BACKGROUND In Lesotho, traditional bread covers different types of dumplings prepared with cereal flour, water, salt and sourdough. This study characterized eight steamed breads prepared from wheat, maize and sorghum. Breads were prepared from both commercial and self‐milled flours according to the procedures followed in rural and urban areas of Lesotho. Descriptive sensory evaluation was conducted to profile sensory properties of the breads. Flour particle sizes, sourdough properties and bread colour, volume and texture were also characterized. RESULTS The type of cereal and milling properties of the flour used had substantial effects on the physical and sensory properties of the bread. Steamed wheat breads had greater volume, softer crumb and more bland flavour compared with sorghum and maize breads. Both sorghum and maize steamed breads prepared according to traditional Basotho procedures were characterized by low loaf volume, denser crumb, more complex and strong flavours and aroma, notably sour, musty, malty, dairy sour and fermented aroma. The texture of the non‐wheat bread types was heavy, chewy, dry, fibrous and more brittle and needed a higher compression force to deform. CONCLUSION This study provided insight on the sensory properties of steamed bread as prepared in Lesotho. Further research is needed to optimize sensory properties of the non‐wheat steamed breads by controlling the flour particle size, compositing non‐wheat flours with different levels of wheat flour, addition of protein sources and gums, altering the amount of water, improving the pre‐gelatinization process and optimizing the steaming method of cooking bread. [[ArtCopyrightmsg]]
As food markets have become more globalised, consumers have become more concerned about the origin of the foods they eat with a decreased confidence in the quality and safety of foods produced outside their local region or country. Traceability systems address this concerns and the importance of establishing a link between a product, producer and place of production has therefore gained momentum as a trend. This paper describes the product attributes that influence the decision making process of consumers towards purchasing Karoo lamb. Karoo lamb is lamb that is specifically reared in the Karoo region of South Africa and has a distinctive taste. The information used in this paper was obtained in the first phase from three focus groups that were conducted to identify the product attributes that were critical in affecting the consumers' preferences and choices regarding the product (lamb). In phase two conjoint analysis was used to measure the importance individual consumers attach to the different levels of the various product attributes and the utility they then attached based on their valuation of the complete product.Price as an extrinsic attribute was the most important factor in the decision making process of consumers when purchasing lamb. Safety and quality were also relatively important with food safety clearly an important consideration to consumers when buying meat. This is not surprising given the legacy of BSE and e-coli outbreaks that were given a lot of publicity in the press in the past. The origin attribute was however rated as of the lowest importance.Traceability can be meaningful to consumers but primarily in an indirect manner as the importance of traceability to consumers is in terms of its benefits such as safety and quality, 2 in relation to aspects that they think are important regarding food in general. In the area for meat there is a need for fast and reliable systems to enable traceability along the full supply chain to provide safe and high quality food for the consumer as the end user with respect to origin.
Lesotho is a small country (30,350 sq.km with about 2.233 million population), completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. The people of the Kingdom of Lesotho are referred to as Basotho. This study aimed to investigate the culinary practices with regard to traditional Basotho bread, thus serving as a basis for documenting an aspect of Basotho traditional food knowledge. The study was conducted in five districts of Lesotho using focus groups, each consisting of ten housewives in each district, and face-to-face interviews with 253 women respondents who completed a questionnaire related to their knowledge, preparation and consumption of traditional Basotho bread. Recipes for ten traditional Basotho breads were obtained during five focus group sessions. The survey revealed that most of the respondents (99%) prepare bread at a household level using wheat flour. A few (15%) use maize flour and sorghum flour is used by only (5%). The main preparation steps were identified as sorting, cleaning of grains, dry milling and/or wet milling, mixing ingredients, fermentation and cooking. Bread is used for household consumption and social functions, such as weddings and funerals. This paper documents the culinary practices for ten Basotho breads from maize, wheat and sorghum. Research geared to the improvement of the quality characteristics of maize and sorghum breads should be given the highest priority to encourage the use of local ingredients.
There is worldwide concern that higher education students are increasingly engaging in unhealthy eating and lifestyle practices. A total of 488 white students participated in a study aimed at investigating the current food consumption and related lifestyle patterns of students at a South African residential university. The respondents’ self‐reported weight and height was used to calculate their body mass index (BMI). Closed and open‐ended questions measured aspects of the respondents’ usual eating patterns and lifestyles. The meal patterns and composition confirmed Western‐orientated food practices, as the majority consumed three meals a day, with in‐between meal snacking, and a different meal pattern over weekends. Respondents’ food intake was further characterized by a low intake of fruit, vegetables, and dairy products and frequent consumption of foods high in fat, sugar, and sodium. Although the majority (66.8%) of the study group were classified as normal weight according to their BMI, when comparing males and females, more males than females were overweight and obese. Only 54% of the males had a normal weight compared to 82% of the females. There was, however, no statistically significant difference (p = 0.149) between how males and females in the different BMI groups felt about their weight. The study also explored the relationships between the respondents’ BMI, gender, food consumption patterns, and type of residence. The features of the food consumption patterns were depicted according to whether breakfast was eaten or not; snacking activity between meals; the consumption of ready‐prepared convenience meals, fast foods; home‐cooked meals; and eating out. There were no statistical significant differences between the BMI categories of males and females regarding their habit to eat breakfast or not; and to snack between meals either during the morning, in the afternoon or after supper. Similarly, no statistical significant differences were noted when relating the BMI categories of the gender groups to the frequency of consumption of ready‐prepared, convenience type meals, fast foods, and home‐cooked meals. However, a statistical significant difference (p‐value 0.006) was found between BMI categories per gender and general frequency of eating out. No statistical differences was noted between BMI categories, gender and place of residence irrespective of the type, whether the student lived with parents, independently in a flat or apartment, or a house with friends or a room, or in a university residence.
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