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Effects of Vacuum Packaging and Chilling Storage on the Microbiological Changes of the Superheated Steam Dried Sardines
No full textFish are important sources of protein and micronutrients for combating malnutrition. Since fish are highly perishable, methods for processing and preserving them should be the main focus to increase their shelf life and maintain their quality. The present study assessed the effectiveness of the superheated steam dryer (SSD) in processing sardines, and examined the effects of packaging and storage conditions on their microbiological quality. Sardines collected from the Mafia Island were dried in SSD, air-packed and stored at room temperature (AR), air-packed and stored at chilling temperature (AC), vacuum-packed and stored at room temperature (VR), and vacuum-packed and stored at chilling temperature (VC) for 49 days. Following drying, the total viable bacterial counts (TVBC) and total yeast and mould counts (TYMC) both decreased from the initial values of 9.14 (TVBC) and 2 (TYMC) log CFU/g in the fresh samples to 0.00 log CFU/g. The AR samples had the highest microbial growths during storage (7.48 (TVBC) and 2.82 (TYMC) log CFU/g), whereas the VC samples had the lowest (1.79 (TVBC) and 1.42 (TYMC) log CFU/g). The AR treatment was rejected within 21 days, whereas the AC, VR, and VC treatments prolonged the sardines’ shelf life throughout the storage time.
Keywords: Superheated steam dryer, sardine, microbial analysis, vacuum packaging, chilling storag
Factors influencing women’s acceptance of palm weevil larvae for consumption in peri-urban communities in the Ashanti region, Ghana
No full textFor Ghanaian women of reproductive age (WRA), anemia remains a pressing issue. Currently, at the global level, anemia affects 35% of this population according to the most recent “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” report. In Ghana, anemia is mostly associated with iron deficiency and, if left untreated, could result in several adverse outcomes including severe fatigue and exhaustion resulting in decreased work productivity, neurocognitive impairment, and complications with chronic kidney disease. Various strategies can effectively reduce iron-deficiency anemia at the population level, including food fortification, supplementation, and dietary improvement. Unfortunately, these have failed to reach Ghanaian women adequately and equitably, resulting in many not meeting their nutritional needs. As an alternative strategy to curtail iron deficiency, edible insects, such as palm weevil larvae, have been suggested for their nutritional benefits, cost-effective rearing, and yearly availability. As such, popularizing their consumption could present an opportunity to improve WRA’s iron status in Ghana. To assess the feasibility of this strategy, formative research is needed to examine local attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs associated with the consumption of palm weevil larvae. Formative research was conducted in five peri-urban communities in the Ashanti region of Ghana that were purposefully selected for the study. These communities were separated into two clusters based on their access to palm trees. The analysis was based on 12 focus group discussions conducted with 121 female respondents, at which point data saturation was reached. Thematic analysis was used to examine the facilitators and barriers to palm weevil larvae consumption as well as WRA’s general knowledge of nutrition and anemia. Women generally had favorable perceptions of palm weevil larvae as a nutritious food in its raw, frozen, and processed forms, and were eager to be involved in its value chain. The factors positively influencing the acceptance of palm weevil larvae were its perceived nutritional and health benefits, and its taste. The main barriers to its consumption in all communities were its scarcity, difficult and inconsistent access, and fear of unauthenticity and unsafety. Finally, despite women’s general awareness of the importance of iron, persistent misinformation by health-professionals undermined their perceived seriousness of iron-deficiency anemia. Women’s clear interest in palm weevil larvae is encouraging for the community-based domestication of palm weevil larvae. Future studies should examine the feasibility and logistical requirements of such a strategy and its impact on increasing the consumption of palm weevil larvae
Drivers of anaemia reduction among women of reproductive age in the Eastern and Upper West regions of Ghana: a secondary data analysis of the Ghana demographic and health surveys
No full textAnaemia among women of reproductive age (WRA) increases the risk of pregnancy-related morbidity, mortality, and poor pregnancy outcomes. Globally, there is growing interest to reduce anaemia among WRA. In Ghana, anaemia among WRA declined at the national level between 2008 (59%) and 2014 (42%). There were also important declines at the sub-national level. The Eastern region (in the south) and Upper West region (in the north) provide an interesting opportunity to understand the decline. Identifying the drivers of anaemia reduction among WRA in Ghana provides important implementation science evidence for designing effective interventions. This current study examined the drivers of reduced anaemia prevalence in women of reproductive age using data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys for 2008 and 2014. Anaemia was diagnosed as aemoglobin<12.0g/dl. Data were summarized using proportions and 95% confidence intervals. A weighted binary logistic-based multivariate decomposition technique was used to identify the potential drivers of anaemia across surveys for 2003, 2008 and 2014. