ABSTRACT
Chad has a varied, nutritious and delicious range of traditional dishes. In the face of modernity, some of these dishes are disappearing or have been forgotten. The aim of this project was to draw up production diagrams for two endangered traditional dishes so that they could be made available to present generations who know little or nothing about them. Goubloum is a moist bread that keeps for several days and is used mainly by travellers on long journeys. It is also a type of war bread used by men. As for ‘soom poddah’, this is a sweet couscous made from flour mixed with powdered sugar, cut into small pieces and fried in oil. It is eaten during festivals or when travelling. Children love it. A survey of around twenty of the oldest people in the village of Kolobo, men and women with lucid memories, identified five women who mastered the technologies used to produce these foods, and who were unanimously supported by those interviewed. These two foods were then produced in our presence, with photos and explanations of each unit operation. Finally, we drew up the technological diagrams for making ‘goubloum’ and ‘soom poddah’.

ABSTRACT
Based on the 23 strains of low-temperature Daqu, microbial inoculants were prepared and inoculated into crushed barley and pea to prepare clean low-temperature Daqu (XQ). The physicochemical properties, flavor profile, and microbial community of XQ were investigated, with traditional low-temperature Daqu (CQ) and production requirements as controls. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in moisture and acidity between the two types of Daqu: CQ exhibited a moisture of 10.6% and an acidity of 1.1 mmol/10 g, while XQ demonstrated a moisture of 10.9% and an acidity of 1.2 mmol/10 g. The fermenting activity (1.36 g/0.5 g·72 h) and liquefying activity (1.13 g/g·h) of XQ surpassed those of CQ; however, its saccharifying activity (780 mg/g·h) and esterifying activity (808 mg/50 g·7 d) were lower. In general, the physicochemical properties of XQ align with the production requirements. HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis indicated that the flavor profiles of the two types of Daqu were largely similar, with 84.85% of the flavor components of CQ being reproducible in XQ. Microbiota community analysis revealed there were some differences in relative abundance of microbes and COG (Clusters of Orthologous Groups) function between the two Daqu. The dominant microorganisms in XQ identified were Bacillus, Pichia, Transversalis, and Monascus, meanwhile the dominant microorganisms in CQ identified were Pediococcus, Rhizomucor, Wickerhamomyces. This study establishes a robust experimental basis for producing clean Daqu and provides valuable insights for the development of safer microbial fermented foods.

ABSTRACT
Maize is prone to insect pests during grain storage, leading farmers to rely on synthetic insecticides. However, the use of these chemicals has been associated with insect resistance and negative impacts on non-targeted species. The adoption of hermetic principles for pesticide-free grain storage is globally recognized as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides. To address losses in stored maize, trials were conducted at Bako, West Ethiopia to compare the effectiveness of pesticide-free hermetic grain storage and traditional polypropylene bags in terms of quantitative losses and seed quality, including germination potential, after three and six months of storage. The on-station trial followed a completely randomized design with three replicates of three treatments: Metal silo, PICS bag, and polypropylene bags without synthetic insecticide. On-farm trials with the same treatments were replicated on four smallholder farms, allowing natural insect infestation. Samples were assessed for total insect count, insect mortality, grain moisture content, grain damage, weight loss, and germination percentage. The results showed that hermetic treatments effectively controlled insect development, grain damage, and weight loss compared to non-hermetic treatments, with significant differences (P<0.05) observed. Seed viability was maintained in hermetic treatments, with high germination percentages (>92%) compared to non-hermetic treatments (<72%). There were no significant differences in grain moisture content among the storage methods. Overall, hermetic storage technologies proved effective in suppressing insect development, reducing losses, and preserving seed viability without the use of insecticides. These findings support the adoption of hermetic storage by small-scale farmers to improve food security and income generation in the country.

ABSTRACT
Pumpkin oil-seed bearing fruit is of economic importance to many cultures across the globe used as food. The characteristics of the oil bearing seeds ('Yar madana, 'Yar bahaushiya and 'Yar awo) were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. Extraction was carried out by the use of solvent extraction method. The physicochemical properties, percentage yield, extraction rate, sensory attributes of the oils were also determined. The mean values of oil yield for 'Yar awo was significantly higher in acid value, FFA, moisture content were 54.64 %, 1.96 mg KOH/ g oil, 0.982 %; than 'Yar madana pumpkin 23.63%, 3.23 mg KOH/ g oil, 1.47 %; and 'Yar bahaushiya 28.34%, 2.95 mg KOH/ g oil, 1.61% respectively. Significance difference exits (<0.05) in saponification, peroxide and iodine values for 'Yar madana variety 173.23 mg KOH/g oil, 5.50 mEq O2/g oil, 24.16 mg I2/100g; Yar Awo 197.70 mg KOH/g oil, 5.10 mEq O2/g oil, 29.28 mg I2/100g; and 'Yar bahaushiya 190.70 mg KOH/g oil, 2.00 mEq O2/g oil, 31.84 mg I2/100g. Specific gravity, refractive index, smoke point, flash point, fire point, moisture content for 'Yar madana variety were 0.92g/ml 1.44, 183.7°C, 261.9°C, 323.1°C, 'Yar Awo 0.90g/ml, 1.44, 186.4°C, 268.3°C, 318.6°C and 'Yar bahaushiya 0.94g/ml, 1.44, 183.7°C, 267.3°C, 314.4°C. The mean sensory attributes of 'Yar Awo variety was found to be most acceptable than the 'Yar madana and 'Yar bahaushiya. Low level of acid values and other properties obtained from the three local varieties of the pumpkin showed that the oil was edible.

