Pakchong 5 purebred has good carcass and lean percentages. Compared to Duroc crossbred pigs, Pakchong 5 crossbreds have similar carcass and lean percentages, larger LEA, and slightly more carcass fat, with comparable meat quality and chemical composition. Pakchong 5 boars are more affordable for very small- to medium-scale pig producers.

For almost a decade, edible insects have become promoted on a wider basis as one way to combat world hunger and malnourishment, although attempts to do so have a longer history. Contemporary researchers and consumers, particularly those without an entomophagous background, have been rising safety and sustainability concerns. The present contribution seeks a substantiated answer to the question posed above. The possible answer consists of different factors that have been taken into consideration. First, the species and its life cycle. It is mandatory to realize that what is labeled as “edible insects” stands for more than 2,140 animal species, not counting other edible, non-crustacean arthropods. Their life cycles are as diverse as the ecological niches these animals can fill and last between some days to several years and many of them may—or may not—be reproduced in the different farming systems. Second, the level of knowledge concerning the food use of a given species is important, be it traditional, newly created by research, or a combination of both. Third, the existence of a traditional method of making the use of the insect safe and sustainable, ideally from both the traditional and the modern points of view. Fourth, the degree of effectiveness of these measures despite globalization changes in the food-supplying network. Fifth, farming conditions, particularly housing, feeding (type, composition, and contaminants), animal health and animal welfare. Sixth, processing, transport, and storage conditions of both traditional and novel insect-based foodstuffs, and seventh, consumer awareness and acceptance of these products. These main variables create a complex web of possibilities, just as with other foodstuffs that are either harvested from the wild or farmed. In this way, food safety may be reached when proper hygiene protocols are observed (which usually include heating steps) and the animals do not contain chemical residues or environment contaminants. A varying degree of sustainability can be achieved if the aforementioned variables are heeded. Hence, the question if insects can be safe and sustainable can be answered with “jein,” a German portmanteau word joining “yes” (“ja”) and “no” (“nein”).

Currently, there is an increased interest in mass producing edible insects, e.g., field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus), due to their market value and sustainable development. The current study aimed to measure the production performance of field crickets and to quantify the major nutrient deposition rate using a new approach for a nutrient conversion efficiency calculation for the field crickets under mass-rearing conditions. The field crickets were reared under mass-rearing conditions in the rearing crates and fed with a commercial cricket feed. Measurements for daily feed offered, final body weight, and dead cricket quantity were carried out during the feeding trial period. There were three production rounds with the same procedure for farmed cricket management. The samples of diet, adult crickets, and dead crickets were collected and then analyzed for chemical analysis of macronutrients. The production performance and nutrient conversion efficiency were calculated and then compared with applicable earlier reports for both field and house (Acheta domesticus) crickets. The production performance for the studied field crickets under mass-rearing conditions had final a body weight, an average daily gain (ADG), a feed conversion ratio (FCR), and a survival rate of 0.95 g, 23.20 mg/day, 2.94 and 88.51%, respectively. The field crickets had nutrient conversion efficiency for dry matter (DM), ash, crude protein (CP), crude fat (EE), crude fiber (CF), and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) of 13.26, 8.03, 28.95, 88.94, 34.87, and 1.85, respectively, with an adjusted nutrient conversion efficiency of 14.85, 8.99, 32.37, 99.17, 38.95, and 2.10, respectively. Thus, the production of field crickets could be performed under mass-rearing conditions, and the nutrient conversion efficiency for both adjusted and non-adjusted values could be measured.

Background and Aim: Wood vinegar is a product generated from the combustion and distillation of wood and other plant materials. It has been shown to suppress bacteria, resulting in healthier livestock and increased yields. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of drinking water supplemented with wood vinegar on growth performance, intestinal health, and gut microbial of broilers. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 Ross 308 1-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly distributed in a completely randomized experimental design. The study consisted of three treatments containing four replicates, with 10 birds in each. Treatments were given 0.5% and 1.0% (V/V) wood vinegar supplemented in drinking water, while no supplementation was given to the control group. The animals were raised in an open-house system. All groups were provided with a commercial diet and drinking water ad libitum. Analysis of variance was conducted using the general linear model procedure to compare the levels of wood vinegar supplementation in drinking water on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbial. Results: No significant differences (p>0.05) were found for body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and water consumption between groups during the starter (1-21 days old), grower (22-35 days old), and whole (1-35 days old) growth periods. Moreover, no significant differences in villi height and crypt depth (p>0.05) at 21 and 35 days of age were found. In addition, no significant difference in terms of lactic acid bacteria and Escherichia coli was found between the different treatments. Conclusion: Drinking water supplemented with wood vinegar was not found to have an effect on the growth performance and gut microbial of broiler chickens in the present study. However, the supplementation of wood vinegar in drinking water could improve intestinal morphology.

Samples of ready-to-eat snacks based on Lethocerus indicus, Gymnogryllus vietnamensis, Tarbinskiellus portentosus, Teleogryllus mitratus, Bombyx mori, Omphisa fuscidentalis, and Cybister limbatus were purchased in Cambodia and Thailand, and their proximate chemical composition (including Na and Cl) was analysed. Comparing the results with the few existing references from the literature (based on unprocessed specimens), marked differences occurred. This was expected as the insect chemical composition varies strongly intra- and interspecifically due to taxon, feeding, instar, and processing, among others. In general, the insects mainly consisted of fat (35 to 60%) and protein (25 to 38%), with 2 to 16% nitrogen-free extract, 2 to 15% fibre, 3 to 5% ashes, 0.4 to 1.6% Na, and 0.6 to 1.4% Cl (dry matter base). In this way, this contribution adds to the compositional knowledge about traditional insect-based foodstuffs. The combination of high fat and protein with low carbohydrates makes them suitable to combat nutrition disorders.