Abstract: The issue of ensuring food and nutrition security has become a global agenda, particularly for low-income countries with high population growth rate. In Ethiopia, food insecurity and undernutrition are worsening despite numerous policies and programmes geared towards improving household calorie intake and access to nutritious foods. As a tool, understanding the major causes of food and nutrition insecurity is important for interventions. Therefore, this study was initiated to estim...
Abstract: Food insecurity is widespread in Menz Gera District. The study was intended to assess the household food insecurity situation in Menz Gera District using 150 randomly selected sample households. The Household Calorie Acquisition (HCA) was used to measure the diet quantity aspect of food insecurity, and 2200Kcal/day/AE was used as a food security line. Based on this measure the incidence, gap and severity of food insecurity were computed using the FGT poverty index and results 84.7,...
Abstract: Disgust and neophobia elicited by whole insect products, has necessitated the need to mask insect-based food products. The physico-chemical parameters, sensory acceptance, and willingness to pay (WTP) for wheat biscuits supplemented with cricket powder was evaluated. The biscuits’ color intensity correlated with the cricket inclusion levels. Spread ration of cricket-enriched-biscuits increased (1.0–1.2-folds), while the hardness and fracturability decreased (1.0–1.3-folds and...
Abstract: Edible insects reared under suitable climatic conditions are an efficient and ecological food source. However, most of the insects come from wild collection and not from farms (FAO, 2013). To establish insects as part of a sustainable food environment, collectors, farmers or small entrepreneurs need to be transformed into mini-livestock farmers, but people who eat or collect insects do not necessarily want to rear them. This paper presents four case studies from Kenya, Madagascar, ...
Abstract: This study aimed to provide information on the nutrients of the edible larval stage of Gonimbrasia cocaulti (GC) for the first time, while exploring the potential nutrient content of the pupal life stages of the domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori; BM) and the Eri silkworm (Samia Cynthia ricini; SC). The three insects were analyzed for fatty acids, minerals, proximate composition and vitamins. Among the fatty acids, linoleic, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, was approximately threefold hig...
Abstract: Currently, no data exist on the utilization of the newly described cricket species (Scapsipedus icipe) meal as additive in food products, though they have high protein (57%) with 88% total digestibility as well as a variety of essential amino acids. This article presents the first report on the effects of processing techniques and the inclusion of cricket meal (CM) on the nutrient and antinutrient properties of four porridge products compared to a popularly consumed commercial porr...
Abstract: Globally, there is growing interest to integrate cricket-based ingredients (flour) into food products to combat food and nutrition insecurity. However, there is lack of information on in-depth nutrient profile of the two cricket species (Scapsipedus icipe and Gryllus bimaculatus), which are the most widely consumed in Africa. Here we determined the nutrient composition of two cricket species and compared them with published records of key animal and plant sources. Our results revea...
Abstract: The acceptance of eco-friendly black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) as sustainable alternative protein ingredient in poultry feeds continues to gain momentum worldwide. This study evaluates the impact of BSFLM in layer chick and grower diets on the growth, carcass quality and economic returns. Mean weekly weight gain and total live weight per chick and grower varied significantly. The highest final weight gain was achieved when birds were provided diet with 25.6% BSFLM. Average da...
Abstract: Wheat bread is among stable foods that are nutritionally imbalanced, thus enrichment is crucial. We evaluated the nutritional impact of high-valued wheat bread enriched with varying levels of meat powder from hen fed diet with insect (Hermetia illucens)-based meal. Crude protein and ash in bread increased with increasing inclusion of meat powder. Limiting amino acids like lysine and threonine in enriched bread products increased by 3.0–4.5 and 1.8–3.1-folds, respectively. Omega...
Abstract: Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are extensively cultivated in sub-Saharan Africa as a cheap source of proteins, starch, dietary fiber, and excellent mineral salts and vitamins. However,beans are lost due to poor post-harvest handling and storage practices that provide insufficient protection against storage insect pests. Therefore, farmers are forced to apply insecticides more than once in a storage period to achieve protection. Excessive use of chemicals is not safe for healt...
This study assessed the storage practices of five licensed buying companies (LBC) and pests which affected the quality of stored cocoa beans in the study area. The study comprised of field survey using questionnaires. Samples of stored cocoa beans were collected for periods of 0, 2 and 4 weeks of storage. Laboratory experiments were done to check physical quality characteristics using the cut test method, insect damage, purpleness and weight loss. Insects present in beans were checked u...
In recent times, the concerns of the government of Ghana have been on the need to increase the share of locally processed cocoa by 50%. To this end, there has been efforts through campaign by Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to whip up interest amongst Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of cocoa consumption to sustain the sector which continues to export huge raw cocoa beans with minimal value addition. The concerns are whether or not cocoa consumption by farmers has the potential to contribute to t...
ABSTRACT Four varieties of cassava, namely: 91/02324, 97/4779, 98/2101 and NR87184 were processed into chips (30 x 2.0 x3.0 mm), ‘abacha shreds (0.80, 1.0, 1.6 mm thick) ‘abacha’ slices (0.5 mm x 60 mm) and gari. Part of the chips was processed into ‘abacha’ slices and gari to compare the products with those made from fresh roots. The mechanical properties of the products, the hydration kinetics of the chips and the ‘abacha’ shreds as well as the chemical, functional, rheologica...
ABSTRACT The work was carried out to determine the effectiveness of smoking and oven drying on the shelf stability and sensory characteristics of Atlantic mackerel fish fillets during storage. In the study, mackerel fish was eviscerated and cut into fillets, weighed and measured, cleaned and dipped in 75% saturated brine for 1 minute. It was smoked at a temperature of 60-70oC for 4hours. Products were then divided into four (4) batches after smoking and cooling. One batch was kept at room tem...
ABSTRACT Extracts and powders produced from the leaves of two indigenous vegetables – ‘atama’ (Heinsia crinata) and ‘uchakoro’ (Vitex doniana) were evaluated. Four groups of processes were applied on the vegetables to obtain the samples: blanching, oven drying and milling; oven drying and milling; steam blanching, wet-milling, filtration, and fermentation; fermentation, wet-milling and filtration. After, a preliminary study to evaluate the antinutritional factors at different interv...