ABSTRACT
Dakuwa is a leguminous based snack prominent throughout northern Nigeria. It consists basically of roasted tiger nut and groundnut paste, It is produced mixtures of legumes such as tiger nut and groundnut, ground pepper, ginger, sugar and salt, pounded and molded into balls that can be eaten without further processing. The aim was to produce dakuwa from the blends of roasted millet and sorghum with groundnut and determine the nutritional, functional, mineral, microbiology and sensory qualities. Dakuwa produced from the blend of pearl millet flour and groundnut paste, sorghum and groundnut paste were evaluated according to different formulations (Mtrl 100, MG 80:20, MG 60:40, MG 50:50) and (Strl 100, SG 80:20, SG 60:40, SG 50:50). Dakuwa at 100% pearl millet and sorghum flour had 8.25 and 8.17% protein, higher protein content was found in samples MG 50:50 and SG 50:50 and carbohydrate contents (74.29 -71.79%) fat content valued from 2.88 to 1.83%, ash valued from 2.44 to 2.38%, crude fibre from 2.62 to 1.93% that corresponds to the levels of substitution with groundnut paste. The microbial count was within the acceptable limits, with TBC ranging from 2.4 × 103 to 4.8 × 103 and the TFC was 6.2 × 103 to 3.3 × 103. Colour value from 6.8 to 5.3, mouth feel from 7.3 to 4.7, texture valued from 7.3 to 5.2, taste from 7.8 to 5.7 and overall acceptability valued form 7.3 o 5.3 respectively. The dakuwa produced from different blends of millet and groundnut was observed to have increased in protein and ash with variations in the fat content and a decrease in carbohydrate content which was as a result of varying substitution rates with groundnut paste.

ABSTRACT
Background: Despite the valuable bioactive compounds and potential health benefits, the peels of various plants, such as mango, pomegranate, yam, banana, red potato, pineapple etc, are commonly discarded. Recent discoveries have highlighted the pharmacological importance of these peels, which could have many therapeutic properties. Objective: This review aims to highlight the importance of edible peels in preventing and managing illnesses. The pharmacological features and nutritional contents of these peels are explored. Method: A comprehensive literature review was conducted, focusing on recent research that investigates the bioactive compounds, nutritional composition, and pharmacological effects of fruit peels. This information was retrieved from databases such as Pubmed, Science Direct, Google Scholar and Research Gate. Results: This review's findings showed that some fruits' peels contain higher levels of phytochemicals, antioxidants, and essential minerals. Recycling plant peels can effectively reduce waste and implement efficient waste management practices. These by-products have been reported to contain abundant bioactive compounds that can be used in diverse industrial applications to enhance health and provide nutritional advantages. Conclusion: The pharmacological properties of edible peels emphasise their importance as natural therapeutic substances and functional foods. This review advocates for incorporating these by-products in dietary guidelines and medicinal therapies. Future research should focus on elucidating the processes by which the bioactive compounds in these peels exert their effects and exploring their potential therapeutic applications. This will help facilitate their integration into diets designed to enhance overall health.

ABSTRACT
Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies during infancy and early childhood are major problems facing developing countries, particularly Cameroon. This study aimed to formulate highly nutritious infant foods from locally available and affordable raw materials: orange-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) grown in Cameroon. The formulated diets were analysed for their proximate (protein, fat, ash, fibre, carbohydrates), mineral (iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus), and antinutritional contents using standard methods. They were compared with the FAO/WHO standards. A total of two formulations were produced, with compositional proportions calculated based on recommended daily allowances (RDAs) for young children. The formulated ingredient varied 57-58% sweet potato, 23-25% beans, and 18-19% peanut. The linear programming method combined the samples into different formulations to meet FAO/WHO/UNICEF requirements. The results showed that the nutritional composition of the flour on a dry weight basis was as follows: crude protein: 12.66-13.66g/100g, lipid: 8.95-9.13g/100g, carbohydrates: 61.58-63.71g/100g, fibre: 5.58-6.22g/100g, ash: 3.82-4.64g/100g, energy: 381.53-387.65 Kcal, iron 9.45-10.46mg/100g, zinc 3.00-4.24mg/100g. The proximate contents of the formulated flours meet the FAO/WHO standards, except the energy content. The results of the study showed that the formulated diets contain very low antinutritional factors (phytate: 0.12 mg/100g and trypsin inhibitory content 0.30 to 0.35mg/100g). Based on the results, the complementary food formulated from sweet potato, beans, and peanut flour is a good source of protein, iron, and zinc and would contribute to the daily requirements of infants and young children.