Flour of five new varieties of improved certified pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were evaluate... more Flour of five new varieties of improved certified pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were evaluated for their physicochemical, functional properties and performance in bread products. The formulated breads were evaluated by 50 untrained panellists. The flours had colour values of L*(60.0 to 70.4), a* (+0.3 to +1.1) and b*(+4.3 to +10.5), low mean water solubility (3.8 ± 0.1) and swelling properties (4.5 ± 0.1) but high water binding capacity (121.4 ± 2.1). SAR002 (Naaad Kohblug) had the highest protein (11.1%), fibre (1.3%), ash (1.2%) and lower fat (3.6%). SAR001 (Kaanati) had the highest fat (4.3%) and ash (1.5%) but the lowest protein (7.9%). The bread showed no interactive effect (p > 0.05) between variety and replacement level with millet flour. Rather, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed for the two factors. Increasing proportions of millet flour in the composite flour resulted in a decrease in attribute and acceptability scores of bread. A mean score of 6.4 (slightly like) was obtained for attribute rating and acceptability of bread to 20% proportion of millet flour. Bread produced from SAR001 was the most accepted.
This study determines the most suitable cassava variety and an acceptable maximum substitution le... more This study determines the most suitable cassava variety and an acceptable maximum substitution level of wheat flour with cassava flour for bread production in terms of baking and organoleptic characteristics using three varieties of cassava. High Quality Cassava Flour produced from three cassava varieties (Afisiafi, Bankye hemmaa and Doku duade) was used together with wheat in composite at 10%, 20% and 30% substitution levels. Bread samples were baked from the resulting composites and examined for its specific volume, density and hardness. The products were also subjected to sensory analysis for appearance, taste, texture and overall acceptability by a semi-trained panel of consumers. Increasing proportion of cassava flour in the composite bread reduced bread specific volume and increased density and hardness. Increasing the content of cassava in the composite resulted in bread that was less springy and difficult to chew. Springiness of bread substituted with 10% and 20% cassava flour compared well with the control, while those with 30% cassava were significantly less springy than the control. A substitution level of 10% Afisiafi and 20 % Bankye hemmaa cassava flour in composite bread on overall acceptable was similar to 100% wheat bread and therefore has the most suitable potential to replace part of wheat flour in bakery products.
World Journal of Agricultural Research, Jan 23, 2015
Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are an important economic crop in Ghana. The formation of buds and subseque... more Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are an important economic crop in Ghana. The formation of buds and subsequent sprouting of yam tubers influences postharvest losses. Efforts to prolong dormancy and inhibit bud and sprouting are therefore laudable. Seven key yam varieties of farmers identified as Pona, Lariboko, Dente, Mutwumudoo, Serwah, Matches and Akaba in Ghana were subjected to plant extracts from cocoa pod (Theobroma cacao) potash, neem (Azachirata indica) seeds, neem (Azachirata indica) leaves, sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) leaves to inhibit bud and sprout formation. The potash extracts suppressed bud formation in Mutwumudoo, Akaba and Matches compared to Lariboko and Serwah yam varieties. In a descending order of Lariboko, Matches, Mutwumudoo, Serwah, Pona, Dente and Akaba, neem seed extracts was able to suppress bud formation and subsequent sprouting. In neem leaves treatment, suppression of bud formation was highest in Lariboko, Dente, Mutwumudoo, Akaba, Matches, Serwah and Pona in a descending order. Sweetpotato leaves suppression of bud formation was highest in Serwah, Akaba, Mutwumudoo, Dente, Matches, Lariboko and Pona as the least. The control treatment showed higher number of buds formed in all the yam varieties in a descending order of Akaba, Serwah Mutwumudoo, Lariboko, Dente, Pona and Matches as compared to all the other treatments. The four plant extracts effect on bud formation and subsequent sprouting on the seven varieties of yam was comparable (p = 0.05). The control, sweetpotato and neem leaves plant extract performed poorly as compared to the potash and neem seed extracts. Interestingly, potash was the best bet plant extract in reducing bud formation and sprouting (0.26) while sweetpotato leaves was the least (0.42) and corresponding yam varieties was Mutwumudoo followed by Matches and Akaba.
