Moringa oleifera tree is referred to as a miracle tree due to its rich source of certain macro and micro nutrients of great importance in human nutrition. The chemical composition of the different parts of the Moringa tree may vary depending on cultivar and source. M. oleifera leaf, seed and flower have found numerous applications in food. In this review we firstly summarized the present knowledge on the use of M. oleifera as a food fortificant in amala (stiff dough), ogi (maize gruel), bread, biscuits, yoghurt, cheese and in making soups. The knowledge gap in the reported research was provided and possible future applications of M. oleifera in foods as well as the need for a well-structured and planned experimental design were suggested.

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Promoting the utilization of locally available protein‐rich crops may reduce the problem of protein‐energy malnutrition. The physicochemical properties and consumer acceptance of soybean and cashew nut milk cheese analog were evaluated. Vegan milk blends were prepared by substituting soy milk with cashew nut milk at different proportions of 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. The color coordinates showed no significant differences among the samples. The percentage vegan cheese yield decreased by increasing the level of substitution. The vegan cheese analog produced with 40% cashew nut milk had the highest protein and ash but was lower in lipid. The overall acceptability of the samples decreased with increasing cashew nut milk substitution. However, sample blend with 40% cashew nut milk was preferred in terms of flavor, color, and overall acceptability. Vegan cheese analog from cashew nut and soy milk blends could be a promising value‐added product serving as an alternative protein source. Practical applications This study showed that an acceptable vegan cheese analog could be produced from the blends of soy and cashew nut milk. This cheese analog could serve as a vegetable protein source with the potential of reducing the incidence of protein‐energy malnutrition. It could also serve as a rich source of essential fatty acids.

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This study examined the physical, nutritional and antioxidant properties of popular Zimbabwean bambara groundnut landraces and the effects of different processing methods on their chemical properties. The physical, nutritional and antioxidant properties of grains of the bambara landraces differed significantly with grain type, and the processing methods investigated had varying effects on the chemical properties of the grains. Bambara had significantly lower protein content than the reference common bean. Protein and carbohydrate content of the grains increased upon dehulling, while tannin (approx. 36%), total phenolic content (approx. 83%) and antioxidant activities (approx. 18%) decreased. Roasting alone seemed to have little or no effect on the nutrient content of the grains, while sifting significantly reduced the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of all the dehulled and roasted samples. The results indicate that roasting bambara grains would be a suitable method as it is relatively more conservative of nutrients and antioxidants than the other methods investigated.

To determine the consumer awareness and acceptability of bambara groundnut as a protein source and to assess its potential for use in complementary feeding. Design: Cross-sectional study using a mixed-methods approach. Setting: The study took place at Gcumisa Clinic located at Swayimane, uMshwathi Municipality, in the UMgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal province. Subjects: Black African female outpatients attending the Gcumisa paediatric clinic participated in the consumer-awareness survey (n = 70), consumer-acceptability tests (n = 64) and focus-group discussion (n = 16). Outcome measures: Consumer awareness of bambara groundnut and consumer acceptability of pureed samples made from bambara groundnut and common dry bean (reference) were assessed using questionnaires. A focus-group discussion was also held with some of the consumer acceptability test participants. Results: The survey participants were not familiar with bambara groundnut and its preparation methods. The sensory attributes, including overall acceptability, of the brown bambara groundnut puree compared well with that of the reference. Grain colour significantly influenced overall acceptability of the bambara groundnut puree (p < 0.05). Fifty caregivers (71%) expressed willingness to use the bambara groundnut in complementary feeding if it was accessible, affordable, and beneficial to health. Conclusion: Bambara groundnut is not a familiar legume in KwaZulu-Natal and utilisation is seemingly limited due to poor market availability and knowledge of cooking methods. However, there is potential for its use as a protein source in complementary foods. An improvement in the market availability and nutrition education to highlight the nutritional benefits of bambara groundnut are required to increase utilisation.

In this study, novel cookies were prepared from cassava root fermented for 24, 48, 72 and 96 hr. The proximate composition, colour and functional properties of the flour and the chemical composition of the cookies, physical and sensory properties were assessed. Wheat flour had considerably higher protein (16.30%) than the unfermented (4.25%) and fermented cassava flour (5.51%–5.95%). The cyanide contents of flours (0.98–1.48 mg/kg) and cookies (0.41–1.29 mg/kg) are within the WHO recommended safe levels of 10 mg/kg. Cookies appearance and hardness were influenced by flour composition. Hardness of the cookies reduced with fermentation period and was substantially lower than wheat cookies. Sensory attributes of the cassava cookies were not significantly affected by fermentation generally except the aroma. Future studies are required to improve the aroma and taste of the cookies using food grade additives as panel members described the cookies from fermented cassava root as chalky. Practical applications This paper describes a novel way of producing non‐gluten cookies using flour from fermented cassava roots. The results demonstrated that cookies with superior appearance and comparable quality can be made from fermented cassava flour. This result further provides another avenue for increased utilization of cassava roots through value addition.