Exploratory and multidisciplinary survey of the cowpea network in the Tolon-Kumbungu district of Ghana: A food sovereignty perspective

An exploratory survey of selected deprived communities in the Tolon-Kumbungu district of northern region of Ghana was conducted in August 2007 by a multi-disciplinary team of social scientist, food technologist, plant breeder and food nutritionist. The survey sought to identify with farmers their critical agronomic needs and production constraints in order to develop appropriate breeding strategies, as well as cowpea varietal preference for improved processing technology development. A rural participatory and conventional survey approaches were used. Close to half of the interviewed farmers cultivate both improved and local varieties. It was realized that 33 and 22% cultivated only local and improved varieties respectively. Generally, farmers indicated preference for improved varieties due to market value but rather preferred local varieties for household consumption and food sovereignty purposes. The top three most preferred varietal traits mentioned by farmers for breeding considerations included yield, tolerance to diseases and pests and seed colour. Processors preferred white seed coat varieties due to their good whipping ability and short cooking period. Farmers stressed the role of local varieties in food sovereignty with the early maturing ones being the most significant in household food provisio

Cross-cultural acceptance of a traditional yoghurt-like product made from fermented cereal

BACKGROUND: Akpan is a traditional ready-to-drink fermented yoghurt-like cereal beverage consumed in urban and rural areas in Benin. With the aim of adapting the product to new local and export markets, this work maps African and European consumer preferences for different types of Akpan. RESULTS: A sensory profile of Akpan was created and consumer tests were conducted with 103 consumers of African origin and 74 consumers of European origin. Consumer acceptance was significantly correlated with fermented odour (r=−0.94) and milky taste (r = 0.92–0.97) attributes. Cluster analysis revealed different behaviour by African and European consumers with respect to acceptability of Akpan; European consumers did not like the sour taste and African consumers liked an intense sweet milky taste. CONCLUSION: This study provides information on how Akpan, and other fermented yoghurt-type cereal products, could be adapted to African and European consumer preferences

Cooking and drying processes optimization of Pentadesma butyracea kernels during butter production

The cooking and the drying of the Pentadesma butyracea kernels are the main steps in the traditional method of extracting P. butyracea butter. In this work, the Response Surface Method with Central composite design was used to optimize the cooking and drying of Pentadesma kernels during P. butyracea butter production. The cooking and drying times, as well as the drying temperature of Pentadesma kernels are considered as independent factors. The moisture content of the Pentadesma kernels, the quantity, the acidity and the peroxyde values of extracted butter were the responses to be expected. The responses have been described using a second degree polynomial models which have been first tested and then used to explain 97.5, 80.7, 96.1 and 97%, of the variation of moisture content, quantity of butter, and acid and peroxide values, respectively. Increasing cooking time and drying temperature greatly reduced the free fatty acid values of the butter (<1%) and peroxide value (<1 meq/kg). The optimum cooking time (110 min), drying temperature (55°C) and drying time (72 h) could be used to get 52.92% of Pentadesma butter equivalent to the category 1 (with 0.62 meq/kg of peroxide and 0.28% of FFA content). Cooking and drying of Pendadesma kernels are important stages in the butter production. This work determined the optimum conditions of cooking and drying processes. These results could be used by P. butyracea butter processors to get good quality of Pentadesma butter and to improve extraction yield.Key words: Forest galeries, Pentadesma butyraceae, cosmetic industry, temperature, shea butter, Pentadesma butter, Benin

Screening of the kernels of Pentadesma butyracea from various growing sites of Benin and evaluation of their antioxidant pigments content

Pentadesma butyracea Sabine (Clusiaceae) is a ligneous forest species of multipurpose uses. It is widely distributed in Africa from Guinea-Bissau to the West of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This study screened the kernel of P. butyracea on the basis of their physico-chemical properties. Six types of kernels were distinguished. The plant producing type 1 kernels (with medium length, low width and high thickness) and type 5 kernels (with high length, high width and high thickness) predominate within accessions representing 63% of the collections. Significant differences were found in the structural composition of the kernels. The average level of oil concentration in the kernels was 46.77%. The 1000 kernel weight averaged to 6.46 kg. The kernel hardness averaged to 550.81 N and is similar for all accessions but revealed that P. butyracea kernel is harder than shea kernel. The total phenolics and the total anthocyanins contents of the kernels varied significantly among accessions with a mean value of 164.03 and 152.78 mg/100 g, respectively. The antioxidant activity in the extract from P. butyracea kernel ranged from 30.22 to 58.57% of the remaining 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and is comparable to many traditional sources of antioxidants.Key words: Pentadesma butyracea, kernel, butter, antioxidant, cosmetic

