Production of good quality wine from single and mixture of fruit peels

Processing fruits into juices and related products generates a lot of wastes in form of peels which cause disposal problems. This paper summarizes the outcomes of a study of an alternative utilization of these wastes into wine making that could tremendously minimize financial disposal requirements. Averagely, 80kg of peels yielded 180, 144 and 72 liters of wine from pineapple, mango-pineapple mix and mango peels, respectively. In this study, three products were formulated which involved mango peels, pineapple peels and a mixture of mango and pineapple peels in the ratio of 1:2.25, respectively. The effects of initial total soluble solids (24, 26 and 2oBrix) on physical and sensory characteristics of musts and wines were examined. The results showed that during fermentation for 6 months the total soluble solids of all musts decreased to 10.1, 11.4 and 14.5oBrix, respectively while the pH was decreased from 4.5 to 3.65-3.78. The resultant wines had significantly different alcohol content at P < 0.05 in the range of (12 - 18%) by the end of the ageing period. The results of sensory evaluation showed a significant difference in terms of aroma, mouth feel and acidity ratings (P > 0.05), while color, clarity, and alcohol strength were generally similar in all the three aged wines. Samples made from mango and pineapple peels mix showed the highest overall acceptance. It was also observed that whereas this wine was made from cheap and readily available raw materials, it can be sold at relatively lower prices hence offering a competitive advantage over other local producers and economic feasibility. The Food Technology and Business Incubation Center (FTBIC) should, therefore, now aim at scaling-up production of these wines for commercialization. In order to out-compete imported brands, applying attractive flavorings and colorants to the peel wine will help in promoting the wine over the imported brands. Farmers should also be advised to eliminate or reduce fungicide and herbicide utilizations during production of pineapples since the residual agro-chemicals may greatly affect the quality of the product from the peelsKey words: Mango, pineapple, fruit peels, wastes, wine, brix, alcohol, total soluble solute

Acceptability and nutritional contribution of grain amaranth recipes in Uganda

Grain amaranth is a highly nutritious crop. It is high in proteins and its proteins are of high quality. Compared to common starchy staples, grain amaranth also contains higher levels calcium, zinc, iron as well as vitamins A, E and folic acid. Grain amaranth has also been reported to exhibit nutraceutical properties. Despite its high nutritional value and nutraceutical properties, grain amaranth consumption in Uganda is low. This study was undertaken to evaluate the acceptance of grain amaranth containing recipes and to determine their potential nutritional contribution. A 24 hourrecall was conducted on a sample of 420 respondents drawn from nine sub-counties, three from each of three districts: The results of the 24 hour recall were used to calculate nutritional quality indices. The 24 hour recall results showed low nutritional quality indices for zinc, calcium, niacin, thiamin and lipids. In addition, diets for 74% of respondents were low in iron. A total of 17 recipes containing grain amaranth and other locally produced foods were then developed with the aim of producing productswith enhanced zinc, calcium, niacin, thiamin, iron and energy content. Products prepared based on the developed recipes were subjected to  proximate analysis and sensory evaluation while the recipes were assessed by farmer groups for acceptability. All the products developed were found to be highly acceptable, all scoring .7.5 on nine point scale. The presence of grain amaranth in the products enhanced the nutrient content of most foods, when compared to the traditional recipes without grain amaranth. The most marked positive changes attributable to presence of grain amaranth in the food formulations were observed in the levels of Zn, Fe and Ca. Grain amaranth markedly enhanced the nutrient content for the starchy staple dishes which dominate diets of low income households in the communities studied. These findings show that if incorporated into locally consumed dishes, grain amaranth would fill some of the dietary nutrient gaps. The high acceptability of the products containing grain amaranth and the recipes tested showed high potential for grain amaranth adoption once the recipes are disseminated.Key words: Amaranth, dietary assessment, sensory evaluatio

On-farm evaluation of effectiveness of improved postharvest handling of maize in reducing grain losses, mold infection and aflatoxin contamination in rural Uganda

