Introduction

The golden apple snail, popularly known as "golden kuhol" [Pomacea canaliculata Lamarck], was introduced into the Philippines between 1982 and 1984. It came from South America (Brazil and Argentina) via Taiwan. Its high nutritive value as food for human beings and farm animals generated interest among both public and private sectors to propagate the production of this organism. However, a few years after its introduction, the golden apple snail became a major pest of rice.

Of the 3 million (M) hectares of rice lands in the Philippines, 1.2-1.6M hectares are infested with golden apple snail. In 1990, P212M was spent to control this pest. The first account that it had become a major pest was recorded in 1986 when about 300 hectares of irrigated rice farms in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) were heavily damaged. Since then, rice area infested with this pest has been increasing until it became a national menace.Characteristics of adult golden apple snails

The golden apple snail lives for 2-6 years with high fertility.

Shell is tight brown; flesh is creamy white to golden pinkish or orange.

Size depends on the availability of food.

Most destructive stage is when the length of the shell is from 10 mm (about the size of a corn seed) to 40 mm (about the size of a pingpong ball).*

Female golden apple snail operculum (a1) is concave white it is convex in male (a2).

The shell of the female adult snail (b1) curves inward; the male shell (b2) curves outward.*Based on the study conducted by MS Dela Cruz, RC Joshi, and AR Martin.

Nutritive value of golden apple snail

Nutritive value of golden apple snail flesh per 100g

- Food energy 83 calories- Protein 12.2 g- Fat 0.4 g- Carbohydrates 6.6 g- Ash 3.2 g- Phosphorus 61 mg- Sodium 40 mg- Potassium 17 mg- Riboflavin 12 mg- Niacin 1.8 mg- Other food values: Vit. C, zinc, copper, manganese, and iodine The golden apple snail (Pomacea canalicuta), locally known as golden kuhol, was first introduced into Philippine farms in 1983 with the hope of providing additional protein source for dietary improvement of many poor families. But its promising potential turned into a menace for farmers when the golden apple snail became a prolific pest on rice fields. It grows and increases rapidly, voraciously feeding on any succulent greens that include newly transplanted rice seedlings. It destroys farms, livelihood, and has become a burden to rice production.Although considered a threat in rice production, many farmers are (again) looking at the golden kuhol at a different perspective. The golden kuhol being remarkably nutritious and easy to digest, farmers have discovered it to be a good source of supplementary feed for livestock and poultry. It stimulates fast growth and reproduction. The snail meat provides protein and energy-giving fat while the shell contains calcium, phosphorous, vitamins, and minerals. Now, a lot of farmers do not see these golden kuhol as a threat to the fields but rather an opportunity to improve their livelihood.Golden kuhol are freshly collected from the fields, crushed, mixed with raw rice bran, and then fed right away to the animals. There are times when animals are fed with pure golden apple snail straight from the fields. Studies showed that healthier and heavier livestock are produced using this feeding scheme. Ducks fed with snail meal can attain more or less than 70% increase in egg production rate. Further, due to its high nutrition, snail meal could replace fish or meat and bone meal in broiler diets.

snail eggsOpportunities abound, but farmers continue to ignore them due to the laborious and time-consuming task of manually crushing the snails. But as R&D continues to find solution to farmers problem, researchers from the Department of Engineering and Technology of the Camarines Sur State Agricultural College led by Engr. Marife L. Pesino designed and developed a mechanically operated golden kuhol grinder-crusher. This machine does not only minimize laborious work of crushing but it also saves time from manually picking the snails from the fields and different farm locations. It also gives opportunity for farmers to culture golden kuhol in one specific area mainly for feed supplement.The opportunity of converting golden kuhol into useful feeds also saves a lot of money for our farmers, as they do not have to buy expensive molluscicide to control it, making it environment-friendly. Likewise, by converting the snails into feed supplements the farmers spend less for expensive feeds for their livestock and poultry. This likewise reduces the need for imported fishmeal feeds and save the countrys foreign exchange.Generally, farm equipment and machineries i.e., tractor, water pump, fruit loader, thresher, etc., are never gender-friendly. Women and children who also work in the farm use machines that are laborious and strenuous to operate. But with the new kuhol crusher-grinder, which was designed and conceptualized by a lady engineer, crushing and grinding are no longer tedious as before. The machine is mobile, making it easy to transport.