L'artisanat de transformation du niébé assure l'autonomisation des femmes à Cotonou

Ce travail aborde les impacts économiques et sociaux de l'artisanat de transformation des légumineuses, notamment le niébé sur les femmes. Il présente les résultats de l'étude réalisée au Bénin, et la dynamique engagée avec la plateforme d'innovation dénommée AÏDOTÉ (esprit éveillé). L'alimentation de rue dans les centres urbains est constituée majoritairement de femmes artisanes, de très petites entreprises. Les résultats de nos enquêtes dans la ville de Cotonou ont révélé une proportion notable de plus de 2600 artisanes investit dans la transformation du niébé et approvisionnent quotidiennement les consommateurs en deux produits à base de niébé (Ata et Abobo). Elles transforment environ 54 tonnes de niébé par semaine, qui leur génère un revenu et la capacité de prendre en charge six personnes dans le ménage. Ce maillon génère environ 4500 emplois sur les différentes chaines de valeurs. Une diversité de produits découle de la transformation du niébé. En dépit de cette importance économique et sociale, les artisanes font face à plusieurs difficultés d'ordre organisationnelles et institutionnelle, technique et technologique et financier. Elle subissent les effets de la fluctuation des prix de la matière première et ne disposent pas d'équipements adaptés de production. Le déguerpissement des abords des trottoirs, lieu de vente de la majorité d'entre elles et les effets de la COVID 19 ont considérablement ralenti l'activité des artisanes. Nombre d'entre elles ont perdu le capital de production. La faible structuration des artisanes ne permet pas d'engager des négociations avec les autorités politiques . L'importance de cet artisanat à base de niébé dans l'alimentation de rue et les systèmes alimentaires, nécessite qu'il soit davantage pris en compte dans les politiques urbaines. Un processus collaboratif innovant et mutilacteurs, est engagé pour faciliter les interactions et créer un cadre de plaidoyer pour une reconnaissance du rôle majeur joué par les artisanes du secteur. Il facilite également l'analyse des pratiques des artisanes et l'expérimentation de solutions techniques plus durables. Une des dimensions importantes du travail consiste à mettre en exergue les interdépendances de l'artisanat alimentaire à base de niébé pour la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle, la génération de revenus, la valorisation d'un patrimoine culinaire des ressources et l'autonomisation des femmes. L'enjeu est de renforcer les artisanes pour insuffler une nouvelle dynamique à la filière et créer les conditions d'une montée en puissance pour répondre de manière adéquate aux nouvelles exigences d'une consommation croissante

Ethnic knowledge in food, medicinal and economic value of Cochlospermum spp. root powder in Sudanian zone of Benin

Cochlospermum spp. is a multipurpose species used widely in West Africa by local communities. The present study focused on ethnic knowledge in food, medicinal and economic value of Cochlospermum spp. root powder in Sudanian zone of Benin. From nine (9) ethnic groups, 86 key informants and 90 processors of Cochlospermum spp. root were interviewed in the study area using semi-structured questionnaires. Additionally, 36 focus group discussions were conducted each gathering 8-10 women of reproductive age selected on a voluntary basis. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to investigate the effect of socio-demographic characteristics of the survey population on food and medicinal use value of Cochlospermum spp. root powder. Kruskal Wallis test was carried out to highlight differences between phytodistricts and ethnic groups with regards to the brut monthly income of processors. From all respondents in the study area, thirteen (13) food uses and fourteen (14) medicinal uses were identified for Cochlospermum spp. root powder. Ethnic differences are only observed for food uses. Respondents from Peulh and Waama ethnic groups have the highest food use value, which were on average 6.02 and 5.96 uses respectively, while respondents from Gourmantché ethnic group have the lowest food use value (1.01 uses). Monthly income generated while processing Cochlospermum spp. root was highest for Bariba (40,675 FCFA) and lowest for Boo (16,891 FCFA). Local people livelihoods can be improved if the species is better managed and valorized. Nevertheless, studies are needed to facilitate the domestication of the species.  Keywords: Use value, ethnic groups, health, food security, income-generating activit

Understanding and optimization of rapid and small-scale germination process on the nutritional quality of lentil and cowpea