Postharvest losses remain a challenge among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. The uses of hermetic storage containers  (hermetic bags and metallic silos), tarpaulin sheet (plastic sheet) and raised racks reduce postharvest deterioration of grain. This study evaluated the effectiveness of selected improved drying and storage postharvest technologies and practices in reducing maize grain postharvest losses among smallholder farmers in Kamuli and Apac districts, Uganda. The assessed improved storage technologies were hermetic bags and metallic silos against woven polypropylene bags (common farmer practice). For drying, use of tarpaulins and raised racks were assessed against drying on bare ground (common farmer practice). Grain quality and quantity were determined at harvest as well as during drying and six months of storage using Longe 10H variety. Mean quantitative losses, mold infection and aflatoxin level of maize at harvest were 13.72 ± 5.44%, 59.01 ± 17.97% and 1.21 ± 0.7 ppb, respectively for traditional practice. Improved drying and storage technologies resulted in significantly lower (p≤0.05) losses, mold infection and aflatoxin level than the common  farmer practices. Drying on bare ground (3.04 ± 1.50%) resulted in 1.94 times and 7.07 times higher quantitative losses than drying on  tarpaulins (1.56 ± 1.09%) and raised racks (0.43 ± 0.58%). By the sixth month of storage, polypropylene bag storage resulted in 3.7 times and 84 times higher quantitative losses (23.7 ± 5.11%) than hermetic bags (6.33 ± 5.41%) and metallic silos (0.28 ± 0.22%), respectively. Polypropylene bag storage also resulted in 4.4 times and 6 times higher aflatoxin levels (45.82 ± 20.88 ppb) than hermetic bags and metallic silos, respectively. The interaction effects of type of drying technology and storage technology used on aflatoxin levels at the end of the storage period was significant. The highest mold infection and aflatoxin levels were observed when drying was done on bare ground and storage was in polypropylene bags and by the sixth month of storage, mold infection was 90.54 ± 5.48% and average aflatoxin content was 53.47 ± 22.79 ppb. Storage in metallic silos was the most effective in controlling mold infection and aflatoxin contamination, regardless of drying practice, while storage in polypropylene bags was the least effective. From the results, improved drying and storage technologies and practices were found to reduce postharvest maize losses, mold infection and aflatoxin level by over 50%. Use of raised drying racks and storage in metallic silos was found to be the most effective combination in maintaining maizequality and reducing postharvest losses. Key words: Aflatoxins, maize quality, mold infection, grain storage, postharvest losse

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF LEAST-COST STAPLE FOOD SOURCES OF NUTRIENTS IN EASTERN UGANDA

Food cost and seasonal availability are important determinants of food choice and ultimately nutrient intake. This study aimed at establishing the nutritional composition of least-cost staple food sources of nutrients in Kamuli, Buyende and Pallisa districts in eastern Uganda across the cropping seasons. The World Food Programme (WFP) Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) Market Analysis Tool guidelines were used to conduct a mini-survey to determine seasonal prices and availability of foods. Retailers (n= 268) from six markets in Kamuli, three in Buyende and six in Pallisa were interviewed. The least-cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were determined using nutrient-cost values. The nutrient composition of the least-cost foods were determined using standard methods. For the first dry season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were maize (0.052 $/1000kcal), soybeans (0.016$/10g), maize (0.070 $/10mg) and maize (0.086$/10mg), respectively. For the second dry season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were maize (0.052 $/1000kcal), soybeans (0.015$/10g), maize (0.070 $/10mg) and maize (0.086$/10mg). For the first rainy season, the least cost source of energy was sorghum (0.074 $/1000kcal), protein was groundnuts (0.019$/10g), iron was sesame (0.100 $/10mg) and zinc was sweet potatoes (0.123$/10mg), respectively. For the second rainy season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were sorghum (0.049 $/1000kcal), groundnuts (0.016$/10g), sesame (0.067 $/10mg) and sweet potatoes (0.082$/10mg), respectively. The richest sources of energy, sugars and starch, protein, fat, fibre and iron were sesame (797.2 ± 116.84 Kcal/100g), sweet potatoes (11.5 ± 1.22 and 86.8 ± 10.75 g/100g), soybeans (40.7 ± 4.58 g/100g), sesame (52.9 ± 3.82 g/100g), soybeans (7.0 ± 0.32 g/100g), groundnuts (7.0 ± 0.82 mg/g). The nutrition composition of least-cost foods in the dry seasons and rainy seasons indicates that they can be used to formulate low-cost nutrient-dense mixtures for the respective seasons

