64 documents found, page 1 of 7
Raising entire male pigs: comparison of growth performance and meat quality of ...
Pereira-Pinto, Ricardo; Araújo, José Pedro; Cerqueira, Joaquim Lima; Mata, Fernando; Pires, Preciosa; Vaz-Velho, ManuelaRearing entire male pigs presents several benefits, including enhanced feed efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and improved animal welfare. However, the risk of boar taint poses a significant challenge to pork quality. The objective of this pilot study is to evaluate growth performance, meat quality and the incidence of boar taint in intact male pigs of the Bısara breed (BI) and a terminal cross (TC). Fi...
Innovative fortified kale soup formulation designed for the elderly
Duarte, Cristina; Pinheiro, Rita; Mata, Fernando; Pinto, Elisabete; Fernandes, Ângela; Vaz-Velho, ManuelaThe nutritional needs of the elderly require immediate attention. Strategies to incorporate healthy, high-fibre, protein-rich ingredients into traditional diets have been identified to enhance health benefits. This study aimed to develop a new food product specifically for older adults, using kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC), and to evaluate its nutritional, sensory, and antioxidant properties. Acce...
Managing boar taint: issues, prevention strategies, and detection methods
Pereira-Pinto, Ricardo; Moreira, Olga; Vaz-Velho, ManuelaManaging boar taint involves addressing welfare concerns related to castration, understanding the compounds causing the taint, and developing reliable detection methods. Surgical castration of piglets is common but raises welfare issues, prompting calls for alternatives. The European Union has seen slow progress in banning castration without pain relief, with varying national approaches. Boar taint, caused by a...
Microwave-assisted extraction for the sustainable recovery and valorization of ...
Barros, Diana; Pereira Pinto, Ricardo; Fernandes, Élia; Pires, Preciosa; Vaz-Velho, ManuelaThis study investigates the potential of Pinus pinaster subsp. atlantica bark, a forestry byproduct fromnorthernPortugal, as a source of phenolic compoundswithstrongantioxidant properties. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was used to optimize recovery, assessing the effects of solvent composition (water, ethanol, and 50:50 water–ethanol), extraction time (15 or 30 min), and temperature (90, 110, or 130 ◦C) u...
Innovative fortified kale soup formulation designed for the elderly
Duarte, Cristina; Pinheiro, Rita; Mata, Fernando; Pinto, Elisabete; Fernandes, Ângela; Vaz-Velho, ManuelaThe nutritional needs of the elderly require immediate attention. Strategies to incorporate healthy, high-fibre, protein-rich ingredients into traditional diets have been identified to enhance health benefits. This study aimed to develop a new food product specifically for older adults, using kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC), and to evaluate its nutritional, sensory, and antioxidant properties. Acce...
Valorisation of Atlantic bonito and Brassica by-products in the development of ...
Solinho, Joana; Machado, Sofia; Pereira-Pinto, Ricardo; Barros, Diana; Vaz-Velho, Manuela; Vazquez, Manuel; Pinheiro, RitaFish is a highly nutritious food, rich in protein, unsaturated fats, vitamins, and minerals, and its consumption has increased due to the associated health benefits. However, fish processing generates substantial waste, accounting for more than 50% of the total weight of the fish, leading to economic losses. Utilising these byproducts presents an opportunity to reduce waste while enhancing the nutritional profi...
Microbiological characterization of protected designation of origin Azeitão cheese
Rocha, Rui; Pereira-Pinto, Ricardo; Vaz-Velho, Manuela; Fernandes, Paulo; Santos, JoanaAzeitão is an appreciated Portuguese protected designation of origin (PDO) cheese produced following artisanal procedures using ovine raw milk, Cynara cardunculus L. flower and salt. Although its origins trace back to the early 1800s, limited research regarding the characterization of its microbiota is available. So, this work aimed to perform a microbiological characterization of Azeitão PDO cheeses and raw ma...
Enhanced HPLC method for boar taint quantification
Pereira-Pinto, Ricardo; Barros, Mário; Vaz-Velho, Manuela; Mata, Fernando; Pires, PreciosaBoar taint is an unpleasant odour found in the carcasses of entire male pigs, resulting from androstenone and skatole accumulation during pubertal development, and impacting pork quality. This study proposes the validation of an adapted chromatographic method for quantifying skatole and androstenone in the pigs’ liquid fat using fluorescence detection. A good chromatographic separation was achieved, with skatol...
A SWOT analysis of organizations in the agri-food chain sector from the norther...
Madureira, Teresa; Nunes, Fernando; Mata, Fernando; Vaz-Velho, ManuelaResearch on modern agri-food chains aims to enhance flexibility by analyzing supply chain aspects to identify improvement opportunities. A SWOT analysis of 39 agri-food sector organizations using a SWOT analysis organized using the PESTEL and MEETHS categories was conducted to evaluate the stakeholders’ needs in this sector of activity in Northern Portugal. Logistic regressions were used to compute inferential ...
Comparative study of pretreatments on coconut fiber for efficient isolation of ...
Vieira, Fabrícia; Santana, Hortência E. P.; Jesus, Meirielly; Mata, Fernando; Pires, Preciosa; Vaz-Velho, Manuela; Silva, Daniela PereiraPretreatment is an essential step for breaking the recalcitrant structure of lignocellulosic biomass and allowing conversion to high-value-added chemicals. In this study, coconut fiber was subjected to three pretreatment methods to compare their impacts on the biomass’s structural characteristics and their efficiency in fractionating the biomass. This comparative approach was conducted to identify mild biomass ...