for Phase 2 have now been established and both questionnaires and checklists of questions have been finalised. These can be found in the Appendix 4 of this report. To conduct the work, enumerators will be required. Their numbers have been established and provision made for them in the budget. A system of data handling has been set up. The researchers have been trained in preparation of forms in Access and this, combined with earlier work on the computers will enable them to enter, manipulate and print out data for the project using up-to-date software packages. Para 25 refers. It was agreed that the researchers will be supervised on a regular basis by their BAU professors. During these supervisory sessions, researchers and professors will discuss project activities, outputs and problems. Communicate by Email with NRI in UK will take place every two weeks. Para 11 refers. A work programme and schedule was left in Bangladesh to be completed before the next NRI team visit. This will take place in October/November 1997. The team will include a socio-economist and computer modeller. Para 27 refers

Report on a visit to Bangladesh to initiate a research project entitled improvements in the production of livestock products in peri-urban areas of cities in Asia

This project was established in 1995. It aims to characterise the market for livestock products, examine the outputs and efficiency of livestock production and marketing systems, determine the losses of livestock products in the systems and identify and analyse constraints to and opportunities for the increased supply of livestock products to urban markets

A Microbiological and Nutritional Evaluation of the West African Dried Meat Product, Kilishi

The quality attributes of Kilishi, a West African dried meat product were studied over an eight week storage period comparing traditional production and packaging systems with a potassium sorbate treatment system and simple modern packaging. Changes in chemical composition and microbiological counts are reported. Moisture and water activity results indicated that the experimental Kilishi was sufficiently dried to minimise microbial growth. Fat oxidation levels measured by free fatty acids (FFA) (%) on extracted fats were unacceptably high (>1.2-2.1%) and may be a reflection of the quality of the groundnut and its oil in the ingredients. Processing of beef into Kilishi appears to lead to a decrease in mineral availability. Results suggest that treatment of Kilishi with 10% (w/v) potassium sorbate confers a degree of protection of the product from mould contamination. Aflatoxin levels far exceeded all established safe limits and are thought to be due to the use of pre-contaminated groundnut, as mould growth levels in Kilishi were very low. The Journal of Food Technology in Africa Volume 6 No.4, 2001, pp. 126-129 KEY WORDS: aflatoxins, dried meat, food preservative, kilishi, potassium sorbate

A Microbiological and Nutritional Evaluation of the West African dried meat product, Kilishi

The quality attributes of Kilishi, a West African dried meat product were studied over an eight week storage period comparing traditional production and packaging systems with a potassium sorbate treatment system and simple modem packaging. Changes in chemical composition and microbiological counts are reported. Moisture and water activity results indicated that the experimental Kilishi was sufficiently dried to minimise microbial growth. Fat oxidation levels measured by free fatty acids (FFA) (%) on extracted fats were unacceptably high (>1.2-2.1%) and may be a reflection of the quality of the groundnut and its oil in the ingredients. Processing of beef into Kilishi appears to lead to a decrease in mineral availability. Results suggest that treatment of Kilishi with 10% (w/v) potassium sorbate confers a degree of protection of the product from mould contamination. Aflatoxin levels far exceeded all established safe limits and are thought to be due to the use of pre-contaminated groundnut, as mould growth levels in Kilishi were very low

Reproductive studies in ipecac (Psychotria ipecacuanha (Brot.) stockes; Rubiaceae): pollen development and morphology

The aim of this work was to carry out the reproductive studies on Brazilian accessions of ipecac, Psychotria ipecacuanha. It presented heterostyly, with brevistylous and longistylous flowers. The pollen development was observed from the sections of the anthers embedded in resin. Anther development was normal as usually observed in dicotyledones, displaying four layers: outer epidermis, endothecium, middle layer and inner tapetum. The pollen was bicellular and filled with starch at the microspore stage. Pollen morphology was studied using SEM, which showed pollen polymorphism within and between the two floral morphs. Five types of pollen with reticulate or perforate exine were identified. The characteristics showed that the sexual process was as important as the vegetative propagation for the reproduction of this species.<br>Foram realizados estudos reprodutivos em acessos brasileiros de poaia, Psychotria ipecacuanha. Poaia apresenta heterostilia, com flores brevistilas e longistilas. O desenvolvimento do pólen foi estudado em cortes de anteras embebidas em resina. O desenvolvimento da antera seguiu o padrão normal para as dicotiledôneas, a qual apresentou quatro camadas: epiderme, endotécio, camada média, e tapete, a mais interna. O pólen apresentou-se bicelular e preenchido com amido no estágio de micrósporo. A morfologia do pólen foi estudada utilizando-se MEV. Foi observado polimorfismo polínico dentro e entre as duas formas florais. Foram identificados cinco tipos de grãos de pólen, com exina reticulada ou perfurada. Em seu hábitat natural, sabe-se que essa espécie apresenta propagação por multiplicação vegetativa, mas as características estudadas demonstraram que o mecanismo sexuado é tão importante para a reprodução dessa espécie quanto à propagação vegetativa