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The purpose of this paper is to assess the quality of selected small‐scale produced yoghurt brands on the market in Kampala city, Uganda.

Four samples of each of four brands of small‐scale produced yoghurt were purchased from different shops in Kampala on four different occasions within a period of one month. Physico‐chemical, microbiological and rheological analyses were carried out on each of the samples. An untrained sensory panel was also used to assess their acceptability and purchase index. A premium brand (Fresh dairy yoghurt) was used as a control.

Lactobacilli counts ranged from 7.12‐9.25 log cfu ml⁻¹ while lactococci ranged from 6.29‐6.8 log cfu ml⁻¹ in the small‐scale yoghurt brands. All the small‐scale yoghurt brands were contaminated with fungi and coliforms at levels beyond the acceptable minimum, indicating insufficient process hygiene and also raising concerns of consumer safety. The protein, ash, carbohydrate and titratable acidity were not significantly different from the control. Fat, total solids, pH, viscosity and syneresis varied significantly between brands. The small‐scale produced brands were less viscous and exhibited more syneresis. All the small‐scale yoghurt brands were less acceptable compared with the control and two of them were disliked. The variation in their purchase index was related to their acceptability.

Regulatory and standards agencies should strengthen the surveillance of such products and the premises where they are produced. They should also work with other stakeholders in training small‐scale processors to ensure that their products meet both quality and safety requirements.

The paper assesses the quality of one of the many small‐scale produced products on the market in Kampala city.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of camel milk protein hydrolysates (CMPHs) on physico-chemical, sensory, colour profile and textural quality attributes of chevon patties.

Camel milk proteins were hydrolyzed with three different proteolytic enzymes, viz., alcalase (CMPH-A), α-chymotrypsin (CMPH-C) and papain (CMPH-P), and dried to powder form before further utilization. Four treatments were prepared with incorporation of CMPH, viz., CMPH 0 per cent (C), CMPH-A 0.09 per cent (T₁), CMPH-C 0.06 per cent (T₂) and CMPH-P 0.09 per cent (T₃), in the product formulation. The developed goat meat patties were evaluated for physico-chemical (pH; emulsion stability, ES; cooking yield, CY; water activity, a_w), instrumental colour and texture profile and sensory attributes.

The pH, moisture, fat and ES values of goat meat emulsions were comparable amongst treatments as well as with the control; however, treated emulsions had higher ES and moisture content. The pH and moisture per cent of cooked chevon patties varied significantly, whereas other physico-chemical (CY, a_w, per cent protein, per cent fat, per cent ash and per cent dietary fibre) as well as dimensional parameters (per cent gain in height and decrease in diameter) were comparable amongst treatments and the control. Hardness, springiness, stringiness, cohesiveness, gumminess and resilience of chevon patties decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with the incorporation of CMPH than that of the control; however, the values were comparable among all the treated products. Protein hydrolysate in chevon patties resulted in significant increase in redness (a*) values, whereas all other parameters (L*, b* and hue) decreased significantly as compared to that of the control. The colour and appearance, texture, juiciness overall acceptability scores were comparable in all the treated products and were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the control. The flavour scores of C, T₁ and T₃ were comparable but significantly lower than that of T₂. The overall acceptability scores of T₁ and T₂ were also comparable and significantly higher than C and T₃; however, the highest score was recorded for T₂.

Results concluded that chevon patties with acceptable sensory attributes and improved CY and textural attributes can be successfully developed with the incorporation of CMPH.

The protein hydrolysates of different food proteins could be explored in a same pattern to find out their implication in food matrices.

The purpose of this study was to formulate a complete protein food from lentil flour (LF) and egg powder (EP) through microwave-assisted extrusion technology.

In the first part of the hybrid technology, the feed proportion and extrusion conditions were optimized through design expert using central composite rotatable design. In the second part of hybrid technology, the optimized protein pellets (PP) obtained were subjected to microwave heating (MH) for 50,100, 150, 200 and 250 s.