The potential for improving food quality through osmo-dehydration is tremendous but limited by qu... more The potential for improving food quality through osmo-dehydration is tremendous but limited by quantitative data and methods. A Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) approach was developed for water loss and solid gain during osmo-dehydration of apple, banana and potato taking into account the effect of temperature, concentration, time of immersion, sample size, sample type and agitation. Temperature was the most important factor influencing osmodehydration of the plant materials whereas agitation was the least. A regression coefficient of determination (R 2 = 0.886) indicating a good correlation coefficient (r = 0.941) between experimental and predicted data was identified for water loss. However, the regression coefficient of determination (R 2 = 0.305) for the solid gain did not show a good regression correlation coefficient (r = 0.552) between the experimental data and the predicted data. Prediction of water loss was more adequate than solid gain due to the variability of the pathways of water and solid diffusion into the different plant materials in favour of water loss.
Dried fruits contribute immensely to breakfast menus and snacks for most people. A wooden cabinet... more Dried fruits contribute immensely to breakfast menus and snacks for most people. A wooden cabinet dryer was fabricated and used to dry mango, pineapple and papaya to assist processors and micro-, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) gain economic advantage of dried fruits and reduce the high postharvest losses of fruits. The performance assessment of a wooden cabinet dryer was conducted to determine its effect on the weight of fruits (4.8–12.0 kg), yield (12.4–14.4%) and drying temperature (65°C) over a period of six to eight hours. Additionally, the efficiency (13.49–14.38%) of the wooden cabinet dryer was based on the full capacity load of the three fruits (40.0–50.0 kg), initial moisture content (82.60–84.20% w/b), final moisture (13.50–15.80% w/b) and drying time (10–12 h). The proximate composition of the three fruits was observed for protein (2.8–3.9 g/100g), ash (1.9–3.4 g/100g), fat (0.2–4.3 g/100g), carbohydrate (90.9–92.4 g/100g) and energy (387.5–414.0 Kcal/100g). T...
Overlapping micronutrient interventions might increase the risk of excessive micronutrient intake... more Overlapping micronutrient interventions might increase the risk of excessive micronutrient intake, with potentially adverse health effects. To evaluate how strategies currently implemented in Benin and Ghana contribute to micronutrient intake in women of reproductive age (WRA), and to assess the risk for excess intakes, scenarios of basic rural and urban diets were built, and different on-going interventions were added. We estimated micronutrient intakes for all different scenarios. Four types of intervention were included in the scenarios: fortification, biofortification, supplementation and use of locally available nutrient-rich foods. Basic diets contributed poorly to daily micronutrient intake in WRA. Fortification of oil and salt were essential to reach daily requirements for vitamin A and iodine, while fortified flour contributed less. Biofortified products could make an important contribution to the coverage of vitamin A needs, while they were not sufficient to cover the need...
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is an important vegetable used in cooking most local foods in Gh... more Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is an important vegetable used in cooking most local foods in Ghana. At the peak season of harvesting, high loses are incurred because of the absence of tomato processing facilities to store, process, and extend the shelf life of fresh tomatoes. Solar drying has been proven to be a more efficient and low-cost method of enhancing quality and adding value to tomato and other vegetables. However, there are concerns about the functionality and quality of the dried products by consumers due to the methods of drying used. In this study, a passive mixed-mode solar dryer suitable for drying tomato was adapted and used to investigate the dehydration characteristics and microbiological quality of the dried tomato. The efficiency of a passive solar dryer was evaluated and used in the processing of fresh tomato to powder. The processing involved the pretreatment of 6 mm slices of fresh Roma variety of tomato by dipping in potassium metabisulfite solution and asc...
As a cost saving drying technology, osmotic dehydration is not receiving much attention in the fo... more As a cost saving drying technology, osmotic dehydration is not receiving much attention in the food industry due to the poor understanding of the counter current flow phenomena associated with it. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the underlying principles of the counter current flow to improve industrial implementation of the technology. Osmotic dehydration experiments had been reported plant and animal materials. Minimal improvement on amount and rate of water loss and corresponding solid gain had been reported in the presence of sodium chloride and agitation especially for the first thirty minutes of osmotic dehydration. Simulation of cell membrane using artificial cell had showed that the presence of starch in food materials retards the diffusion of water. A multilinear regression (MLR) model had been developed for water loss and solid gain during osmotic dehydration of the plant and animal materials. These models took into account the effect of temperature, concent...