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to test the robustness of the results of the decomposition analysis using haemoglobin concentration. The results of the decomposition analysis were presented as endowment and coefficient effects. Statistical analysis was carried out using Stata version 15. There was an improvement in access to water and sanitation, health services, family planning, and health insurance across surveys. Drivers of anaemia reduction over time at the national level included wealth index and maternal age, education, use of hormonal contraception and body mass index (BMI). In the Eastern region, the drivers of change were household wealth index, maternal age, hormonal contraceptive use and BMI. The drivers of change in the Upper West region, were household access to water, maternal education and BMI. The findings suggest that multi-level interventions are needed across sectors to further reduce anaemia among WRA
Anti-inflammatory and nephroprotective influence of virgin coconut oil on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in nondiabetic and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
No full textGentamicin is an effective antibiotic against severe infections, but a major downside is its nephrotoxic effects. Virgin coconut oil has potential antidiabetic effects, but there has been no study on its potential role in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in streptozotocin -induced diabetic rats. Thus, the aim of the current study is to explore the anti-inflammatory and nephroprotective effects of virgin coconut oil on non-diabetic and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. A total of 48 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into eight groups (n=6), including non-diabetic groups (groups 1-4) and streptozotocin-induced diabetic groups (groups 5-8). Groups 1 and 5 received a normal diet, groups 2 and 6 were fed a normal diet + gentamicin at 100 mg/kg/day for the last 10 days of the study period, groups 3 and 7 were treated with 10 ml/kg/day of virgin coconut oil for four weeks, and groups 4 and 8 were given gentamicin for the last 10 days of the study period plus virgin coconut oil for four weeks at the same doses mentioned. Gentamicin adminstaration caused oxidative stress, and led to antioxidant defense depression which was confirmed by elevated kidney Malondialdehyde (MDA) (4.53, 5.62) and reduced renal antioxidant enzymes including renal superoxide dismutase (59.82, 45.58), catalase (53.11, 37.3) and glutathione peroxidase (51.41.36.34) in non-diabetic (ND) and diabetic (D) rats, respectively. It also resulted in a significant increase of serum urea (31.72, 50.78), creatinine (2.88, 4.16), cystatin-C (13.75, 17.69), and inflammatory biomarkers interleukin-6 (IL-6) (84.01, 102.73) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (667.05, 853.05) in ND and D rats, respectively. Virgin coconut oil showed protective effects and significantly improved renal function parameters, including serum urea (17.35, 38.9), creatinine (1.69, 2.96) and cystatin-C (14.26, 15.94) for ND and D groups, respectively. Preand co-administration of virgin coconut oil exerted a remarkable protective effect against oxidative stress induced by gentamicin in normal and diabetic rats. Proinflammatory biomarkers were also improved in groups treated with virgin coconut oil. The results are promising in terms of the use of virgin coconut oil as a dietary agent in attenuating the progression of chronic renal disease, especially in the context of diabetes
Acrylamide variability and content in selected local and imported foods in Jordan
No full textAcrylamide (AC) is a processing contaminant that is formed in some heated starchy food because of Maillard reaction, which involves a reaction between the reducing sugars glucose and fructose, and the amino acid asparagine and there are concerns about its carcinogenicity. In Jordan, limited data is available on AC content in food, especially local and cultural items. Therefore, the present study aimed to estimate the AC content in selected locally produced and consumed food items in Jordan. Acrylamide concentration in 91 selected food items was measured using ELISA kit. In general, the levels of AC in 67% of all food items were over 100 μg/ kg, where AC concentration ranged from 24 – 3403 μg/ kg. Within the bread and bakery products, the highest AC concentration was found in unsweetened Arabic rusk products (kirshalah) (268 ± 36.6μg/ kg). In the snack and fast- food groups, the highest mean level was in potato chips (1339 ± 1175 μg/ kg) followed by fried potato (498 ± 90.5 μg/kg). Falafel was found to contain (106 ± 21.1 μg/kg). The concentration of AC in traditional Arabic baked sweets such as kunafeh, baqlawah and haresah had levels of 198 ± 3.5, 101 ± 14.8 and 96 ± 8.5 μg/ kg, respectively. The current study provided a base-line data on AC concentration in some Jordanian foods and selected imported snacks. A considerable variation in AC content within each type of locally produced food items was found. The highest AC concentration among the selected local and imported food items in Jordan was in potato products (chips and French fries), followed by biscuits and kirshalleh. Acrylamide monitoring in targeted processed foods should be implemented. Furthermore, an effort needs to be made at national and industrial levels to improve the accuracy and precision of estimated dietary AC intake among different age groups in Jordan. 
