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PurposeLand is an emotive issue for women in Kenya, majority of who still suffer the consequences of not having access to land, leading to economic insecurity. This paper aims at examining the effects of women access to land on household nutritional outcomes among smallholder farmers in Kenya.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses primary data collected from a sample of 384 small-scale women farmers selected using multi-stage sampling technique. For data analysis, household nutritional outcomes were measured using Households Dietary Diversity Scores (HDDS) and Household Hunger Scale Scores (HHS). Stratification multilevel and matching-smoothing approach that controls for pre-treatment heterogeneity bias and treatment effect heterogeneity bias was used in estimating heterogeneous effects of women access to land.FindingsThe analysis reveals that women access to land has a significant positive effect on household nutritional outcomes. All households across all propensity scores strata benefited significantly but differently from women access to land in terms of nutritional outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsEconometrically, propensity matching technique used in computing heterogeneity effects captures selection bias due to observable characteristics but it fails to capture selection bias due to unobservable factors. However, robust strategies were employed to ensure minimal estimation bias.Originality/valueThe paper provides insights on the determinants of women access to land and the influence women access to land has on household nutritional outcomes. In addition, by employing one of the conventional impact evaluation techniques, the paper contributes to knowledge by taking into accounts the heterogeneity in the effects of women access to land on household nutritional outcomes.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are naturally occurring biopolymers produced by microorganisms. PHAs have become attractive research biomaterials in the past few decades owing to their extensive potential industrial applications, especially as sustainable alternatives to the fossil fuel feedstock-derived products such as plastics. Among the biopolymers are the bioplastics and oligomers produced from the fermentation of renewable plant biomass. Bioplastics are intracellularly accumulated by microorganisms as carbon and energy reserves. The bioplastics, however, can also be produced through a biochemistry process that combines fermentative secretory production of monomers and/or oligomers and chemical synthesis to generate a repertoire of biopolymers. PHAs are particularly biodegradable and biocompatible, making them a part of today’s commercial polymer industry. Their physicochemical properties that are similar to those of petrochemical-based plastics render them potential renewable plastic replacements. The design of efficient tractable processes using renewable biomass holds key to enhance their usage and adoption. In 2008, a lactate-polymerizing enzyme was developed to create new category of polyester, lactic acid (LA)–based polymer and related polymers. This review aims to introduce different strategies including metabolic and enzyme engineering to produce LA-based biopolymers and related oligomers that can act as precursors for catalytic synthesis of polylactic acid. As the cost of PHA production is prohibitive, the review emphasizes attempts to use the inexpensive plant biomass as substrates for LA-based polymer and oligomer production. Future prospects and challenges in LA-based polymer and oligomer production are also highlighted.

Emerging economies have often poor hygiene practices in traditional milk and dairy production all over the world. Therefore, pathogenic bacteria in milk pose major public health concerns especially for those communities who still consume raw milk. Escherichia coli and coliforms are often used as indicator microorganisms, so their presence in food implies poor hygiene and sanitary practices. The main purpose of this article is to review information on milk quality and coliform bacteria contamination associated with the production and distribution of raw milk in some of the low and middle income economies around the world. Data reported on coliform counts in milk samples from some countries categorized as low and middle income economies in Africa, South America, Asia, and Europe. Local marketing of raw milk has been increased in the low and middle income countries because of low purchasing power of most native consumers. This population is at risk of illnesses from food-borne pathogens as a result of poor milk handling along the informal milk value chains. The regulatory bodies from these low and middle income countries are usually underfunded; therefore the safety standards of the milk chain cannot be sufficiently provided, endangering public health. On the other hand, there are huge losses of milk due to microbial spoilage in the low and middle income countries. So, it is necessary for the low and middle income countries to invest in infrastructures and establishments such as potable water supply to the dairy actors, increase the electricity connectivity from national grid and off-grid, improve the transport infrastructure, and financial support of the standards regulatory institutions. Paying attention to the mentioned actions can help to improve milk safety and quality and thereby reduce the risk of the food-borne illnesses. DOI: 10.29252/jfqhc.5.1.3

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) has great potential as an income generation, food and nutritional security crop in sub Saharan Africa. However, potential to bioaccumulate heavy metals is a food safety concern. In this study, variation and correlations of trace elements, anti-nutrients in raw taro corms and sensory attributes of taro crisps were evaluated. Trace elements were significantly (p

