Food Science and Technology Research Papers/Topics

Mycotoxins and food safety in developing countries

Fungi are ubiquitous plant pathogens that are major spoilage agents of foods and feedstuffs. The infection of plants by various fungi not only results in reduction in crop yield and quality with significant economic losses but also contamination of grains with poisonous fungal secondary metabolites called mycotoxins. There is an urgent need to address the food safety and International trade issues associated with mycotoxin contamination in Nigerian consumer goods and agricultural products be...

Measures to be taken to prevent food poisoning

Food poisoning is a term applied to an acute intestinal disease acquired by the consumption of food or drinks (e.g. juice, water, wine). The toxic agents responsible for food poisoning include the following; microorganisms that occur naturally in humans, animals and/or the environment, naturally occurring toxins that occur in food naturally or produce toxins inside the food through normal biological processes. Food poisoning is often confused with food allergy and food adverse effects, which ...

Food safety implications of vended food in nigeria

Street food vending is a common feature of most cities and towns in developing countries, Aside provision of ready-made instant meals at relatively inexpensive prices, teeming urban dwellers are attached to street foods because of its gustatory attributes. Street food vending makes up the significant proportion of informal sector of the economy of most developing countries. Street foods contribute to a significant number of food poisonings due to paucity of data deficiencies in knowledge abou...

A REVIEW ON MICRONUTRIENTS DEFICIENCY IN AFRICA AND IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH

ABSTRACT Micronutrients which are nutrients that are only needed by the body in minute amounts play leading roles in the production of enzymes, hormones and other substances and also help to regulate growth activity, development and functioning of the immune and reproductive systems. MicronutrientsPace ficiency conditions are widespread among 2 billion people in developing and in developed countries. These are silent epidemics of vitamin and mineral deficiencies affecting people of all gender...

FOOD POISONING: CAUSES, RISK FACTORS AND CONTROL

ABSTRACT  Food poisoning is one of the common health problems globally especially in African countries usually due to the inability to enforce food safety principles. When disease-causing bacteria, viruses or parasites contaminate food, they can cause food- related diseases. Such a bacterium, virus or parasite is known as pathogen. Food poisoning is the diseases caused by these pathogens when a contaminated food or drink is consumed. Other contaminants include natural occurring toxins and he...

The Status Of Processing And Preservation Of Cereals In Nigeria

INTRODUCTION Of all the plant on which man has depended for his food, cereal grains are by far the most important.  Since recorded history, cereals grains are the seed by cultivated grasses that include wheat, corn, 0at, barley, rye, rice, sorghum and millet.  There are a number of reasons why cereals have been important in man’s diet.  They can be grown in areas with diverse climatic and soil conditions.  They give yield peracre (0.4ha) as compared to most other crops and once har...

OHMIC HEATING-ASSISTED EXTRACTION OF ANTHOCYANINS FROM BLACK RICE BRAN TO PREPARE A NATURAL FOOD COLOURANT

ABSTRACT Black glutinous rice bran (Oryza sativa L.) is a potential source of the dark purple anthocyanin pigments. This study investigated some quality aspects and bioactive compounds of the colourant powder obtained from rice bran extracted by ohmic heating (OHM) assisted solvent extraction. The moisture content (MC) of the bran sample investigated was adjusted to 30% and 40%. Four different levels of electric field strengths (E) of 50, 100, 150, and 200 V cm– 1 were applied. The results ...

POST MILLING EFFECT OF STORAGE ,TEMPERATURE ON BREAD BAKING QUALITY OF REFINED WHITE FLOUR,WHEAT BREAD AND THE ROLE OF FLOUR LIPIDS

1.1INTRODUCTION  The USDA issued a Dietary Guidelines recommendation on June 12th, 2005 for consumers to increase whole grain consumption. However, it is generally recognized that wheat flours containing the germ can develop problems due to lipid changes. White flour, especially soft wheat flour destined for use in cakes, increases in quality with time after harvest and milling, as indicated by a desirable drop in batter specific gravity and increase in batter viscosity, distilled water bind...

An investigation on the effect of various packaging material on the quality attributes of suya (meat)

Meat is a flesh of animals consumed for foods.  In the topics, the bulk of the meat consumed is derived from cow, sheep, cattle, pigs, camel etc.  The other aspect of a dead animal such as the offal’s (kidney, liver, intestine etc) and the skin are often consumed, but one not termed meat; which ever part of it is meat is usually consumed for its high quality protein content essential for body growth and repairs. The proportions of meat derived foods that one consumed are related to the ge...

Economic assessment of some methods adopted in yoghurt production

Yoghurt is a fermented milk product, produced with a yoghurt starter culture which is a mixed culture of streptococcus thermophilus and lactobacillus bulgaricus in a 1:1 ratio. S thermophilus enjoys a faster growth than L hulgricus.  It adds flavours and aroma to the yoghurt, though both organisms in association produces lactic acid but acetaldehyde and dimethyl propanol, the chief favour component of yoghurt is produced by L bulgaricus. TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Approval Page Dedicatio...

Process for Refining Vegetable Oil and its Food Value

Palm oil is one the commercial product of palm fruit (Elaesis Guineesis). It is derived from the fleshy messieurs of the fruit of the oil palm which contains 45 – 55% oil. Palm oil belongs to a class of food known as fat and oil, which are generally termed lipid. It is oil from plant origin.  TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Approval Page Dedication  Acknowledgement  CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION CHAPTER TWO 2.1The Oil Palm  2.2Extraction and Refining of Vegetable Oil 2.3Types and Sources of...

The effect of food packaging material on the environment

Food packaging is just one among ways of food preservation for when food is been packaged, it is set for shipment and marketing. Food Technologist who must have a good knowledge of technology materials, labour equipment, money research, engineering and management is in any food-processing establishment. Particularly, food packages purposely protect the products from environment hazards throughout the period of the shelf life. Some industries can even be instituted purposely for food packaging...

The role of packaging in food processing

The role of packaging in food processing is just one among many ways of food preservation.  As soon as food is packaged, it is set for shipment and marketing.  For many food technologists to embark on food packaging, the food technologist must have food knowledge of the technology, materials, labour equipments, capital, research, engineering and management involved in any such food processing establishment.  The package purposely protects the product from environmental hazards throughout t...

The utility potentials of some dioscorea species with particular reference to D. Rotoridata and D. Dumatorum

Yams are any of the economically useful plants belonging to the genues Diocorea; yams are also the tubers or rhizomes of these plants (Coursey 1967). The yam tuber is economically the most important part of the plant.  The structures of the tuber is variable, depending on the species, most yam tubers are cylindrical in shape; weight of individual tubers ranges from 200g – 50kg (Asiedu 1992). TABLE OF CONTENTS FRONT PAGE DEDICATION ACKNOWELDGEMENT  TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE;INTRODUCT...