Drying operations can help in reducing the moisture content of food materials for avoidance of microbial growth and deterioration, for shelf life elongation, to minimize packaging and improving storage for easy transportation. Thin-layer drying of materials is necessary to understand the fundamental transport mechanism and a prerequisite to successfully simulate or scale up the whole process for optimization or control of the operating conditions. Researchers have shown that to rely solely on experimental drying practices without mathematical considerations for the drying kinetics, can significantly affect the efficiency of dryers, increase the cost of production, and reduce the quality of the dried product. An effective model is necessary for the process design, optimization, energy integration and control; hence, the use of mathematical models in finding the drying kinetics of agricultural products is very important. The statistical criteria in use for the evaluation of the best model(s) has it that coefficient of determination (R 2 ) has to be close to unity while the rest statistical measures will have values tending to zero. In this work, the essence of drying using thin-layer, general approaches to modeling for food drying mechanisms thin layer drying models and optimization of the drying processes have been discussed.

Composite flours are used for bakery products to improve the nutritional value and reduce the reliance on wheat importation. The present study was aimed at assessing the effect of supplementing whole wheat flour with acha and red kidney bean flours on the physical properties, proximate composition, mineral and sensory characteristics of biscuits made from the blends. Blend ratios used were 100:00:00 (T1, control sample), 75:25:00 (T2), 75:00:25 (T3) and 50:25:25 (T4) (whole wheat: acha: kidney bean flour). The result showed that all the parameters varied with the composition of flours in the blends. The biscuit weight, diameter, thickness and spread ratio ranged from 16.32 to 19.08g, 4.02 to 4.40cm, 0.69 to 0.78cm and 5.33 to 6.38 respectively. Incorporation of kidney bean flour in the blends led to the reduction in spread ratio of the biscuit. The protein, fat, ash, crude fibre and carbohydrate contents in the biscuits ranged from 11.73 to 15.20%, 16.34 to 17.95%, 1.52%, to 1.73%, 1.65 to 1.80% and 63.36 to 68.70% respectively. Samples T3 and T4 with kidney bean flour incorporation had higher protein, dietary fibre and lower carbohydrate contents than samples T1 and T2 with no kidney bean flour incorporation. The calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc contents ranged from 36.14 – 45.72mg/100g, 105.40 – 128.72mg/100g, 29.60 – 46.81mg/100g, 3.89 – 5.12mg/100g and 2.01 –3.51mg/100g respectively. Incorporation of kidney bean flour enhanced the calcium, magnesium and iron contents in the biscuits. Sensory mean score values showed that samples T3 and T4 were the most preferred samples in terms of overall acceptability as their values were not significantly (p>0.05) difference from each other. It is evident from the study that acceptable biscuits of improved nutritional value and high dietary fibre content could be produced from whole wheat flour supplemented with acha and kidney beans flours. This will increase the utilization of these locally grown crops and reduce wheat importation into the country. The high fibre biscuit will also possess several health benefits.

Unripe plantain flour was incorporated into whole meal wheat flour at 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% levels to evaluate the effect on some functional properties of the flour and nutrient composition, physical and organoleptic qualities of bread samples produced from the composite flours. A control (100% wholemeal wheat flour) was used for comparison. Water absorption capacity and swelling capacity of the flour increased while the bulk density and oil absorption capacity decreased with increasing levels of unripe plantain flour substitution. The protein, fat and crude fibre contents of the composite breads decreased with increasing levels of unripe plantain flour substitution ranging from 12.88%, 3.45% and 2.75% in whole meal wheat bread to 6.53%, 2.24% and 2.17% in 50% unripe plantain flour substituted bread, respectively. Conversely, the moisture, ash and carbohydrate contents increased with increasing levels of unripe plantain flour substitution ranging from 27.76%, 1.92% and 51.24% in wholemeal wheat bread to 32.14%, 2.16% and 54.76% in 50% unripe plantain flour substituted bread, respectively. The caloric value decreased with unripe plantain flour addition. Ca, Na and Zn contents decreased from 129.92mg/100g, 253.43mg/100g and 1.98mg/100g in the wholemeal wheat bread to 98.40mg/100g, 218.62mg/100g and 1.61mg/100g in 50% unripe plantain flour substituted bread, respectively. Conversely, K, Mg and Fe contents increased from 391.13mg/100g, 133.91mg/100g and 4.08mg/100g in wholemeal wheat bread to 482.17mg/100g, 161.39mg/100g and 5.63mg/100g in 50% unripe plantain flour substituted bread, respectively. The loaf volume, specific volume and loaf height decreased while the loaf weight increased with increasing levels of unripe plantain flour substitution. Substitution of wholemeal wheat flour with unripe plantain flour upto a level of 20% had no significant (p>0.05) effect on the crust colour, crumb texture and overall acceptability of the bread samples. The panelists gave lower scores for bread samples produced from 30-50% unripe plantain flour substitution levels.

Leaves of four lesser-known leafy vegetable species (Heinsiacrinita, Lasiantheraafricana, Colocasiaesculenta and Ipomeabatatas) used for traditional food preparations by the Efik and Ibibio ethnic groups in Nigeria were analyzed for proximate composition, amino acid profile and mineral contents. The leaves were washed, cut (2-3mm width) and dried in a conventional oven at 50 o C prior to analysis. Crude protein, crude lipid, ash, crude fibre, available carbohydrate and caloric value ranged from 17.

