ABSTRACT The abundance of indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) during rainy seasons and accompanying poor storage systems leads to high post-harvest losses (PHL). These gluts in the rainy seasons are usually followed by scarcity in the dry seasons. Currently some limited preservation is employed involving boiling of ILVs and open sun drying, a practice that is inappropriate and done under unhygienic conditions. To reduce the huge losses, a cheaper, hygienic and locally adaptable preservation m...
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to assess the quality and safety of peanut butter processed by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Dar es Salaam region. Samples for peanut butter were collected randomly from 33 SMEs selected from the list provided by Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO). Production knowledge and challenges facing these SMEs were assessed using pretested structured questionnaire and checklist. Chemical composition and microbiological qualities were evaluate...
ABSTRACT Protein-energy malnutrition remains a huge problem for children in sub-Saharan Africa. Kenyan children are no exception. These children rely on cereal porridge such as finger millet (Eleusine coracana) for nutrient supply. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), a locally available nutritious legume, could be an excellent complement to lysine-deficient millet diets. Therefore, the present study aimed at innovatively improving the protein quality and sensory properties of the complementary food, ...
ABSTRACT Aflatoxin contamination of spices, namely ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves marketed in three districts of Ilala, Temeke and Kinondoni in Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania was investigated in the year 2017/18. Aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 and total aflatoxins were determined in 120 spice samples using immuno-affinity high performance liquid chromatography and post column derivatization. Fifty eight percent of the spice samples were contaminated and the mean total aflatoxins level in...
ABSTRACT Dairy losses due to spoilage microorganisms have remained high from previous studies in Kenya. Poor hygiene has been reported to be the main cause of milk contamination with these microorganisms. Antibiotic residues are also continually reported in Kenyan milk due to misuse of veterinary drugs in treating animals by unskilled personnel or farmers themselves. The aim of this study was to quantify milk losses due spoilage microorganisms and determine levels of antibiotic residues in ru...
ABSTRACT Six samples were generated by mixing the flours (AYB+ maize composite) with graded levels of defatted coconut flour (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50), sugar, salt, sorghum malt extract and water. Breakfast cereals were produced by roasting (280°C) -a dry heat treatment process to gelatinize and semi-dextrinize the starch in order to generate dry ready to eat products from blends of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa), maize (Zea mays) and defatted coconut (Cocos nuc...
ABSTRACT Flours were produced from unripe plantain fruit, okara, and Detarium microcarpum and analysed for selected properties. Plantain flours were supplemented with 5% levels of Detarium microcarpum and okara flours as dietary fiber sources and the effect on blood glucose and serum cholesterol levels of albino rats evaluated using bioassay. Plantain flour showed the highest (p
ABSTRACT Yoghurts were produced by blending reconstituted powdered cow milk (100 g of powdered cow milk (CM) : 0.5 litres of water) with 25 % and 50 % coconut milk (CCM) and a control (100 % cow milk) before fermentation. After fermentation for 16 h at room temperature, the yoghurts were subjected to two heat treatments (thermization) namely, 75 0C thermization and 80 0C thermization and a control (unthermized). The proximate, physicochemical, vitamin and microbiological quality of yoghurt s...
ABSTRACT This research project was done to investigate the influence of different methods of coffee processing on quality of the final product. The processing methods studied were wet pulping, hand pulping and eco-pulping. These processing methods vary on their modes of pulping and mucilage removal. The work was carried out using two cultivars of Kenya arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) grown in Nyeri County near Mt. Kenya. The quality parameters determined in the study included; physic-chemica...
ABSTRACT In Kenya use of exotic dairy goats in breeding programmes for smallholder production systems has become popular, but information on the milk production and nutritional quality is scarce. This research project was done to investigate the milk yield and its nutritional composition of Kenya Alpine dairy goat, Capra aegagrus hircus, for value addition. The initial work constituted assessing the dairy goat feeding practices in the study areas of Mukurweini, Kieni East and Kieni West, whe...
The main goal of this study was to determine the effect of cooking and added materials (spices and monosodium glutamate) on the chemical and microbial characteristics of two types of indomie noodles )chicken and vegetable flavoured( . The samples were the products of Sawabash factory (Soba industrial area). The samples were analyzed before and after the cooking at 100o C for 20 minutes. The obtained results of the chemical analysis of vegetable flavoured and chicken flavoured indomie ...
ABSTRACT This study addresses the design and modification of a gasoline generator to use biogas as an alternative fuel. The biogas was produced from fresh cow dung using a 10m3 fixed dome biodigester and the produced biogas scrubbed to improve its energy content per unit volume. A 1.0 kW Tigmax air-cooled gasoline generator was used for the investigation. The modification involved the fabrication and mounting of a simple external mixing chamber on the air-duct of the carburetor. A comparativ...
ABSTRACT This research was carried out to assess the physico-chemical properties, storage stability and acceptability of cured grasscutter meat (Thyronomys swinderianus) products which were smoked and packaged with different plastic films (High Density Polyethylene and Polypropylene). Live grasscutter was slaughtered, dressed, cut-up and divided into three portions. One portion was treated with a solution of 5% salt; second portion was cured with a solution containing sodium nitrite, potassi...
ABSTRACT Three banana varieties (Omini Red, Cavendish and Cooking banana) were transversely cut into 10 mm slices, pretreated in sucrose solution of 52, 60 and 68°B and maintained at 25°C for 12 hours. Both fresh and pre-osmosed banana slices were subsequently oven-dried at 60°C for 72 hours. Adsorption isotherms of fresh and preosmosed oven-dried banana slices were determined at 20 and 40°C using gravimetric–static method. Suitability of eight sorption models in describing the adsorpt...
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to develop buns (Mandazi) based on wheat and jackfruit seeds flour and assess their chemical composition, sensory profile and consumer acceptability. Samples of jackfruit seeds were obtained from Tanga, Morogoro, Coast region and Zanzibar. Seeds were sorted, washed, pre-dried, seed coat peeled, sliced, dried and milled to flour. The developed jackfruit seed j flour from each location was blended with wheat flour at different levels of substitution (10%, ...