Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and under nutrition are major public health concerns in developing countries. Diets with high vitamin A and animal protein can help reduce the problem of VAD and under nutrition respectively. In this study, composite flours were developed from orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), amaranth leaves and skimmed milk powders; 78:2:20, 72.5:2.5:25, 65:5:30 and 55:10:35. The physico-chemical characteristics of the composite flours were determined using standard methods while sensory acceptability of porridges was rated on a nine-point hedonic scale using a trained panel. Results indicated a significant (p < 0.05) increase in protein (12.1 to 19.9%), iron (4.8 to 97.4 mg/100 g) and calcium (45.5 to 670.2 mg/100 g) contents of the OFSP-based composite flours. The vitamin A content of composite flours contributed from 32% to 442% of the recommended dietary allowance of children aged 6–59 months. The composite flours showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in solubility, swelling power and scores of porridge attributes with increase in substitution levels of skimmed milk and amaranth leaf powder. The study findings indicate that the OFSP-based composite flours have the potential to make a significant contribution to the improvement in the nutrition status of children aged 6–59 months in developing countries.

BACKGROUND: Millet porridge is a major complementary food used in Uganda but it is limited in protein and micronutrients such as zinc and beta‐carotene. Addition of milk and vegetable powders are known to greatly improve the nutrient content of millet flour. However, there was limited information on the shelf stability of the resultant composite flour. This study aimed at assessing the effect of milk and vegetable powders on the shelf stability of millet‐based composite flour.RESULTS: There was a general increase in the moisture content, peroxide value (PV), free fatty acids (FFA), thiobaturic acid (TBA) and total plate count (TPC) of both composite and millet flours over the eight weeks storage period. However, higher moisture content, PV, FFA, TBA and TPC values were recorded in the composite flour compared to millet flour (control) at each sampling interval. Sensory evaluation results revealed that panelists preferred porridges prepared from millet only compared to those from composite flour. The degree of liking of porridges from both composite and millet flours generally decreased over the storage period. However, both porridges were deemed as acceptable by the end of the storage period. The TPC also remained below 10⁵ cfu g⁻¹ which is the maximum limit recommended by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS).CONCLUSION: The study findings indicated that the addition of milk and vegetable powders negatively affected the stability of the composite flour. We recommend further studies to stabilize the product during storage. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Cassava is one of the most important food crops in Uganda. Despite its potential for processing into various value-added shelf-stable products, there are limited processed cassava products on the Ugandan market. Extrusion cooking is one of the technologies that provides several options for production of value-added products from cassava. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of processing conditions on the sensory and physical properties of cassava-based extruded snacks. Two factors namely; barrel temperature; 110°C, 130°C, and 150°C and cassava-maize flour ration; 60:40, 50:50, and 40:60 were investigated. The effect of these factors on the diameter, expansion ratio and sensory properties of the cassava-based extrudates was evaluated using standard methods. The study findings indicated an increase in the expansion ratio of the extrudates with increase in barrel temperature and amount of maize added. The results also indicated that the mean force required to puncture extruded sample reduced with increase in barrel temperature. Sensory evaluation results showed that the degree of liking for hardness of the extruded snacks was high for products produced at high barrel temperature and high maize flour rations. Findings from this study indicated that the best cassava-based extrudates were obtained at a barrel temperature of 150°C and at a mixing ratio of 40 parts of cassava to 60 parts of maize flour. The study highlighted the need to maximize other processing parameters like extruder screw speed, feed rate and the moisture content of the feed in order to get a more appealing product.

Introduction: This study characterized the polyphenol profile and antioxidant properties of peels from two Ugandan-grown apple varieties (Anna and Golden Dorsett) and compared them to an imported variety (Cripps Red) Methods: The polyphenol composition and antioxidant properties in apple peels were analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results: A total of 19 polyphenols were identified in Anna and 18 in Golden Dorsett and Cripps Red. Ugandan-grown apple varieties had higher total polyphenol content (474.88–489.96 mg/100g) than Cripps Red (453.39 mg/100g). Ellagic acid (111.32–113.93 mg/100g) and cinnamic acid (58.07–101.89 mg/100g) were significantly (p <0.05) more abundant in Ugandan-grown apples than in Cripps Red. Antioxidant activity was highest in Anna (85.13%), followed by Golden Dorsett (79.51%) and Cripps Red (71.04%). Total antioxidant capacity was highest in Golden Dorsett (148.72 mM-TE), followed by Crips Red (147.95 mM-TE) and Anna (113.37 mM-TE). Discussion: Since the apple varieties grown in Uganda were harvested from the same orchard, variations in their polyphenol profiles could be due to varietal difference while the observed difference between Cripps Red and the Ugandan-grown apple varieties could be due to both variety and geographic location. The higher polyphenol levels observed in the peels of apple varieties grown in Uganda relative to Cripps Red and other global varieties may stem from genetic variability coupled with local climatic and soil factors. Conclusion: The study findings revealed that peels from locally grown apple varieties in Uganda have higher polyphenol content and stronger antioxidant properties compared to the Cripps Red variety.