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) puree is an important food ingredient. The packaging material and she... more Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) puree is an important food ingredient. The packaging material and shelf-life stability of green pepper puree was studied over a period of 27 days in three temperature treatments conditions as room temperature (30±2°C), air condition temperature (20°C) and climatic chamber temperature (4°C). The green pepper puree was prepared in salt and oil in 1 and 5% concentrations pasteurised and stored in plastic and glass containers. The colour changes, pH, Total Soluble Solids (TSS) and Total Titratable Acids (TTA) were considered over the storage period. The addition of 1% salt or 5% oil to the puree caused a marked alteration in pH, TTA and colour parameters (L* a* b*) but not TSS. Over the storage period of 27 days, the pH and TTA differed significantly (p<0.05) among salt and oil purees with the latter having a higher pH and TTA. Storage condition did not influence these two indices but among packaging materials, glass showed (P<0.05) to better stabilize ...
Value-addition to Kenkey, an indigenous African fermented food, targeting the international marke... more Value-addition to Kenkey, an indigenous African fermented food, targeting the international market Methods Results and discussion •• (i) Literature review (ii Survey (iii) Review of regulatory opportunities (iv) Value chain analysis (v) Physico-chemical analysis: Proximate composition, pH, elemental analysis, mycotoxins, colour, texture, (vi) Microbiological analysis: Lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and moulds, Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, Staph. aureus, Salmonella typhymorium, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes (vi) Sensory evaluation; qualitative descriptive analysis (vii) Consumer testing: 110 Ghanaians and 90 Caucasians (viii) Re-engineering: Development of starter culture, optimization of fermentation parameters, reshaping of product, improved packaging. ENKEY is a sour dumpling made from fermented maizedough which is wrapped in leaves and cooked. The different types of kenkey include Ga-kenkey, Fanti-Kenkey, Nsiho (white kenkey), Sweet kenkey, Fomfom. Other products from fermented maize dough include Banku and Kafa. Production and consumption of kenkey is limited to Ghana in West Africa. The present work is being carried out to re-engineer kenkey for the international market.
As a cost saving drying technology, osmotic dehydration is not receiving much attention in the fo... more As a cost saving drying technology, osmotic dehydration is not receiving much attention in the food industry due to the poor understanding of the counter current flow phenomena associated with it. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the underlying principles of the counter current flow to improve industrial implementation of the technology. Osmotic dehydration experiments had been reported plant and animal materials. Minimal improvement on amount and rate of water loss and corresponding solid gain had been reported in the presence of sodium chloride and agitation especially for the first thirty minutes of osmotic dehydration. Simulation of cell membrane using artificial cell had showed that the presence of starch in food materials retards the diffusion of water. A multilinear regression (MLR) model had been developed for water loss and solid gain during osmotic dehydration of the plant and animal materials. These models took into account the effect of temperature, concent...
Ofam is a Ghanaian indigenous cakelike product made mainly from senescent plantain and local flou... more Ofam is a Ghanaian indigenous cakelike product made mainly from senescent plantain and local flours from cereal, grain and/or tuber sources. The effect of three flour types (steeped corn flour (SCF), roasted corn flour (RCF) and kokonte flour (KF)) and flour concentrations (20, 17.5, 15, 12.5 and 10%) on the physicochemical characteristics and sensory acceptability ofam was investigated. Parameters such as moisture, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), viscosity, colour and texture profile were measured using standard methods. A 50-member untrained panelist was used to conduct a sensory acceptability test using a 9-point hedonic scale. Ofam batter were characterised by high moisture content (ranging from 52.7 to 55.1%), pH (ranging from 5.4 to 5.5), TSS (ranging from 2.30 to 2.62) and a dark colouration (L-value ranging from 30.39 to 45.55). The flour type and concentration affected the viscosity of the batter which also influenced the hardness of ofam. RCF ofam was the hardest (1541.49...
The street food vending can be considered as one of the fastest growing informal business sectors... more The street food vending can be considered as one of the fastest growing informal business sectors in Ghana. However, there have been concerns with the safety of the foods sold on our street. In response to this, there have been various project studies and activities, over the last fifteen years all geared towards addressing the issues of safety of these street vended foods. One of such studies was a series of projects involving scientists, development partners, regulators and street-food vendors association from 1999 to 2005, funded by the Department for International Development of the UK government through its crop-post-harvest program. One of the main outputs of these projects was the development of nine modules for the systematic management and control of food safety for the street-food vending sector in Ghana. The nine modules developed by the project were on partnership, training of street food vendors and regulators, imp roving consumer awareness, improving street food vendor...
