Physicochemical and Pasting Properties of Flour and Starch from Two New Cassava Accessions

Some new cassava accessions have been developed and released because of their high yield, resistance to disease, adaptability to wider ecological environment, and less cost of production. However, their flour and starch properties have not been characterized for potential food applications. In the present study, starch and flour were produced from two new cassava accessions (Sika Bankye and Bankye Hemaa) and evaluated for their physicochemical and pasting properties. The flour samples recorded higher values for the various functional parameters compared to their starch counterparts. Both flour samples had a similar water absorption capacity (WAC) of ~263% but the associated starch from Bankye Hemaa recorded the lowest value of 38.6%. Bankye Hemaa flour recorded the highest oil absorption capacity (OAC) (121%) and could be exploited as potential flavor retainer in products. Flour from Bankye Hemaa also recorded the highest swelling power (882 ± 29%), which was indicative of their good thickening and stabilizing functionalities. Sika Bankye starch had the highest setback viscosity (723 ± 32 RVU), which was indicative of its lower susceptibility to retrogradation and potential use in products that require highly viscous paste and processed at high temperatures

Development of Yoghurt Incorporated with Beetroot Puree and Its Effect on the Physicochemical Properties and Consumer Acceptance

Background Yoghurt is one of the most popularly consumed fermented products which provides several nutritional benefits. Yoghurt products often include flavour and colour additives however, growing awareness of the risks associated with synthetic food additives has necessitated the need to explore more natural colour and flavour as food additives. Methods This study evaluated the effect of beetroot puree as flavouring and colourant in yoghurt production and quality. To develop the yoghurt product, incubation time and proportion of beetroot puree were optimized based on the resulting pH, titratable acidity, colour, and viscosity using response surface methods. Results Optimum yoghurt formulations were obtained in products containing 2 %, 2.03 % and 8 % beetroot puree following an incubation of 2.5h. Increasing beetroot puree did not affect the pH and titratable acidity of the yoghurt samples but slightly influenced the viscosity of the yoghurt. The colour of yoghurt was mainly affected by the puree concentration. A consumer acceptance test was conducted on the optimized products compared to a control sample without beetroot. Yoghurt incorporated with 8 % beetroot puree was the least preferred with a mean score of 6.08, whereas yoghurt incorporated with 2.03 % beetroot puree was the most preferred (7.42), with a higher acceptance than the control (7.28). Conclusion /Implications for industry: Findings from the study provide evidence for exploration of beetroot yoghurt as a natural product alternative to the use of synthetic flavour and colour additives in yoghurt

Effect of terroir on the glucosinolate content of Moringa oleifera grown in three agro-ecological zones of Ghana

Environmental factors and cultural practices significantly influence the secondary metabolites in plants, e.g., glucosinolates, depending on the cultivar of each species. The present study analyzed the influence of specific environmental factors (e.g., temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity), elevation, and fertilization (i.e., nitrogen and sulfur) on the glucosinolate content in leaves of wild-grown Moringa oleifera from three agro-ecological zones in Ghana and selected M.oleifera accessions cultivated under semi-controlled field conditions. The results showed that climate did not significantly influence total glucosinolate content in leaves of both wild-grown and cultivated accessions of M.oleifera, while elevation significantly influenced the total glucosinolate content of wild-grown plants. Fertilization had no significant impact on the total glucosinolate content of the cultivated accessions. Furthermore, wild-collected M.oleifera leaves from the three agro-ecological zones did not reveal a significant difference in their total glucosinolate content. For the cultivated accessions of M.oleifera, the agro-ecological zone, harvest time, and accession and the interactions among these factors significantly influenced the total glucosinolate content. The results suggest that selecting suitable accessions, choosing suitable locations, and applying appropriate cultivation practices could contribute to optimizing the production of health-promoting Moringa plants with special emphasis on glucosinolate content

Efficiency of Edible Coating from Locally Sourced Materials in Maintaining the Postharvest Quality of Belfast Tomatoes

