The Effectiveness of Water, Salt and Vinegar in Reducing the Bacteria Population in Fresh Green Cabbage.

Green cabbage has great nutritional and therapeutical values and is usually used as the main ingredient for preparing fresh vegetable salad for consumption. The aim of this work was to identify the bacteria population in different sections of green cabbage heads obtained from some selected markets in Accra and also to determine the most appropriate method for washing to reduce the bacteria population prior to consumption. In the investigation, samples were obtained from five open markets in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Fresh leaves taken from the outer, middle and inner sections of the samples were analyzed for aerobic mesophilic organisms, coliforms and Escherichia coli. They were then washed with tap water, 5% salt solution or 50% vinegar solution for five minutes, and the effectiveness of the treatments in reducing the bacteria population determined. Results from the analysis showed that the outer sections of fresh green cabbage heads had high microbial load followed by the middle sections whilst the inner sections were almost sterile. The aerobic mesophilic counts ranged from 106–108 CFU/g for the untreated outer section of the samples, 104–106 CFU/g for the untreated middle sections, and 101–102 CFU/g for the untreated inner sections. Coliforms ranged from 104–106 CFU/g for the untreated outer section of the samples, 102–104 CFU/g for the untreated middle sections and 101 CFU/g for the untreated inner sections. E.coli ranged from 102–103 CFU/g for the untreated outer section of the samples and 101 CFU/g for the untreated middle sections. E. coli was however not detected in the untreated inner sections of the cabbage heads analyzed. The pathogens Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus were also identified on the samples from the five markets. The treatment with 50% vinegar solution was most effective in reducing the bacteria population on the samples analyzed followed by 5% salt solution and tap water the least effective. The outcome of this work serves as a basis for creating awareness against the use of ordinary tap water by caterers and promote the use of vinegar or salt solutions as a means of reducing bacteria population in freshly served cabbages. Keywords: Cabbage, Aerobic mesophiles, Coliforms, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereu

BIOACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN AFRICAN RED SNAPPER (Lutjanus agennes) AND CASSAVA FISH (Pseudotolithus senegalensis) CAUGHT OFF THE COAST OF ACCRA, GHANA

The level of Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn in African red snapper (Lutjanus agennes) and cassava fish (Pseudotolithus senegalensis) caught off the coast of Accra, Ghana, were monitored from November 2011 to March 2012 using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Over the five months period, variations occurred in the level of each of the heavy metals in each of the fish species.  The heavy metals accumulated in the gills and bones more than in the muscle tissues of type of fish. The order of accumulation of the heavy metals in African red snapper in terms of magnitude were Zn>Pb>Fe>Mn>Cu in the bones, Fe>Zn>Pb>Mn>Cu in the gills and Fe>Pb>Zn>Mn>Cu in the muscle tissue.  For cassava fish the order was Fe>Zn>Pb>Mn>Cu in the bones, Fe>Pb>Zn>Mn>Cu in the muscle, and Fe>Pb>Zn>Mn>Cu in the gills. In the muscle tissue, the part of fish which is normally consumed, the mean value for the various heavy metals over the five months period in the African red snapper were Cu, 0.73 mg/kg; Fe,; 8.18 mg/kg Mn, 0.66 mg/kg; Pb, 7.04 mg/kg; and Zn, 5.16  mg/kg. In cassava fish, the mean values in the muscle tissues were Cu, 0.53 mg/kg; Fe, 9.38; Mn, 0.67 mg/kg; Pb, 5.90 mg/kg; Zn, 6.18 mg/kg. The concentrations of the heavy metals found in both fish species were mostly above the safe limits recommended by WHO. Key words: Fish, Heavy metals, accumulation, bioaccumulation, red snapper, cassava fis

Effectiveness of three different storage structures and curing process for the storage of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) in Ghana

