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Roasting is an important process that could influence the quantity of butter extracted. Central Composite Design (CCD) approach was used to study the influence of the couple temperature/duration of roasting on the quantity of extracted butter. The roasting conditions used were temperatures in the range of 110–197 °C and time ranging from 10 to 57 min. A total of 13 couple was tested. The result highlight that roasting conditions significantly affected the quantity of obtained butter. The best couple temperature – duration were 125 °C/57 min and 140 °C/40 min with an extraction yield of about 25%. However, obtained cocoa butter presented a wide diversity with respect to texture, colour and odour characteristic. Physicochemical properties of extracted butter were not function to the roasting conditions. Iodine and saponification indices were within the norms. However, the humidity rates of the studied cocoa butter were largely above the standard rates. Findings of this research are useful to food industries, and the impact of cocoa roasting on the extracted butter properties could help developed new products. Keywords: Cocoa beans, Roasting conditions, Cocoa butter, Physicochemical properties, Sensorial properties

To characterize the street food sector in Yaounde, an inventory of 197 culinary preparations available in its seven major markets was conducted. The main offerings included: boiled rice, wheat donuts, cassava sticks (Ebobolo), groundnut sauce, boiled plantains, corn donuts, fried beans, and fufu corn. The analysis of variances highlighted their variation in the markets, with the predominance of certain culinary dishes in one market relative to another. Two important aspects were looked into: geographical location and specialization in street food consumption. Then those markets were grouped into four homogeneous classes: [Essos, Acacia, and Mvog-Ada], [Etoudi and Nkolbisson], [Mokolo], and [Mvog-Mbi] markets. Markets belonging to the same class had high probability of having the same culinary preparations. Principal component analysis confirmed that Mvog-Ada and Acacia markets were the closest, as well as Nkolbisson and Etoudi markets. Yaounde’s markets culinary preparations, despite their diversi...

The identification and use of natural compounds with antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens is of major importance. This study quantified, using Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrum (LC‐MS), scopoletin in the roots of 20 cassava varieties that had been subjected to different commonly applied postharvest treatments to obtain local cassava‐derived foods. The extracted scopoletins were later characterized for their activity against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger, some food spoilage fungi. All studied cassava varieties contained scopoletin, with the improved varieties accumulating more of the compound. The compound was also present in all parts of the cassava root, but highest in the root flesh. Traditional processing influenced scopoletin content in derived foods with the chips having the highest content, followed by Gari and then Fufu. Scopoletin from cassava skin better inhibited mycelium growth of studied fungi. The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration ranged between 0.07 ± 0.00 µg/ml and 0.15 ± 0.00 µg/ml. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study paves the way for the valorization of cassava peelings in the conservation of several foods because of its antifungal activity.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that contaminates several foodstuffs, including cocoa. It has nephrotoxic, teratogenic and carcinogenic properties in humans. The effect of post-harvest processing and storage on the OTA contamination of cocoa was studied over three successive cocoa seasons (2005, 2006 and 2007) in Cameroon. The type of fermentation (box or heap) did not significantly influence bean OTA content, which varied from undetectable (

In order to fight malnutrition, functional cookies fortified with baobab pulp flour at partial substitution rates of 10, 20 and 30% were evaluated for consumer acceptability and nutritional quality. Consumer acceptability was evaluated in terms of taste, aroma, color and texture (hedonic characteristics) while nutritional quality was evaluated in terms of macro- and micro-nutrient compositions. Results showed that composite flours exhibited good functional properties. Twenty percent fortification cookies produced the most acceptable cookies which were rich in calories (490.24 kcal per 100 g), total fibre (8.65%), and total fat (27.52% DM). According to the National Agency of Sanitary Security recommendations concerning the contribution of each macromolecule to the total energy, crude protein intake was lower, polysaccharide intake was within the recommended value, while total fat intake was largely beyond that value. Mineral profile showed that cookies enriched with 20% of baobab pulp flour were rich in iron (15.6 mg/100 g), calcium (30 mg/100 g), magnesium (20 mg/100 g), potassium (930 mg/100 g), and vitamin C (60 mg/100 g). Thus, incorporation of baobab pulp flour at 20% improved sensory and nutritional qualities of rice cookies. Baobab fortified cookies can therefore be an alternative non costly and accessible snack to alleviate malnutrition in general and micronutrient deficiencies in particular. Keywords: Rice cookies, Baobab pulp flour, Nutritional properties, Sensorial quality

Operating conditions affect ochratoxin A (OTA) extraction from roasted coffee. The OTA content found in the beverage can thus be greater than that found in the roasted coffee used to prepare it. Three extraction parameters were studied for roasted coffee: type of extraction solvent (alkaline, neutral, acid), temperature (ambient temperature/23 degrees C, 60 degrees C and 85 degrees C), and extraction time (5, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 80 min). The alkaline solvent used in the method recommended by the European Union extracted OTA better, but a maximum content was obtained at 60 degrees C after 50 min. At least a 100% improvement in extraction was obtained when compared with the European Union usual quantification method that is carried out at ambient temperature. It turned out that the OTA extraction parameters for roasted coffee, as defined by that method, were not optimum and needed to be modified. These results were verified in double-extraction experiments showing that OTA is not completely extracted by this method. Confirmation was obtained by comparison of extraction methods on several commercial samples of roasted coffee.

Ochratoxin-A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that has nephrotoxic, tetragenic, immunotoxic and carcinogenic effects in the human organism. It contaminates several foodstuffs, notably cocoa. The purpose of our study was to compare the incidence of cocoa pod integrity on the fungal microflora and ochratoxin- A production in Cameroon. Irrespective of pod condition, fermented cocoa beans were contaminated by OTA. The maximum mould content was obtained in beans from damaged pod. However, the fungal microflora was more diversified for beans from pod damaged during harvesting than for beans from intact pods, throughout the post-harvest process. The toxigenic strains isolated belonged to the genera Aspergillus. Aspergillus carbonarius isolated from damaged pods, displayed the greatest OTA production which was 110.7 ng.g-1 on cocoa medium and 2772,0 ng.g-1 on official medium. There was a good correlation between OTA presence in the beans and isolated toxigenic strains.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is the main mycotoxin occurring in cocoa. A study was conducted in Cameroon to assess how filamentous fungi and toxigenesis were affected by the type of cocoa post-harvest treatment (boxes or heaps). The filamentous fungi isolated were almost identical when fermentation was carried out in boxes or heaps, with the presence of abundant black Aspergillus filamentous fungi: A. niger and A. carbonarius. Filamentous fungi were more abundant at the end of the harvesting season. Factors affecting bean integrity (poor handling, deferred processing) resulted in a qualitative and quantitative increase in contamination, when the total number of filamentous fungi could reach a maximum value of 5.5+/-1.4x10(7) CFU g(-1) and black Aspergilli a maximum value of 1.42+/-2.2x10(7) CFU g(-1). A toxigenesis study showed that Aspergillus carbonarius was the main OTA-producing strain isolated. Its maximum production could reach 2.77 microg g(-1) on rice medium. Aspergillus niger strains did not always produce OTA and their toxigenesis was much lower. Fermented dried cocoa from poor quality pods was the most contaminated by OTA: up to 48 ng g(-1).