International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition Engineering, 2014
Taro is an important crop in Ghana. Matured freshly harvested taro was pre-treated for 2 min in h... more Taro is an important crop in Ghana. Matured freshly harvested taro was pre-treated for 2 min in hot water blanching at 100℃, 2% w/v sodium chloride, 2% w/v sodium hypochlorite, 50% v/v ethanol and distilled water as control. Pre-treatment samples were subsequently divided into two sub-groups and spread in a single layer in cardboard boxes, stored at cold room (4 - 5℃) and tropical ambient temperature conditions (28 ± 3℃). Samples were randomly selected from the two storage conditions for flour processing at period 0, 7, 14 and 21 days of storage. Reducing sugars and water activity were affected by the pretreatments. Blanched samples showed highest reducing sugar content whereas samples treated with 2% sodium chloride solution had the lowest. The highest water activity was recorded in 2% sodium chloride pre-treatments. The least water activity was observed for control samples. Both ambient and cold storage conditions did not have a significant influence on the parameters examined. Ta...
Flour of five new varieties of improved certified pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were evaluate... more Flour of five new varieties of improved certified pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were evaluated for their physicochemical, functional properties and performance in bread products. The formulated breads were evaluated by 50 untrained panellists. The flours had colour values of L*(60.0 to 70.4), a* (+0.3 to +1.1) and b*(+4.3 to +10.5), low mean water solubility (3.8 ± 0.1) and swelling properties (4.5 ± 0.1) but high water binding capacity (121.4 ± 2.1). SAR002 (Naaad Kohblug) had the highest protein (11.1%), fibre (1.3%), ash (1.2%) and lower fat (3.6%). SAR001 (Kaanati) had the highest fat (4.3%) and ash (1.5%) but the lowest protein (7.9%). The bread showed no interactive effect (p > 0.05) between variety and replacement level with millet flour. Rather, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed for the two factors. Increasing proportions of millet flour in the composite flour resulted in a decrease in attribute and acceptability scores of bread. A mean score of 6.4 ...
African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 2020
Plantain biomass value chain analysis was conducted to generate benchmark information that suppor... more Plantain biomass value chain analysis was conducted to generate benchmark information that supports reduction of postharvest losses of plantain and to identify value-added opportunities and linkages to new markets in Ghana. Specifically, this study sought to identify the actors and their roles along the plantain value chain, understand the plantain value chain activities and identify biomass value addition opportunities that will help reduce post-harvest losses of plantain. Using the value chain analysis approach a total of 309 plantain value chain actors including producers, processors, traders, caterers and consumers in the Brong Ahafo and Western regions of Ghana were interviewed. Post-harvest losses of 20% at the production, 15% at the market levels and less than 5% at the consumption level were revealed. Plantains were traded mostly in the unprocessed form and 83% farmer respondents sold plantain unprocessed. The cross-cutting constraints among the actors were inadequate credit accessibility, high transportation cost, limited processing capacities, seasonality of plantains and fluctuation in prices, marketing challenges and post-harvest losses among others. The study provides useful baseline information for new products development from the biomass along the plantain value chain.
This study was aimed at determining important sensory attributes and buying indicators of senesce... more This study was aimed at determining important sensory attributes and buying indicators of senescent plantain products (kaaklo, ofam and tatale) as a basis for developing a senescent plantain powder mix for making these products. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 437 randomly selected respondents in Kumasi, Ghana, to assess their preferences and sensory expectations for the three senescent plantain products. Respondents' buying indicators and willingness to purchase powdered mix were also evaluated. Most respondents preferred Kaaklo (70.7%). They expected senescent plantain products to be sweet, soft with a smooth mouthfeel and mild stickiness. Majority (73%) were willing to buy powdered mix, and their buying decision will be influenced by taste (4.72), appearance (4.62) and ease of preparation (4.53) of the end product. Encouraging total utilization of plantain through consumer-led product development from senescent plantain is a good step toward enhancing food sustainability.