Evaluation of the nutritional quality of complementary food formulated from locally available grains and Moringa stenopetala in southern Ethiopia
Get PDFMoringa stenopetala is an indigenous multipurpose tree grown in the back yard and crop lands with nutritional and medicinal value. This study aimed to produce M. stenopetala leaf powder supplementation on the macro and micronutrient nutritive values of maize–soybean–chickpea and sorghums– soybean–chickpea food formulations for use as a complementary food for infants and young children. The dried leaves of M. stenopetala and grains were ground and sieved to appropriate particle size. Proportions of grain flour and M. stenopetala leaf powder admixed in the formulations were determined using Nutri-Survey-Linear-Programming Software. Fourteen formulations were made from unprocessed and processed grains supplemented with 5% and 10% M. stenopetala leaf powder. A preferred ratio was selected based on the nutritional value (energy and protein) and sensory evaluation while using two unfortified formulations as control. Food analysis was performed with standard methods. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Turkey test was conducted to investigate the mean difference of nutritional values and sensory evaluation among different formulations. The crude protein and ash contents of the diets increased significantly with M. stenopetala leaf fortification and energy content. There was a significant decrease in carbohydrate content in the formulation of 10 and 12 compared to the controls as the percentage level of M. stenopetala leaf powder supplementation increased. This could be due to substitution effect of M. stenopetala as evidenced by the nutritional composition of the individual ingredients. The fat content of the formulation 10 and 12 that were selected by sensory evaluation was relatively higher (10.6%) than the control blend (9.85%) but not statistically significant, which fulfills the recommended dietary allowance by FAO/WHO. The product development study showed that the addition of M. stenopetala leaf powder to locally available food ingredients such as sorghum/maize, soybean and chickpea enhances nutrient value, such as energy, ash, protein, potassium and fat contents. Therefore, blending M. stenopetala with locally available food crops could be an option to mitigate protein– energy malnutrition (PEM) and micronutrient deficiency by improving traditionally used staple foods. 
Socioeconomic determinants of the creation of farm business by youth in North-western Benin
Get PDFThe high potentials of the agricultural sector in terms of income and jobs in Benin contrasts with unemployment among youth. Thus, this study investigated the socioeconomic factors determining the creation of farm business by youth in the northwest of Benin. Based on a random sample of 198 young farmers and with the criteria of labor and market dependence, a typology of the farms was made. Then, an analysis of the determinants of farm business creation was carried out by using a logistic regression model. The results showed that there are four types of farms in the study area, namely: modern farm business, family farm business, modern family farm and peasant family farm. Whereas “family farm business” is characterized by both a dominance of market dependence and a family labor, the most developed form, the “modern family farm,” is characterized by both a dominance of self- consumption and a hired labor, adopted by few. Based on the market dependence criterion only, those four farming types were re-grouped into two main types: family farm and farm business. Whereas family farm is characterized by a dominance of self-consumption, farm business is market-oriented. From this typology, it emerged that there are more farmers with basic education and basic training in agriculture, belonging to an agricultural association and having land ownership in farm businesses than in family farms. The results also showed that professional training in agriculture and land ownership positively influenced the creation of farm business, whereas, savings, number of family agricultural workers and contact with agricultural extension services negatively influenced it. This suggests that making credit more attractive and developing a new type of coaching to support young entrepreneurs would be more favorable to the emergence of farm businesses. Integrating these results could help to improve the orientation of policies and projects devoted to promoting agricultural entrepreneurship among youth in Benin. 
Validation of growth zone formation in Oreochromis mossambicus otoliths collected from an irrigation pond in the Sundays River Valley, Eastern Cape, South Africa
No full textIn fisheries science, life-history trait information is widely used to estimate fish population recruitment, growth, and mortality. The aging and growth of Oreochromis mossambicus from the Sundays River Valley irrigation pond in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa were determined using otoliths. Mark recapture of chemically-tagged wild fish was used to confirm the periodicity of growth zone creation. A total of 150 specimens of O. mossambicus were obtained using a combination of seine and fyke nets. Female total lengths (Lt ) ranged from 20 to 340 mm, while male Lt ranged from 82 to 374 mm. Growth zone deposition rates of wild O. mossambicus otoliths fluorochrome-marked with oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) and recaptured after one year was consistent with the deposition of one growth increment annually. According to the three-parameter von Bertalanffy model, growth was described using different coefficients for females and males, respectively. The maximum age estimate for both females and males was 12 years. Oreochromis mossambicus in this warm temperate pond had relatively long life spans compared to subtropical populations, which suggest likely long- term population persistence within cooler, novel environments.  
Vanden vos Reynaerde se transformasie tot Reinaard die Jakkals
Get PDFThe legacy of the Middle Dutch epic Vanden vos Reynaerde and the many ways in which we still see traces of Reynaert the fox and his companion, Iesegrim the wolf, in Afrikaans, are discussed in this article. The indestructible fox gets a second life under the Southern Cross, perhaps most notably in the many tales about Jackal and Wolf which are well known as part of a shared oral heritage by white and Khoi speakers of Afrikaans. Our focus is not these stories, however, but rather the following question: does the Reynaert of the epic indeed live on in Afrikaans literature? We argue that the epic itself and its literary heritage has not received as much attention as did the stories of the sly jackal and the gullible, even dimwitted, wolf. These extremely short stories do not exhibit the carefully planned structure, sharp social commentary and ruthless exposing of human weaknesses as does the epic. In our opinion, the only text in which the medieval epic itself functions as intertext, is in the brilliant adaptation by Eitemal. Eitemal created a story which is in many ways so different from the Dutch Reinaert, that it truly is a story written on African soil. In the Eitemal text, the sly fox becomes a typical Afrikaans crook—and what’s more, he is a villain who is not foreign to modern readers due to his essentially human character. In Reinaard die Jakkals the intrepid, extremely cruel but also clever fox lives on. 
