Monitoring of the Dry-Curing Process in Iberian Ham Through the Evaluation of Fat Volatile Organic Compounds by Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry and Non-Destructive Sampling.

The current quality control of the dry-curing process in Iberian ham is performed with an olfactory evaluation by ham experts. The present study proposes to monitor the dry-curing process of Iberian ham using an objective analytical methodology that involves non-destructive sampling of the subcutaneous fat of the hams and a volatile profile analysis using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry. Thirty-eight 100% Iberian acorn-fed hams were examined in total, with eighteen hams monitored during the post-salting stage and twenty during the drying-maturation stage.

Reliable and sensitive analytical platform to assess dietary exposure of pigs to mycotoxins and explore potential urinary biomarkers.

A reliable and sensitive analytical platform is proposed for the assessment of pig exposure to mycotoxins through the consumption of commercial feed. A total of 48 naturally contaminated feed and 55 urine samples collected from eight Spanish farms were analyzed using a fast and simple methodology based on solid-liquid extraction (SLE) or liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME). High-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used for the targeted analysis of 27 mycotoxins from different families in both matrices achieving limits of quantification in a range of 0.

Evolution of Sow Productivity and Evaluation Parameters: Spanish Farms as a Benchmark.

This study examines the global evolution of sow productivity, with a particular focus on Spain. The analysis is based on key performance metrics such as piglets weaned per sow per year (PWSY), prolificacy, and pre-weaning mortality, utilizing data from literature reviews, the InterPIG, and BDporc databases. Globally, significant advancements in genetic selection and management practices have led to productivity increases across major pig-producing countries, with notable improvements in prolificacy.

The impact of herd age structure on the performance of commercial sow-breeding farms.

Background: The herd age structure, i.e., distribution of sows within a farm based on their parity number, and its management are essential to optimizing farm reproductive efficiency.

Regression Models for In Vivo Discrimination of the Iberian Pig Feeding Regime after Near Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis of Faeces.

The Iberian pig is a native breed of the Iberian Peninsula, which holds an international reputation due to the superior quality and the added value of its products. Different rearing practices and feeding regimes are regulated, resulting in different labelling schemes. However, there is no official analytical methodology that is standardised for certification purposes in the sector.

Preweaning piglet survival on commercial farms.

Preweaning piglet mortality (PWM), a trait highly related to litter size, is one of the main concerns associated with productive efficiency and animal welfare in commercial pig farms. The objectives of this work were to study piglet survival at the farm level, to establish a survival rate (SR) as a target indicator to be improved, and to model it based on other reproductive parameters. Analyzed data corresponded to 580 Spanish commercial farms with a total inventory of 809,768 sows.

Multi-Criteria Evaluation Model of Management for Weaned Piglets and Its Relations with Farm Performance and Veterinary Medicine Consumption.

Weaned piglets, being immature, demand careful handling to mitigate post-weaning stress in order to avoid immunosuppression and the use of antimicrobials to palliate the effects of disease outbreaks due to poor management. The objective of this work is to design a quick scan calculator or multi-criteria evaluation model of management for weaned piglets, founded on 10 critical indices covering post-weaning management aspects based on hygienic measures and management of facilities and animals. These include pre-weaning handling, batch management, biosecurity, water management, feed management, health program, stockmen training, temperature, ventilation, and floor conditions and density to relate handling and hygiene practices with farm performance and the consumption of veterinary medication.

Husbandry practices associated with extensification in European pig production and their effects on pork quality.

This review has been developed as part of the mEATquality project with the main objective to examine the types of extensification practices used in European pig husbandry and their effect on intrinsic meat quality. Literature search has resulted in 679 references in total, from which 53 showed a strict compliance with the goals of this review: 1) the use of local European breeds and their crossbreds (22 papers); 2) addition of forage to diet (9 papers); 3) increased space allowance (3 papers); 4) enrichment of environment (19 papers). The evaluation of selected extensification factors showed that not all of them have a clear impact on meat quality, and are often confounded.

