Browsing by Author "MPALANZI, VICTORIA THOBIAS"

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Enhancing the nutritional content of noodles produced by small scale processors in Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2024) MPALANZI, VICTORIA THOBIAS
Background: Noodles have become increasingly popular in the country due to their convenience and affordability in terms of price. This trend can be attributed to urbanization and changing lifestyles. However, the widespread consumption of noodles has raised concerns about their nutritional deficiencies. Many noodle products lack essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and protein, crucial for maintaining a balanced and healthy diet. Excessive reliance on noodles as a staple food can lead to nutritional imbalances and deficiencies, contributing to health problems among the population. As such, promoting a diverse and well-balanced diet is important to address these nutritional shortcomings in Tanzania. This research aimed to address this issue by enhancing noodle’s nutritional composition and sensory qualities by incorporating Moringa oleifera leaf powder and sardine powder, targeting small- scale processors. Methods: an experimental research design was employed to investigate the nutritional, textural, cooking quality and sensory acceptability impact of adding Moringa oleifera leaf powder and sardine powder to wheat-based noodle formulations. Six formulations were prepared, altering the ratios of wheat, Moringa oleifera leaf powder, and sardine powder. For the Moringa-fortified noodles, ratios included 99.6% wheat and 0.4% moringa (WM1), 99.2% wheat and 0.8% moringa (WM2), and 99% wheat and 1% moringa (WM3). For sardine-fortified noodles, formulations comprised 95% wheat and 5% sardine (WS1), 90% wheat and 10% sardine (WS2), 85% wheat and 15% sardine (WS3), with a 100% wheat control (WC). The nutritional parameters assessed included crude protein, fibre, fat, ash, carbohydrate, energy content, and mineral composition, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. For the proximate and mineral composition, data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 26.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) software whereby one-way Anova and post- hoc test (HSD) were performed to check if there is a significant difference in nutritional composition at level of significance p<0.05 and all the data were reported using mean values of determinations ± standard deviation. Similarly, Textural properties, including hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and adhesiveness, were measured. Additionally, cooking quality attributes such as cooking loss, volume increase, and water absorption were assessed. Sensory evaluations were conducted at Morogoro Secondary School, where 60 panellists aged 14-19 were to gauge consumer acceptability concerning colour, aroma, texture, taste, and overall acceptability. The quantitative descriptive analysis was also performed at the Sokoine University of Agriculture, Department of Food Science and Agro-processing, with 10 trained panellists to identify specific changes in attributes like colour, aroma, saltiness, and hardness due to the inclusion of moringa and sardine powders. Statistical data analysis was performed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 26.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), using the one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) and post hoc Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) test at a significance level p < 0.05. All the data were reported using mean values of determinations ± standard deviation. Principle component analysis (PCA) was done by R software (R Core Team) to assess the association between sample and attributes as well as partial least square regression (PLSR) was performed by unscrambler X software version 10.4 to check the relationship between quantitative descriptive data and consumer data. Results: The results indicated significant variations in the nutritional composition of the different noodle formulations compared to the control sample. Incorporating Moringa oleifera leaf powder and sardine powder led to notable increases in crude protein and mineral content, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. The nutritional profile of the noodles was positively altered, suggesting that the incorporation of moringa leaf and sardine powders enhances the valuable insights into a viable approach to improve the nutritional quality of commonly consumed foods, benefiting both the food industry and consumers in Tanzania.