Consumers Choice and Preference for Chicken Meat in Sulaymaniyah

Chicken meat consumption and demand have significantly increased in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) after 2003, which has led to the growth of poultry production and risen import from abroad. Consumer preferences study can be a determinant factor for poultry production development strategies to fill local demand gaps and global market competition. This study aimed to identify the consumer preference of chicken meat regarding the type, size, parts, marketplace, and other vital aspects considered by consumers when buying chicken meat, and the internal and external factors that affect consumer preference in the chicken meat purchasing choice. A descriptive study was conducted in Sulaymaniyah city, and the data were collected through a structured questionnaire form. This study indicated that 47.7% of the respondents prefer local Kurdish chicken (Mrishki Kurdi). 50% of the consumers in the Sulaymaniyah city prefer to buy whole chicken weighed between (2-3 Kg), 35.4% at the nearest or trusted meat shop, 38.5% at the wet markets, and 69.3% alive chicken slaughtered at the wet market at the time of purchase. Additionally, the internal factors (sensory features and perceptual features) were more dominant (sum total=4.084) than External factors (information, social environment, and physical environment) (sum total=3.599). Conclusions derived from the results suggest that the current study can contribute to a better understanding of consumers and improve the agribusiness value chain in KRI. The results from this study are recommended to examine consumer behavior and preference for agri-foods to build an integrated sustainable food production system based on consumers' needs and demands in the KRI and compete with the imported products.

Impact of imported Indian buffalo meat on red meat supply and demand in South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Since 2016, the government introduced the domestic beef market to Indian buffalo meat (IBM). However, the impact of IBM on regional beef supply and demand has not been fully investigated. This study aimed to study the impact of IBM on the supply and demand of local beef in South Kalimantan (KalSel), Indonesia. Surveys were conducted with slaughterhouses, beef distributors, butchers, meatball makers, and resellers both at the supermarkets and wet markets. Secondary data were collected from Banjarmasin Quarantine Office and Livestock and Animal Health Service of Kalsel. Data indicated an increase of IBM imported into Kalsel, from 38-675 tonnes in 2017 and 2019. There was a decline of live cattle imported from inter-island, from 27,240 head in 2016 to only 12,788 head in 2019. Slaughtered cattle and beef production declined from 39,747 heads in 2016 to 31,058 heads in 2019 and 8,691 tons in 2016 to 6,791 tons in 2019. Butchers reported beef selling volume has been reduced by 50-70% compared to 2016. This study showed IBM has had significant impacts on inter-island cattle supply, local beef production and beef demand in the wet market but has no impact on local beef price.

Origin of the coronavirus

Сoronavirus created all over the world a fear of death. How this virus was originated? The standard explanation from the Chinese was that in the wet market of Wuhan as there are Bat meat and Pangolean meat, virus was originated there and gradually spread all over Wuhan and other areas of China and then all over the world. However, serious doubts are now raised in the non-Chinese world. The reason is Bat was not sold in the wet market of Wuhan. There are active research going on in the Institute of Virology in Wuhan on various deadly virus, under the control of the Chinese military. Questions are raised whether accidentally virus was released from that Institute or it was deliberate.

Coronavirus disease 2019 and its potential animal reservoirs: A review

In the 21st century, the world has been plagued by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a virus of the family Coronaviridae epidemiologically suspected to be linked to a wet market in Wuhan, China. The involvement of wildlife and wet markets with the previous outbreaks simultaneously has been brought into sharp focus. Although scientists are yet to ascertain the host range and zoonotic potential of SARS-CoV-2 rigorously, information about its two ancestors, SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), is a footprint for research on COVID-19. A 96% genetic similarity with bat coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 indicates that the bat might be a potential reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 just like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, where civets and dromedary camels are considered the potential intermediate host, respectively. Perceiving the genetic similarity between pangolin coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2, many scientists also have given the scheme that the pangolin might be the intermediate host. The involvement of SARS-CoV-2 with other animals, such as mink, snake, and turtle has also been highlighted in different research articles based on the interaction between the key amino acids of S protein in the receptor-binding domain and angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2). This study highlights the potential animal reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 and the role of wildlife in the COVID-19 pandemic. Although different causes, such as recurring viral genome recombination, wide genetic assortment, and irksome food habits, have been blamed for this emergence, basic research studies and literature reviews indicate an enormous consortium between humans and animals for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consumers' willingness to pay for food safety attributes of tomato

