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Food Security

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Browsing Food Security by Author "Amonsou, Eric Oscar."

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    Assessing the feasibility of making egg powder at rural community level for improved household food security.
    (2014) Mnyandu, Elizabeth.; Kolanisi, Unathi.; Siwela, Muthulisi.; Amonsou, Eric Oscar.
    Limited knowledge of egg storage and preservation methods has led to the underutilisation of eggs in rural communities, and yet if rural communities could process the eggs into powder as is commercially done, their food security could improve. Processing the eggs into egg powder by sun-drying seems an economically appropriate technology for rural communities, but could negatively impact on the quality and safety of the eggs and as such should be assessed. This study was carried out in the area of Impendle in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa to investigate the feasibility of making egg powder at rural community level. The study investigated consumer perceptions on egg consumption and use, their storage and preservation methods used on eggs locally, as well as consumer knowledge on current egg preservation technologies being used in food manufacturing industries. The results of the study indicated that rural households regarded eggs as nutritious food that forms part of the household monthly food basket. Nonetheless, egg consumption is still subjected to cultural beliefs. The study also revealed an interest in consuming indigenous eggs, but challenges such as inconsistent supply, losses associated with deterioration and predators were noted as the primary barriers. Due to these barriers the community of Impendle mainly consumes commercial eggs. The disadvantages noted with the purchasing of eggs are affordability, perishability; and limited access to egg retailers. The study further investigated the effects of sun drying and oven drying of eggs in a home setup. A sample of eggs was sun-dried and another oven-dried into powder. The microbiological quality and safety of the egg powders were assessed against an egg (control) using standard methods. Sun dried eggs had the flavour of the fresh eggs, but had a darker colour than that of fresh eggs. After 16 days, the sun dried eggs had a rancid flavour. The oven dried eggs had a cooked flavour and their colour closely resembled that of sun dried eggs. These egg powders did not show signs of physical deterioration over a period of eight weeks. Microbiological analysis results showed that the egg powders met the standards for egg quality and safety as indicated by their levels of Salmonella spp., E. coli, Coliforms, Listeria monocytogenes, and Total Plate Count. The acceptance of egg powder by the rural community was determined by sensory evaluation and focus group discussions. A 63-member consumer panel recruited from the study rural community assessed the sensory acceptability of a scrambled commercial egg powder compared to a scrambled fresh egg on 5-point facial Hedonic scale, 1= very bad; 5= very good. Focus group discussions were conducted to investigate the perceptions of the local rural community about the consumption of egg powder. Focus groups consisted of eight to 12 people drawn from the egg consumption/questionnaire survey participants. The findings showed that the participants could tell the difference between the fresh egg and egg powder in terms of colour and flavour; the flavour of the fresh egg was more acceptable to the panellists than that of the egg powder. With regard to taste, the consumers liked both eggs. Although the focus group panellists indicated that it was their first experience with egg powder as a food item, they generally had positive perceptions about it and thereby showed an eagerness and willingness to learn about egg powder and to use the egg powder technology for improving their food security. This study shows that eggs are a common and significant food source for the rural community of Impendle. However, this community faces challenges in the utilisation of eggs due to their perishability, which is confounded by their little knowledge on egg storage and preservation, and a limited access to egg retailers. The findings of this study suggest that processing eggs into powder could be a successful preservation method at rural community level, which could improve household food security. If done under hygienic conditions as in this study, the egg powder would be of acceptable microbiological quality safety for human consumption. The study was limited to a small sample of the rural community of Impendle and the study participants did not practically try the technology of processing egg into powder by sun-drying; further studies should, among other issues, address these before attempting to roll out the technology.
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    Nutritional, sensory and health-promoting properties of provitamin A-biofortified maize stiff porridges and extruded snacks.
    (2015) Beswa, Daniso.; Siwela, Muthulisi.; Dlamini, Nomusa R.; Amonsou, Eric Oscar.; Kolanisi, Unathi.
    Provitamin A-biofortified maize has been developed to contribute to the alleviation of vitamin A deficiency (VAD), which is prevalent in the sub-Saharan African region where vitamin A- deficient white maize is a leading staple. The biofortified maize is new compared to white maize and as such its grain properties, including milling, nutritional composition (save provitamin A composition) and sensory characteristics, are barely known. There is a challenge in the adoption of the biofortified maize as a food crop due to its low consumer acceptance, which necessitates more consumer studies. Furthermore, there is a need to develop high value commercial food products using provitamin A-biofortified maize to promote its wide spread utilisation and thereby enhance the vitamin A status of the population. The milling and nutritional properties of grains of 34 varieties of provitamin A-biofortified maize were assessed relative to a white variety (control/reference). The milling properties of the biofortified varieties as indicated by the milling index (69.9-112.1) and hectolitre mass (65.8-82.9 kg/hl) were better compared to 93.5 and 78.5 kg/hl of the white variety, respectively. The ash content of one biofortified maize variety PVAH 48 was comparable to that of the white variety (1.02 g/100 g), whilst five biofortified varieties showed significantly high Fe content (25.67-70.33 mg/kg) compared to the white variety (20.67 mg/kg). The protein (9.8-12.8 g/100 g) and lysine (0.16-0.37 g/100 g) content of the biofortified varieties were significantly high compared to 10.5 g/100 g and 0.21 g/100 g of the white variety, respectively. The sensory quality of stiff porridges made with provitamin A maize varieties were evaluated using descriptive analysis and the 5-point facial hedonic test by a trained panel and an untrained consumer panel, respectively. The provitamin A maize porridges were described as having a cooked maize flavour and aroma, sticky, fine with low intensity of residual grain and slight bitter aftertaste. Provitamin A carotenoid retention in the porridges was determined. Provitamin A carotenoid retention in the porridges was considerably high (91-123%). Relative to white maize porridge, the biofortified porridges were fairly acceptable, although their acceptability seemed to be reduced by their stickiness and bitter aftertaste. Leaf powder of Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus), a vegetable widely consumed by rural communities in Southern Africa and reported to have good nutritional and health-promoting properties, was used to partly replace flours of four biofortified maize varieties at 0%, 1% and 3% (w/w) and extruded into snacks. The effects of Amaranth addition on the quality and health-promoting potential of the snacks was assessed, as well as the physical and sensory quality. The physical and sensory qualities of the extruded snacks, in terms of texture and expansion, tended to decrease with increasing Amaranth concentration. However, as Amaranth concentration was increased, the levels of many nutrients (including provitamin A carotenoids and protein) as well as health-promoting potential as indicated by phenolic content (31.0-98.7 mg of GAE/g dry weight) and antioxidant activity (114.3-186.7 μmol TE/g dry weight) also increased. The less acceptable sensory attributes observed in the biofortified maize should be attenuated through the manipulation of food product formulations. Other plant materials, such as Amaranth, can be used to enhance the nutritional and health-promoting properties of provitamin A-biofortified maize foods. Provitamin A-biofortified maize seems to have a potential for use in the alleviation of VAD and the general enhancement of food and nutrition security, as well as overall wellbeing.