Anti- Angiogenic Potential of Golden Kuhol (Pomacea canaliculata Lam.) Extracts on Duck Embryo Asia, Jay Francis S.; Ligot, Doux A.; Tapac, Ian Greg D.; Mata, Ritchelle Abigail P.; Tomas, Ryan Francis V. AbstractThis study was conducted to test the anti- angiogenic potential of golden kuhol (Pomacea canaliculata Lam.) extracts. Freshly harvested golden kuhol were processed and then added with methanol. The filtrate was subjected to a rotary evaporator until the methanol components are removed to give the extract required for the study. The golden kuhol extracts were prepared and were formulated into different treatment concentrations.The treatments were then introduced through Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) Assay to randomly- assigned 9-day old duck eggs with six replicates per treatment. The set-ups were incubated for three days. After the incubation period, the eggs were retrieved and were prepared for the Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) Assay observation. The blood vessels within the chorioallantoic membrane, which were radially converging towards the embryo were counted and recorded as non-parametric data. The data were tabulated and computed using the Kruskal-Wallis Test and Mann- Whitney U for the percentage inhibition of blood vessels.Examination of the duck embryo based on the blood vessels converging towards the center showed that there were significant differences between and among the extracts based on both the average blood vessels and mean percentage inhibition. Treatment 1 (25 ml golden kuhol extract + 75 ml dH20) proved to be the most effective among the extracts, having an average blood vessel count of 1 and a mean percentage inhibition of 92.19%. Treatment 2 (50 ml golden kuhol extract + 50 ml dH20), Treatment 3 (75 ml golden kuhol extract + 25 ml dH20) and Treatment 4 (pure golden kuhol crude extract) exhibited comparable results. The results show that golden kuhol extracts possess anti-angiogenic properties on duck embryo. However, it does not guarantee the survival of the embryo as seen from the results of the experimental set-ups. The treatment concentrations were lethal to some extent on duck embryos that were studied using the CAM assay.The golden apple snail (Pomacea Tcanalicuta), locally known as golden kuhol, was first introduced into Philippine farms in 1983. It is now cultured all over the country because it is easy to raise and is good for food. An average-sized golden kuhol contains protein, carbohydrates, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, riboflavin, and niacin.In addition to its nutritive value, the golden kuhol reproduces fast. It is easier to culture because it has tough eggs and larvae. It is also adaptable to crowding. As many as 5 kg of the snails can be stocked in a square metre of space without encountering culture problem. It can survive or even thrive in water with zero oxygen level, such as stagnant pool, because it has two breathing gills and a lung. It is also compatible with other fish raised in ponds under a polyculture system.To raise golden kuhol, you only need minimal capital, space, time, and effort. With 5 to 10 minutes of daily care, you can raise golden kuhol in a tank or container (wooden, metal, or plastic) measuring at least 1 square meter.Given proper care and management, the golden kuhol can grow ten times faster than our native kuhol. It grows nonstop 24 hours a day and has a life-span of three years. It moves constantly and eats all day. It is omnivorous and is considered a live eating machine. It eats both land and aquatic plants as well as animal flesh. It feeds on duck weeds, hydrilla, water hyacinth, garden grass, ipil-ipil leaves, kangkong, camote tops, talinum, kulitis, malunggay, vegetable scraps, and papaya and gabi leaves. It also feeds and can grow well on livestock and fish feeds like bran, corn, and chicken mash, but these are not advisable to use because they are expensive. Azolla, a group of minute water ferns, is best as feed because it entails practically no cost. Avoid sour or acidic fruits and leaves.To avoid diseases, there should be a continuous flow of water. If possible, change water two or three times a week. Scrape all the accumulated foreign matter, especially when the water begins to discolor and has foul odor.Keep water temperature at 20C to 25C and the depth of the pond at least 20 cm. Stocking rate should be from 500 to 1,000 snails per square meter. For commercial purposes, the ratio of male to female is 2:5. Remember to keep the pond partially shaded.The golden apple snail (Pomacea Tcanalicuta), locally known as golden kuhol, was first introduced into Philippine farms in 1983 with the hope of providing additional protein source for dietary improvement of many poor families. But its promising potential turned into a menace for farmers when the golden apple snail became a prolific pest on rice fields. It grows and increases rapidly, voraciously feeding on any succulent greens that include newly transplanted rice seedlings. It destroys farms, livelihood, and has become a burden to rice production.Although considered a threat in rice production, many farmers are (again) looking at the golden kuhol at a different perspective. The golden kuhol being remarkably nutritious and easy to digest, farmers have discovered it to be a good source of supplementary feed for livestock and poultry. It stimulates fast growth and reproduction. The snail meat provides protein and energy-giving fat while the shell contains calcium, phosphorous, vitamins, and minerals. Now, a lot of farmers do not see these golden kuhol as a threat to the fields but rather an opportunity to improve their livelihood.Golden kuhol are collected from the fields, crushed, mixed with raw rice bran, and then fed right away to the animals. There are times when animals are fed with pure golden apple snail straight from the fields. Studies showed that healthier and heavier livestock are produced using this feeding scheme. Ducks fed with snail meal can attain more or less than 70% increase in egg production rate. Further, due to its high nutrition, snail meal could replace fish or meat and bone meal in broiler diets.Opportunities abound, but farmers continue to ignore them due to the laborious and time-consuming task of manually crushing the snails. But as R&D continues to find solution to farmers problem, researchers from the Department of Engineering and Technology of the Camarines Sur State Agricultural College led by Engr. Marife L. Pesino designed and developed a mechanically operated golden kuhol grinder-crusher. This machine does not only minimize laborious work of crushing but it also saves time from manually picking the snails from the fields and different farm locations. It also gives opportunity for farmers to culture golden kuhol in one specific area mainly for feed supplement.The opportunity of converting golden kuhol into useful feeds also saves a lot of money for our farmers, as they do not have to buy expensive molluscicide to control it, making it environment-friendly. Likewise, by converting the snails into feed supplements the farmers spend less for expensive feeds for their livestock and poultry. This likewise reduces the need for imported fishmeal feeds and save the countrys foreign exchange.Generally, farm equipment and machineries i.e., tractor, water pump, fruit loader, thresher, etc., are never gender-friendly. Women and children who also work in the farm use machines that are laborious and strenuous to operate. But with the new kuhol crusher-grinder, which was designed and conceptualized by a lady engineer, crushing and grinding are no longer tedious as before. The machine is mobile, making it easy to transport.The design and concept of the crusher-grinder was based on the existing hammer mill machines used in efficiently reducing sizes of feed materials but is comparably more efficient. The machine is low-cost and affordable as it is made from indigenous materials.The golden kuhol crusher-grinder has seven main parts: mainframe assembly, hopper assembly, upper rotor housing assembly, and lower rotor housing assembly. Its rotor assembly consists of a swinging and rotating hammer blades that crush and grind golden kuhol through a replaceable perforated screen. The design of the golden kuhol crusher-grinder is not only economical and environment-friendly but more important, the machine is gender-friendly.Performance tests showed that the machine could efficiently and perfectly crush and grind golden kuhol when operated at 1500 rpm and 2070 rpm, respectively, with the desired particle size recommended for optimum feed digestibility.source: applesnail.net, photo from www.manandmollusc.netThe golden apple snail, popularly known as golden kuhol (Pomacea canaliculata Lamarck), is one of the major pest problems in rice production. In 1989, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated that yield tosses owing to this pest ranged from 1% to 40% of the planted area in the Philippines, resulting in huge production loss. To control this pest, many farmers resort to the massive use of synthetic molluscicides that are expensive and broad spectrum, affecting non-target organisms including human beings.

