« Soumbala » is traditionally used in Burkina Faso as a food condiment in different communities. This study was conducted to evaluate « soumbala » manufacturing process on its nutritional value in two communities. During this descriptive and analytical study, samples were taken in the « Gouin » and « Moose » communities. The results show that, the humidity rate was higher in « soumbala » and waste in the « Gouin » processus, whereas in the « Moose » one, the highest humidity rate was observed after the cooking step and in peeled boiled seeds. The ash level was higher in raw seeds and after cooking step in the « Gouin » community whereas in the « Moose » community, it was higher in raw seeds and waste. The pH determination showed a progressive increase in pH values during the « soumbala » manufacturing process in the two communities. Mineral elements assays showed a slight variation in grades along the « soumbala » manufacturing process. For biochemical analysis, lipids content increased during the « soumbala » production; protein levels increased a little at the early stages of « soumbala » manufacturing process in both communities and carbohydrates contents were higher in waste in the « Moose » community, whereas in the « Gouin » community, the highest contents were found in the raw seeds. The aflatoxins determination in « soumbala » showed levels below the detection limit of the used method. These results showed that it was imperative that approved standard protocols be adopted to maintain the nutritional quality of « soumbala » wherever it is produced.

Anthocyanins are bioactive compounds, which thanks to their anti-free radical properties, can protect the human body against oxidative stress. The latter can cause many diseases, such as cancer, aging. The extract of the green cap purple variety of the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is active against the radical ABTS. Its antioxidant content is estimated at 0.183 mg E TEAC/ g fresh material. The characterization of anthocyanins was performed by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-UV (HPLC-MS-UV) and high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analyses.  These analyses allowed the identification of five anthocyanic compounds. These are: cyanidin 3-(6''-caffeoyl- 6'''-p-hydroxybenzoyl sophoroside) -5-glucoside; cyanidin 3-(6''-feruloyl 6'''-caffeoyl sophoroside) -5-glucoside; peonidin 3-(6'''-caffeoyl sophoroside)-5-glucoside; peonidin 3-(6''-caffeoyl-6'''-p-hydroxybenzoyl sophoroside) -5-glucoside; and peonidin 3-(6''-feruloyl -6'''-caffeoyl sophoroside)-5-glucoside.

Background: Microbial contamination of edible low moisture foods poses a significant public health risk for human. In this study, the microbial quality of sweet dehulled sesame, salted dehulled sesame and the raw sesame, sold under ambient conditions were examined. The samples were collected in the cities of Burkina Faso. The first type is sweet dehulled sesame (n1 = 25); the second type is salted dehulled sesame (n2 = 25) and the third type raw sesame (n3 = 25). Assessment of the microbial quality was based on the total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, the thermotolerant coliforms, the yeasts and moulds, the E. coli, and the Salmonella spp using ISO methods. Results: The results showed the presence of microorganisms varying from ˂1.0 to 1.72x105 CFU g−1 for thermotolerant coliforms, from ˂1.0 to 6,12x106 CFU g−1 for the total mesophilic aerobic flora and from ˂1.0 to 8.10x105 CFU g−1 for yeasts and moulds. The higher contaminations rates were mostly observed in raw sesame samples. No E coli or Salmonella pathogens were detected. Based on international standards of dehydrated foods, 50.67% of the ready to eat sesames are satisficing while 17.33% are acceptable and 32% are not satisficing. Conclusion: Attention should be emphasized on the processing practices, especially in crowded places where sesames are mostly sold. The high numbers of all microbial groups in these sesame samples suggested that the production of ready to eat sesame should be improved by better hygiene. This study highlights also that ready to eat sesame might harbor a wide range of microorganisms when processes are weak of hygiene.

Aim: The study aim was to assess aflatoxin and moisture levels in edible oils produced and consumed in Burkina Faso to know the impact on consumer health. Methodology: A total of 61 samples of refined cottonseeds oils and crude peanut oils were collected from Ouagadougou, Bobo Dioulasso and surrounding areas. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2) were determined by HPLC and moisture by differential weighing after oven drying. Results: The moisture content of peanut oils were ranged from 0.06 to 0.18% and cottonseeds oils from 0.02 to 0.17%. The moisture average is 0.13% for peanut oils and 0.08% for cottonseeds oils (P<0.05). The moisture of all oils is lower and conform to the Codex Alimentarius standard. AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 were identified in 86.89% of the oil samples analyzed. The proportion of samples contaminated with AFB1 is 57.38%, 59.02% for AFB2, 42.62% for AFG1 and 65.57% for AFG2. The AFB1 average of peanut oils is 6.21 ng/g while that of cottonseeds oils is 0.03 ng/g. The AFB2 average of peanut oils is 0.89 ng/g against 0.04 ng/g for cottonseeds oils (P<0.05). The AFG1 average of peanut oils is 0.54 ng/g and 0.08 ng/g for cottonseeds oils (P<0.05). The AFG2 average of peanut oils was 0.66 ng/g against 0.64 ng/g for cottonseeds oils. AFG2 had the highest proportion of all oils while AFB1 has the highest concentration and proportion in peanut oils. The 72.13% samples analyzed in this study comply with the European Community standard for aflatoxin B1 level maximum in oilseeds. Conclusion: Aside from the moisture content that comply with the standard, aflatoxins are present at varying levels and can negatively impact the consumer health. It is important to strengthen the monitoring and production system in order to have quality oil.