Investigations were conducted to evaluate the effects of pod storage (as a means of pulp preconditioning) and fermentation on the chemical composition and physical characteristics of Ghanaian cocoa beans. A 4×2 full factorial design with factors as pod storage (0, 7, 14, 21 days) and cocoa treatment (fermented and unfermented) were conducted. Samples were analyzed for their chemical composition (moisture, crude fat, crude protein, ash and carbohydrate content) and mineral content using standard analytical methods. The physical qualities of the beans were analyzed for their proportions of cocoa nibs, shells and germ. Fermentation and increasing pod storage resulted in significant (P<0.05) decreases in ash (3.48-2.92%), protein (21.63-17.62%) and fat (55.21-50.40%) content of the beans while carbohydrate content increased from 15.47% to 24.93% with both treatments. As well, increasing pod storage and fermentation significantly (P<0.05) increased the copper content of the beans from while reductions in Mg and K occurred. Amongst the minerals studied, potassium was the most abundant mineral followed by magnesium, phosphorus and calcium in the fermented cocoa beans. Proportion of cocoa nibs also increased from with increasing pod storage and fermentation whiles reductions in shell content and no appreciable changes in germ proportions were noted.

Changes in acidification, proteolysis, sugars and free fatty acids (FFAs) concentrations of Ghanaian cocoa beans as affected by pulp preconditioning (pod storage or PS) and fermentation were investigated. Non-volatile acidity, pH, proteolysis, sugars (total, reducing and non-reducing) and FFAs concentrations were analysed using standard methods. Increasing PS consistently decreased the non-volatile acidity with concomitant increase in pH during fermentation of the beans. Fermentation decreased the pH of the unstored beans from 6.7 to 4.9 within the first 4 days and then increased slightly again to 5.3 by the sixth day. Protein, total sugars and non-reducing sugars decreased significantly (p < 0.05) during fermentation, whereas reducing sugars and FFA increased. PS increased the FFA levels, reduced the protein content but did not have any effect on the sugars. The rate of total and non-reducing sugars degeneration with concomitant generation of reducing sugars in the cocoa beans was largely affected by fermentation than by PS.

Pito is an alcoholic beverage obtained through a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) fermentation of wort extracted from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) malt. The malting conditions of sorghum are thought to influence the quality characteristics of the malt, and subsequently the quality of the pito obtained from it. Studies were carried out on a local sorghum cultivar grown in Ghana -chireh, to optimize the conditions for malting conditions for pito production in Ghana. A 3 3 full factorial experimental design was replicated with steeping times of 12, 16 and 22 h, germination times of 3, 4 and 5 days, and malt drying temperatures of 30, 40 and 50°C as factors. Diastatic power, extract yield, attenuation limit and free amino nitrogen were determined. Germination duration significantly affected diastatic power and free amino nitrogen (p < 0.001). Extract yield was also significantly influenced by germination duration (p = 0.001). The germination time, steeping time and drying temperature had no significant effect on the attenuation limit. The optimal conditions for malting this specific cultivar grown in Ghana to obtain critical malt quality indices are 12.0-12.5 h steeping, 5 days of germination at 30°C and drying at 40°C. Free amino nitrogen levels in all treatments were higher than the minimum requirement for good yeast nutrition and fermentation.

Investigations were conducted to characterize six high yielding cassava mosaic disease (CMD) resistant cassava varieties (Ampong, Broni bankye, Sika, Otuhia, Amakuma and Bankye fitaa) that have been developed by the Crop Research Institute of Ghana in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture for their differences and similarities in viscoelastic properties and physico-functional characteristics. The viscoelastic properties (pasting temperature, peak viscosity, final viscosity, breakdown viscosity and setback viscosity), and physico-functional characteristics (swelling power, solubility and water binding capacity) were determined using standard analytical methods. The results showed wide variations in viscoelastic properties with values ranging from 270.67-380.67 BU for peak viscosity, 37.17-260 BU for final viscosity, 199.83-282.33 BU for breakdown viscosity, 21.83-98.66 BU for setback viscosity and 2.48-10.51 min time to pasting temperature. Similarly, variations in swelling power, solubility and water binding capacity were noted with values ranging between 14.34-17.04%, 73.04-79.98% and 234.53-276.63% respectively for all the different cassava genotypes. Statistical analysis showed significant differences (P < 0.05) amongst the studied cassava genotypes with Sika (improved variety) having exceptionally high viscoelastic characteristics. The differences noted in the viscoelastic properties and physico-functional characteristics of the six CMD resistant cassava genotypes could be used in their selection for specific food and industrial processing applications.

Response surface methodology was used to study the effect of extruder characteristics on product quality of rice-groundnut-cowpea extrudates using a single-screw extruder. The combined effect of cowpea (0-20%), groundnut (0-10%) and feed moisture (12.02-44.06%) were used to formulate the products. Product moisture, protein, fat, ash, bulk density, expansion ratio, water absorption capacity (WAC) and swelling capacity were determined. Well-expanded rice-legume blend extrudates of less bulk density and lower moisture content were produced at low feed moisture. Addition of legumes resulted in significant increases in protein, fat and ash contents of the rice-legume extrudates while increasing cowpea increased all the physicofunctional properties. The models developed gave R 2 values ranging from 64.01% (WAC at 70C) to 86.5% (bulk density) and suggested that the optimal process variables of low feed moisture (10-12%), cowpea level (20%) and groundnut level (10%) would produce ready-to-eat puffed snack with enhanced nutritive value and physico-functional properties from rice-groundnut-cowpea blend extrudates. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSRice constitutes a primary food for millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, where it forms a major source of proteins and calories in the diet of large segments of the population. However, its protein is "incomplete" and is deficient in the essential amino acids such as lysine and methionine. Fortification with legumes (groundnut and cowpea) has shown to lead to improvement in the total protein quality and quantity. Extrusion cooking involves a high-temperature shorttime process, whereby a single-or mixed-food material is modified through the unique combination of high temperature, pressure and shear forces causing large numbers of complex changes to the food. Extrusion cooking of the rice-groundnutcowpea blends is expected to produce a convenient puffed snack food, ready-to-eat and breakfast cereal of high nutritional value, comprising of complementary proteins that have increased nutritional value and better product of physical and functional characteristics. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation ISSN 1745-4549 MATERIALS AND METHODS Raw MaterialsRice (Oryza sativa, species TOX-189) was obtained from Adwira farms in Accra, Ghana. Groundnut (Arachis hypogeae) and black-eyed cowpea (Vigna unguiculata walp var. Pamproba) were obtained from the Crop Research Institute, Fumesua, Ghana. They were all stored at 4-8C (relative humidity 65-100%) until used. Sample Preparation and Extrusion ProcessThe rice grains were cleaned and milled into grits using the disc attrition mill (Agrico Model 2A, New Delhi, India). Groundnut was cleaned, roasted and winnowed. The grains FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF RICE-LEGUME EXTRUDATES E.K. ASARE ET AL.