Abstract:The present study was aimed at assessing the effect of supplementing dried maize ogi with 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% periwinkle meat flour on the chemical composition and functional properties of the flour blends as well as the sensory properties of the ogi gruel. The result showed that substituting maize ogi with levels of periwinkle meat flour led to significant (p<0.05) increases in crude protein and ash contents ranging from 7.85% and 0.81% in unfortified maize ogi to 14.91% and 2.17% in 20% periwinkle meat flour supplemented ogi, respectively. The crude lipid, crude fibre, carbohydrate and caloric value on the other hand consistently decreased with increasing levels of periwinkle meat flour substitution. The decreases in crude lipid and crude fibre contents were however not significantly (p>0.05) difference from each other. Potassium and magnesium contents significantly (p<0.05) decreased with increasing levels of periwinkle meat flour supplementation. Calcium, sodium, iron and zinc on the other hand consistently increased with increasing levels of periwinkle meat flour supplementation. Bulk density, water absorption and swelling capacities consistently decreased while oil absorption and foaming capacities increased with increasing levels of periwinkle meat flour substitution. Result of sensory evaluation indicates that fortification of maize ogi with up to 10% periwinkle meat flour did not affect the acceptability of the prepared gruel as there was no significant different (p<0.05) with the gruel from 100% maize ogi.

For the present study, edible parts (meat) from freshly harvested Tympanotonus fuscatus, Pachymelania aurita and Thais coronata were processed into powders and analyzed for proximate composition, amino acid profile and mineral content. The mean values obtained were compared with each other. Results showed that all the parameters determined varied among the three gastropod species. Powders prepared from the three species had high protein and low fat contents. The protein content ranged from 41.51% for T. fuscatus meat powder to 58.45% for T. coronata meat powder. The fat, ash, crude fibre and carbohydrate contents ranged from 2.94-3.19%, 10.26-13.85%, 0.38-0.46% and 25.13-36.17% respectively. The caloric value ranged from 358.71-371.82kcal/100g. The total amino acid ranged from 77.76g/100g protein for T. fuscatus meat powder to 83.53g/100g protein for T. coronata meat powder while the total essential amino acid ranged from 32.97g/100g protein for T. fuscatus meat powder to 37.77g/100g protein for T. coronata meat powder. Majority of essential amino acid chemical scores were above 100% except for lysine that ranged from 80.00% to 97.24%, tryptophan was 88.18% for T. fuscatus and 90.00% for P. aurita while threonine was 95.26% for T. coronata and 99.41% for T. fuscatus powder. The Ca, K, Na, Mg, Fe and Zn ranged from 41. 38-79.02mg/100g, 29.51-42.10mg/100g, 68.24-81.16mg/100g, 140.00-208.05mg/100g, 9.05-11.62mg/100g and 2.64-3.08mg/100g respectively. The high protein and low level of the crude fibre contents in the meat powders will make them suitable for use in complementary foods. Also, the low fat content in the meat powders suggests that they could be incorporated in foods for hypertensive individuals and those that have fat related diseases. Successful application of these powders in food product formulation and product development will lead to increase utilization of these nutritious, cheap and readily available sources of meat protein.

No abstract

White variety of Lasianthera africana leaves were blanched in hot water (control) and in different concentrations (0.25, 0.50, 0,75, 1.00 and 1.25%) of unripe plantain peel ash solution for 3 min at 100°C, cooled, drained, oven dried (50°C) for 36 h. Then, raw leaf and all oven dried samples were analyzed for minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals. The raw leaf contained potassium (78.98±0.78 mg/100 g), calcium (190.25±0.44 mg/100 g), sodium (75.69±0.95 mg/100 g), magnesium (14.68±0.74 mg/100 g), iron (3.96±0.55 mg/100 g), zinc (5.95±0.52 mg/100 g), phosphorus (17.79±0.81 mg/100 g), ascorbic acid (109.64±0.08 mg/100 g), beta-carotene (2.86±0.04 mg/100 g), riboflavin (0.22±0.03 mg/100 g), thiamine (1.01±0.06 mg/100 g), alkaloids (2.67±0.33 g/100 g), flavonoids (0.32±0.03 g/100 g), saponins (3.09±0.04 g/100 g) and tannins (0.28±0.01 g/100 g). Blanching the leaves either in hot water or in different concentrations of unripe plantain peel ash solution led to varying losses of the minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals. Samples blanched in different levels of ash solution retained higher mineral content than hot water blanched samples. Percentage minerals retained increase with increased levels of ash in the blanching solution. Conversely, percentage retention of vitamins and phytochemicals decreased with increase in the levels of ash in the blanching solution. Ash concentration had no significant (p>0.05) effect on the levels of magnesium, zinc, beta-carotene and tannins retained in the blanched samples. For higher retention of vitamins and health benefiting phytochemicals, lower concentration of unripe plantain peel ash solution (0.50% to 0.75%) should be used to debitter L. africana leaf.