LOW-COST NUTRIENT-DENSE COMPOSITE FLOURS FOR CHILDREN AGED 1-5 YEARS DEVELOPED FROM LOCALLY AVAILABLE FOODS

Childhood malnutrition persists in low-income countries due to inadequate diet diversity and nutrient density. For seasonal crops, consumers make food substitutions based on price variations which has dietary implications and can cause episodes of nutritional deficiencies. Locally available foodstuffs can be used to formulate low-cost nutritionally adequate food mixtures. Design-Expert® and Nutrisurvey software were used to generate nutrient-dense formulations for the dry season (n=2) and wet season (n=5) from low-cost locally available foods in Eastern Uganda (sweet potatoes, sorghum, soybeans, beans, sesame, groundnuts and maize). Composite flours of the formulations were prepared and cooked following the World Food Program (WFP) recommendations and consumer acceptability determined using a consumer panel (n=43). The most acceptable formulation for the dry season (D2) and the most acceptable formulation for the wet season (R5) were selected for the determination of functional properties (dispersibility, bulk density and water absorption index (WAI) and water solubility index (WSI)), pasting properties (peak viscosity, breakdown viscosity, final viscosity, setback viscosity and peak time), color and nutrient density (energy content, sugars, starch, protein, crude fat, fiber, ash, iron and zinc). D2 contained 25.35g of sorghum, 1.31g of soybeans, 4.34g of beans, 33.11g of sesame and 35.89g of groundnuts per 100g of formulation. R5 contained 4.95g of maize, 20.98g of sorghum, 5.49g of beans, 29.39g of sesame and 39.19g of groundnuts per 100g of formulation. The nutrient densities of D2 and R5 when cooked according to WFP recommendations were also determined. D2 and R5 had high dispersibility (77.2-76.8%), low water absorption index (1.7-2.0g/g) and high water solubility index (0.2-0.3g/g). The pasting properties indicated that the formulations form stable low viscosity pastes that can withstand breakdown during cooking and have high resistance to retrogradation on cooling. Cooked D2 (100g) contained 87.2kcal, 9.5g starch, 2.3g sugars, 5.8g protein, 1.6g fat, 1.7g fiber, 2.3mg iron and 1.6mg zinc. Cooked R5 (100g) had 71.4kcal, 7.1g starch, 2.6g sugars, 4.2g protein, 0.9g fat, 1.0g fiber, 1.9mg iron and 1.4mg zinc. The cooked samples provided more than 50% of the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for children aged 1-5 years for protein and zinc per serving (200g for children aged 1-3 years and 250g for children aged 4-5 years). Adopting formulations developed in this study can potentially contribute to reducing undernutrition in children aged 1-5 years