Detection of complex field infections in cattle using fecal volatile organic compound analysis through gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry combined with chemometrics.

Bovine tuberculosis is considered a re-emerging disease caused by different species from the complex (MTC), important not only for the livestock sector but also for public health due to its zoonotic character. Despite the numerous efforts that have been carried out to improve the performance of the current diagnostic procedures, nowadays, they still pose several drawbacks, such as moderate to low sensitivity, highlighting the necessity to develop alternative and innovative tools to complement control and surveillance frameworks. Volatilome analysis is considered an innovative approach which has been widely employed in animal science, including animal health field and diagnosis, due to the useful and interesting information provided by volatile metabolites.

Preliminary Feasibility of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Authenticate Grazing in Dairy Goats through Milk and Faeces Analysis.

Consumers are increasingly prone to request information about the production systems of the food they buy. For this purpose, certification and authentication methodologies are necessary not only to protect the choices of consumers, but also to protect producers and production systems. The objective of this preliminary work was to authenticate the grazing system of dairy goats using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) analyses of milk and faeces of the animals.

Use of polypyrrole ferrite microparticles and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for testing natural grass contamination by multiclass mycotoxins.

An analytical methodology based on the combination of dispersive magnetic solid-phase extraction (DMSPE) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is proposed to explore the occurrence of 13 mycotoxins (aflatoxins B, G, B, and G; deoxynivalenol; T-2 toxin; ochratoxin A; HT-2 toxin; enniatins A, A, B, and B; and beauvericin) and their derivatives in natural grass samples. Magnetic microparticles (FeO) coated with polypyrrole (PPy) polymer were used in DMSPE sample treatment as adsorbent phase, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy have been used for its characterization. The experimental parameters influencing the adsorption and desorption steps of DMSPE have been optimized.

Feed Supplementation Detection during the Last Productive Stage of the Acorn-Fed Iberian Pig through a Faecal Volatilome Analysis.

The acorn-fed Iberian pig is known worldwide due to the quality of the resulting products commercialized after a natural and free grazing period of fattening in the agroforestry ecosystem. The quality regulation of the pig breed reserves "acorn" denomination for only those products obtained from animals exclusively fed grazing acorns and other natural resources; however, sometimes, feed supplementation of the pig's diet is fraudulently employed to reach an earlier slaughtering weight and to increase pig stocking rate, a strategy called (meaning "feed supplement"). In this sense, although many studies focused on Iberian pig diet have been published, the field detection of feed use for acorn-fed pig during the last finishing stage foraging in the , a practice which clashes with the official regulation, has not been explored yet.

Geographical origin, curing plant and commercial category discrimination of cured Iberian hams through volatilome analysis at industry level.

Cured Iberian ham is a worldwide known product due to its high quality. Nowadays, there is a lack of official analytical methods to differentiate geographical origin (Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)), the curing plant where hams are processed, as well as the commercial categories in each industry. In this work, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) extracted from 998 Iberian hams were analyzed by Gas Chromatography coupled to Ion Mobility Spectrometry (GC-IMS), using the subsequent information to design discriminant models.

The Role of Women on Dairy Goat Farms in Southern Spain.

One of the factors involved in goat milk production is the role of women as farmers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of women on dairy goat farms, considering: (1) the profile of women occupationally involved, (2) the organization of the women’s work, (3) the degree of involvement by women in the decision-making on these farms, and (4) the influence of women’s work on productive results. This study was conducted on 52 dairy goat farms in southern Spain.

A New Approach to Detecting and Measuring Changes in the Feeding Behaviour Habits of Group-Housed Growing-Finishing Pigs.

The present work aims to estimate the methods of repeatability and of a new non-parametric approach based on typifying individuals into classes and quantifying (%) the pigs in a group that show similar feeding behaviour habits (FBHs) in consecutive periods ("maintenance"). Both methods were estimated over six consecutive 14-day periods in two trials of group-housed growing-finishing pigs ( = 60 each). The first trial started in summer and ended in autumn, and pigs were fed a pelleted diet (HT-P).