Three different storage structures and two curing processes for the storage of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) were studied at the CSIR-Food Research Institute, Accra. Sweet potato roots initially cured under warm(30-35 °C) and very humid (90-95% relative humidity) conditions for 7 and 14 days were stored in local (traditional), pit, and clamp storage structures for 84 days. After 0-84 days of storage, the roots were sampled and physically assessed into wholesome, sprouted, fungalinfected, and insect and rodent-damaged. The decrease in percentage wholesome roots corresponded to an increase in percentage fungal-infected roots from 0 to 84 days of storage in all the three different storage structures. Clamp storage structure recorded the highest percentage wholesome roots (20.0%) compared to pit (16.3%) and local (0%) after 84 days of storage when roots were cured for 7 days. However, for 14 days cured roots stored for 84 days, local storage structure recorded the highest percentage wholesome roots (20%), pit (0%), and clamp (10%). Higher percentages of fungal-infected sweet potato roots were recorded from roots cured for14 days. Percentage sprouted roots was higher in clamp, followed by pit and local storage structures. Sprouting was delayed for sweet potato roots that were cured for 14 days in all the storage structures. Percentage damage of sweet potato roots by insect and rodent was lower inall the three storage structures compared to the fungalinfected sweet potato roots

D 5.5.1.1. Final report on sensory testing in Africa for Group 1. Project AFTER “African Food Tradition rEvisited by Research”

This deliverable concerns the sensory evaluation of the reengineered group 1 African products in the AFTER project. Specifically, it related to reengineered akpan and gowe from Benin, kenkey from Ghana and Kishk Sa'eedi in Egypt. Concerning reengineered akpan from Benin, the sensory evaluation was undertaken in Montpellier, France. Re-engineering of akpan has focused primarily on improvement of sanitary properties of the product, which was a great achievement and will allow producing Akpan on a larger scale in SMEs in Africa. Sensory evaluation of the Akpan products was carried out using CATA and JAR techniques that have been developed for use with consumers instead of a trained panel. Three Akpan products were tested by 102 consumers: Akpan added with 10% sugar (AS10), Akpan added with 3% spray-dried milk and 8.7% sugar (AMS8.7) and Akpan added with 3% spray-dried milk and 15% sugar (AMS15). Independently of the Akpan tasted, Acidity or Sweetness attributes were scored “Just About Right, as I like” by 56 to 77% of consumers. Odour perception was perceived differently, depending on consumers. However, Texture was found “Too weak”, too liquid by the majority of consumers (49 to 55%) and Taste “too strong” (46 to 54%). The most frequently CATA descriptors checked by consumers which better described Akpan products were: “Artificial”, “Floral”, “New/Different”, “Strong in Taste”, “Mealy”, followed by “Liquid”, “Drinking yoghurt”, “Sweet”, “Acidic”, and “Rough”. At the opposite, an ideal-yoghurt was described as Creamy, Natural, Good for health, Refreshing, Homogeneous, with a texture of a Bulgarian yoghurt-type, Thick, Sweet, Attractive, Nutritious and Milk taste. In terms of sensory evaluation, the three Akpan products did not significantly. If we remove the terms such as “artificial”, “strong in taste”, “floral” due to a manufacturing error (use of a few drops of citronella essential oil instead of citronella infusion as a traditional flavouring of Akpan in Benin), it remains the terms “mealy”, “liquid” “drinking yoghurt” that better describe the product and were previously used for describing traditional Akpan product. This suggests that sensory properties of the reengineered Akpan may not be acceptable to French consumers who prefer a product with a creamy, homogeneous, Bulgarian yoghurt-type taste. Gowe in Benin was not tested using sensory evaluation. Sensory testing of Gowe in Benin was not undertaken because this was planned to be undertaken in Europe. The reason is because the methodology used in sensory evaluation is independent of the location provided the samples are the same. However, the particular samples provided for French sensory testing contained a concentration of aflatoxin that was higher than the minimum EU allowable limit. It was not possible to repeat the sensory test in France because it would have taken too long to obtain a replacement supply from Benin and to repeat the processing (takes one week). In which case the samples would have been took different to enable a comparison. The sensory evaluation of kenkey was carried at the Food Research Institute, Ghana. Current trends in urbanization, and the increasing popularity of kenkey among consumers, require larger scale production with consistent quality. Testing was conducted to determine the sensory profile of white reengineered kenkey made using the optimum pre-process conditions of steeping time (30 and 45h), steeping temperature (30ᵒC and 35ᵒC) and dough fermentation time of 12 hours. The qualitative descriptive analysis showed that the sensory profile of white kenkey was dependent on preprocessing variables. Thus merely optimizing the pre-processing variables with regards to acid production and other readily measurable constituents though could shorten the production process could not guarantee the best product sensory quality. The results show that all the descriptors generated were appropriate for differentiating sensory qualities among samples and could be used for basic research and product development for white kenkey. Soft and sticky texture in white kenkey was highly appreciated. Sensory evaluation of Kishk Sa'eedi (KS) was undertaken in Egypt. KS is an Egyptian indigenous wheat-based fermented food prepared traditionally according to the method applied by Upper Egyptians. This work is done to characterize sensory properties and sensory profile of the reengineered KS. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) coupled with principal component analysis (PCA) was used to study the interrelationship among and between sensory attributes. 14 terms regarding appearance, odour, flavour and texture of the samples, was selected and a glossary describing each descriptor was developed. Three KS samples were profiled by 11 assessors using the chosen 14 sensory descriptors. Mean intensity ratings of the descriptive attributes showed that there were significant differences (p<0.05) within KS samples for all the 14 attributes tested. In general, high ratings for creamy colour, fresh odour, KS taste and fracturability are considered as positive effects that would be favoured by panellists while increase in caramel colour, sour taste, denseness and mouth coating are regarded as undesirable. The re-engineered KS sample perceived as less sour and less salty compared with the traditional ones. With regard to texture quality, reengineered sample was easy to fracture, and scored higher for grittiness. Meanwhile, the sample was rated lower than the traditional ones with regard to Kishk taste and fermented odour. Descriptive sensory evaluations between of the traditional and re-engineered KS samples showed that tastes i.e. sour, salty, and KS taste; fracutability and grittiness were discriminating attributes. Fermented odour, colour i.e. creamy and caramel; presence of fissure and presence of bran were least discriminating. Evaluation of the KS sensory characteristics provide in depth understanding of the sensory quality criteria as perceived by the sensory trained panel. The present study showed that substantial differences in sensory character were noted between the traditional and re-engineered KS in particular, differences in colour, fresh odour, KS taste, fracutability and mouth coating. This work showed that the application of QFD and PCA techniques could provide the useful information to KS and helped to identify the importance of product attributes. In conclusion the sensory evaluation showed clear sensory differences between the traditional and reengineered products relating to akpan from Benin, kenkey from Ghana and Kishk Sa'eedi from Egypt. Other deliverables will report on the acceptance by consumers