To present additional alternatives and information on golden kuhol management, a new recipe for golden apple snail is now available. The product is a chicharon (cracker) that is devoid of water, has no offensive odor, with longer shelf-life, and can be readily used as an ingredient in other recipes.Golden Kuhol are well edible and are often considered a protein rich delicacy. Consuming these snails is therefore an interesting option in those areas where they have become a pest and treat for the rice and taro production. In such cases, eating these snails has two benefits:1. Collecting the snails is encouraged;2. The diet of the farmers (especially in third world countries) is enriched with a protein source.PrecautionsPrecautions have to be taken to kill the possible parasites that these snails can carry. Cook the snails thoroughly before consumption as this is a simple and effective way to eliminate the risk of infection. NEVER eat raw or poorly cooked snails!Some basic tips to prepare the snails:1. Put the snails in a tank without food for 2 days to make sure that the intestines are emptied (optional).2. Boil the snails lightly or freeze them to kill the snails.3. Remove the snails from their shell with a hook or tweezers.4. Remove the body and intestines of the snails (only eat the foot). The internal organs dont taste well; especially the albumen (yolk) gland from the female apple snail has bad taste (the same bad taste as the eggs, a possible protection mechanism against predators).5. Remove the operculum (shell door).The nutritional value of apple snails is relatively high. More precisely, the protein content of apple snail can make them a good protein source for humans. For example the protein value of Pomacea haustrum is reported to be 72.9% for humans. In practice this means that out of 100 gram snail protein, 72.9 gram human body proteins can be made.Golden Kuhol Chicharon (Kracker)Ingredients: 4-6 kg apple snails with shell (yields 0.75-1.0 kg of apple snail flesh). 1 tsp. black pepper cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons vinegar 3 cloves garlic 1-2 red chilli tsp. alum 1 cup vegetable cooking oil (for frying) cup cornstarch or flour 1 eggProcedure:1. Collect large adults of apple snails (golden Kuhol) in the paddy, canals, and fishponds during early morning or late in the afternoon. Use attractants gabi/ azolla/ banana leaves, or newspaper, to facilitate quick collection.

