Influence of fermentation and cowpea steaming on some quality characteristics of maize-cowpea blends

Fermentation and cowpea steaming can be used to improve the protein quality and quantity of fermented maize dough. In the production of maize-cowpea blends, it is important that the quality characteristics are evaluated to determine their functionality in the products. A 5x4x2x2factorial experiment with cowpea level, fermentation time, cowpea steaming time and fermentation method as the variable was performed. The cowpeas were dehulled, steamed, dried at 65EC for 24 hours and milled into flours. Maize was soaked in water (18 hours), drained and milled into flour. The maize-cowpea blends were made into a 50% moisture dough, fermented for the specified periods, dried at 65EC and milled into flour. Samples were evaluated for pH, titratable acidity, water absorption and sugars. The pH and titratable acidity of the samples were affected by fermentation time, steaming time, and the levels of cowpeas in the blend. Cowpeas was the main source of glucose/galactose.Fermentation caused a reduction in stacchyose and glucose/galactose. The mixing of cowpea flour with fermented maize dough prior to drying (single component fermentation) gave similar effects on sugar concentrations as detected in the co-fermented samples (multi-component fermentation).Fermentation and steamed cowpea fortification can be used to produce high protein fermented cereal foods with reduced anti-nutritional factors

Effects of cowpea fortification and the level of ripeness of plantain on the nutritive value of plantain based snack foods

To investigate effects of cowpea addition and level of ripeness of plantain on the nutritional and sensory characteristics of Kaklo and Ofam in Ghana, A 2X4 factorial experiment with firm and soft ripe plantain and cowpea fortification of 0, 10, 20 and 30% was designed. The proximate composition and acceptability of products using a 7-point hedonic scale were evaluated. With the addition of 30% cowpea, the protein content of the Kaklo from the firm ripe and soft ripe plantain increased from 2.92% to 7.32% and 3.65% to 8.05% respectively, whilst the protein of the Ofam from the firm and soft ripe plantain also increased from 3.80% to 8.45% and 3.75% to 8.15% respectively. The 10% fortified Kaklo and Ofam werethe most acceptable. The cowpea addition significantly affected the nutritional value of the Kaklo and Ofam. To obtain an acceptable cowpea fortified plantain-based snack, the fortification should be done at10%

Adolescent self-harm in Ghana: a qualitative interview-based study of first-hand accounts

Background: Recent prevalence studies suggest that self-harm among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa is as common as it is in high income countries. However, very few qualitative studies exploring first-person accounts of adolescent self-harm are available from sub-Saharan Africa. We sought to explore the experiences and first-person perspectives of Ghanaian adolescents reporting self-harm - for deeper reflections on the interpretive repertoires available in their cultural context for making sense of self-harm in adolescents. Methods: Guided by a semi-structured interview protocol, we interviewed one-to-one 36 adolescents (24 in-school adolescents and 12 street-connected adolescents) on their experiences of self-harm. We applied experiential thematic analysis to the data. Results: Adolescents’ description of the background to their self-harm identified powerlessness in the family context and unwanted adultification in the family as key factors leading up to self-harm among both in-school and street-connected adolescents. Adolescents’ explanatory accounts identified the contradictory role of adultification as a protective factor against self-harm among street-connected adolescents. Self-harm among in-school adolescents was identified as a means of “enactment of tabooed emotions and contestations”, as a “selfish act and social injury”, as “religious transgression”, while it was also seen as improving social relations. Conclusions: The first-person accounts of adolescents in this study implicate familial relational problems and interpersonal difficulties as proximally leading to self-harm in adolescents. Self-harm in adolescents is interpreted as an understandable response, and as a strong communicative signal in response to powerlessness and family relationship difficulties. These findings need to be taken into consideration in the planning of services in Ghana and are likely to be generalisable to many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa

The influence of information about organic production and fair trade on preferences for and perception of pineapple

The influence of information about organic production and fair trade on hedonic and analytic judgments of pineapple was studied in British (n = 44) and Dutch (n = 51) subjects. The subjects received pineapple pieces of three regularly grown varieties, in which information about organic production and fair trade was systematically varied. Taken over all subjects, organic or fair trade information did not seem to have much influence on liking or on perception. Although they seemed to positively affect liking when presented alone, in combination, they did not. When subjects were grouped according to their ¿ indirectly measured ¿ affective attitudes towards organic or fair trade products by means of conjoint analysis, perception differed as a result of the information provided. Subjects with a positive attitude towards organic or fair trade information perceived the products to have an overall stronger sensory impact in the presence of such information than its in absence, whereas the opposite was true for subjects with a negative attitude towards organic or fair trade information. When the subjects are considered as a uniform group, the individual differences indicating different outcome of underlying cognitive processes cannot be revealed