LOW-COST NUTRIENT-DENSE COMPOSITE FLOURS FOR CHILDREN AGED 1-5 YEARS DEVELOPED FROM LOCALLY AVAILABLE FOODS

Childhood malnutrition persists in low-income countries due to inadequate diet diversity and nutrient density. For seasonal crops, consumers make food substitutions based on price variations which has dietary implications and can cause episodes of nutritional deficiencies. Locally available foodstuffs can be used to formulate low-cost nutritionally adequate food mixtures. Design-Expert® and Nutrisurvey software were used to generate nutrient-dense formulations for the dry season (n=2) and wet season (n=5) from low-cost locally available foods in Eastern Uganda (sweet potatoes, sorghum, soybeans, beans, sesame, groundnuts and maize). Composite flours of the formulations were prepared and cooked following the World Food Program (WFP) recommendations and consumer acceptability determined using a consumer panel (n=43). The most acceptable formulation for the dry season (D2) and the most acceptable formulation for the wet season (R5) were selected for the determination of functional properties (dispersibility, bulk density and water absorption index (WAI) and water solubility index (WSI)), pasting properties (peak viscosity, breakdown viscosity, final viscosity, setback viscosity and peak time), color and nutrient density (energy content, sugars, starch, protein, crude fat, fiber, ash, iron and zinc). D2 contained 25.35g of sorghum, 1.31g of soybeans, 4.34g of beans, 33.11g of sesame and 35.89g of groundnuts per 100g of formulation. R5 contained 4.95g of maize, 20.98g of sorghum, 5.49g of beans, 29.39g of sesame and 39.19g of groundnuts per 100g of formulation. The nutrient densities of D2 and R5 when cooked according to WFP recommendations were also determined. D2 and R5 had high dispersibility (77.2-76.8%), low water absorption index (1.7-2.0g/g) and high water solubility index (0.2-0.3g/g). The pasting properties indicated that the formulations form stable low viscosity pastes that can withstand breakdown during cooking and have high resistance to retrogradation on cooling. Cooked D2 (100g) contained 87.2kcal, 9.5g starch, 2.3g sugars, 5.8g protein, 1.6g fat, 1.7g fiber, 2.3mg iron and 1.6mg zinc. Cooked R5 (100g) had 71.4kcal, 7.1g starch, 2.6g sugars, 4.2g protein, 0.9g fat, 1.0g fiber, 1.9mg iron and 1.4mg zinc. The cooked samples provided more than 50% of the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for children aged 1-5 years for protein and zinc per serving (200g for children aged 1-3 years and 250g for children aged 4-5 years). Adopting formulations developed in this study can potentially contribute to reducing undernutrition in children aged 1-5 years

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF LEAST-COST STAPLE FOOD SOURCES OF NUTRIENTS IN EASTERN UGANDA

Food cost and seasonal availability are important determinants of food choice and ultimately nutrient intake. This study aimed at establishing the nutritional composition of least-cost staple food sources of nutrients in Kamuli, Buyende and Pallisa districts in eastern Uganda across the cropping seasons. The World Food Programme (WFP) Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) Market Analysis Tool guidelines were used to conduct a mini-survey to determine seasonal prices and availability of foods. Retailers (n= 268) from six markets in Kamuli, three in Buyende and six in Pallisa were interviewed. The least-cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were determined using nutrient-cost values. The nutrient composition of the least-cost foods were determined using standard methods. For the first dry season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were maize (0.052 $/1000kcal), soybeans (0.016$/10g), maize (0.070 $/10mg) and maize (0.086$/10mg), respectively. For the second dry season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were maize (0.052 $/1000kcal), soybeans (0.015$/10g), maize (0.070 $/10mg) and maize (0.086$/10mg). For the first rainy season, the least cost source of energy was sorghum (0.074 $/1000kcal), protein was groundnuts (0.019$/10g), iron was sesame (0.100 $/10mg) and zinc was sweet potatoes (0.123$/10mg), respectively. For the second rainy season, the least cost sources of energy, protein, iron and zinc were sorghum (0.049 $/1000kcal), groundnuts (0.016$/10g), sesame (0.067 $/10mg) and sweet potatoes (0.082$/10mg), respectively. The richest sources of energy, sugars and starch, protein, fat, fibre and iron were sesame (797.2 ± 116.84 Kcal/100g), sweet potatoes (11.5 ± 1.22 and 86.8 ± 10.75 g/100g), soybeans (40.7 ± 4.58 g/100g), sesame (52.9 ± 3.82 g/100g), soybeans (7.0 ± 0.32 g/100g), groundnuts (7.0 ± 0.82 mg/g). The nutrition composition of least-cost foods in the dry seasons and rainy seasons indicates that they can be used to formulate low-cost nutrient-dense mixtures for the respective seasons