The industrial and small-scale processing of plant-based food materials is associated with by-products that may have a negative impact on the environment but could add value to bread-based products. The bioactivity of plant-based food by-products, their impact on the properties of functional bread, and their bioavailability/bioaccessibility leading to potential health effects when consumed was reviewed. Plant-based food by-products which may be added to bread include rice bran, wheat bran, corn bran, grape pomace/seed extract, tomato seed/skin, and artichoke stems/leaves. These by-products contain high concentrations of bioactive compounds, including phenolics, bioactive peptides, and arabinoxylan. Pre-treatment procedures, including fermentation and thermal processing, impact the properties of plant-based by-products. In most cases, bread formulated with flour from plant-based by-products demonstrated increased fibre and bioactive compound contents. In terms of the sensory and nutritional acceptability of bread, formulations with an average of 5% flour from plant-based by-products produced bread with acceptable sensory properties. Bread enriched with plant-based by-products demonstrated enhanced bioavailability and bioaccessibility and favourable bioactive properties in human blood, although long-term studies are warranted. There is a need to investigate the bioactive properties of other underutilised plant-based by-products and their potential application in bread as a sustainable approach towards improving food and nutrition security.

Snacks were produced by extruding blends of partially-defatted soybean flour with flours from milled or parboiled African-grown rice. The interplay between composition and processing in producing snacks with a satisfactory sensory profile was addressed by e-sensing, and by molecular and rheological approaches. Soybean proteins play a main role in defining the properties of the protein network in the products. At the same content in soybean flour, use of parboiled rice flour increases the snack’s hardness. Electronic nose and electronic tongue discriminated samples containing a higher amount of soybean flour from those with a lower soybean flour content.

Food base approach is considered to be a more viable and sustainable method of addressing micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. A study to develop suitable micronutrient-rich complementary infant foods was carried out and characterized using rice (Oryza sativa, var. Togo Marshal) and six other Ghanaian food ingredients; soybean (Glycine Max var. Afayak), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata, var. Bengpla), mango (Magnefera indica, var. Kent), red palm (Elaesis guineensis. var. Dura) oil, groundnut (Arachis hypogea, var. Otuhia) and eggs. The complementary foods were initially developed from six blends, LR-1 (70% rice, 20% soybean, 5% groundnut, 5% dried mango), LR-2 (70% rice, 20% soybean, 5% groundnut, 5% egg yolk), LR-3 (70% rice, 20% soybean, 5% cowpea, 5% dried mango), LR-4 (65% rice, 25% soybean, 5% palm oil, 5% egg yolk), LR-5 (70% rice, 20% cowpea, 5% groundnut, 5% egg yolk), LR-6 (70% rice, 25% soybean, 5% dried mango). Sensory evaluation of these initial blends was conducted and the three most preferred blends were selected for further acceptability studies as well as the nutritional analyses using standard methods. The most desirable product based on sensory attributes was the formulation containing mango flour and soybeans (LR-6) followed by formulation containing soybean, groundnut and mango (LR-1). However there were no significant differences ( p = 0.05) observed among the overall acceptability of the three best formulated products (LR-6, LR-1, LR-4). LR-4 had the highest amount of energy (427.6Kcal/100g), protein (15.82g/100g), fat (12.2g/100g), beta-carotene (5106.7 µg/100g) and iron (6.6mg/100g). LR-6 came out as the most preferred weaning food based on sensory evaluation. This study revealed the potential of using local ingredients including rice to produce micronutrient-rich complementary infant foods in developing countries. This will be of tremendous help to the less endowed households where the problem of infant malnutrition is most rife.

Background and Objectives: Sulfur and nitrogen affect wheat yield and the protein content and quality. Hard red spring wheat (Albany cultivar) grown under six different soil nitrate application levels (0, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 lbs/acre) and two sulfur levels (0 or 20 lbs/acre) was used. Mixing characteristics of flours were determined using the Brabender Farinograph AT, while flour and dough were studied for their thiols and SDS cold protein solubility with or without dithiothreitol. Findings: Nitrate‐only at 180 lbs/acre and nitrate and sulfur at 60:20 lbs/acre (3:1) flours had desirable mixing performance. Nitrate‐only fertilization did not affect cold protein extractability in dough and compacted flour proteins so that thiols could not be exposed even in the presence of chaotrope. Nitrate and sulfur application affected protein compactness but for 120:20 lbs/acre (A63) and 180:20 lbs/acre (A64) applications, while exposable thiols further decreased, decreasing as nitrate levels increased. Exposable thiols decreased in nitrate‐only doughs, with the no‐nitrate (A55), 120 lbs/acre (A57), and 180 lbs/acre (A58) showing greater decrease. Conclusions: Sulfur singularly increased exposable thiols in dough and was not affected by presence of nitrate. Indeed, nitrate only or nitrate and sulfur together application seems to produce wheat flour that has a more ordered protein structure and improved association with solvent (water) when mixed into dough. Significance and Novelty: This has significance in fertilizer application in fields for wheat cultivation for specific end‐use.