Retail market prices of fonio reveal the demand for quality characteristics in Bamako, Mali.

African consumers' expectations concerning quality of food products are great. In spite of constrained budgets, we showed that market retailed prices revealed quality preferences of the consumers and not only production costs. In very poor countries like Mali, food innovation is limited by the very low purchasing power of the population. However, technological food product or process innovations are possible and sometimes valuable. Demand driven innovation may lead to open new markets, opportunities for small and medium scale enterprises and to improve consumers' welfare. Based on this assumption, technical research was done to provide new food products. In this paper, using both sensory test and a hedonic price approach, we estimated consumer demand for different characteristics of fonio, a West African cereal, and showed that poor consumers do have quality requirements and actually pay for it. We showed that the shadow or hedonic price paid for quality characteristics is small but significant. A comparison of sensory test and market study showed a convergence between what people say they prefer and what they really pay for. Results were consistent and showed directions for technological improvement of the product and its production process. The Partial Least Square method was used to estimate hedonic prices of the different modalities of fonio quality traits.Demand and Price Analysis,

Key odor and physicochemical characteristics of raw and roasted jicaro seeds (Crescentia alata K.H.B.)

Jicaro seeds (Crescentia alata) are widely consumed in Central America, primarily as a popular tasty and nutritious beverage called “horchata”. Seeds are roasted to develop a specific aroma through a process that has never been explored. Volatile compounds, extracted from raw and roasted jicaro seeds (140 °C for 140 s) by SAFE (Solvent Assisted Flavor Evaporation), were analyzed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Twenty-seven volatile compounds were isolated, among which, ethyl-2-methylbutyrate was designated by olfactometry as providing the characteristic jicaro note (0.16 and 0.47 mg/kg dry basis (d.b.) in raw and roasted seeds, respectively). The release of volatile compounds from the Maillard reaction, such as pyrazines, and the increase of ethyl-2-methylbutyrate after roasting, exhausted the pleasant jicaro aroma. This mild roasting process had a slight impact on polyphenol, fructose and free amino acid contents, in agreement with the Maillard reaction. Confocal microscopy showed the coalescence of lipids in roasted jicaro seeds, which might explain the higher extracted fat content.Programa Regional de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional/[C-15-2012]/PRESANCA II/ItaliaConsejo Superior Universitario Centroamericano/[C-15-2012]/CSUCA/GuatemalaInstitut Français Amérique Centrale/[]/IFAC/Costa RicaEuropean Union Latin America Academic Links/[EULA1401013]/EULAlinks/AlemaniaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Centro Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos (CITA

Retail market prices of fonio reveal the demand for quality characteristics in Bamako, Mali.

African consumers' expectations concerning quality of food products are great. In spite of constrained budgets, we showed that market retailed prices revealed quality preferences of the consumers and not only production costs. In very poor countries like Mali, food innovation is limited by the very low purchasing power of the population. However, technological food product or process innovations are possible and sometimes valuable. Demand driven innovation may lead to open new markets, opportunities for small and medium scale enterprises and to improve consumers' welfare. Based on this assumption, technical research was done to provide new food products. In this paper, using both sensory test and a hedonic price approach, we estimated consumer demand for different characteristics of fonio, a West African cereal, and showed that poor consumers do have quality requirements and actually pay for it. We showed that the shadow or hedonic price paid for quality characteristics is small but significant. A comparison of sensory test and market study showed a convergence between what people say they prefer and what they really pay for. Results were consistent and showed directions for technological improvement of the product and its production process. The Partial Least Square method was used to estimate hedonic prices of the different modalities of fonio quality traits

Physicochemical characterization of Jicaro seeds (Crescentia alata H.B.K.): a novel protein-rich and oleaginous seed

Jicaro (Crescentia alata) is a tropical tree native to Mesoamerica well adapted to severe drought conditions. The seeds of the fruits were analyzed for protein, fatty acid, dietary fiber, phytate, polyphenol, tannin, tocopherol, sugar, mineral, amino acid and trypsin inhibitor contents. The jicaro cotyledons contained 43.6 1.15 g protein/100 g and 38.0 0.20 g fat/100 g (d.w.), which is comparable to most protein-rich and oleaginous seeds. Among the lipids, 77.6% were unsaturated fatty acids, particularly oleic acid, and essential amino acids represented 16.0 0.9% (d.w.) of the protein fraction, which is similar to soybean amino acid contents. A proteomic analysis and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis revealed that the proteins are mostly of low molecular weight ( 10 kDa), and the storage protein 2S albumin dominated. Jicaro seed trypsin inhibitory activity was low (0.1 trypsin inhibitor units TIU/mg), which enhances the digestibility of its proteins. The jicaro seed cotyledon represents an autochthonous and high-quality food source.Programa Regional de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional/[C-15-2012]/PRESANCA/French Cooperation in Central America (Institut Français pour l’Amérique Centrale-IFAC)///FranciaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Centro Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos (CITA)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Instituto Clodomiro Picado (ICP

