摘要
Landrace orange maize is rich in carotenoids and is thought to be a potentially sustainable solution for Vitamin A deficiency.This study evaluated the acceptability of landrace orange maize food products among school-aged children living in rural Malawi.It also determined the retention of provitamin A carotenoids after storage in an uncontrolled environment,followed by milling and cooking.Sensory evaluations of porridge and nsima(thick porridge)were carried out in school-aged children(n=160)using a 7-point hedonic scale.Total carotenoid content(TCC)was analysed using a spectrophotometric method and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography(HPLC)was used to identify the specific carotenoid composition of the food products.Sensory evaluation results showed a higher acceptance of landrace orange maize food products in comparison to those commonly prepared from white maize.Plain porridge scored 6.5±1.4 and 5.6±1.9 for orange and white maize,respectively.Similar results were observed with nsima.Orange maize nsima received a score of 6.8±0.7 while white maize was evaluated at 5.8±1.9.After 10 months of storage and processing,there was 89%retention of total carotenoids with 59%accounted for by evaluation of individual carotenoids.Despite the total degradation of beta-carotene,42%retention of beta-cryptoxanthin with provitamin A activity was observed.Encouraging the production of landrace orange maize appears to be a useful strategy for providing Malawian farmers with carotenoid-rich foods with high palatability.It presents a cost-effective option to reduce dependence on supplementation and fortification.
基金
funded by Pears Foundation through the International School of Agriculture Sciences-Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa(OSISA)[grant number GA8139]through the University of Malawi,Pro-Farmer Project.
