Co-fermentation improves the functional properties and nutritional quality of infant complementary food products

Food-to-food fortification and fermentation are effective strategies to enhance product functionality and nutrient density of infant complementary foods. However, their effectiveness hinges on a deep understanding of ingredient combinations. Our research focused on the physicochemical and techno-functional aspects of sorghum-baobab blends, comparing two processes: 'co-ferment-cook' and 'ferment-cook-fortify'. The results show that both techniques improve water absorption capacity by 17-20% and water solubility index increase by over 100% while maintaining comparable nutritional composition and energy density. The calculated energy density (2048.8 -2345 kJ/day) was sufficient for both blends for children 6-11 months, fed on an average Breast Milk Intake. Viscosity, another crucial factor for complementary feeding, improved significantly after co-ferment-cook compared to ferment-cook-fortify reaching a value suitable for children older than 18 months. Starch digestibility increased with co-ferment-cook, while protein digestion increased with fortified non-fermented. In conclusion, our findings emphasize that combining fermentation and fortification processing steps is optimal for balancing the nutritional and techno-functional properties of sorghum porridges for infant complementary foods. Processing parameters must be optimized to reach the viscosity suitable for complementary feeding at the assigned soluble solid contents for age groups 6-24 months

Designing sustainable weaning foods for developing countries: not only a matter of nutrients

Blended complementary foods from cereals and high-protein sources are used worldwide to cope with infants' malnutrition. However, the usefulness of the food matrix during traditional processes reaches suboptimal effectiveness due to cereal gelatinization and viscosity, which reduce consumption. The interplay between nutritional and physical qualities needed for weaning children presents further significant constraints. A combination of processing methods can improve and optimize the overall product quality. This paper investigated the nutritional, functional, and anti-nutritional factors of a complementary infant porridge made by combining fermented sorghum flour with germinated bottle gourd seed flour. Overall, the combination improved the functional and physical properties of the porridge suitable for children of 10 months and over. A serving of 100 g would contribute 115-145% and 23-31% of the recommended nutritional intake of protein and energy, respectively, for low breast milk energy between 6-24 months. The results demonstrate that a combination of strategies and technologies are needed to balance nutritional and physical quality.Blended complementary foods from cereals and high-protein sources are used to cope with infants' malnutrition. Our results demonstrate that a combination of strategies and technologies is needed to balance nutritional and physical quality

Agro-Ecological Distribution and Consumption of Wild Harvested Edible Insects, Fruits, and Vegetables in Rural Zimbabwe

Natural resources are a valuable component of traditional food systems that contributes to food and nutrition. The distribution and consumption patterns of these natural resources still needs exploration for follow-up research and optimum utilisation. The aim of this study was to investigate the agro-ecological distribution and the consumption of wild harvested edible insects, indigenous fruits and vegetables in rural Zimbabwe. Secondary data generated from a cross-sectional survey targeting 11,973 randomly selected households rural districts was used. The results revealed that at least 14 wild harvested edible insect species, 26 indigenous fruits and 10 indigenous vegetables are commonly consumed. The results showed that the highly consumed indigenous fruits, vegetables and insects were widely distributed in all provinces irrespective of the agro-ecological region and varied due to rainfall pattern and also due to soil type. However, their distribution was in some cases restricted to specific administrative boundaries or provinces. Consumption pattern and preference for some insects, fruits and vegetables varied with province. The distribution and consumption data presented in this study offers an opportunity to advocate for the conservation, production, processing and promotion of specific species in districts by relevant stakeholders and can be used as an advocacy tool for policymakers

Monkey orange fruit juice improves the nutritional quality of a maize-based diet

This paper studied the nutritional impact of the use of juice from Strychnos cocculoides (monkey orange) in a maize-based porridge. Monkey orange juice is traditionally used to supplement maize porridge - a staple breakfast cereal especially for vulnerable groups. Monkey orange fruits contain high amounts of micronutrients and phenolic compounds and are widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The valuable components can be efficiently extracted by traditional and pectinase maceration techniques. The bioaccessibility of minerals and main phenolic compounds in maize porridge (5 g maize meal) supplemented by monkey orange juice (100 ml) were assessed after in-vitro digestion together with the kinetics of starch degradation. Caffeic and protocatechuic acids exceeded 100%, and chlorogenic acid 81% bioaccessibility after simulated intestinal digestion. Rutin was undetected after the simulated intestinal phase due to precipitation in the pellet. In-vitro bioaccessibility of minerals ranged from 12 to 62% in monkey orange enriched porridge. A 50–70% decrease of starch hydrolysis was observed at the end of the simulated intestinal digestion of monkey orange maize porridge confirming the known potential of phenolic compounds to decrease the glycaemic index of starch-rich foods. Consequently monkey orange juice appeared a suitable ingredient to enrich staple maize porridge thanks to its micronutrients and health benefit potential. Similar relationships of other fruits and starchy foods warrant study as a means to improve the nutritional quality of the diets of malnourished populations.</p

Bread Products from Blends of African Climate Resilient Crops: Baking Quality, Sensory Profile and Consumers&rsquo; Perception