2. Soak the collected snails in water for 24 hours to remove undigested food. Remove the dead golden Kuhol.

3. Boil the snails in large container for 20-30 minutes. Boiling makes it easier to remove the flesh from the shell.

4. Clean flesh again while removing the stomach. Rinse the flesh with alum (Tawas) to remove the unpleasant odor.

5. Mix the following ingredients (1 tsp. black pepper, cup soy sauce, 3 tbsp. vinegar, 3 cloves garlic, and 1-2 red chilli) with the golden Kuhol. Marinade for 24 hours.

6. Sun dry the marinated snails for 2-3 days or place in the oven at 40C for 48 hours.7. Deep fry in vegetable cooking oil for 2 minutes.

8. Air-dry the prepared snails for 3 days. Such snails can be stored. Optional: Roll the snails in batter (cornstarch or flour with egg mixture) before final cooking.

9. For final cooking, deep fry again for 5 minutes or until the golden Kuhol is crispy. Let cool. Place in plastic bag and seal.

Based on the Kibit recipe of Mrs. Corazon M. Pasion, 124 Zamora St. Baler, AuroraModified by: M. S. dela Cruz and R. C. Joshi, Crop Protection Division, Department of Agriculture (DA)-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Maligaya, Muoz, Nueva Ecija-3119. Tel.: 044-4560 285 Local 227 or E-mail: joshiravi@hotmail.comNutritive value of golden apple snail flesh per 100g- Food Energy 83.0- Protein 12.2 gramo- Fat 0.4 gramo- Carbohydrate 6.6 gramo- Ash 3.2 gramo- Phosphorus 61.0 mg.- Sodium 0.4 mg- Potassium 17.0 mg- Riboflavin 12.0 mg- Niacin 1.8 mg- Other nutrients includes Vitamin C, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Magnesium, and Iodine.More recipes: Hawaiian Escargot Leterc BoKe Spicy Pupu Apple snail in white wine Apple snail croquettes Borbor chon. (Khmer Snails and rice soup) Num pachok chon. (Snail noodles soup) Nhoam Chon. (Snail Salad)More golden kuhol pest management here. source: applesnail.net, photo from www.manandmollusc.netCHEMICAL, COOKING AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF BURGERPATTIES WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF BANANA PEDUNCLE POWDERCristy M. Bueno, Susan A. Sedano, Elizabeth D. Beltran,Arsenia B. Sapin, Teresita J. Ramirez and Mary Ann T. TavanlarABSTRACTBurger patties with different levels (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%) of bananapeduncle powder (BPP) were processed to evaluate the effect on thechemical composition, cooking recovery, sensory characteristics and cost ofproduction. The chemical composition such as moisture, crude fiber and nitrogen-free extract contents were similar among treatments. The ash, crudefat and potassium contents generally increased while crude protein decreasedwith increasing level of BPP. Results of the evaluation showed thatthe cooking recovery was not affected by the treatment. Sensory evaluationrevealed that all parameters considered were similar, except for off-flavor.Considering all the sensory parameters evaluated, the inclusion rate of up to1% can produce a product with similar palatability as that of the control.There was a 3.2% reduction in the cost of production of patties with every0.5% BPP substitution in the product.Keywords: banana peduncle powder, burger patties, chemical composition, sensorycharacteristicsINTRODUCTIONHamburgerINTRODUCTIONHamburger or burger has been one of the major processed meat productsnot only in the country but also all over the world. It is a very popular mealcomponent or snack food for all ages. It is commonly served in a bread bungarnished with vegetables, cheese and different dressings. But due to the changesin the taste and lifestyle of the consumers, there emerge the so-called burger steakin some of the fast food chains in the country. This product, though, had beenconsidered as one of the unhealthy foods since it is packed with high amount ofunsaturated fatty acids which is often associated with heart ailments.The emergence of several lifestyle diseases such as heart ailments,diabetes, cancer, obesity and others escalated the demand for health food productswith preference for natural and organic sources of nutrients such as fruits andvegetables. The trend now in the manufacture of ready-to-eat foods in the country isto