Constraints in food and nutrition research
For several millennia, biotechnology has been at the service of mankind, particularly in the production of fermented foods and beverages. This paper highlights three areas of food and nutrition research that will benefit from advances in biotechnology in Africa. First, the development of starter cultures for African fermented foods and beverages is the key to their expansion. Starter cultures reduce fermentation time and improve and stabilize the nutritional and organoleptic quality of fermented products. Second, cassava, a major food staple in Africa, contains cyanogenic glucosides that can produce the toxic hydrogen cyanide. Fermentation is one of the best methods of detoxifying cassava. The production of cassava varieties with low amounts of cyanogenic glucosides will be facilitated by a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in their biosynthesis. Third, cassava, yam, sweet potato, plantain, and banana, the most important crops in tropical Africa, are highly susceptible to post-harvest deterioration. The texture of foods derived from these crops is the major organoleptic attribute assessed by consumers. Discoloration in cassava and yam and ripening of plantain and banana are enzyme-mediated processes. Genetic manipulations of key enzyme systems can lead to varieties with improved post-harvest characteristics
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
Ibadan (Nigeria) IITA
1992
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