Flour of five new varieties of improved certified pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were evaluate... more Flour of five new varieties of improved certified pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were evaluated for their physicochemical, functional properties and performance in bread products. The formulated breads were evaluated by 50 untrained panellists. The flours had colour values of L*(60.0 to 70.4), a* (+0.3 to +1.1) and b*(+4.3 to +10.5), low mean water solubility (3.8 ± 0.1) and swelling properties (4.5 ± 0.1) but high water binding capacity (121.4 ± 2.1). SAR002 (Naaad Kohblug) had the highest protein (11.1%), fibre (1.3%), ash (1.2%) and lower fat (3.6%). SAR001 (Kaanati) had the highest fat (4.3%) and ash (1.5%) but the lowest protein (7.9%). The bread showed no interactive effect (p > 0.05) between variety and replacement level with millet flour. Rather, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed for the two factors. Increasing proportions of millet flour in the composite flour resulted in a decrease in attribute and acceptability scores of bread. A mean score of 6.4 (slightly like) was obtained for attribute rating and acceptability of bread to 20% proportion of millet flour. Bread produced from SAR001 was the most accepted.
This study determines the most suitable cassava variety and an acceptable maximum substitution le... more This study determines the most suitable cassava variety and an acceptable maximum substitution level of wheat flour with cassava flour for bread production in terms of baking and organoleptic characteristics using three varieties of cassava. High Quality Cassava Flour produced from three cassava varieties (Afisiafi, Bankye hemmaa and Doku duade) was used together with wheat in composite at 10%, 20% and 30% substitution levels. Bread samples were baked from the resulting composites and examined for its specific volume, density and hardness. The products were also subjected to sensory analysis for appearance, taste, texture and overall acceptability by a semi-trained panel of consumers. Increasing proportion of cassava flour in the composite bread reduced bread specific volume and increased density and hardness. Increasing the content of cassava in the composite resulted in bread that was less springy and difficult to chew. Springiness of bread substituted with 10% and 20% cassava flour compared well with the control, while those with 30% cassava were significantly less springy than the control. A substitution level of 10% Afisiafi and 20 % Bankye hemmaa cassava flour in composite bread on overall acceptable was similar to 100% wheat bread and therefore has the most suitable potential to replace part of wheat flour in bakery products.
World Journal of Agricultural Research, Jan 23, 2015
Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are an important economic crop in Ghana. The formation of buds and subseque... more Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are an important economic crop in Ghana. The formation of buds and subsequent sprouting of yam tubers influences postharvest losses. Efforts to prolong dormancy and inhibit bud and sprouting are therefore laudable. Seven key yam varieties of farmers identified as Pona, Lariboko, Dente, Mutwumudoo, Serwah, Matches and Akaba in Ghana were subjected to plant extracts from cocoa pod (Theobroma cacao) potash, neem (Azachirata indica) seeds, neem (Azachirata indica) leaves, sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) leaves to inhibit bud and sprout formation. The potash extracts suppressed bud formation in Mutwumudoo, Akaba and Matches compared to Lariboko and Serwah yam varieties. In a descending order of Lariboko, Matches, Mutwumudoo, Serwah, Pona, Dente and Akaba, neem seed extracts was able to suppress bud formation and subsequent sprouting. In neem leaves treatment, suppression of bud formation was highest in Lariboko, Dente, Mutwumudoo, Akaba, Matches, Serwah and Pona in a descending order. Sweetpotato leaves suppression of bud formation was highest in Serwah, Akaba, Mutwumudoo, Dente, Matches, Lariboko and Pona as the least. The control treatment showed higher number of buds formed in all the yam varieties in a descending order of Akaba, Serwah Mutwumudoo, Lariboko, Dente, Pona and Matches as compared to all the other treatments. The four plant extracts effect on bud formation and subsequent sprouting on the seven varieties of yam was comparable (p = 0.05). The control, sweetpotato and neem leaves plant extract performed poorly as compared to the potash and neem seed extracts. Interestingly, potash was the best bet plant extract in reducing bud formation and sprouting (0.26) while sweetpotato leaves was the least (0.42) and corresponding yam varieties was Mutwumudoo followed by Matches and Akaba.
