Fermentation is a sustainable bio-preservation technique that can improve the organoleptic quality of fruit juices. Mango juices were fermented by monoculture strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum (MLP), Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (MLR), Lacticaseibacillus casei (MLC), Levilactobacillus brevis (MLB), and Pediococcus pentosaceus (MPP). Volatile compounds were sorbed using headspace solid phase microextraction, separated, and identified with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Forty-four (44) volatile compounds were identified. The control, MPP, and MLB had higher amounts of ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, 2-hexenal, 2,6-nonadienal, 2,2-dimethylpropanal, β-selinene, γ-gurjunene, α-copaene, and δ-cadinene, while MLC, MLP, and MLR had higher amounts of 2,3-butanedione and a cyclic hydrocarbon derivate. Consumers (n = 80) assessed their overall liking and characterized sensory attributes (appearance, color, aroma, flavor, consistency, acidity, and sweetness) using check-all-that-apply, and penalty analysis (just-about-right). Overall liking was associated with ‘mango color’, ‘pulp’, ‘mango aroma’, ‘sweet’, ‘natural taste’, and ‘mango flavor’ that described the control, MLB, MLC and MPP. Juices MLR and MLP were described as ‘bitter’, ‘sour’, ‘aftertaste’, and ‘off-flavor’. Multivariate analysis revealed relationships between the volatile compounds, mango juices fermented by different lactic acid bacteria, and sensory characteristics. Thus, the type of lactic acid bacteria strains determined the volatile and sensory profile of mango juices.

Mango by-products are disregarded as waste contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This study used mango seed and kernel to enhance the nutritional content of maize complementary porridges. Composite maize-based porridges (MBP) were formulated by fortifying maize flour with fine ground mango seed and kernel at different levels (31%, 56%, 81%). The by-products and formulated porridges were characterized for their nutritional composition, mineral content, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, the bioaccessibility of essential minerals during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of the formulated porridges was determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Mango seed had a high fat (12.0 g/100 g dw) and protein content (4.94 g/100 g dw), which subsequently doubled the fat content of the porridges. Mango by-products increased the total phenolic content of maize porridge by more than 40 times and the antioxidant capacity by 500 times. However, fortification with mango by-products significantly decreased the bioaccessibility of minerals, especially manganese, copper, and iron, as the highest percentages of insoluble minerals were recorded in MBP 81 at 78.4%, 71.0%, and 62.1%, respectively. Thus, the results suggest that mango seed and kernel could increase the nutritional value of maize porridge, but fortification should be done at lower levels of about 31–56%.

Sorghum peanut blend (SPB) and corn soy blend plus (CSB+) are highly nutritious supplementary food products. SPB is formulated using local food items while CSB+ is a traditional product donated by World Food Programme to malnourished children in Uganda. The acceptability of SPB and CSB+ among children and caretakers was studied in northeastern Uganda. A 5-point hedonic scale was used to evaluate the caretakers’ sensory preferences for the two supplementary diets. A four-day central tasting, two weeks home use trial, and exit interviews were carried out. Sensory attributes of both food supplements had a rank of > 4. Taste varied (P < 0.05) with the food type. CSB+ had a higher (P < 0.05) taste score than SPB. Other attributes were not statistically different. During central tasting, about 100% of the served porridge was consumed by the children. Feeding duration of 300 mL of porridge was 8.14 min for CSB+ and 8.24 min for SPB. Over the two weeks home use trial, 98.4% of SPB and 98.1% of CSB+ of the provided rations were consumed. The quantities of food consumed were above the recommended acceptability level of ? 75%. Reported allergic and intolerance cases were below the 10% threshold. Both food supplements were found to be acceptable to children.

Aims: This study was conducted within a rural pastoral community of Maasai in Simanjiro District of Tanzania to determine prevalence of hypertension and its determinants.