Effets De L&Apos;Enrichissement Avec Du Ni�B�, La M�Thode De D�Shydratation Et La Dur�E De Conservation Sur Certaines Caract�Ristiques Qualitatives Des Aliments De Sevrage Traditionnels à Base De Ma�S

Fortification of cereal-based traditional foods with legume protein can improve their nutritional value. It is, however, important to find out the extent to which the addition of cowpea affects the desirable quality characteristics of traditional weaning foods prepared from fermented maize and also to assess the effect of dehydration method and storage time on the chemical, physico-chemical and functional properties of the products. A 3 x 2 x 4 factorial experiment with cowpea level, drying method and storage time as the respective variables was done. The traditional weaning food was prepared by steeping maize in water for 24 hours, mixed with cowpea and co-milled into a meal. A 50%-moisture dough was made with the addition of water and fermented for 24 hours. The product was dried using solar drier (40-60 °C for 72 hours) and oven drier (60 °C for 8 hours), and packaged in polypropylene bags prior to the analysis. Proximate analysis, pH, titratable acidity, fat acidity, water absorption and cooked paste viscosity were monitored over six months under tropical ambient conditions (28 °C, RH 85-100%). Cowpea addition caused only minimal changes in the studied indices with the exception of protein content, which increased from 10.54-14.34% and 10.71-14.42% with 20% cowpea level, respectively, for the solar and oven-dried products. Likewise, no major changes in proximate composition were detected during storage. The product pH and fat acidity increased with concomitant decreases in titratable acidity in the stored samples. The pH levels increased from 4.67 - 5.18 and 4.13 - 4.71, respectively, in the solar-dried and oven-dried products within the six months storage period whilst titratable acidity levels decreased slightly during storage of the product. The cowpea level, drying method and storage time showed comparable variations on the cooked paste characteristics measured. The application of cowpea fortification and dehydration to traditional weaning foods is, therefore, a viable option of promoting the nutritional qualities of traditional weaning foods with prolonged shelf life stability.L'enrichissement des aliments traditionnels à base de céréales par adjonction de protéines végétales (légumineuses) est susceptible d'améliorer leur valeur nutritionnelle. Cependant, il est essentiel de connaître l'étendue des effets de l'adjonction du niébé sur les caractéristiques qualitatives souhaitables des aliments traditionnels de sevrage préparés à partir du maïs fermenté. Il est également important d'évaluer l'incidence que la méthode de déshydratation et la durée de conservation ont sur les propriétés chimiques, physico-chimiques et fonctionnelles des produits. Une expérience factorielle 3 x 2 x 4 a été faite avec comme variables respectifs la concentration de niébé, la méthode de déshydratation et la durée de conservation. L'aliment de sevrage traditionnel a été préparé de la manière suivante : on a laissé tremper du maïs dans l'eau pendant 24 heures, ensuite ce maïs a été mélangé aux niébés. Ce mélange a été broyé et réduit en farine. L'adjonction d'eau à cette farine a donné une pâte moelleuse (50% d'humidité) qu'on a laissée fermenter pendant 24 heures. Le produit a été séché en utilisant le séchoir solaire (40-60 °C pendant 72 heures) et dans un four de séchage (60 °C pendant 8 heures), et emballé dans des sachets en polypropylène avant d'être analysé. L'analyse de la composition, le pH, l'acidité titrable, l'acidité grasse, l'absorption de l'eau et la viscosité de la pâte cuite ont été suivis sur une période de six (6) mois dans les conditions tropicales ambiantes (28 °C, RH 85-100%). L'adjonction de niébé n'a pas causé de changements importants dans les indices étudiés, à l'exception de la teneur en protéines. Celle-ci a augmenté car elle est passée de 10,54 à 14,34% et de 10,71 à 14,42% avec une concentration de niébé de 20% respectivement pour les produits soumis au séchage solaire et ceux dont le séchage a été effectué au four. Il en est de même pour la composition globale : aucun changement important n'a été détecté pendant la conservation. Le pH du produit et l'acidité de la matière grasse ont augmenté tandis que le taux d'acidité titrable a diminué dans les échantillons conservés. Les concentrations du pH ont augmenté : elles sont passées de 4,67 à 5,18 et de 4,13 à 4,71 respectivement pour les produits séchés au soleil et ceux séchés au four pendant une période de six mois, tandis que les taux d'acidité titrable ont légèrement diminué pendant la conservation des produits. La concentration de niébé, la méthode de déshydratation et le temps de conservation ont montré des variations comparables sur les caractéristiques de la pâte cuite qui ont été mesurées. L'application de l'enrichissement avec du niébé et la méthode de déshydratation aux aliments de sevrage traditionnels est donc une option viable pour la promotion des qualités nutritionnelles des aliments de sevrage traditionnels conservés pendant une longue période