With food insecurity rising dramatically in Sub-Saharan Africa, promoting the use of sorghum, cowpea and cassava flours in staple food such as bread may reduce wheat imports and stimulate the local economy through new value chains. However, studies addressing the technological functionality of blends of these crops and the sensory properties of the obtained breads are scarce. In this study, cowpea varieties (i.e., Glenda and Bechuana), dry-heating of cowpea flour and cowpea to sorghum ratio were studied for their effects on the physical and sensory properties of breads made from flour blends. Increasing cowpea Glenda flour addition from 9 to 27% (in place of sorghum) significantly improved bread specific volume and crumb texture in terms of instrumental hardness and cohesiveness. These improvements were explained by higher water binding, starch gelatinization temperatures and starch granule integrity during pasting of cowpea compared to sorghum and cassava. Differences in physicochemical properties among cowpea flours did not significantly affect bread properties and texture sensory attributes. However, cowpea variety and dry-heating significantly affected flavour attributes (i.e., beany, yeasty and ryebread). Consumer tests indicated that composite breads could be significantly distinguished for most of the sensory attributes compared to commercial wholemeal wheat bread. Nevertheless, the majority of consumers scored the composite breads from neutral to positive with regard to liking. Using these composite doughs, chapati were produced in Uganda by street vendors and tin breads by local bakeries, demonstrating the practical relevance of the study and the potential impact for the local situation. Overall, this study shows that sorghum, cowpea and cassava flour blends can be used for commercial bread-type applications instead of wheat in Sub-Saharan Africa

Bread Products from Blends of African Climate Resilient Crops: Baking Quality, Sensory Profile and Consumers’ Perception

With food insecurity rising dramatically in Sub-Saharan Africa, promoting the use of sorghum, cowpea and cassava flours in staple food such as bread may reduce wheat imports and stimulate the local economy through new value chains. However, studies addressing the technological functionality of blends of these crops and the sensory properties of the obtained breads are scarce. In this study, cowpea varieties (i.e., Glenda and Bechuana), dry-heating of cowpea flour and cowpea to sorghum ratio were studied for their effects on the physical and sensory properties of breads made from flour blends. Increasing cowpea Glenda flour addition from 9 to 27% (in place of sorghum) significantly improved bread specific volume and crumb texture in terms of instrumental hardness and cohesiveness. These improvements were explained by higher water binding, starch gelatinization temperatures and starch granule integrity during pasting of cowpea compared to sorghum and cassava. Differences in physicochemical properties among cowpea flours did not significantly affect bread properties and texture sensory attributes. However, cowpea variety and dry-heating significantly affected flavour attributes (i.e., beany, yeasty and ryebread). Consumer tests indicated that composite breads could be significantly distinguished for most of the sensory attributes compared to commercial wholemeal wheat bread. Nevertheless, the majority of consumers scored the composite breads from neutral to positive with regard to liking. Using these composite doughs, chapati were produced in Uganda by street vendors and tin breads by local bakeries, demonstrating the practical relevance of the study and the potential impact for the local situation. Overall, this study shows that sorghum, cowpea and cassava flour blends can be used for commercial bread-type applications instead of wheat in Sub-Saharan Africa

Local processing and nutritional composition of indigenous fruits : The case of monkey orange (Strychnos spp.) from Southern Africa

Monkey orange (Strychnos spp.) is a widely distributed fruit species in Southern Africa commonly consumed by the local population. It has potential to improve the nutritional status of rural populations, being a precious food source in areas with periodic shortages, since it is rich in vitamin C, zinc, and iron. To improve the availability of this food outside its production season, processing and preservation techniques used at household level need upgrading as they are unreliable and their effects on nutritional quality are unknown. Based on this review, we recommend better indigenous fruit production as a sustainable solution to malnutrition in rural areas in transition countries

Improvement of traditional processing of local monkey orange (Strychnos spp.) fruits to enhance nutrition security in Zimbabwe

Although the monkey orange (Strychnos spp.) tree fruit is widely distributed in Southern Africa and particularly in Zimbabwe, it is underutilized and little attention has been given to its potential commercialisation due to limited knowledge and information. Most of the fruits and their products are wasted because of limited harvest time, process control and storage conditions, leading to variability in shelf life and sensory quality, thereby impacting nutritional quality. Traditional processing techniques make insufficient use of this food resource within rural communities. This study aimed at identifying the existing bottlenecks by means of a survey among 102 smallholder farming respondents in the wet and dry regions of Zimbabwe. Results revealed that S. cocculoides and S. spinosa were used by 48% of respondents as a functional ingredient in porridge, by 25% in fermented mahewu drink and by 15% of respondents as a non-alcoholic juice. The fruits of S. innocua and S. madagascariensis are preferably processed into dried products. Taste, flavour and colour were the important quality characteristics for all processed products, and constraints to be solved are seed-flesh separation, long processing times, separation of juice and pulp during storage as well as pulp viscosity. Respondents reported monkey orange products to have health benefits for children and immune-compromised people, who, on regular consumption, have reportedly increased weight and resistance to disease. The positive perception about the processed products of Strychnos spp. offer a good opportunity to improve nutrition security by capitalizing on these not-yet-fully-exploited resources, but technological solutions to improve sensory quality and shelf life must be developed.</p

Effect of heat and pectinase maceration on phenolic compounds and physicochemical quality of Strychnos cocculoides juice

Strychnos cocculoides fruit is an important food source for rural populations in Zimbabwe in times of scarcity. Its thick pulp tightly adheres to its seeds, causing pulp extraction constraints and waste during processing, leading to underutilisation. Therefore, pectinase maceration combined with heat treatments was studied to improve juice yield and juice quality. Metabolite profiling according to the heat map, FancyTile chromatic scale approach and phenolic compound content were used to compare the identified compounds. Prior to treatments, 16 known phenolic compounds, predominantly belonging to the phenolic acids, flavonoids and iridoid glucoside classes, were tentatively characterized for the first time in S. cocculoides using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry and LC/MS/MS. Overall, results showed that enzymatic treatments increased pulp yield (by 26%), physicochemical quality (38% increase in juice clarity), content of phenolic compounds (predominantly kaempferol, quercetin, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, iridoids) and antioxidant activity.The improved extraction of S. cocculoides pulp increases juice yield as well as juice quality by supplying larger amounts of phenolic compounds that have potential health benefits and act as dietary sources of antioxidants for the prevention of diseases caused by oxidative stress.</p