Innovative process combining roasting and tempering to mechanically dehull jicaro seeds (Crescentia alata K.H.B)

An innovative process combining roasting and tempering was proposed to promote puffing and mechanical dehulling of jicaro seeds. Roasting was performed at three temperatures (120 °C, 140 °C, and 160 °C) and for six residence times (80–180 s). A previous seed tempering was performed at 15% moisture content for 24 h, by spraying the seeds with an amount of water calculated to reach the final moisture content of 15%. The following parameters were monitored as a function of time to optimize the roasting operation: percentage of open seeds, whiteness of cotyledons, and content of two volatile compounds, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine and ethyl-2-methylbutyrate which are considered as the key jicaro note. The optimal roasting was achieved at 160 °C for 150 s with 90% open seeds. The optimal mechanical dehulling was achieved after tempering the roasted seed at 10% moisture content with a yield of 75%. The lightness evolution followed a zero-order kinetic with an activation energy of 103 kJ mol−1. Ethyl-2-methylbutyrate and 2,5-dimethylpyrazine increased with the temperature and period of roasting.Programa Regional de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional/[C-15-2012]/PRESANCA II/ItaliaConsejo Superior Universitario Centroamericano/[C-15-2012]/CSUCA/GuatemalaInstitut Français Amérique Centrale/[]/IFAC/Costa RicaEuropean Union Latin America Academic Links/[]/EULAlinks/AlemaniaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Centro Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos (CITA

Utilização do polimorfismo de sequências de DNA de uma coleção de Sorgo (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) para estudos de filogeografia e estudos de associação.

Sequências do DNA de uma região em comum de múltiplos indiví­duos de uma população podem revelar polimorfismos que permitem o estudo da evolução do genoma e suas histórias de seleções, migrações e recombinações. Adicionando-se a esses polimorfismos da população informações quanto   origem geográfica, viabiliza-se um estudo filogeográfico que permite a elaboração de cenários de evolução após a domesticação; bem como quais eventos (mutações ou recombinações) mais influenciaram a diversidade genética (DG) desta população, para aquela região do DNA em estudo. Por outro lado, a associação desses polimorfismos das sequências com as caracterí­sticas de interesse estabelece um estudo de associação. Neste contexto, este trabalho visou mostrar a aplicação do polimorfismo de sequências de DNA em um estudo de filogeografia e de associação. Para ambos os estudos foram utilizados dezenove segmentos de seis genes candidatos (Sh2, Bt2, Sssl, Ael, Wx e 02) em uma coleção de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), composta por 210 acessos. Os genes Sh2, Bt2, Sssl, Ael e Wx estão envolvidos na sí­ntese do amido e o gene 02 na sí­ntese de proteí­nas de reserva. A DG foi menor nos genes Sh2, Bt2 e Sssl; e maior para Ael, Wx e 02. Os testes estatí­sticos revelaram um elevado número de associações falso-positivas em função da estruturação da coleção, porém foram mantidas várias associações corroboradas pela co-localização com QTLs de sorgo e de milho

Utilização do polimorfismo de sequências de DNA de uma coleção de Sorgo (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) para estudos de filogeografia e estudos de associação.

Sequências do DNA de uma região em comum de múltiplos indiví­duos de uma população podem revelar polimorfismos que permitem o estudo da evolução do genoma e suas histórias de seleções, migrações e recombinações. Adicionando-se a esses polimorfismos da população informações quanto   origem geográfica, viabiliza-se um estudo filogeográfico que permite a elaboração de cenários de evolução após a domesticação; bem como quais eventos (mutações ou recombinações) mais influenciaram a diversidade genética (DG) desta população, para aquela região do DNA em estudo. Por outro lado, a associação desses polimorfismos das sequências com as caracterí­sticas de interesse estabelece um estudo de associação. Neste contexto, este trabalho visou mostrar a aplicação do polimorfismo de sequências de DNA em um estudo de filogeografia e de associação. Para ambos os estudos foram utilizados dezenove segmentos de seis genes candidatos (Sh2, Bt2, Sssl, Ael, Wx e 02) em uma coleção de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), composta por 210 acessos. Os genes Sh2, Bt2, Sssl, Ael e Wx estão envolvidos na sí­ntese do amido e o gene 02 na sí­ntese de proteí­nas de reserva. A DG foi menor nos genes Sh2, Bt2 e Sssl; e maior para Ael, Wx e 02. Os testes estatí­sticos revelaram um elevado número de associações falso-positivas em função da estruturação da coleção, porém foram mantidas várias associações corroboradas pela co-localização com QTLs de sorgo e de milho