Provitamin A retention and sensory acceptability of amahewu, a non‐alcoholic cereal‐based beverage made with provitamin A‐biofortified maize

Abstract

Provitamin A is substantially retained in amahewu after fermentation. The slightly high acceptability of amahewu prepared using provitamin A-biofortified maize compared to that of white maize thus suggests that fermented product like amahewu can potentially be used to deliver provitamin A to vulnerable individuals.

Acceptance and adoption of biofortified crops in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

“…Overall, the whiter and finer the product, the more it was liked Fine yellow maize was well accepted, although the super refined white maize was most preferred Govender et al (2014) 52 South Africa Consumers: Infant caregivers 16–65 y, 100% F; n = 60 Sensory attribute study (5-point facial hedonic scale) for taste, texture, aroma, color, and overall acceptability of soft porridge made from white maize and 2 yellow provitamin A–biofortified varieties (medium and deep orange) No significant difference between scores for the different sensory attributes. Outcome was not influenced by age No difference in sensory acceptability of the white maize and provitamin A–biofortified maize Awobusuyi et al (2015) 53 South Africa Consumers: Rural farmers, 30–51 y, M + F; n = 54 Sensory attribute study (9-point hedonic rating scale) for aroma, mouth feel, taste, color, and overall acceptability of amahewu , a fermented nonalcoholic maize-based beverage made from white maize or provitamin A–biofortified maize No significant differences in mean scores between amahewu prepared from white or provitamin A maize for color, taste, and aroma. Overall acceptability was significantly higher for provitamin A maize Acceptability of amahewu prepared from provitamin A– biofortified maize is slightly higher than that prepared from white maize Alamu et al (2015) 34 Nigeria Consumers: Trained panel; n = 10 Sensory attributes study (9-point hedonic rating scale) for color, aroma, chewiness, taste, and appearance for boiled fresh orange maize of 2 hybrids with or without husk at 3 different maturation stages or 20, 27, and 34 d after pollination Overall the hybrids were liked with average scores of 6.8.…”

“… 52 Also, no significant difference was found in the sensory perception of amahewu (fermented nonalcoholic beverage) prepared from white maize compared with that prepared from provitamin A–biofortified maize in a rural community (n = 54). 53 Overall, acceptance of 8 freshly boiled orange maize varieties was scored as 6.8 on a 9-point scale by a trained panel (n = 10) in Nigeria, but no comparison with a control maize was done. 34 In summary, yellow and orange maize is accepted from a sensory perspective, although there is some regional variation.…”

The Potential of Integrating Provitamin A-Biofortified Maize in Smallholder Farming Systems to Reduce Malnourishment in South Africa

“…Moreover, the planted crops are more likely to survive the seedling stage and their initial growth is faster. Bouis et al [ 8 ] suggested that the biofortification of provitamin A maize improves crops’ ability to resist drought, thus improving the vitamin A composition of the grains. Tumuhimbise et al [ 46 ] also recommended that breeding for biofortification improves drought resistance, vitamin A content and disease tolerance ( Table 1 ).…”

“…In their study, they observed that in Zambia, children easily adapt to orange maize (PVABM). However, this may not be the case amongst older groups [ 8 ] due to social pressures and diet. Pillay [ 19 ] found that PVABM had the potential to alleviate VAD in Kwazulu-Natal, and their findings showed that orange PVABM maize was accepted by consumers, although white maize remained the most preferred maize type by adults and high school children.…”

“…Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) has been reported as one of the major micronutrient deficiencies and a challenge beyond the Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs) [ 7 ]. Vitamin A plays a vital role in supporting immune function, vision, ocular health, and reproduction [ 8 ]. There are two types of vitamin A: preformed (animal-based) and provitamin A (plant-based) [ 9 ].…”