Fruit juice production sector is developing in Benin's major cities and appears to have both organisational and technical shortcomings. This study aimed to 1) establish the socio-professional profile of actors in the fruit juice production sector in Abomey-Calavi and Cotonou municipalities and 2) evaluate the adoption level of hygienic practices of enterprises. The methodological approach adopted in this study combined a semi-structured survey with direct observations in fifty enterprises. The statistical analysis was carried out using the R.4.0.0 software. The study revealed that fruit juice enterprises in both municipalities are mainly artisanal (90%) and located in residential areas (94%). They are therefore exposed to contamination risks from domestic and road activities. More than half of these enterprises were created less than five years ago. Three administrative types of enterprises were noted: non-structured (32%), semi-structured (34%) and structured (34%). Almost half of the enterprises belong to at least one professional association. Only a few enterprises have marketing authorization. Women predominate in the positions of director and production assistant. The majority of production managers are men. Most directors and production managers have a university education, but not necessarily in the field of food sciences. The adoption level of hygie-
Kersting’s groundnut (Macrotyloma geocarpum, Harms) is a legume crop with nutritional potential in West Africa where it is widely consumed due to its palatability. The present study investigated the physical characteristics, nutritional composition, and organoleptic properties of five Kersting’s groundnut accessions selected based on their yield performance, stability, and seed color. Physical characteristics (seed size, length, and thickness) were determined using a Vernier Caliper while a laboratory weighing scale was used to determine 100-seed weight. Protein and fat contents were analyzed using micro-Kjeldahl and Soxhlet systems, respectively. Dietary fiber content was determined using the AOAC method while carbohydrate content was determined using the method of difference. Amino acids were hydrolyzed and determined using the liquid chromatography method. Ten trained panelists participated in testing the cookability of the samples while 30 untrained panelists were involved in the acceptability test. Results showed that accessions ranged between 8.1 ± 0.1 and 9.3 ± 0.2 mm for seed length, 5.7 ± 0.4 and 6.0 ± 0.2 mm for the width, and 4.0 ± 0.0 and 4.9 ± 0.4 mm for thickness. The 100-seed weight ranged from 11.7 ± 0.8 to 16.7 ± 1.6 g. Protein, fat, and carbohydrate contents ranged from 20.5 ± 0.2 to 22.0 ± 0.2, 1.2 ± 0.0 to 2.3 ± 0.0, and 56.5 ± 0.0 to 59.4 ± 0.1 (g/100 g dw), respectively. The lowest and highest cooking times were 78 and 124 minutes, respectively. All accessions recorded good sensory acceptability (>50%) except the accession BUR 16 which was liked only by 23.3%. Overall, accession OUA had the highest protein, medium cooking time, and highest overall acceptability score (>70%), hence recommended for wide production. Future studies need to be performed on the antinutritional content of this accession and to find out the effect of cooking on the nutritional value of derived meals and starch modification.
The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.), also known as "tree of life", is widely distributed across the Coastal Zone in Benin, where its cultivation is most important. Using participatory research appraisal tools and techniques, a survey was conducted in this zone to assess the diversity of coconut ecotypes, associated endogenous knowledge and their utilization. Nineteen villages randomly selected, and comprising seven ethnic groups were surveyed. Ten different vernacular names were recorded across the study sites. The local diversity is very low. In particular, the number of ecotypes varied from 1 to 5. Moreover, recorded ecotypes were grouped in three categories including the tall ecotype known as endogenous ecotype, dwarf ecotypes known as introduced ecotypes and medium-sized ecotypes resulting from the crossing between the first two. The most important preference criteria used by producers were productivity (43%) followed by sweet taste (33%) and quantity of water (33%). Apart from being used for food, the species is also used for construction, traditional medicine, and traditional ceremonies. This study provides important information on the genetic resources of coconut palm while highlighting the socio-economic importance of the species in the Coastal Zone of Benin.
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