Search

Entomophagy has led to the recognition of insects as playing a major role in improving global environmental health, food, and nutritional security. The processing methods have shown to greatly affect its acceptance and consumption. This review selectively summarizes the current trends related to consumption of edible insects among householders, the food and beverage industry consumers, and its prospects as a key attractant in tourism destinations. Its unconventional processing techniques have hindered its growth especially in the food business industry, thus influencing the food value chain in entomophagy. The paper reviews perceptions on insects' consumption by identifying already developed processing methods, emphasizing on the health benefits of entomophagy and its economic importance. A structured literature search is conducted to identify published studies on edible-insects product processing, food design, its acceptance, and consumption in the food industry. The literature search is focused on its acceptance as whole consumption or after product development and whether it can be accepted in the food industry in its new form. It was observed that Europe has the highest publications on acceptance, public perception, processing technology, and research trends. Africa tends to prefer whole consumption, as the Americans is still have not taken a stand. Results reveal that processing of the insects and incorporating other ingredients have greatly increased acceptance of edible insects. Therefore, we conclude that new food designs that incorporate insects as special ingredient should be promoted in main stream hotels to attract food and culture tourism.

Although the monkey orange (Strychnos spp.) tree fruit is widely distributed in Southern Africa and particularly in Zimbabwe, it is underutilized and little attention has been given to its potential commercialisation due to limited knowledge and information. Most of the fruits and their products are wasted because of limited harvest time, process control and storage conditions, leading to variability in shelf life and sensory quality, thereby impacting nutritional quality. Traditional processing techniques make insufficient use of this food resource within rural communities. This study aimed at identifying the existing bottlenecks by means of a survey among 102 smallholder farming respondents in the wet and dry regions of Zimbabwe. Results revealed that S. cocculoides and S. spinosa were used by 48% of respondents as a functional ingredient in porridge, by 25% in fermented mahewu drink and by 15% of respondents as a non-alcoholic juice. The fruits of S. innocua and S. madagascariensis are preferably processed into dried products. Taste, flavour and colour were the important quality characteristics for all processed products, and constraints to be solved are seed-flesh separation, long processing times, separation of juice and pulp during storage as well as pulp viscosity. Respondents reported monkey orange products to have health benefits for children and immune-compromised people, who, on regular consumption, have reportedly increased weight and resistance to disease. The positive perception about the processed products of Strychnos spp. offer a good opportunity to improve nutrition security by capitalizing on these not-yet-fully-exploited resources, but technological solutions to improve sensory quality and shelf life must be developed.

Eulepida mashona Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is widely consumed in rural and farming communities ofZimbabwe. Preparation methods before consumption for these insects are variable and have not been documented. Our study hypothesised that cooking for different durations result in different nutritional and bioactive compoundscomposition in insects and significant losses of beneficial bioactive compounds. Representative samples derivedfrom standard insect sampling procedures were collected from natural occurrences in Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe. Proximate composition and bioactive component analyses were conducted following standard proceduresusing dried pulverised material from whole insects. There were no significant differences in proximate componentsbetween dried uncooked and cooked insects. Both insect samples prepared differently showed high crude protein and fibre contents of 62.4 and 25.4%, respectively, on dry matter basis; values which were higher than those of mostsimilarly handled edible insects in southern Africa. In dried uncooked insects flavonoids occurred in quantitiesof 0.024 mg/g. Relative to other compounds tested, saponins and oxalates occurred in higher quantities, that is, 196 and 28 mg/g, respectively, on dry matter basis. These two components were reduced by factors of 12 and 1.4, respectively, when insects were cooked for 30 minutes and dried. Cyanogen glycosides content was reduced three fold (from 1.4 to 0.43 μg/g) when insects were cooked for 30 minutes. However, safety concerns of hydrogen cyanideexposure exist, also in cases where smaller quantities (

Monkey orange (Strychnos spp.) is a widely distributed fruit species in Southern Africa commonly consumed by the local population. It has potential to improve the nutritional status of rural populations, being a precious food source in areas with periodic shortages, since it is rich in vitamin C, zinc, and iron. To improve the availability of this food outside its production season, processing and preservation techniques used at household level need upgrading as they are unreliable and their effects on nutritional quality are unknown. Based on this review, we recommend better indigenous fruit production as a sustainable solution to malnutrition in rural areas in transition countries.

This paper studied the nutritional impact of the use of juice from Strychnos cocculoides (monkey orange) in a maize-based porridge. Monkey orange juice is traditionally used to supplement maize porridge - a staple breakfast cereal especially for vulnerable groups. Monkey orange fruits contain high amounts of micronutrients and phenolic compounds and are widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The valuable components can be efficiently extracted by traditional and pectinase maceration techniques. The bioaccessibility of minerals and main phenolic compounds in maize porridge (5 g maize meal) supplemented by monkey orange juice (100 ml) were assessed after in-vitro digestion together with the kinetics of starch degradation. Caffeic and protocatechuic acids exceeded 100%, and chlorogenic acid 81% bioaccessibility after simulated intestinal digestion. Rutin was undetected after the simulated intestinal phase due to precipitation in the pellet. In-vitro bioaccessibility of minerals ranged from 12 to 62% in monkey orange enriched porridge. A 50–70% decrease of starch hydrolysis was observed at the end of the simulated intestinal digestion of monkey orange maize porridge confirming the known potential of phenolic compounds to decrease the glycaemic index of starch-rich foods. Consequently monkey orange juice appeared a suitable ingredient to enrich staple maize porridge thanks to its micronutrients and health benefit potential. Similar relationships of other fruits and starchy foods warrant study as a means to improve the nutritional quality of the diets of malnourished populations.

The food manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe is dominated by small scale companies and most of these companies do not have food safety management systems. The barriers and motivation factors towards the implementation of Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) such as Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and ISO 22000 in the food manufacturing sector in Zimbabwe have not yet been explored. The aim of this survey was to determine factors that influence the implementation of FSMS by food manufacturing companies in Zimbabwe. Fifty five questionnaires were distributed to different food companies in Harare Province in Zimbabwe and thirty were fully completed and returned. The questionnaires elicited information on the barriers hindering implementation of FSMS and factors that motivate food manufacturing companies to implement an FSMS. The survey revealed that the main barriers for the implementation of an FSMS in Harare Province and Zimbabwe at large, include lack of financial resources, size of organisation, inadequate infrastructure and facilities, and lack of top management commitment. Results of the survey also showed that the main motivation factor for the implementation of an FSMS is to improve product quality and safety. Improved product quality and safety was identified as the major benefit of implementing an FSMS. Other benefits highlighted include increased employee skills, improved company image, increased product sales, increased market share, and access to new markets.

The issue of food losses is of high importance in the efforts to combat hunger, raise income and improve food security in many developing countries. Therefore, there is need to minimise food losses in agri-food supply chains. This study was conducted with the aim to identify causes of mechanical defects in banana fruit supply chain in Zimbabwe and to also establish critical control points at which incidence of the mechanical fruit defects can be minimised in the chain. Data was gathered through interviews and participatory observation. Most of the causes of mechanical defects were found to be due to poor handling at the different stages in the chain. Propping, maturity at harvest, handling during harvesting and packing, and control of temperature and relative humidity during fruit ripening were established as critical control points at which incidence of mechanical damage can be minimised.