The optimum predicted conditions for development of pellets using extrusion cooking were feed proportion (85% LF and 15% EP), barrel temperature (140°C), screw speed (340 rpm) and feed moisture content (12%). When these pellets were subjected to MH, 150 s of heating time was considered as prudential to induce desirable quality changes in PP. The increase in sectional expansion index, crispness and overall acceptability from 0.637 to 0.659, 4.51 to 6.1 and 3.27 to 3.59 with corresponding decrease in bulk density and breaking strength from 73.33 to 69.75 kg/cm³ and 6.24 to 5.13 N during 150 s of MH indicated that quality characteristics of extruded PPs were improved after MH.

Nowadays, consumers have become more health conscious than ever, and the demand for nutritious snacks has increased many folds. However, the high protein content restricts expansion of snacks, which was overcome by subjecting extruded pellets to MH to produce third generation pellets. Furthermore, the PP has a protein content of 31.62%, which indicates that if an average person consumes 100 g of these snacks, it will suffice 60% of total recommended dietary intake (0.75 g/kg body weight/day). Lentil-based pellets expanded by use of such hybrid technology (microwave-assisted extrusion cooking) can help to provide a feasible, low cost and protein-rich diet for malnourished population besides being a value addition to lentils.

LF in combination with EP was tested for the first time for development of nutrient dense pellets. Moreover, use of microwave-assisted extrusion cooking offers a workable and innovative technique of developing protein-rich pellets with improved physico-chemical and sensory attributes.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality of Coalho cheese produced using two different strains of Lactococcus spp. that were isolated from artisanal Coalho cheese in Bahia, Brazil.

Three different batches of cheeses were produced using lactic acid Lactococcus spp. strains named “LA‐02”, “RE‐02” and “Blend” (LA‐02 plus RE‐02). To study the quality of these products the paper uses quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), a test of acceptability and an analysis of physical‐chemical parameters.

For the flavor attribute, the highest acceptabilities were for LA‐02 (7.38) and Blend (6.92). The panelists found that 13 attributes were important to describe Coalho cheese. The Blend cheese was characterized by its yellow color, hardness, consistency, chewiness, typical Coalho cheese aroma and flavor. The LA‐02 cheese was characterized by its acid flavor, homogeneity and softness. All the samples analyzed showed values of moisture and fat that were in line with Brazilian legislation.

Coalho cheese is a typical Brazilian artisanal cheese that is normally produced with raw milk, even though legislation does not allow this. Pasteurization of the milk used to produce cheeses guarantees the microbiological safety of the product and, in this case, the cheese needs the addition of lactic acid bacteria in order to improve the sensorial quality and to give typical characteristics.

Coalho cheese, as produced in the artisanal form, is widely appreciated for its sensorial characteristics. The Coalho cheese proposed in this research retains the typical sensory characteristics by using different strains of Lactococcus spp. that were isolated from artisanal Coalho cheese but according to the specification of good manufacturing practices (GMP).

This paper aims to optimize the quantum of aonla pulp that could be mixed with guava pulp to make a nutritional rich fruit bar. The developed fruit bar will not only help in the improvement of processing value of both Guava and underused but highly nutritional Aonla but also serve the purpose of improvement in nutritional status of consumers.

Response surface methodology (RSM) using Box–Behnken design was used with the process variables as aonla and guava pulp ratio, PR (30:70, 40:60, 50:50); pectin concentration, PC (0, 0.15, 0.30%); and drying temperature, DT (50, 60, 70°C) for optimization of process conditions. The prepared mixed fruit leather was evaluated for physico-chemical, textural and sensory properties such as titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid content (AA), L value (lightness), cutting force (CF), taste and overall acceptability (OAA).

