The effectiveness of rice protein coatings enriched with essential oils on maintaining interior quality of fresh eggs was evaluated during storage at 20°C for 6 wk. Egg quality was assessed by weight loss, Haugh unit (HU), albumen pH, and yolk index (YI) in uncoated eggs (control treatment) and eggs coated with rice protein concentrate at 8% enriched or not with different essential oils (1%): tea tree
(
Melaleuca alternifolia
), copaíba (
Copaifera langsdorffii
), or thymo (
Thymus vulgaris
). The HU and YI were higher in coated eggs (
P
< 0.001). Data were submitted to variance analysis, and the statistical models included the effects of treatments (coating types), storage periods (weeks), and interaction (treatments by storage periods). Weight loss increased (
P
< 0.001) during long-term storage. Uncoated eggs showed the highest weight loss (5.43%), whereas coatings of rice protein alone (4.23%) or enriched with tea tree (4.10%), copaíba (3.90%), and thymo (4.08%) solutions were effective in preventing weight lost (
P
< 0.001). The coating use preserved the internal quality of the eggs for up to 3 wk longer than uncoated eggs in terms of HU, YI, and pH. Uncoated eggs had the worst (
P
< 0.001) HU (58.46), albumen pH (9.48), and YI (0.33) after 6 wk of storage. In conclusion, the use of coatings based on rice protein concentrate enriched with different essential oils influences the internal quality of eggs during storage and may be an effective alternative for increasing the shelf life of commercial eggs.
This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect that switching from conventional to precision feeding systems during the growing-finishing phase would have on the potential environmental impact of Brazilian pig production. Standard life-cycle assessment procedures were used, with a cradle-to-farm gate boundary. The inputs and outputs of each interface of the life cycle (production of feed ingredients, processing in the feed industry, transportation and animal rearing) were organized in a model. Grain production was independently characterized in the Central-West and South regions of Brazil, whereas the pigs were raised in the South region. Three feeding programs were applied for growing-finishing pigs: conventional phase feeding by group (CON); precision daily feeding by group (PFG) (whole herd fed the same daily adjusted diet); and precision daily feeding by individual (PFI) (diets adjusted daily to match individual nutrient requirements). Raising pigs (1 t pig BW at farm gate) in South Brazil under the CON feeding program using grain cultivated in the same region led to emissions of 1840 kg of CO2-eq, 13.1 kg of PO4-eq and 32.2 kg of SO2-eq. Simulations using grain from the Central-West region showed a greater climate change impact. Compared with the previous scenario, a 17% increase in climate change impact was found when simulating with soybeans produced in Central-West Brazil, whereas a 28% increase was observed when simulating with corn and soybeans from Central-West Brazil. Compared with the CON feeding program, the PFG and PFI programs reduced the potential environmental impact. Applying the PFG program mitigated the potential climate change impact and eutrophication by up to 4%, and acidification impact by up to 3% compared with the CON program. Making a further adjustment by feeding pigs according to their individual nutrient requirements mitigated the potential climate change impact by up to 6% and the potential eutrophication and acidification impact by up to 5% compared with the CON program. The greatest environmental gains associated with the adoption of precision feeding were observed when the diet combined soybeans from Central-West Brazil with corn produced in Southern Brazil. The results clearly show that precision feeding is an effective approach for improving the environmental sustainability of Brazilian pig production.
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