Author Archives: aajbb

Demand for quick meals, such as ready-to-cook (RTC) foods, has been rising among modern consumers due to changing lifestyles worldwide, including in Bangladesh. However, these foods have been linked to several foodborne diseases, posing a significant threat to public health. As a result, assessing the microbial quality of RTC food products has become essential. This study aimed to evaluate the microbial quality of commonly available chicken-based RTC frozen foods in the markets of Mymensingh city. A total of 50 samples from five distinct types, collected from various retail points, were analyzed for total counts of aerobic bacteria, Staphylococcus spp., and Enterococcus spp., to determine how these loads compare against established safety standards. Correlations between different microbial loads were also examined. Generally, high levels of contamination were observed in almost all samples, except for low enterococcus counts in spring rolls. The mean counts of aerobic plate count (APC), total staphylococci count (TSC), and total enterococci count (TEC) across different food types ranged from 4.56 to 7.14 log CFU/g, 1.30 to 6.14 log CFU/g, and 1.24 to 3.56 log CFU/g, respectively. Two items, samosa and sausage, were identified as the most unsatisfactory in terms of microbial quality. Food manufacturers and regulatory authorities should focus on reducing contamination risks and regularly monitoring the food production chain. Consumers should also carefully follow cooking instructions and, if possible, avoid high-risk products. These findings underscore the need for strengthened hygiene practices, stricter regulatory monitoring, and improved quality control measures to ensure safer production and distribution of RTC chicken products in Bangladesh.

The broiler industry in Bangladesh has grown rapidly from small backyard farms into a major commercial sector, helping to meet the country’s growing demand for protein. However, this fast expansion has also brought challenges, including frequent disease outbreaks, rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and environmental impacts from intensive farming. Diseases like Avian Influenza (AI) and Newcastle Disease (ND) often lead to the overuse of antibiotics, contributing to the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and antibiotic residues in poultry products, which pose risks to public health. At the same time, waste management and other environmental pressures from large-scale production add further strain. This review not only highlights these problems but also explores practical solutions. Measures such as improved biosecurity, targeted vaccination, and scientifically-supported alternatives to antibiotics—like probiotics, prebiotics, and plant-based feed additives—can help maintain productivity while reducing health and environmental risks. The approach is framed within a "One Health" perspective, recognizing the close links between animal, human, and environmental health. The future of the broiler industry in Bangladesh depends on adopting sustainable, integrated practices. This requires stronger policy enforcement, farmer education, investment in local research and development, and collaboration through public-private partnerships. By following this roadmap, stakeholders can transform the sector into a safer, more sustainable industry that protects public health, supports farmers, and ensures long-term food security. This review provides a critical evidence base and a strategic framework for policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to collaboratively transform the Bangladeshi broiler sector into a model of sustainable and safe production.

Abstract not available

Eggplant and hyacinth bean are essential vegetable crops due to their nutritional value but are highly susceptible to various insect pests. Farmers often apply pesticides indiscriminately, disregarding the recommended pre-harvest intervals. This practice raises concerns about potential pesticide residue contamination in vegetables. The present study aimed to assess pesticide residues in eggplant and hyacinth bean. Samples were collected from eight regions of Bangladesh. Pesticide residues in the samples were assessed through gas chromatography, utilizing both a flame thermionic detector (FTD) and an electron capture detector (ECD). Among the total analyzed samples, a significant portion was found to be contaminated, with residues of cypermethrin, diazinon, quinalphos, fenitrothion, and malathion detected in over half of the samples. Among these, 15 samples (30%) exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL) set by FAO/WHO. From the 26 eggplant samples, 15 contained residues of cypermethrin, quinalphos, and diazinon, with 7 samples (26.92%) exceeding MRLs. Four samples had cypermethrin residues ranging from 0.532–0.623 mg/kg, and one sample contained 0.703 mg/kg diazinon, both above MRLs. Additionally, two samples from Bogura and Rangpur had multiple pesticide residues above MRL. Of the 24 hyacinth bean samples, 15 were contaminated with cypermethrin, diazinon, quinalphos, fenitrothion, and malathion. Among these, 8 samples (33.33%) exceeded MRLs with residues ranging from 0.533–0.561 mg/kg for cypermethrin, 0.543–0.610 mg/kg for diazinon, 0.120–0.240 mg/kg for fenitrothion, 0.414 mg/kg for quinalphos, and 0.529 mg/kg for malathion. Two hyacinth bean samples from Rangpur and Jashore contained multiple pesticide residues exceeding MRLs. The current status of pesticide residue contamination in these vegetables is highlighted by this analysis, which also emphasizes that residues over MRLs provide serious health concerns to humans and may result in a number of dangerous disorders.

The Haor region contributes approximately 20% of Bangladesh’s total rice production, and this study focused on the Binadhan-17 rice variety in three key Haor districts including, Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, and Netrokona. The research aimed to assess the costs, returns, and technical efficiency of Binadhan-17 cultivation, surveying 180 randomly selected farmers from the region. Using a stochastic frontier production function model and descriptive statistics, the study found that the average production cost per hectare was BDT 76,863, with fixed costs accounting for 35.90% and variable costs for 64.10%. The average net return per hectare was BDT 44,289, and the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) was 1.58, with Sunamganj having the highest BCR (1.62), followed by Kishoreganj (1.57) and Netrokona (1.54). Significant positive relationships were found between human labor, land preparation, and insecticide costs at the 1% level, while seed, urea, and organic manure costs were significant at the 10% level, and TSP was significant at the 5% level. Around 68.33% of farmers achieved outputs close to the maximum frontier level (91%–99%), with an average technical efficiency of 89.40%, indicating a 10.60% production loss due to inefficiency. The study also identified several challenges faced by farmers, including difficulties in obtaining timely seed and labor, limited knowledge of production technologies, high fertilizer prices, and lack of capital, offering insights for policymakers to enhance rice production in the short term.

Checking the fertility and hatchability of broiler grandparent lines is important for improving chicken production. The Cobb-500, Ross-308, and Indian River (IR) grandparent strains were studied to determine their initial egg weight, fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality, hatching weight, and chick survival rates. We studied a total of 2700 eggs from three different age/treatment, each consisting of three replicates with 100 eggs for each of the three genotypes. Using an automated incubator, eggs were incubated. Cobb-500 had a significantly higher mean egg weight (67.52 g) at later stage of their age compared to Ross-308 (64.22 g) and IR (65.05 g). Study also found that a higher egg weight reflects a higher day-old chick weight. The fertility rates of the Ross-308, IR, and Cobb-500 genotypes were high at 35 weeks (96.00%, 87.00%, and 93.00%) but declined after 45 weeks (64.22%, 65.05%, and 67.52%), respectively. The hatchability of Ross-308, IR, and Cobb-500 eggs at 35 weeks was 85.00%, 75.00%, and 80.00%, respectively. By 45 weeks, all genotypes had higher hatchability, with Ross-308 having the highest at 89%. But at 55 weeks, all genotype showed lowest hatchability where IR was the lowest 67%. Statistically significant variations were observed across strains at later stage. As age increased, embryonic mortality and brood mortality were higher. Compared to the other two, Ross-308 showed the lowest mortality in both embryonic and brooding cases in all three stages of their age of life. However, the IR breed consistently displayed the highest mortality rate. Same pattern showed dead in shell and culling chick’s percentages. Strain-wise, the parameters differ from each other. However, regarding overall performance, the Ross-308 strain outperformed the other two strains.