include a substantial amount of natural materials that can greatly improve thenutritional value by increasing the vitamin and mineral contents, and functional valueby increasing the fiber contents of the product.In recent years, the importance of food fibers has led to the development ofa large and potential market for fiber-rich products and ingredients. Finding newsources of dietary fiber that can be used as ingredients in the food industry is nowprevalent (Chau and Huang, 2003). Dietary fibers are incorporated in many foodproducts for their nutritional, functional and technological properties. Thetechnological effect on foods differs according to the quantity and nature of dietaryfiber (Thebaudin et al., 1997). Fiber has been successful in improving cooking yield,reducing formulation cost and enhancing texture (Akoh, 1998; Iyengar and Gross,1991). It has been used by the meat industry to improve the cooking yield andtexture of cooked meat products due to the higher water and fat holding propertiesof fiber (Cofrades et al., 2000). Dietary fibers based on pectins, cellulose, soy,wheat, maize or rice isolates and beet fiber have been found to improve the textureof meat products, such as sausages, patties and salami. They can be used in thepreparation of low-fat products, such as hamburger, frankfurters, meat loaves, etc.Their inclusion in the meat matrix contributes to maintain its juiciness, which impliesthat the volatile compounds responsible for the flavor of the product are more slowlyreleased (Chevance et al., 2000).Banana, being one of the major crops in the country for decades, has beencultivated primarily for their fruit, leaves, and to a lesser extent for the production offiber. However, numerous by-products were also produced which are usually beingdisposed. Every year, an estimated amount of 2.5 metric tons of banana peduncleare discarded and allowed to decompose in the plantation. Currently, studies on theutilization of banana peduncle as source of fiber for human food are beingundertaken at the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology,(BIOTECH) University of the Philippines Los Baos (UPLB). Initial results showed avery high digestible fiber content of 56% and mineral of 9.95%. This study wasconducted to evaluate the effect of adding different levels of banana pedunclepowder on the chemical and sensory characteristics of burger patties.MATERIALS AND METHODSBurger patties with different levels of banana peduncle powder (BPP) wereprocessed. Treatment 1 had no BPP and served as control while treatments 2, 3, 4and 5 contained 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% BPP, respectively.The BPP was obtained from Cavendish banana peduncle harvested from alocal contract grower from Davao del Sur in Southern Philippines. The pedunclesamples were washed, peeled, soaked in metabisulfite solution, cut into cubes,passed through a mechanical presser and dried at 65C for 6-12 hours. Thesamples were then milled in a Wiley mill with 200 mesh screen and passed througha 1 mm sieve. Pesticide residue in the peduncle was kept to a minimum sinceharvesting of banana coincides with the pest management schedule of theplantation and growing banana bunches were kept bagged until harvesting. Thechemical composition of the BPP used in the study is shown in Table 1.Characteristics of burger patties with banana peduncle powder 47Table 2. Burger patties formulations with different levels of banana pedunclepowder.Ingredients, gTreatment1 2 3 4 5Beef 440.0 410.0 380.0 350.0 320.0Pork 150.0 150.0 150.0 150.0 150.0Pork Fat 150.0 150.0 150.0 150.0 150.0Salt 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0 15.0Sugar 20.0 20.0 20.0 20.0 20.0Spices 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0Binder 34.0 34.0 34.0 34.0 34.0Fresh Onion 56.0 56.0 56.0 56.0 56.0Fresh Egg, 1 whole 45.0 45.0 45.0 45.0 45.0Egg Yolk, 2 pcs 38.0 38.0 38.0 38.0 38.0Water 50.0 75.0 100.0 125.0 150.0Banana peduncle powder 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0TOTAL 1000.0 1000.0 1000.0 1000.0 1000.0Table 1. Chemical composition of banana peduncle powder used in the study*.*Analyzed at the Central Analytical Service Laboratory, BIOTECH, UPLB.