Optimization of the griddling process of kpejigaou (a traditional low fat nutritious cowpea food) using response surface methodology.

Kpejigaou is a griddled cowpea paste product eaten mainly in West Africa. As its processing does not involve the use of fat, it has the potential of meeting consumers' demand for healthy, low fat nutritious foods. Product texture is considered an important quality index by kpejigaou consumers.

Application of response surface methodology for studying the product characteristics of extruded rice-cowpea-groundnut blends.

Response surface methodology (with central composite rotatable design for k=3) was used to investigate the product properties of extruded rice-cowpea-groundnut blends in a single screw extruder. The combined effect of cowpea (0-20%), groundnut (0-10%), and feed moisture (14-48%) levels were used for formulation of the products. The product moisture, expansion ratio, bulk density and total colour change were studied using standard analytical methods.

The microflora of fermented nixtamalized corn.

Nixtamalization is a traditional process that improves the nutritional quality of corn. To provide a means of utilizing the nutritional benefits of nixtamalized corn and improve product acceptability, lactic acid fermentation was applied. The objective of the study was to study the microbial profile and establish the important lactobacilli of fermenting nixtamalized corn dough.

Lactic acid tolerance determined by measurement of intracellular pH of single cells of Candida krusei and Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from fermented maize dough.

Strains of Candida krusei and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were grown together at 30 degrees C in MYGP broth, pH 2.5, in the presence of 106.4 mM undissociated lactic acid.

Survival and growth of acid-adapted and unadapted Shigella flexneri in a traditional fermented Ghanaian weaning food as affected by fortification with cowpea.

Shigellae are among the major causes of diarrheal diseases in infants and young children in developing countries. We conducted a study to determine the effect of fermentation of corn and corn/cowpea doughs used to prepare a traditional weaning porridge on the survival and growth characteristics of acid-adapted and unadapted Shigella flexneri. Porridges were prepared from doughs fermented for 0, 24, and 48 h at 30 degrees C.