Browsing by Author "Schwarz, Michael"
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- Economic contributions of the Virginia seafood industryGonçalves, Fernando Henrique; van Senten, Jonathan; Schwarz, Michael; Hegde, Shraddha (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2022-11-04)The economic benefits of the seafood supply chain to the overall state economy demonstrate the magnitude and reach of the Virginia seafood industry. Watermen, aquaculture farmers, processors, and distributors sustain jobs and support other economic sectors operating within and beyond our Commonwealth that amplify their contribution to our economy. This study measured the combined impact of the different levels of the seafood supply chain on the Virginia Commonwealth’s economy.
- Insects as Valuable Sources of Protein and Peptides: Production, Functional Properties, and ChallengesHasnan, Fatin Fayuni Binti; Feng, Yiming; Sun, Taozhu; Parraga, Katheryn; Schwarz, Michael; Zarei, Mohammad (MDPI, 2023-11-24)As the global population approaches 10 billion by 2050, the critical need to ensure food security becomes increasingly pronounced. In response to the urgent problems posed by global population growth, our study adds to the growing body of knowledge in the field of alternative proteins, entomophagy, insect-based bioactive proteolysates, and peptides. It also provides novel insights with essential outcomes for guaranteeing a safe and sustainable food supply in the face of rising global population demands. These results offer insightful information to researchers and policymakers tackling the intricate relationship between population expansion and food supplies. Unfortunately, conventional agricultural practices are proving insufficient in meeting these demands. Pursuing alternative proteins and eco-friendly food production methods has gained urgency, embracing plant-based proteins, cultivated meat, fermentation, and precision agriculture. In this context, insect farming emerges as a promising strategy to upcycle agri-food waste into nutritious protein and fat, meeting diverse nutritional needs sustainably. A thorough analysis was conducted to evaluate the viability of insect farming, investigate insect nutrition, and review the techniques and functional properties of protein isolation. A review of peptide generation from insects was conducted, covering issues related to hydrolysate production, protein extraction, and peptide identification. The study addresses the nutritional value and global entomophagy habits to elucidate the potential of insects as sources of peptides and protein. This inquiry covers protein and hydrolysate production, highlighting techniques and bioactive peptides. Functional properties of insect proteins’ solubility, emulsification, foaming, gelation, water-holding, and oil absorption are investigated. Furthermore, sensory aspects of insect-fortified foods as well as challenges, including Halal and Kosher considerations, are explored across applications. Our review underscores insects’ promise as sustainable protein and peptide contributors, offering recommendations for further research to unlock their full potential.
- Nutritional Evaluation of Black Soldier Fly Frass as an Ingredient in Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus L.) DietsBanavar, Amiti; Amirkolaei, Samad Keramat; Duscher, Lexi; Khairunisa, Bela Haifa; Mukhopadhyay, Biswarup; Schwarz, Michael; Urick, Steve; Ovissipour, Reza (MDPI, 2022-09-14)The aquaculture industry is in need of sustainable fish feed to reduce the use of expensive and environmentally invasive wild-caught fish currently fed to many carnivorous species. The black soldier fly (BSF) has become a popular sustainable alternative protein source; however, the nutritional waste byproduct of BSF, frass, has not been extensively studied as a feed replacement in carnivorous species. This study evaluates the potential of BSF frass on the growth, body composition, and intestinal microbiome of the Florida pompano, Trachinotus carolinus. Four experimental diets were formulated containing different levels of frass, replacing plant-based carbohydrate sources. As a result of this study, the frass did not improve the growth performance, resulting in a lower specific growth rate and higher feed conversion rate. While the frass diets did not alter the body composition, the visceral somatic index (VSI) significantly increased compared to the control diet and the hepatosomatic index (HIS) was lowered. The microbiome analysis showed high variation among the diets, with the control diet having the most distinct consortia, which may have been driven by the increased levels of starch compared to frass diets. This study indicates that BSF frass may not be a suitable feed replacement for carnivorous pompano; however, frass could still potentially be a replacement feed for herbivore or detritivore fish and should be further studied.