Food-borne pathogens are one of the leading causes of illness and death particularly in developing countries. This study was aimed at analyzing the hygiene indicator microorganisms and pathogens of minced meat and contact surface materials in butcher shops in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Additionally, a checklist was applied to evaluate the hygiene condition of the establishments, and a questionnaire/checklist was used to assess food safety knowledge of the food handlers. This study has indicated that the mean microbial counts (total aerobic mesophilic, staphylococci, Enterobacteriaceae, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, aerobic spores and yeasts/molds) of the minced meat and contact surface materials in butcher shops ranged between 2.35 and 6.50 log·cfu/g and between 1.80 and 6.30 log·cfu/cm2, respectively. The mean microbial counts of minced meat samples taken in the morning and afternoon showed statistically significant differences (p<0.05). The prevalence of E. coli, Salmonella, and S. aureus in minced meat and contact surface samples was exhibited as 43.75 and 29.17%, 6.25 and 4.17%, and 37.50 and 37.50% in that order. The study has indicated that minced meat samples and contact surface materials had higher microbial load with poor personal and work area sanitation. Low knowledge of food handlers in the butcher shops and broken cold chain have also been found as major contributing factors for the contamination of beef.

An observational study was conducted to determine dietary fluoride intake, diet, and prevalence of dental and skeletal fluorosis of school age children in three fluorosis endemic districts of the Ethiopian Rift Valley having similar concentrations of fluoride (F) in drinking water (~5 mg F/L). The duplicate plate method was used to collect foods consumed by children over 24 h from 20 households in each community (n = 60) and the foods, along with water and beverages, were analyzed for fluoride (F) content. Prevalence of dental and skeletal fluorosis was determined using presence of clinical symptoms in children (n = 220). Daily dietary fluoride intake was at or above tolerable upper intake level (UL) of 10 mg F/day and the dietary sources (water, prepared food and beverages) all contributed to the daily fluoride burden. Urinary fluoride in children from Fentale and Adamitulu was almost twice (>5 mg/L) the concentration found in urine from children from Alaba, where rain water harvesting was most common. Severe and moderate dental fluorosis was found in Alaba and Adamitulu, the highest severity and prevalence being in the latter district where staple foods were lowest in calcium. Children in all three areas showed evidence of both skeletal and non-skeletal fluorosis. Our data support the hypothesis that intake of calcium rich foods in addition to using rain water for household consumption and preparation of food, may help in reducing risk of fluorosis in Ethiopia, but prospective studies are needed.

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This study examined the total polyphenol content of eight wild edible plants from Ethiopia and their effect on NO production in Raw264.7 cells. Owing to its relatively high polyphenol concentration and inhibition of NO production, the methanol extract of Adansonia digitata L. leaf (MEAD) was subjected to detailed evaluation of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Antioxidant effects were assessed by measuring free-radical-scavenging activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and oxygen-radical-absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays, while anti-inflammatory effects were assessed by measuring inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In the ORAC assay, MEAD was 10.2 times more potent than vitamin C at eliminating peroxyl radicals. In DPPH assay, MEAD also showed a strong ROS scavenging effect. MEAD significantly inhibited iNOS activity (IC50=28.6 μg/ml) of LPS-stimulated Raw264.7 cells. We also investigated the relationship between iNOS expression and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation. MEAD inhibited IκBα degradation and NF-κB translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells without significant cytotoxic effects, as confirmed by MTT assay. These results suggest that MEAD inhibits anti-inflammatory iNOS expression, which might be related to the elimination of peroxyl radicals and thus the inhibition of IκBα-mediated NF-κB signal transduction.

In Ethiopia, commercially made complementary foods are not available and affordable for the majority of the poor. Complementary foods prepared traditionally from locally available raw materials (such as cereals) have high viscosity when reconstituted. This limits the total food intake by infants. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of germination on energy and nutrient density of sorghum-based complementary foods. Two varieties of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) (L.) Moench) grains (varieties 76T1#23 and Meko) were collected, cleaned, soaked for 22 hours at room temperature (22±2 0 C); germinated for 48 hours at the soaking temperature; dried at 55 0 C for 24 hours, and milled into a fine homogeneous powder. Five complementary foods were formulated by using a blend of ungerminated to germinated sorghum flours in ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50 and 25:75, 0:100, respectively. Germination increased significantly (p<0.05) contents of crude protein from 12.25% and 10.44% to 12.65% and 10.87% for varieties 76T1#23 and Meko, respectively. Similarly, the respective contents of total phosphorus, iron, zinc and calcium (mg/100g) were significantly (p<0.05) increased from 208.42, 8.21, 1.86 and 17.09 to 223.26, 11.99, 2.01 and 25.93 for variety 76T1#23 and from 183. 04, 7.19, 1.78 and 20.99 to 192.91, 10.98, 1.89 and 29.62 for variety Meko. In contrast, germination decreased viscosity values (cP) (at five percent dry matter concentrations) from 2888.78 and 2988.43 to 1147.11 and 1148.20 for varieties 76T1#23 and Meko, respectively and at 15% dry matter concentrations from 8684.74 and 8791.98 to 2376.17 and 2416.24 for variety 76T1#23 and Meko, respectively. Blending of ungerminated with germinated sorghum flour also decreased viscosity values significantly. Panelists preferred gruels prepared from 100% ungerminated sorghum flour followed by gruels prepared from a blend of 75% ungerminated and 25% germinated sorghum flours. Gruels prepared from 100% germinated sorghum flour were least preferred. Hence, germination appeared to be a promising food processing method to improve energy and nutrient density and decrease viscosity values of complementary foods.