D 2.2.1. Intermediary report on new combined processes and cereal products. Project AFTER “African Food Tradition rEvisited by Research”

Concerning re-engineering, based on deliverables from WP1 (D1.1.2.1-survey results, D1.2.4.1-results for sensory, physical and textural analysis) and WP5 (D5.1.2.1- marketing and regulatory opportunities, D 5.3.2.1 – sensory and consumer tests), a first diagnostic of product opportunities, processing problems and re-engineering options has been obtained for each product (gowé, akpan, kenkey and Kishk Sa'eedi “KS”). The main objectives and actions that will be followed for re-engineering are listed in Annexes. First results concerning re-engineering are then presented, followed by a plan of work for each product The main conclusions for reengineering options are as follows: (a) re-engineering will with in particular deal improving shelf life and sanitary level of the traditional products. This will go through controlling fermentation by using in particular specific functional inoculums combined with re-engineering of the other unit operations (malting, milling pre-cooking, etc) that interfere with fermentation control. (b) Several options of re-engineering will be targeted: improvement of the “homemade” processes and traditional products, involving low capital investment processes and few modifications of the form of the original products that are targeted to the local market, and deeper process modifications and new formulations and ways of presentations of the products for larger processors and national and international markets; this includes in particular ready to prepare dried Akpan, Gowé and kenkey and new ready to drink/eat products (for all products)

Characterization of the dominant microorganisms responsible for the fermentation of dehulled maize grains into nsiho in Ghana