Edible coating technology has been proven to be an efficient and effective method of postharvest preservation. Especially in developing countries, edible coatings and other postharvest technologies are often limited by their high cost. The study aimed to assess the effect of edible coating materials prepared from inexpensive and locally available materials on the postharvest quality of Belfast tomatoes during storage. Different edible coating formulations [M1, M2, M3 and M4] were prepared by varying the concentration of orange peel powder [OP] [0,0.1,0.5,1%] in 10g/L Cassava Starch [CS] and 10g/L Chitosan [CH] coating solutions. Coated and control fruits were stored at 25°C for three weeks. Results showed that the coatings significantly [p\u3c0.05] delayed the changes in weight loss, total Soluble solids, pH and colour compared to uncoated control fruits. At the end of the 3-week storage period, the control fruits recorded the highest weight loss, 25.58 ±1.73 % whiles M4 had the least, 15.14 ±0.30 %. M4 [CH+CS+1OP] significantly maintained the total soluble solids of the tomatoes which increased from 5.71° to 6.68°whiles the control tomatoes increased from 5.71° to 9.09° showing the effectiveness of the coating in maintaining the Total Soluble Solid (TSS) of the Belfast tomatoes. The coated samples also showed some resistance to the colour changes as well as the pH exhibiting the ability to delay the ripening rate in the tomatoes. The edible coating significantly improved the postharvest quality of the Belfast tomato and could have immense impact on other local tomato varieties

Authenticating peanut butter and yoghurt in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana using near infrared spectroscopy

Peanut butter and yoghurt are targeted for adulteration intended at consumer deception. This study aimed to fingerprint and detect peanut butter and yoghurt adulteration with cassava flour and starch using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) in a quasi-experimental approach. Ingredients for laboratory sample preparation were obtained from the Kumasi Metropolis. Peanut butter was adulterated at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20% w/w and yoghurt at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 45, 50% w/w. Selected concentrations mimicked practices on the market. Marketed products were randomly sampled from six markets in the Kumasi Metropolis to validate the study models. Samples were scanned with a hand-held NIRS in triplicates. Chemometric (Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) models) statistical methods were employed to develop classification and prediction models. Peaks with spectral bands such as 1050 , 1200 and 1450 nm were observed for peanut butter and 990–1100 nm, 1100–1200 nm and 1300–1408 nm were observed for yoghurt in the NIR spectrum. Some yoghurt brands were suspected of containing cassava starch, while Peanut butter from the different markets differed based on classification models. Cassava flour and starch concentrations were quantitatively predicted by PLSR with an R2CV of 0.98 and an error of 0.9 g/100 g (low error)

Effect of Cocoa Beverage and Dark Chocolate Consumption on Blood Pressure in Those with Normal and Elevated Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cocoa is a major dietary source of polyphenols, including flavanols, which have been associated with reduced blood pressure (BP). While earlier systematic reviews and meta-analyses have shown significant effects of cocoa consumption on systolic BP, limitations include small sample sizes and study heterogeneity. Questions regarding food matrix and dose of polyphenols, flavanols, or epicatechins remain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effects of ≥2 weeks of cocoa consumption as a beverage or dark chocolate in those with normal or elevated (p < 0.05, all). Compared with cocoa, chocolate lowered the weighted mean of resting systolic BP (−3.94 mmHg, 95% CI [−5.71, −2.18]) more than cocoa beverage (−1.54 mmHg, 95% CI [−3.08, 0.01]). When the daily dose of flavanols was ≥900 mg or of epicatechin ≥100 mg, the effect was greater. Future, adequately powered studies are required to determine the optimal dose for a clinically significant effect

Effect of cocoa consumption on postprandial blood pressure in older adults with untreated hypertension: A randomized crossover clinical trial

Abstract Cocoa powder is an important dietary source of flavanols that modulate elevated blood pressure (BP). This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of cocoa beverage co‐consumption with a high‐fat‐high‐salt meal (HFHSM) on postprandial systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate in older adults living with uncontrolled hypertension. The study was a randomized crossover trial and involved older adults (aged 52.50 ± 9.36 years) (n = 28) living with hypertension. Participants, following an overnight fast, consumed either an HFHSM and cocoa beverage comprising 15 g cocoa powder in 250 mL water (HFHSM + CB; intervention) or HFHSM and 250 mL water (HFHSM + W; control). Resting SBP, DBP, and the heart rate of participants were measured at baseline (−5 min and 0 min) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min following the consumption of either HFHSM + CB or HFHSM + W using an automated BP monitor. Repeated measures linear mixed model was used to compare the effect of cocoa beverage and water on postprandial outcomes over a 2‐h period. A significant reduction (−3.8 ± 0.6 mmHg, p < .05) in resting SBP was observed postprandially following the intake of the HFHSM + CB over the 120‐min period compared to the HFHSM + W. The effect was more prominent during the 90‐ and 120‐min time points of the trial duration. No significant change in the DBP and heart rate following the consumption of HFHSM + CB compared to the HFHSM + W was observed. Cocoa beverage co‐consumption with HFHSM improved postprandial SBP in older adults living with hypertension