Fat accumulation by blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) is a prerequisite for successful migratory flight in the autumn and has recently been determined to be constrained by availability of drinking water. Birds staging in a fruit-rich Pistacia atlantica plantation that had access to water increased their body mass and fat reserves both faster and to a greater extent than birds deprived of water. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments on birds captured during the autumn migration period in which we tested the hypotheses that drinking water increases food use by easing limitations on the birds' dietary choices and, consequently, feeding and food processing rates, and that the availability of drinking water leads to improved digestion and, therefore, to higher apparent metabolizable energy. Blackcaps were trapped in autumn in the Northern Negev Desert, Israel and transferred to individual cages in the laboratory. Birds were provided with P. atlantica fruit and mealworms, and had either free access to water (controls) or were water-deprived. In experiment 1, in which mealworm availability was restricted, water-deprived birds had a fourfold lower fruit and energy intake rates and, consequently, gained less fat and total mass than control birds. Water availability did not affect food metabolizability. In experiment 2, in which mealworms were provided ad libitum, water availability influenced the birds' diet: water-restricted birds ate more mealworms, while control birds consumed mainly P. atlantica fruit. Further, in experiment 2, fat and mass gain did not differ between the two treatment groups. We conclude that water availability may have important consequences for fat accumulation in migrating birds while they fatten at stopover sites, especially when water-rich food is scarce. Restricted water availability may also impede the blackcap's dietary shift from insectivory to frugivory, a shift probably necessary for successful pre-migratory fattening.

Strong acidic electrolyzed water (SAcEW) is generated by using a diaphragm type electrolytic cell and adding a small amount of salt solution to the tap water. The acidity of this water causes chloride ions, as the major factor in sterilization process, to form hypochlorous acid. Therefore, it is said that the sterilization time with SAcEW is shorter than with sodium hypochlorite generally used for food sterilization. After being registered as a food additive (2002) in Japan, SAcEW began to be used for washing food in food processing facilities in order to improve the food sterilization level. In this research, the possibility of an enhanced sterilization effect of SAcEW generated by a water electrolyzer was evaluated by adding physical washing methods (ultrasonic, stream overflow, bubbling) and pre-washing with strong alkaline electrolyzed water (SAlEW) which is generated at the same time. As a result, the combination with pre-washing with SAlEW was found to be less effective than washing with SAcEW only when comparing the same washing time. As for the supplementation of physical washing methods, the stream type was found most effective. In addition, comparison between the sodium hypochlorite treatments (200 mg/L, soaked for 5 minutes) recommended by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for raw food materials and the SAcEW treatment for 10-30 seconds suggested equivalent sterilization effects on raw food materials.

Food safety issues and increases in food borne illnesses have promulgated the development of new sanitation methods to eliminate pathogenic organisms on foods and surfaces in food service areas. Electrolyzed oxidizing water (EO water) shows promise as an environmentally friendly broad spectrum microbial decontamination agent. EO water is generated by the passage of a dilute salt solution (approximately 1% NaCl) through an electrochemical cell. This electrolytic process converts chloride ions and water molecules into chlorine oxidants (Cl2, HOCl/ClO-). At a near-neutral pH (pH 6.3-6.5), the predominant chemical species is the highly biocidal hypochlorous acid species (HOCl) with the oxidation reduction potential (ORP) of the solution ranging from 800 to 900 mV. The biocidal activity of near-neutral EO water was evaluated at 25 °C using pure cultures of Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Enterococcus faecalis. Treatment of these organisms, in pure culture, with EO water at concentrations of 20, 50, 100, and 120 ppm total residual chlorine (TRC) and 10 min of contact time resulted in 100% inactivation of all five organisms (reduction of 6.1-6.7 log10 CFU/mL). Spray treatment of surfaces in food service areas with EO water containing 278-310 ppm TRC (pH 6.38) resulted in a 79-100% reduction of microbial growth. Dip (10 min) treatment of spinach at 100 and 120 ppm TRC resulted in a 4.0-5.0 log10 CFU/mL reduction of bacterial counts for all organisms tested. Dipping (10 min) of lettuce at 100 and 120 ppm TRC reduced bacterial counts of E. coli by 0.24-0.25 log10 CFU/mL and reduced all other organisms by 2.43-3.81 log10 CFU/mL.

In recent years, the global economies have been faced with steeply rising prices. The members of World Bank and the United Nations including WFP (World Food Program) appeal to the world for necessary food emergency aid programs so that people in poverty might be prevented from being troubled by food shortages. Developed countries, such as Japan, the EU and the United States, comply with the world demand. One of the causes of the steeply rising price of food are the money inflow into the commodity futures market from the oil market and the investment market for housing at the United States. The changing food demand of BRICs, in which Brazil, Russia, India and China are involved, and emerging economies is the biggest factor of steep rising price of food. This will bring the structural change into the world food market. The fourth report of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) indicates the possibility of drought, temporary flooding, water shortage and transition of suitable land on agricultural production in the future. Agricultural production is not only carried through under these global environmental problems but also the effects of agricultural production on the global environment have to be minimized. The aim of this paper is to consider the possibility of attaining the sustainable agricultural production, which may minimize the influence of agricultural production on the global environment and which may keep pace with changing food demand and population increase by reviewing present studies, especially those focusing on biofuels and water issues. The sustainability science perspective is appropriated in order to consider the shape of sustainable agricultural production.