Nsiho (white kenkey) is a type of kenkey, a sour stiff dumpling, produced from fermented maize meal in Ghana. The dominant microorganisms responsible for the fermentation of nsiho were characterized by analysing samples from four traditional production sites at Anum in the Eastern Region of Ghana. During 48 h of steeping dehulled maize grains, the pH values decreased from 6.05 to 5.93 to 3.59 to 3.55, whilst titratable acidity increased from 0.02 to 0.03 to 0.27 to 0.32%. In the subsequent 12 h dough fermentation, the pH decreased from 6.02 to 5.80 to 3.52 to 3.46, whilst titratable acidity increased from 0.25 to 0.27 to 0.35 to 0.38%. The lactic acid bacteria population increased by 2 to 5 log units to concentrations of 107 to 108 CFU/ml during steeping and by 2 to 3 log units from 105 to 106 CFU/g to 108 to 109 CFU/g during dough fermentation. Yeasts counts increased by 3 to 4 log units during steepingand by 2 to 4 log units during dough fermentation. The most frequently isolated lactic acid bacteria responsible for nsiho fermentation were identified as Lactobacillus fermentum (47.1%), Lactobacillus brevis (25%), Lactobacillus plantarum (14.42%), Pediococcus pentosaceus (8.65%) and Pediococcus acidilactici, (4.8%). The dominant yeasts species were Saccharyomyces cerevisiae (47.6%), Candida krusei (29.1%),  Debaryomyces spp., (15%) and Trichosporon spp., (8.3%). This is the first  study to report on the micororganisms involved in nsiho fermentation.Key words: Nsiho, dehulled maize, kenkey, lactic acid bacteria, indigenous African fermented foods

D 5.5.1.1. Final report on sensory testing in Africa for Group 1. Project AFTER “African Food Tradition rEvisited by Research”

This deliverable concerns the sensory evaluation of the reengineered group 1 African products in the AFTER project. Specifically, it related to reengineered akpan and gowe from Benin, kenkey from Ghana and Kishk Sa'eedi in Egypt. Concerning reengineered akpan from Benin, the sensory evaluation was undertaken in Montpellier, France. Re-engineering of akpan has focused primarily on improvement of sanitary properties of the product, which was a great achievement and will allow producing Akpan on a larger scale in SMEs in Africa. Sensory evaluation of the Akpan products was carried out using CATA and JAR techniques that have been developed for use with consumers instead of a trained panel. Three Akpan products were tested by 102 consumers: Akpan added with 10% sugar (AS10), Akpan added with 3% spray-dried milk and 8.7% sugar (AMS8.7) and Akpan added with 3% spray-dried milk and 15% sugar (AMS15). Independently of the Akpan tasted, Acidity or Sweetness attributes were scored “Just About Right, as I like” by 56 to 77% of consumers. Odour perception was perceived differently, depending on consumers. However, Texture was found “Too weak”, too liquid by the majority of consumers (49 to 55%) and Taste “too strong” (46 to 54%). The most frequently CATA descriptors checked by consumers which better described Akpan products were: “Artificial”, “Floral”, “New/Different”, “Strong in Taste”, “Mealy”, followed by “Liquid”, “Drinking yoghurt”, “Sweet”, “Acidic”, and “Rough”. At the opposite, an ideal-yoghurt was described as Creamy, Natural, Good for health, Refreshing, Homogeneous, with a texture of a Bulgarian yoghurt-type, Thick, Sweet, Attractive, Nutritious and Milk taste. In terms of sensory evaluation, the three Akpan products did not significantly. If we remove the terms such as “artificial”, “strong in taste”, “floral” due to a manufacturing error (use of a few drops of citronella essential oil instead of citronella infusion as a traditional flavouring of Akpan in Benin), it remains the terms “mealy”, “liquid” “drinking yoghurt” that better describe the product and were previously used for describing traditional Akpan product. This suggests that sensory properties of the reengineered Akpan may not be acceptable to French consumers who prefer a product with a creamy, homogeneous, Bulgarian yoghurt-type taste. Gowe in Benin was not tested using sensory evaluation. Sensory testing of Gowe in Benin was not undertaken because this was planned to be undertaken in Europe. The reason is because the methodology used in sensory evaluation is independent of the location provided the samples are the same. However, the particular samples provided for French sensory testing contained a concentration of aflatoxin that was higher than the minimum EU allowable limit. It was not possible to repeat the sensory test in France because it would have taken too long to obtain a replacement supply from Benin and to repeat the processing (takes one week). In which case the samples would have been took different to enable a comparison. The sensory evaluation of kenkey was carried at the Food Research Institute, Ghana. Current trends in urbanization, and the increasing popularity of kenkey among consumers, require larger scale production with consistent quality. Testing was conducted to determine the sensory profile of white reengineered kenkey made using the optimum pre-process conditions of steeping time (30 and 45h), steeping temperature (30ᵒC and 35ᵒC) and dough fermentation time of 12 hours. The qualitative descriptive analysis showed that the sensory profile of white kenkey was dependent on preprocessing variables. Thus merely optimizing the pre-processing variables with regards to acid production and other readily measurable constituents though could shorten the production process could not guarantee the best product sensory quality. The results show that all the descriptors generated were appropriate for differentiating sensory qualities among samples and could be used for basic research and product development for white kenkey. Soft and sticky texture in white kenkey was highly appreciated. Sensory evaluation of Kishk Sa'eedi (KS) was undertaken in Egypt. KS is an Egyptian indigenous wheat-based fermented food prepared traditionally according to the method applied by Upper Egyptians. This work is done to characterize sensory properties and sensory profile of the reengineered KS. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) coupled with principal component analysis (PCA) was used to study the interrelationship among and between sensory attributes. 14 terms regarding appearance, odour, flavour and texture of the samples, was selected and a glossary describing each descriptor was developed. Three KS samples were profiled by 11 assessors using the chosen 14 sensory descriptors. Mean intensity ratings of the descriptive attributes showed that there were significant differences (p<0.05) within KS samples for all the 14 attributes tested. In general, high ratings for creamy colour, fresh odour, KS taste and fracturability are considered as positive effects that would be favoured by panellists while increase in caramel colour, sour taste, denseness and mouth coating are regarded as undesirable. The re-engineered KS sample perceived as less sour and less salty compared with the traditional ones. With regard to texture quality, reengineered sample was easy to fracture, and scored higher for grittiness. Meanwhile, the sample was rated lower than the traditional ones with regard to Kishk taste and fermented odour. Descriptive sensory evaluations between of the traditional and re-engineered KS samples showed that tastes i.e. sour, salty, and KS taste; fracutability and grittiness were discriminating attributes. Fermented odour, colour i.e. creamy and caramel; presence of fissure and presence of bran were least discriminating. Evaluation of the KS sensory characteristics provide in depth understanding of the sensory quality criteria as perceived by the sensory trained panel. The present study showed that substantial differences in sensory character were noted between the traditional and re-engineered KS in particular, differences in colour, fresh odour, KS taste, fracutability and mouth coating. This work showed that the application of QFD and PCA techniques could provide the useful information to KS and helped to identify the importance of product attributes. In conclusion the sensory evaluation showed clear sensory differences between the traditional and reengineered products relating to akpan from Benin, kenkey from Ghana and Kishk Sa'eedi from Egypt. Other deliverables will report on the acceptance by consumers