PurposeConsumers are giving greater attention to the selection of food due to the improvement in income and urbanization. Meanwhile, in recent years, the vegetables' farmers in Malaysia have been reported using an excessive quantity of pesticides. The vegetables exported to Singapore and China have been rejected in 2018 and 2017 due to the presence of excessive levels of pesticides. Such incidences have created massive concern to improve the safety standard of the vegetable industry. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate consumers' willingness to pay for food safety attributes of tomato.Design/methodology/approachDiscrete choice experiments has been used, and 490 respondents have completed the survey.FindingsResults suggested that consumers were willing to pay RM4.18 more for wholesome tomato relative to slightly damage tomato. Consumers also were willing to pay RM2.75 more for organic tomato relative to inorganic tomato. They were also willing to pay RM2.30 and RM1.29 more for certified and tomato sold at supermarket relative to uncertified and tomato sold at the wet market, respectively. The willingness to pay for safety attributes of tomato also varied according to the income, age and education level of the consumers.Research limitations/implicationsIf the farmers can respond effectively to the changes in consumers demand, it can be translated into business opportunities.Originality/valueThis research able to provide relevant information related to the consumers' willingness to pay for food safety attributes of tomato in Malaysia.

Overview of COVID-19 Pandemic: Transmission, Epidemiology and Diagnosis

In the early part of the last month of the year 2019, suddenly many people started suffering from a new respiratory disease in the city of Wuhan in China. At that time the cause of the disease was not known. The disease was caused by a new coronavirus which was never detected in the past. WHO called it the novel coronavirus 2019. Later the virus was named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The disease is considered to have originated from the wet market located in the city of Wuhan in China. It came from the bats and infected the humans and possibly with an intermediate host like the pangolins. From the place it originated the disease spread to other places within China and to other countries outside China. WHO recognised the disease as a pandemic, as the disease spread to other parts of the world in Europe and Asia. This pandemic has affected the mankind as never before. More than 110 million people are confirmed infected with this disease. More than 2.5 million people have succumbed to this devastating disease. The pandemic has affected almost all the countries in the world. At a time when many countries were in lockdown mode, it seemed the world had come to a standstill. Individuals of both sexes belonging to all age groups can get infected, although old persons and persons with co-morbid conditions are more prone to get infected and also has more chance to develop severe form of this disease carrying high morbidity and mortality. In this review, the literature of the causative agent, epidemiology, mode of transmission, diagnosis and treatment and preventive strategies are reviewed, so that the reader is provided with sufficient current knowledge about this disease.

Virulence and antimicrobial resistance profile of non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica serovars recovered from poultry processing environments at wet markets in Dhaka, Bangladesh

The rapid emergence of virulent and multidrug-resistant (MDR) non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) enterica serovars are a growing public health concern globally. The present study focused on the assessment of the pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiling of NTS enterica serovars isolated from chicken processing environments at wet markets in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total number of 870 samples consisting of carcass dressing water (CDW), chopping board swabs (CBS), and knife swabs (KS) were collected from 29 wet markets. The prevalence of Salmonella was found to be 20% in CDW, 19.31% in CBS and 17.58% in KS, respectively. Meanwhile, the MDR Salmonella was found to be 72.41%, 73.21% and 68.62% in CDW, CBS, and KS, respectively. All isolates were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for eight virulence genes, namely invA, agfA, IpfA, hilA, sivH, sefA, sopE, and spvC. The S. Enteritidis and untyped Salmonella isolate harbored all virulence genes while S. Typhimurium isolates carried six virulence genes except sefA and spvC. Phenotypic resistance revealed decreased susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, ampicillin, tetracycline, gentamycin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and azithromycin. Genotypic resistance showed higher prevalence of plasmid mediated blaTEM followed by tetA, sul1, sul2, sul3, and strA/B genes. Harmonic and symmetrical trend was observed among the phenotypic and genotypic resistance patterns of the isolates. The research findings anticipate that MDR and virulent NTS enterica serovars are prevailing in the wet market environments which can easily enter into the human food chain. There was a resilient and significant correlation existent among the phenotypic and genotypic resistance patterns and virulence genes of Salmonella isolate recovered from carcass dressing water, chopping board swabs, and knife swabs (p < 0.05), respectively.