The potential for improving food quality through osmo-dehydration is tremendous but limited by qu... more The potential for improving food quality through osmo-dehydration is tremendous but limited by quantitative data and methods. A Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) approach was developed for water loss and solid gain during osmo-dehydration of apple, banana and potato taking into account the effect of temperature, concentration, time of immersion, sample size, sample type and agitation. Temperature was the most important factor influencing osmodehydration of the plant materials whereas agitation was the least. A regression coefficient of determination (R 2 = 0.886) indicating a good correlation coefficient (r = 0.941) between experimental and predicted data was identified for water loss. However, the regression coefficient of determination (R 2 = 0.305) for the solid gain did not show a good regression correlation coefficient (r = 0.552) between the experimental data and the predicted data. Prediction of water loss was more adequate than solid gain due to the variability of the pathways of water and solid diffusion into the different plant materials in favour of water loss.
Dried fruits contribute immensely to breakfast menus and snacks for most people. A wooden cabinet... more Dried fruits contribute immensely to breakfast menus and snacks for most people. A wooden cabinet dryer was fabricated and used to dry mango, pineapple and papaya to assist processors and micro-, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) gain economic advantage of dried fruits and reduce the high postharvest losses of fruits. The performance assessment of a wooden cabinet dryer was conducted to determine its effect on the weight of fruits (4.8–12.0 kg), yield (12.4–14.4%) and drying temperature (65°C) over a period of six to eight hours. Additionally, the efficiency (13.49–14.38%) of the wooden cabinet dryer was based on the full capacity load of the three fruits (40.0–50.0 kg), initial moisture content (82.60–84.20% w/b), final moisture (13.50–15.80% w/b) and drying time (10–12 h). The proximate composition of the three fruits was observed for protein (2.8–3.9 g/100g), ash (1.9–3.4 g/100g), fat (0.2–4.3 g/100g), carbohydrate (90.9–92.4 g/100g) and energy (387.5–414.0 Kcal/100g). T...
Overlapping micronutrient interventions might increase the risk of excessive micronutrient intake... more Overlapping micronutrient interventions might increase the risk of excessive micronutrient intake, with potentially adverse health effects. To evaluate how strategies currently implemented in Benin and Ghana contribute to micronutrient intake in women of reproductive age (WRA), and to assess the risk for excess intakes, scenarios of basic rural and urban diets were built, and different on-going interventions were added. We estimated micronutrient intakes for all different scenarios. Four types of intervention were included in the scenarios: fortification, biofortification, supplementation and use of locally available nutrient-rich foods. Basic diets contributed poorly to daily micronutrient intake in WRA. Fortification of oil and salt were essential to reach daily requirements for vitamin A and iodine, while fortified flour contributed less. Biofortified products could make an important contribution to the coverage of vitamin A needs, while they were not sufficient to cover the need...
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is an important vegetable used in cooking most local foods in Gh... more Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is an important vegetable used in cooking most local foods in Ghana. At the peak season of harvesting, high loses are incurred because of the absence of tomato processing facilities to store, process, and extend the shelf life of fresh tomatoes. Solar drying has been proven to be a more efficient and low-cost method of enhancing quality and adding value to tomato and other vegetables. However, there are concerns about the functionality and quality of the dried products by consumers due to the methods of drying used. In this study, a passive mixed-mode solar dryer suitable for drying tomato was adapted and used to investigate the dehydration characteristics and microbiological quality of the dried tomato. The efficiency of a passive solar dryer was evaluated and used in the processing of fresh tomato to powder. The processing involved the pretreatment of 6 mm slices of fresh Roma variety of tomato by dipping in potassium metabisulfite solution and asc...
As a cost saving drying technology, osmotic dehydration is not receiving much attention in the fo... more As a cost saving drying technology, osmotic dehydration is not receiving much attention in the food industry due to the poor understanding of the counter current flow phenomena associated with it. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the underlying principles of the counter current flow to improve industrial implementation of the technology. Osmotic dehydration experiments had been reported plant and animal materials. Minimal improvement on amount and rate of water loss and corresponding solid gain had been reported in the presence of sodium chloride and agitation especially for the first thirty minutes of osmotic dehydration. Simulation of cell membrane using artificial cell had showed that the presence of starch in food materials retards the diffusion of water. A multilinear regression (MLR) model had been developed for water loss and solid gain during osmotic dehydration of the plant and animal materials. These models took into account the effect of temperature, concent...