The microbiota of dried traditional vegetables produced in the Sudan Savannah and Guinea Savannah agro-ecological zones of Ghana

Abstract: Traditional vegetables are an important article of diet of the ethnic groups from the northern parts of Ghana. Such vegetables are preserved by sundrying and consumed throughout the year. These are mostly leafy vegetables and include Hibiscus sabdariffa (sorrel), Bomtax costatum (kapok), Ceratotheca sesamoides, Adansonia digitata, and Hibiscus esculentus (okro), respectively called by the local names shure or sobolo, daala, yaudo, kuuka, and okro (common name). The dominant microbiota of ten common dried traditional vegetables were investigated by enumerating total bacteria, yeasts and moulds, lactic acid bacteria, Bacillus species and coliform bacteria. Isolates were characterized by colony and cell morphology, and by biochemical tests. The water activities of all the dried vegetables were between 0.513 and 0.539. Shuri and bisap had low pH values, between 2.6 and 2.71, whilst the other vegetables had relatively higher pH values ranging from 5.21 to 6.39. Moulds and Bacillus spp. dominated the biota of all the dried vegetables although lactic acid bacteria and coliforms were also isolated in most of these products. Bacterial counts of the dried vegetables were between 10 3 and 10 7 CFU/g. Aspergillus spp, Rhizopus spp, Eurotium spp, Penicillium spp and Aureobasidium spp. were the major genera of moulds identified in the dried vegetables. The dominant Bacillus species in all samples was Bacillus subtilis except in the okro pods and leaves where Bacillus cereus was dominant. The dominant lactic acid bacteria were Lactobacillus plantarum and pediococci. Escherichia coli was not detected in any of the dried vegetables, however, Enterobacter aerogenes was detected in most of the samples. Because of the high microbial levels in the dried vegetables, it is recommended that handling procedures be improved by primarily sanitizing the fresh vegetables prior to drying in solar dryers

Broadening monitoring and evaluation within reforming national agricultural research systems

