- Volume 13, Number 1 (2025)
OPTIMIZING STEEPING TIME FOR ENHANCED FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES IN MAIZE–SORGHUM CUSTARD BLENDS
Ebiere Charity Amachree, Chidinma Ifeyinwa Wokoma
The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical, functional and sensory characteristics of starch blends from steeped maize and sorghum. Starch were extracted from maize and sorghum after steeping for 6 and 12h. It was blended in the ratio; 100: 0, 90: 10, 80: 20, 70: 30, 60: 40, 50: 50, 0: 100 and labelled A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, respectively for samples soaked for 6h. While same maize-sorghum blend ratios from 12h soaking were labelled B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6 and B7, respectively. Percentage moisture, protein and fat content ranged from 9.60 to 13.04...
GENDER INEQUALITY AND FOOD INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: PATHWAYS TO WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
Amina Chizoba Mohammed, Joseph Onyeka Okorie
The issue of women's empowerment and gender equality is at the top of agendas across the world, as gender inequality is wide-spread in all cultures. In developing countries, gender disparity is highly rampant compared to the developed countries. Food security involves food access, availability, use and sustainability, hence, people can be said to be food secured when they are able to get adequate, safe and nutritious diets all year round. The paper examines gender and food security, analyzing disparities and empowering women. the paper also reviews the Food Security from Pillars to Pathways, measurement of food security, Indicators for Global...
DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EXTRUDATES FROM NIGERIAN PIGEON PEA: ROLE OF PRE-TREATMENT
James Elliott Thompson, Rebecca Annette Hughes
Consumption of pigeon pea, a drought tolerant legume with adequate nutritional composition has been limited due the prolonged time required during cooking. With high production capacity, the transformation of this crop into a ready to eat extruded snacks would increase its consumption while strengthening Nigerian food processing industries. Through this research driven innovation, a long shelf life extruded snacks from 100% whole pigeon pea (a legume) were developed following the use of native and pre-treated seeds as extrusion feed materials. The pre-treatment involved a short time hydrothermal treatment at 90 0C and alkaline treatment with 0.5% sodium bicarbonate which targeted...
URBAN FOOD SYSTEMS IN NIGERIA: ASSESSING MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE AND FOOD SAFETY CHALLENGES
William Henry Ashton, Olivia Grace Middleton
Food safety and food insecurity are key issues in developing economies; and an important concern is the poor infrastructural state of urban food markets. This critical review identifies key factors associated with market infrastructure that influence food insecurity, food safety and food quality in Nigeria. Generally, the food marketing situation in local markets is characterised by overcrowding, poor infrastructure, space deprivation, obstruction, litter including food waste, absence of, or poor standards of produce and product labelling, poor market infrastructure and p oor market governance. Findings from this research suggest that adherence to standards and environmental regulation by relevant authorities, while...