Second-order regression models fitted for TA, AA, L value (lightness), CF, taste and OAA were highly significant (P = 0.01) with the coefficient of determination (R² = 0.85). The TA and AA of mixed fruit bar increased whereas L value, CF, taste and OAA decreased with increasing level of aonla pulp in the blend formulation. The optimum process conditions for mixed aonla-guava bar with desirable characteristics were 40:60 (PR), 0.02% (PC) and 56°C (DT). The corresponding optimum values of TA, AA, L value, CF, taste and OAA were 1.00%, 164 mg/100 g, 50, 5066 g, 7.83 and 7.92, respectively. The design formulation and data analysis using RSM validated the optimum solution.

This paper demonstrates that optimum blending of aonla and guava pulp has improved the overall nutritional characteristics and acceptability of the final product. This will not only help in reducing the associated post-harvest losses but also encourage the cultivators/local processing industries by stabilizing the price during glut sea.

The purpose of the study was to highlight the nutritive values and evaluate the safety level of beverages formulated from selected cereal filtrates in Nigeria.

The cereals that were used for the formulation of the beverages are: 100 percent white maize, 100 percent yellow maize, 50:50; white: yellow maize, and 100 percent sorghum bicolour. All the cereals were purchased from Odo-Ogbe market in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

The results showed that the level of the minerals present in the cereal filtrates ranged from 39.1 to 43.6; 236 to 303; 362.4 to 462; 23.6 to 68.3; 26 to 41.5; 0.66 to 2.37; and 0.5 to 2.2 mg/100 g for sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn), respectively. Microbial load ranged from 2.0 to 3.0×10−3 cfug. Results of nutritional composition such as percentage moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrate, ash and crude fibre ranged from 91 to 93, 1.5 to 1.75, 0.03 to 0.040, 0.25 to 1, 1.48 to 1.70 and 3.33 to 5.31 g/100 g, respectively, while the energy value ranged between 66.60 and 75.56 kcal. The values obtained for vitamin C and thiamin ranged from 0.30 to 0.40 and 0.56 to 0.70 mg/100 g, respectively.

The micronutrients in the formulated beverages met the minimum recommended daily allowance and also possessed antimicrobial activities. However, the results showed that the proximate composition was high in water and low in other nutrients but still compared favourably with previous findings. It was concluded that the beverage produced from selected fermented cereal filtrates waste was safe and rich in micronutrients.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality and safety of street-vended warankasi, a Nigerian soft white cheese.

A total of 80 samples were collected in two batches of 40 samples each in January and June, 2015 from eight major markets from Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The samples were analyzed for the proximate components, quality indices (total soluble nitrogen, TSN and volatile fatty acid, VFA), and for the presence of pathogenic bacteria, Campylobacter jejuni (CJ), Listeria monocytogenes (LM), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT), Salmonella spp. (SS), Escherichia coli (EC), and Yersinia enterocolitica (YE), and heavy metals such as (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and chromium (Cr) concentrations.

The results revealed that the values of moisture, protein, fat, crude fiber, and ash contents (%) of warankasi samples were in the range 46.26±1.41-51.24±1.61, 33.92±1.18-37.26±1.42, 6.74±0.64-8.33±0.96, 1.27±0.02-1.73±0.09, 1.31±0.03-1.78±0.08, respectively. The values of TSN (mgN/kg) and VFA (%) were in the range of 1.19+0.10-2.54+0.18, and 5.79+0.19-9.12+0.30, respectively. The results further revealed the presence of CJ and SS and the absence of LM, MT, EC, and YE from the warankasi samples. Heavy metals detected in all the warankasi samples were generally below the maximum acceptable limits set by the World Health Organization for Pb (0.3 ppm), Cd (0.2 ppm), Hg (0.2 ppm), and Cr (0.5 ppm) with the exemption of samples from Iwo Road and Ojoo which were higher than other samples.

This research work was conducted between January and June, 2015 and better results could be obtained if the study had been done for a longer period of time.

The paper helps in showing the quality and microbial safety of street-vended warankasi and this may bring imperative information and general consciousness on the microbiological safety of warankasi.