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Ghana, together with the Natural Resources Institute of the United Kingdom and with input from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration convened a one-day Policy Dialogue Forum on “Broadening Monitoring and Evaluation within Reforming National Agricultural Research Systems”. The meeting provided a platform for discussing current experiences with monitoring and evaluation by CSIR and for introducing alternative practices (frameworks, methods and tools) that would enable research bodies to manage and demonstrate their performance and contribution to national development targets in a consistent and coherent form. While the pilot project was conducted at institutional level, involving two CSIR institutes (CRI and FRI), the forum was conducted at the corporate level, and including other corporate organisations from the public and private sectors. The objectives of the forum were 1. To disseminate experiences from the first phase of a performance measurement action research project within NARS in Ghana and Uganda 2. To raise awareness among Ghana’s research management community and allied stakeholders of the importance of measuring institutional performance as an element of demonstrating developmental impact 3. To explore with key stakeholders opportunities for strengthening institutional performance measurement and management in the context of ongoing institutional reform in CSIR and other public sector organisations. Participants were made up of Senior Management Personnel from public organisations and training institutions

D 5.5.2. Report on near-market consumer testing of new improved products and substitutes in Africa. Project AFTER “African Food Tradition rEvisited by Research”

In this deliverable, the reengineered products relating to groups 1 to 3 are tested by consumers in Africa in order to test whether the acceptance meets consumer needs. The summaries are by group. These products were widely different and tested in differing cultures and situations. A common feature, however, is that all products are already commonly consumed by the communities and accepted, particularly with respect to the baseline products. Some products were found to be more acceptable (Gowe and Akpan in Benin, Kenkey in Ghana, Kong and Lanhouin in Senegal, Bissap and Baobab in Senegal), some of similar acceptance (Kitoza in Madagascar) and some were less acceptable (Kishk Sa'eedi in Egypt and Jaabi in Cameroon). Ways forward are discussed in all cases. Group 1: The reengineered group 1 products had mixed acceptance to consumers. Ones that were highly accepted were the reengineered Akpan which was highly accepted regardless of age, gender, socio- professional category and possessions (goods) and the majority (84.9%) expressed an interest for purchasing the reengineered Akpan and the reengineered gowe (n=100 consumers) in Benin, which was strongly accepted and more so than the traditional gowe. However, the reengineered Kenkey in Ghana while being comparable acceptance to the traditional white kenkey this would only meet a niche market. However, for the reengineered Kishk Sa'eedi, it was less acceptable and the difference was due to sour taste and spicy flavour. Group 2:The group 2 products had mixed acceptance among consumers. In the case of Kong in and Lanhouin in Senegal, the reengineered products had improved acceptance while for kitoza in Madagascar, there was no improvement in acceptance apart from those in terms of quality and safety. More specifically, Kong made using liquid smoke novel technique (RLK) had by far the highest acceptance and could easily be integrated as part of the Senegalese cuisine. This shows that there is a potential for RLK on the Senegalese market. Two types of reengineered Lanhouin types (Lanhouin dry powder, Lanhouin dry fillet) were greatly acceptable and the powdered form more than the fillet. In the case of Kitoza, consumer acceptance studies showed that there was no significant difference between all samples tested. Group 3: Group 3 reengineered products had mixed acceptance among consumers. Re-engineered bissap (hibiscus drinks) in Senegal were positively appreciated by consumers in Senegal and better accepted than the traditional commercial infusion used as baseline comparison. However, the new drinks were not perceivably different from the baseline drink to consumers concerning both the traditional character and the nutritional and healthy attributes. The reengineered baobab drinks were positively appreciated by consumers in Senegal and significantly better appreciated than the traditional commercial ones earlier tested. Jaabi (Ziziphus mauritiana). The result is the proposition of a reengineered Yaabande presenting fine texture well appreciated by consumers. However, particle size was critical and this needed to be lower than 125μm. Due to this limit, processors have adopted the manual production of flour of particle size 250μm>Ø>125μm, which is less tiresome, though it appears in second rank in the preference of consumers. The detailed methodology for each product is given for Groups I, II and III respectively. Common to all of the methodologies is the Ethical assessment and consent which is listed as follows: Ethical assessment and consent. The studies have been assessed and approved by the University of Greenwich Research Ethics Committee and the Ethics Committee at CIRAD. Consent was sought from sensory panellists and from adult consumers participating in this study. Enumerators informed participants about the study and explained that their participation was entirely voluntary, that they could stop the interview at any point and that the responses would be anonymous