Traditional African Dishes Prepared From Local Biofortified Varieties of Pearl Millet: Acceptability and Potential Contribution to Iron and Zinc Intakes of Burkinabe Young Children

Abstract

Biofortification is among the food-based strategies, recently implemented and still in development, to fight micronutrient deficiencies. Three cereal-based traditional dishes of Sub-Saharan Africa (tô paste, pancakes, and gruel) prepared from one local (Gampela), or two biofortified (GB 8735 and Tabi) varieties of millet were assessed for their (i) acceptability by local consumers, (ii) iron and zinc absorption predicted by phytate-to-mineral molar ratios and (iii) contribution to the iron and zinc requirements of young children. Tasters preferred the color, texture, and taste of dishes prepared with the local variety, whether or not the grains were decorticated. Hedonic and preference tests showed no significant difference between the two biofortified varieties, but the cooks reported different behaviors during processing. Biofortified millet contained up to two times more iron than the local variety, reaching 6.5 mg iron/100 g dry matter. Iron and zinc contents remained higher in biofortified varieties even after decortication. Iron content in the dishes was highly variable, depending on iron loss and potential contamination during processing. The phytate-to-mineral molar ratios of all dishes indicated low iron absorption, independent of the millet variety, but improved zinc absorption in dishes prepared with biofortified varieties. The contribution of a dish prepared with one of the two biofortified millet varieties to the recommended iron and zinc intakes for 6–11-month-old children was estimated to be about 5 and 7%, respectively, compared to 2 and 4% for the same dish prepared with local millet. For 12–23-month-old children, the contribution to the recommended intakes was estimated to be about 14 and 12% with biofortified millet, respectively, and about 6 and 7% with local millet. The use of biofortified millet varieties could be complementary to food diversification strategies to increase iron and zinc intakes. As in Ouagadougou, cereals are eaten in different forms by young children several times per day, iron and zinc intakes could be improved in the long term by using the biofortified varieties of pearl millet.

Evaluation of metallic trace elements contents in some major raw foodstuffs in Burkina Faso and health risk assessment

“…The diet in Burkina Faso is based on staple foods, mainly cereals, legumes, roots, and tubers 11 . According to the high frequency consumption of these food groups 12 , cereal (maize and rice), legume (tomato), oleaginous (peanut) and dried fish have been selected as major consumed food items.…”

Sensory acceptability of biofortified foods and food products: a systematic review

“…Tô and pancakes made with decorticated or whole pearl millet varied in acceptability: tô was only accepted made with control (local Gampela) pearl millet, while pancakes were consistently acceptable when made with variety GB 8735, either whole or decorticated, but only acceptable when variety Tabi was decorticated. 76 Bhakri made from Dhanashakti or a local variety 75 , 77 ; idli, mudde, and porridge, 24 and several dessert items (cookies, laddu, sheera, cake, nankhatai, sweet porridge, and puranpoli) and savory items (khichdi, upma, dhokla, idli, vegetable cutlet, kothimbir wadi, thempla, pav bhaji, pakoda, and vada), 14 , 15 made from Dhanashakti or control DG 9444 varieties were all acceptable. Finally, cookies made from either AHB or control MRB pearl millet were acceptable, either in a 70:30 or 60:40 ratio of whole wheat flour and germinated pearl millet flour.…”

Capitalization of Endogenous Technologies for Processing Cereals-Based Fermented Porridges in Northern Benin

“…Then balls will be formed and Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso 9,10 . In Burkina Faso, the manufacturing process of the tchobal by Hama-Ba et al 8 differs at certain points from the manufacturing process in Northern Benin. This difference is observed at the level of husking, the winnowing of the millet before grinding by looting, or at the mill.…”