Many spontaneously fermented milk products are produced in Kenya, where they are integral to human diet and play a central role in enhancing food security and income generation. Some of these products have demonstrated therapeutic and probiotic effects although recent reports have linked some to death, biotoxin infections, and esophageal cancer. These products are mostly processed from poor quality raw materials under unhygienic conditions resulting to inconsistent product quality and limited shelf-lives. Though very popular, research on their processing technologies is low. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the most common spontaneously fermented milk products from Kenya including Mursik, Kule naoto, Amabere amaruranu and Suusa. Their production challenges and future perspectives are highlighted; emphasizing the need for application of high throughput biotechnologies in their study. Available literature on their microbiology, biochemistry, and chemical composition is summarized. Moreover, knowledge on the value of clean starting raw material, fermentation parameters definition, and employment of standard equipment are discussed. Key words: Starter culture, probiotics, lactic acid bacteria, fermented milk, high throughput biotechnology, spontaneous fermentation, Kule naoto, Mursik, Amabere amaruranu

Most plastics, materials, fuels and other organic chemicals are presently derived from fossil fuel feedstocks. Due to the finite nature and foreseeable depletion potential of these raw materials, concerted efforts are being explored to find sustainable alternatives to the fossil fuel feedstock-derived products. Among these, bioplastics and oligomers derived from fermentation of the renewable plant biomass are promising candidates to replace fossil-fuel-derived plastics. Bioplastics are a class of storage polymers synthesized by microorganisms. Natural plastics can also be produced via a bio-chemo process that combines fermentative production of monomers or oligomers, followed by a chemical synthesis process to produce a variety of polymers. These polymers, particularly polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs ) represent futuristic biomaterials owing to their biodegradability and biocompatibility. Furthermore, PHAs have physicochemical properties that are similar to petrochemical-based plastics hence their potential replacement. Designing efficient processes holds the key towards their adoption. This chapter discusses opportunities and challenges regarding the production of lactic acid (LA)-based polymers and related oligomers that can act as precursors for catalytic synthesis of polylactic acid (PLA ). It covers crucial steps of their production using genetically modified organisms and engineered enzymes as well as providing future developments.

In many African cultures, insects are part of the diet of humans and domesticated animals. Compared to conventional food and feed sources, insects have been associated with a low ecological foot print because fewer natural resources are required for their production. To this end, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recognized the role that edible insects can play in improving global food and nutrition security; processing technologies, as well as packaging and storage techniques that improve shelf-life were identified as being crucial. However, knowledge of these aspects in light of nutritional value, safety, and functionality is fragmentary and needs to be consolidated. This review attempts to contribute to this effort by evaluating the available evidence on postharvest processes for edible insects in Africa, with the aim of identifying areas that need research impetus. It further draws attention to potential postharvest technology options for overcoming hurdles associated with utilization of insects for food and feed. A greater research thrust is needed in processing and this can build on traditional knowledge. The focus should be to establish optimal techniques that improve presentation, quality and safety of products, and open possibilities to diversify use of edible insects for other benefits.

Pastoral communities in Kenya have used smoke from specific herbs as a technique of disinfecting milk-handling containers, preserving milk and to impart a characteristic desired flavour to raw camel milk. The smoking is expected to extend the shelf life of the camel milk, despite the high environmental temperatures (>28 °C). The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial effect of smoke on plastic milk-handling container surfaces and determine the efficacy of smoking as a preservation method. Smoked plastic milk-handling containers (n = 25) were conveniently collected from pastoral community households in Isiolo County, Kenya. Two containers were prepared by either washing and rinsing using hot water to be the negative control or rinsing and disinfecting using a chlorine-based agent to be the positive control. The inner surfaces of the containers were aseptically swabbed and analysed for total viable count (TVC), total coliform count (TCC), and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The TVC from the smoked containers was 4.64 ± 0.43 log10 cfu/cm2 while the TCC was 4.00 ± 0.66 log10 cfu/cm2 and the LAB were 3.75 ± 0.59 log10 cfu/cm2, and those of the negative control (plain-water-washed non-smoked plastic container) were 5.99 ± 1.03, 5.07 ± 0.91, and 4.81 ± 0.81 log10 cfu/cm2 for TVC, TCC, and LAB, respectively. The mean microbial load of milk bulked in smoked containers was 5.10 ± 0.96, 3.61 ± 2.13, and 3.84 ± 2.22 log10 cfu/ml for TVC, TCC, and LAB, respectively, while the mean microbial load of milk bulked in chlorine-disinfected containers was 5.23 ± 1.11, 2.46 ± 2.18, and 2.04 ± 1.35 log10 cfu/ml for TVC, TCC, and LAB, respectively. The common types of microbes were Gram-negative rods (57.3 %), Gram-positive rods (25.5 %), and Gram-positive cocci (17.2 %). The most prevalent coliforms from all types of the containers and milk were Escherichia coli spp. and Enterobacter spp. while the LAB were Lactobacillus spp. and Lactococcus spp. Therefore, smoking of milk-handling containers can be recommended as an effective method for disinfection of milk-handling containers and as a method of preservation of camel milk in the arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya, where the cold chain or processing infrastructure is poor.