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) puree is an important food ingredient. The packaging material and she... more Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) puree is an important food ingredient. The packaging material and shelf-life stability of green pepper puree was studied over a period of 27 days in three temperature treatments conditions as room temperature (30±2°C), air condition temperature (20°C) and climatic chamber temperature (4°C). The green pepper puree was prepared in salt and oil in 1 and 5% concentrations pasteurised and stored in plastic and glass containers. The colour changes, pH, Total Soluble Solids (TSS) and Total Titratable Acids (TTA) were considered over the storage period. The addition of 1% salt or 5% oil to the puree caused a marked alteration in pH, TTA and colour parameters (L* a* b*) but not TSS. Over the storage period of 27 days, the pH and TTA differed significantly (p<0.05) among salt and oil purees with the latter having a higher pH and TTA. Storage condition did not influence these two indices but among packaging materials, glass showed (P<0.05) to better stabilize ...
Value-addition to Kenkey, an indigenous African fermented food, targeting the international marke... more Value-addition to Kenkey, an indigenous African fermented food, targeting the international market Methods Results and discussion •• (i) Literature review (ii Survey (iii) Review of regulatory opportunities (iv) Value chain analysis (v) Physico-chemical analysis: Proximate composition, pH, elemental analysis, mycotoxins, colour, texture, (vi) Microbiological analysis: Lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and moulds, Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, Staph. aureus, Salmonella typhymorium, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes (vi) Sensory evaluation; qualitative descriptive analysis (vii) Consumer testing: 110 Ghanaians and 90 Caucasians (viii) Re-engineering: Development of starter culture, optimization of fermentation parameters, reshaping of product, improved packaging. ENKEY is a sour dumpling made from fermented maizedough which is wrapped in leaves and cooked. The different types of kenkey include Ga-kenkey, Fanti-Kenkey, Nsiho (white kenkey), Sweet kenkey, Fomfom. Other products from fermented maize dough include Banku and Kafa. Production and consumption of kenkey is limited to Ghana in West Africa. The present work is being carried out to re-engineer kenkey for the international market.
As a cost saving drying technology, osmotic dehydration is not receiving much attention in the fo... more As a cost saving drying technology, osmotic dehydration is not receiving much attention in the food industry due to the poor understanding of the counter current flow phenomena associated with it. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the underlying principles of the counter current flow to improve industrial implementation of the technology. Osmotic dehydration experiments had been reported plant and animal materials. Minimal improvement on amount and rate of water loss and corresponding solid gain had been reported in the presence of sodium chloride and agitation especially for the first thirty minutes of osmotic dehydration. Simulation of cell membrane using artificial cell had showed that the presence of starch in food materials retards the diffusion of water. A multilinear regression (MLR) model had been developed for water loss and solid gain during osmotic dehydration of the plant and animal materials. These models took into account the effect of temperature, concent...
Ofam is a Ghanaian indigenous cakelike product made mainly from senescent plantain and local flou... more Ofam is a Ghanaian indigenous cakelike product made mainly from senescent plantain and local flours from cereal, grain and/or tuber sources. The effect of three flour types (steeped corn flour (SCF), roasted corn flour (RCF) and kokonte flour (KF)) and flour concentrations (20, 17.5, 15, 12.5 and 10%) on the physicochemical characteristics and sensory acceptability ofam was investigated. Parameters such as moisture, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), viscosity, colour and texture profile were measured using standard methods. A 50-member untrained panelist was used to conduct a sensory acceptability test using a 9-point hedonic scale. Ofam batter were characterised by high moisture content (ranging from 52.7 to 55.1%), pH (ranging from 5.4 to 5.5), TSS (ranging from 2.30 to 2.62) and a dark colouration (L-value ranging from 30.39 to 45.55). The flour type and concentration affected the viscosity of the batter which also influenced the hardness of ofam. RCF ofam was the hardest (1541.49...
The street food vending can be considered as one of the fastest growing informal business sectors... more The street food vending can be considered as one of the fastest growing informal business sectors in Ghana. However, there have been concerns with the safety of the foods sold on our street. In response to this, there have been various project studies and activities, over the last fifteen years all geared towards addressing the issues of safety of these street vended foods. One of such studies was a series of projects involving scientists, development partners, regulators and street-food vendors association from 1999 to 2005, funded by the Department for International Development of the UK government through its crop-post-harvest program. One of the main outputs of these projects was the development of nine modules for the systematic management and control of food safety for the street-food vending sector in Ghana. The nine modules developed by the project were on partnership, training of street food vendors and regulators, imp roving consumer awareness, improving street food vendor...
