Effect of manual sorting on Aflatoxins content in peanuts (Arachis Hypogaea, L.) from a Ghanaian market

Aflatoxins have been of major public health concern ever since they were discovered. A simple physical manual sorting procedure and blanching to facilitate the elimination of aflatoxins in raw peanuts was designed, conducted and verified using workshop participants. Two processors were then trained on the technology. Six streams of kernels namely, raw unsorted kernels, pre-sorted kernels (immature and shrivelled kernels), three levels of bad discoloured kernels (≤10% discoloured kernels, ≤50% discoloured kernels and ˃50% discoloured kernels) and good kernels were obtained during the verification exercise. Analyses carried out on these samples using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) gave total aflatoxin levels ranging from none detected to 60.42 μg/kg for good kernels and very, very bad kernels, respectively. Total aflatoxin content of the testa recorded 5.34 μg/kg. During the training session for the two processors, shrivelled and immature kernels were found to be the most susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. Thorough manual sorting of blanched kernels, offers a practical possibility in reducing significantly, aflatoxin levels to below regulatory limits

Characterization of the dominant microorganisms responsible for the fermentation of dehulled maize grains into nsiho in Ghana

Nsiho (white kenkey) is a type of kenkey, a sour stiff dumpling, produced from fermented maize meal in Ghana. The dominant microorganisms responsible for the fermentation of nsiho were characterized by analysing samples from four traditional production sites at Anum in the Eastern Region of Ghana. During 48 h of steeping dehulled maize grains, the pH values decreased from 6.05 to 5.93 to 3.59 to 3.55, whilst titratable acidity increased from 0.02 to 0.03 to 0.27 to 0.32%. In the subsequent 12 h dough fermentation, the pH decreased from 6.02 to 5.80 to 3.52 to 3.46, whilst titratable acidity increased from 0.25 to 0.27 to 0.35 to 0.38%. The lactic acid bacteria population increased by 2 to 5 log units to concentrations of 107 to 108 CFU/ml during steeping and by 2 to 3 log units from 105 to 106 CFU/g to 108 to 109 CFU/g during dough fermentation. Yeasts counts increased by 3 to 4 log units during steepingand by 2 to 4 log units during dough fermentation. The most frequently isolated lactic acid bacteria responsible for nsiho fermentation were identified as Lactobacillus fermentum (47.1%), Lactobacillus brevis (25%), Lactobacillus plantarum (14.42%), Pediococcus pentosaceus (8.65%) and Pediococcus acidilactici, (4.8%). The dominant yeasts species were Saccharyomyces cerevisiae (47.6%), Candida krusei (29.1%),  Debaryomyces spp., (15%) and Trichosporon spp., (8.3%). This is the first  study to report on the micororganisms involved in nsiho fermentation.Key words: Nsiho, dehulled maize, kenkey, lactic acid bacteria, indigenous African fermented foods

Application of a value chain approach to understanding white kenkey production, vending and consumption practices in three districts of Ghana

Traditional processing and street vending of foods is a vital activity in the informal sector of the Ghanaian economy and offers livelihood for a large number of traditional food processors. Kenkey is a fermented maize ‘dumpling’ produced by traditional food processors in Ghana. Ga and Fante kenkey have received research attention and there is a lot of scientific information on kenkey production. White kenkey produced from dehulled maize grains is a less known kind of kenkey. A survey was held in three districts of Ghana to study production, vending and consumption of white kenkey and to identify major bottlenecks related to production, which can be addressed in studies to re-package kenkey for a wider market. Questionnaires were designed for producers, vendors and consumers of white kenkey to collate information on Socio-cultural data, processing technologies, frequency of production and consumption, product shelf life, reasons for consumption and quality attributes important to consumers using proportional sampling. The survey was conducted in white kenkey production zones and trade centers. Results showed that production of white kenkey is done on small-scale levels by middle-aged women in households with 10-50 kg of dehulled maize processed into white kenkey, 1-3 times weekly. A third (28%) of the women processed up to 50-100 kg of maize per week. Although 62% of vendors sell 50-100 balls of white kenkey daily, 15% of them sell more than 170 balls. Majority of consumers (45.9%) liked white kenkey because of its convenience (ready-to-eat). Texture and taste were quality attributes desired by kenkey consumers. Producers did not have written records of process controls and product throughputs. Inspite of their cottage nature, production of white kenkey is a profitable employment for producers and vendors and is popular among consumers. Product improvement, process and product characteristics could offer scale-up criteria for development of white kenkey production using standardized procedures for steeping times, steeping temperature and fermentation times.Keywords: maize, white kenkey, value chain, traditional, product development, re-engineerin