Effect of Non-Genetic Factors on Reproduction of Extensive versus Intensive Florida Dairy Goats.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the production system and other environmental/phenotype factors on age at first kidding (AFK), kidding interval (KI) and prolificacy of 19,772 Florida goats reared between 2000 and 2019 on 49 dairy farms (38 farms intensively managed and 11 extensively managed with grazing). AFK was lower on intensive (490.2 ± 0.

The Feeding Behaviour Habits of Growing-Finishing Pigs and Its Effects on Growth Performance and Carcass Quality: A Review.

Based on the available data of feeding behaviour habits (FBHs), this work aimed to discuss which type of pig, according to its FBHs, performs better and is more efficient. As pigs grow, average daily feed intake, meal size, and feeding rate increase, whereas small variations or even decreases in time spent eating and daily feeder visits have been reported. Moreover, the sex, breed, space allowance, feeder design, feed form, diet composition, and environmental conditions modify FBHs.

Application of Volatilome Analysis to the Diagnosis of Mycobacteria Infection in Livestock.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are small molecular mass metabolites which compose the volatilome, whose analysis has been widely employed in different areas. This innovative approach has emerged in research as a diagnostic alternative to different diseases in human and veterinary medicine, which still present constraints regarding analytical and diagnostic sensitivity. Such is the case of the infection by mycobacteria responsible for tuberculosis and paratuberculosis in livestock.

Thermoregulatory and Feeding Behavior under Different Management and Heat Stress Conditions in Heifer Water Buffalo () in the Tropics.

In the wake of climate change and global warming, the production systems of water buffaloes () are receiving increasing attention in the tropics, where the silvopastoral systems can improve animal welfare and production conditions. The objective of this study was to characterize the behavior of heifer buffaloes in a silvopastoral system (SPS) with (600 trees/ha) and in a conventional system (CVS), under intense heat stress and moderate heat stress in Cuba. We observed nine animals, with an average weight of 167.

Determination of principal ergot alkaloids in swine feeding.

Background: Ergot alkaloids are secondary metabolites produced by fungi in the genus Claviceps. They contaminate a large variety of cereals, such as rye, triticale, wheat and barley. The ingestion of contaminated cereals might cause adverse health effects in humans and animals.

Review of the Methodologies for Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Livestock Farming: Pig Farms as a Case of Study.

The global emission and accumulation of gases due to livestock farming is estimated to contribute to about 14.5% of the global warming effect due to greenhouse gases (GHG). Pig farming represents 9% of global livestock GHG emissions, without considering other activities of pork production process, such as feed production.

Selectivity of Leguminous Trees by Water Buffaloes in Semi-intensive Systems.

Water buffaloes () manifest different levels of selectivity for different pastures and forages. Knowledge of feed selectivity is important to facilitate the design of efficient production systems that take into account optimal animal welfare. In this study, the selectivity of nine 18-month old female water buffaloes for , and was evaluated.

Udder Morphometry and Its Relationship with Intramammary Infections and Somatic Cell Count in Serrana Goats.

The external morphological traits of the mammary gland, and their relationships with somatic cell count (SCC) and the presence of intramammary infection (IMI), were studied in 30 Serrana goats, Transmontano ecotype. Globular-shaped udders were the most predominant, with slightly separated and symmetrical halves, presenting some degree of suspension. Funnel-shaped teats were the most prevalent shape with an opening of 120° to 160° degrees.

Effect of Silvopastoral Systems in the Thermoregulatory and Feeding Behaviors of Water Buffaloes Under Different Conditions of Heat Stress.

Buffaloes use wallowing behavior to release excess heat in tropical conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of silvopastoral systems in the feeding and thermoregulatory behavior of water buffaloes under moderate and intense heat stress. The behavior of water buffaloes was evaluated in two different production systems.