International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition Engineering, 2014
Taro is an important crop in Ghana. Matured freshly harvested taro was pre-treated for 2 min in h... more Taro is an important crop in Ghana. Matured freshly harvested taro was pre-treated for 2 min in hot water blanching at 100℃, 2% w/v sodium chloride, 2% w/v sodium hypochlorite, 50% v/v ethanol and distilled water as control. Pre-treatment samples were subsequently divided into two sub-groups and spread in a single layer in cardboard boxes, stored at cold room (4 - 5℃) and tropical ambient temperature conditions (28 ± 3℃). Samples were randomly selected from the two storage conditions for flour processing at period 0, 7, 14 and 21 days of storage. Reducing sugars and water activity were affected by the pretreatments. Blanched samples showed highest reducing sugar content whereas samples treated with 2% sodium chloride solution had the lowest. The highest water activity was recorded in 2% sodium chloride pre-treatments. The least water activity was observed for control samples. Both ambient and cold storage conditions did not have a significant influence on the parameters examined. Ta...
Flour of five new varieties of improved certified pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were evaluate... more Flour of five new varieties of improved certified pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) were evaluated for their physicochemical, functional properties and performance in bread products. The formulated breads were evaluated by 50 untrained panellists. The flours had colour values of L*(60.0 to 70.4), a* (+0.3 to +1.1) and b*(+4.3 to +10.5), low mean water solubility (3.8 ± 0.1) and swelling properties (4.5 ± 0.1) but high water binding capacity (121.4 ± 2.1). SAR002 (Naaad Kohblug) had the highest protein (11.1%), fibre (1.3%), ash (1.2%) and lower fat (3.6%). SAR001 (Kaanati) had the highest fat (4.3%) and ash (1.5%) but the lowest protein (7.9%). The bread showed no interactive effect (p > 0.05) between variety and replacement level with millet flour. Rather, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed for the two factors. Increasing proportions of millet flour in the composite flour resulted in a decrease in attribute and acceptability scores of bread. A mean score of 6.4 ...
African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 2020
Plantain biomass value chain analysis was conducted to generate benchmark information that suppor... more Plantain biomass value chain analysis was conducted to generate benchmark information that supports reduction of postharvest losses of plantain and to identify value-added opportunities and linkages to new markets in Ghana. Specifically, this study sought to identify the actors and their roles along the plantain value chain, understand the plantain value chain activities and identify biomass value addition opportunities that will help reduce post-harvest losses of plantain. Using the value chain analysis approach a total of 309 plantain value chain actors including producers, processors, traders, caterers and consumers in the Brong Ahafo and Western regions of Ghana were interviewed. Post-harvest losses of 20% at the production, 15% at the market levels and less than 5% at the consumption level were revealed. Plantains were traded mostly in the unprocessed form and 83% farmer respondents sold plantain unprocessed. The cross-cutting constraints among the actors were inadequate credit accessibility, high transportation cost, limited processing capacities, seasonality of plantains and fluctuation in prices, marketing challenges and post-harvest losses among others. The study provides useful baseline information for new products development from the biomass along the plantain value chain.
This study was aimed at determining important sensory attributes and buying indicators of senesce... more This study was aimed at determining important sensory attributes and buying indicators of senescent plantain products (kaaklo, ofam and tatale) as a basis for developing a senescent plantain powder mix for making these products. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 437 randomly selected respondents in Kumasi, Ghana, to assess their preferences and sensory expectations for the three senescent plantain products. Respondents' buying indicators and willingness to purchase powdered mix were also evaluated. Most respondents preferred Kaaklo (70.7%). They expected senescent plantain products to be sweet, soft with a smooth mouthfeel and mild stickiness. Majority (73%) were willing to buy powdered mix, and their buying decision will be influenced by taste (4.72), appearance (4.62) and ease of preparation (4.53) of the end product. Encouraging total utilization of plantain through consumer-led product development from senescent plantain is a good step toward enhancing food sustainability.
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