Seed germination and seedling growth are traditional practices and an emerging trend in the food industry and consumer demand, as it is considered to be an effective process for improving the nutritional quality and functionality of cereals and pulses. Excepted for barley malting and for fresh seedlings production, germination process is rarely conducted at an industrial scale due to the difficulty to set optimum conditions for producing germinated seeds and seedlings. This project aims to implement a rapid (with lower health risk), small-scale germination process on lentil and cowpea seeds and to analyze the process and germinated products by a multidisciplinary approach. Using a multivariate experimental design, this study considered different germination conditions (temperature, light, and water content) and different germination duration (0h, 3h or 5h, 12h, and 24h) for lentil and cowpea. The germination process was created at small-scale with a temperature-humidity chamber integrating a misting system controlled by a software through the weighing of seeds. This process allows to control the water supply and thus the water content in the seed during the germination process. The nutritional changes for B9 and B1 vitamins, and the antinutritional modifications for α-galactosides and phytate were quantitatively analyzed under the different germination conditions of the experimental design. In addition, immunohistochemistry techniques were used to localize the vitamins B9 and B1, and phytate in lentil during germination. The kinetic of increase in vitamin B9 and B1 and of decrease in antinutritional factors during germination, combined with the localization of these metabolites allows providing transformation path to produce new food products and ingredients rich in B vitamins and poor in antinutrient compounds. The low-tech germination process created can be implemented by any food industry worldwide, as it is simple and not expensive. This opens the opportunity for new ways of processing pulse and can encourage the development of plant-based food, that can be a meat substitute, produce gluten-free products and enhance the food nutrient content

Caractérisation sensorielle en milieu urbain du Ablo, un pain traditionnel cuit à la vapeur en Afrique de l'Ouest

Les populations côtières Ouest – Africaines valorisent le maïs sous la forme d'un pain cuit à la vapeur appelé Aboloo au Ghana ou Ablo au Bénin. Avec l'urbanisation, l'enracinement du riz dans les habitudes culinaires de ces populations a induit une généralisation de la production de ce pain à partir du riz. Dans une perspective d'industrialisation et de valorisation des productions locales, la présente étude a déterminé le profil sensoriel du ablo de riz obtenu à partir de cinq procédés de fabrication différents. Les descripteurs sensoriels du Ablo ont été générés au cours de 16 discussions de groupe menées avec des panels de 3-5 consommateurs habituels de Ablo et quantifiés par un panel semi-entrainés de 22 dégustateurs en trois répétitions. Les discussions de groupe font ressortir que le Ablo peut être décrit principalement par ses attributs de texture (levé, consistant, collant, ferme, élastique, friable, tendre, surface lisse) et de goût (sucré, salé, acide), mais aussi par des attributs secondaires liés à l'apparence (blanc, jaunâtre, luisant, couleur uniforme, surface poreuse) et à l'odeur (odeur de fermentée, odeur de riz). L'analyse quantitative descriptive montre que le procédé caractérisé par " une non utilisation du blé et une fermentation longue d'environ 21 heures" donne un Ablo dont l'attribut " levé " est significativement plus faible que celui de l'Ablo issu des autres procédés. Le procédé caractérisé par " la précuisson hors feu " est évalué avec une couleur " blanche " plus faible que celle de l'Ablo issu des autres procédés. En dehors de ces différences, les Ablo issus des cinq procédés ont un profil sensoriel identique pour leurs attributs " jaunâtre ", " collant ", " consistant ", " tendre ", " friable ", " élastique ", " odeur de fermenté ", " acide " et " sucré ". Un tel profil sensoriel permet de définir le référentiel descriptif du Ablo de riz tel que consommé en milieu urbain au Bénin. (Texte intégral

Indigenous food ingredients for complementary food formulations to combat infant malnutrition in Benin : a review

This paper reviews indigenous Beninese food resources as potential ingredients for complementary infant foods with the aim to develop affordable formulations for low-income households in each agro-ecological zone of the country. Potential ingredients were selected on their documented nutritional value. The selected foods encompass 347 food resources, namely 297 plant products from home gardens or collected from natural vegetation and 50 animals, either domesticated or from the wild. The compiled data reveal that the distribution of the available food resources was unbalanced between agro-ecological zones. Only a few animal ingredients are obtainable in northern Benin. Most resources are seasonal, but their availability may be extended. A high variation was observed in energy and nutrient contents. Antinutritional factors were identified in some resources, but processing techniques were reported to reduce their presence in meals. In general, ingredients from local tree foods (Adansonia digitata, Parkia biglobosa) were adequate as sources of nutrients for complementary infant foods. Based on this review, local foods for the development of complementary food formulas for Beninese infants and children may be selected for each agro-ecological zone. The approach used is exemplary for other sub-Saharan African countries in need of complementary infant foods