Much has been done concerning warankasi processing but little work has been done concerning street-vended warankasi. Therefore, this study was carried out to assess it.

The complexity in determining the quality of a credence good like wine increases due to the lack of mandatory ingredient labeling. This has generated a significant information asymmetry in the wine market, leading consumers to delegate their purchase decisions to expert rankings and wine guides. This paper explores whether expert assessments reduce the information asymmetry caused by the absence of ingredient labeling in the wine market.

By employing analysis of variance (ANOVA) in a sample of 304 wines included in the Wine Guide of the Spanish Consumers Organization (OCU), this paper assesses the extent to which expert assessments based on sensory evaluations converge with the objective cues provided by laboratory analysis in wine quality evaluations.

Results reveal a mismatch between expert assessments and laboratory analyses. Chemical aspects such as SO₂ levels or volatile acidity, sensorial factors such as intensity and persistence, and extrinsic variables such as the region of origin or wine type play an important role in the quality ranking of wines.

These findings call for the inclusion of objective intrinsic cues in expert sensory assessments to provide consumers reliable information about wines and to resolve the apparent dissonances in wine quality assessments.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the physico‐chemical properties of African star apple (Chrysophylum albidum) components. African star apples are among the under‐utilized fruits in Nigeria therefore, the four succulent components (peel, pulp, juice and pericarp) of the fruit were analyzed and compared with other known fruits.

African star apples were purchased and divided into two portions. The first portion was washed and the juice was expressed manually into a bottle and covered, while in the second portion, the peel, pulp and the pericarp (mucilage on the seeds) were separated. The physico‐chemical analyses (moisture, total solid, pH, titratable acidity, total sugar, carotenoids, ascorbic acid and total soluble solids) were carried out on the four components.

Moisture content ranged from 53.5 per cent in peel to 86.3 per cent in juice, while the peel had higher total solid and the least was in the juice. The pH of peel was lower than that of other components. The peel had lower titratable acidity (1.2 per cent) and sugar (0.9 Brix) while the juice had higher value (5.4 Brix) in sugar and 15.0 mg/100 g carotenoid. The juice was rich in ascorbic acid (28.5 mg/100 g) followed by the pulp (25.0 mg/100 g). The pulp had higher total soluble solids (24.8 per cent) and the least was in the pericarp (9.8 per cent).

The physico‐chemical properties of the African star apple fruit gave an indication of the usefulness of this fruit in brewing industry especially for wine making and jelly or jam manufacture. Processing of this fruit will curb wastage during its season and make it available in different form.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a shiitake mushroom extract as a potential natural taste enhancer in low-sodium beef burgers by means of sensorial and physico-chemical assays because nowadays there is a trend in the market for the development of clean-label products.

Ten formulations of beef burgers were developed, varying in the percentage reduction in NaCl (0-75 per cent) and mushroom water extracts (obtained from a 5, 12.5, or 20 per cent mushroom homogenate). Sensory characterisation was performed by time-intensity (TI) and acceptance tests. In addition, physico-chemical analyses (pH, yield, shrinkage, shear force, and colour) were conducted.

Extracts obtained from 5, 12.5, or 20 per cent mushroom homogenate (E1, E2, and E3, respectively) did not enhance the salty taste in formulations with a 0 or 75 per cent reduction in NaCl. In formulations with a 50 per cent reduction in NaCl, all the extracts enhanced salinity perception, with E3 being the most effective. E3 also increased acceptance of colour, aroma, texture, flavour, and overall perception, although it caused changes in some physico-chemical characteristics (pH, yield, shrinkage, shear force, and colour).

The shiitake mushroom extract is a natural ingredient with a potential to serve as a taste enhancer in meat and other food products, for the purpose of reducing sodium content without compromising sensory acceptability. Therefore, this extract will enable the development of healthier products (owing to a reduction in sodium) with preserved sensory quality and will meet consumers’ requirements for the minimal use of chemical additives in food.