Primary Pandemic Prevention

Over the last few decades, hundreds of human pathogens have emerged at a rate unprecedented in human history. Emerged from where? Mostly from animals. The AIDS virus is blamed on the butchering of primates in the African bushmeat trade, we created mad cow disease when we turned cows into carnivores and cannibals, and SARS and COVID-19 have been traced back to the exotic wild animal trade. Our last pandemic, swine flu in 2009, arose not from some backwater wet market in Asia, however. It was largely made-in-the-USA on pig production operations in the United States. In this new Age of Emerging Diseases, there are now billions of animals overcrowded and intensively confined in filthy factory farms for viruses to incubate and mutate within. Today’s industrial farming practices have given viruses billions more spins at pandemic roulette. How can we stop the emergence of pandemic viruses in the first place? Whenever possible, treat the cause. The largest and oldest association of public health professionals in the world, the American Public Health Association, has called for a moratorium on factory farming for nearly two decades. Indeed, factory farms are a public health menace. In addition to discontinuing the intensive confinement practices of animal agriculture, we should continue to research, develop, and invest in innovative plant-based and cultivated meat technologies to move away from raising billions of feathered and curly-tailed test tubes for viruses with pandemic potential to mutate within.

Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Certain Freshwater Fish Species and the Impact on Human Health: A General Review

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by organisms of the fungus kingdom, which are capable of causing disease and death in humans and animals when present in food. Recent studies evinces fish consumption might become another way for mycotoxins to enter the human food chain. Although the increasing research publications related to the occurrence and prevention of mycotoxin contamination in fish feeds, there was limited studies on bioaccumulation of mycotoxins research in common freshwater fish species. Further this was assumed fish species of salmonid and cyprinids are very sensitive to feed-borne mycotoxins so far. Studies have demonstrated, fish may also carry mycotoxins residue along the food chain, thus compromising human health. This review describes mainly mycotoxin contaminations in certain freshwater fish species and the impact on human health due to their potential proven toxicity. This review also provided comprehensive information on mycotoxins contamination levels in muscle and liver tissue of some freshwater fish species such as Nile tilapia, Labeo rohita, and Catla catla during capturing in fresh water lakes and also fish sold at wet market and hypermarket in Chennai, Tamilnadu.

Evaluation of existing poultry processing and marketing in the wet market of Gazipur city in Bangladesh

The poultry selling and processing practices followed in the poultry wet markets of Bangladesh are always being overlooked unknowingly. The research was conducted to observe the existing scenario of poultry selling and processing practices at the selected wet markets located in the Gazipur City Corporation of Bangladesh. A total of 43 poultry selling shops were randomly selected and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. It was surprising to observe the absence of female personnel and involvement of few (6.9%) people over the age of 50 years in the wet markets. All the persons engaged in poultry selling and processing had no institutional training. The shops found to be abstained from following some important practices such as feed withdrawal period, isolation of diseased birds, ante and post mortem inspection. The proper bleeding time (1-2) min was recorded in 58.2% cases. The killing cone was recognized as the best device in terms bleeding time. The 72.1% of the outlets never cleaned the carcass prior to deliver the customers. The absence of ante- and post-mortem inspections may cause a great threat of disease outbreak. Taken together, the poultry selling and processing practices followed in the wet market needs to be assessed carefully to deliver safe and quality meat to the customers. In addition, organizing basic training on pre-slaughter management and processing for both seller and processor and also ensuring the regular ante- and post- mortem inspection could improve the present situation in order to produce quality poultry meat. Progressive Agriculture 31 (3): 205-217, 2020