Advances in Food Science and Technology

Advances in Food Science and Technology Vol. 2 (3), pp. 178-183, March, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Safety measures in food keeping amongst pregnant women in Nigeria: A rural – urban comparison

Kautu Karisa, Mwamutsi Zimba and Rajveer Jamal 

School of Public Health and Community Development, and Administration and Finance, Maseno University, P. O. Box 333, Maseno, Kenya

E-mail: [email protected]. 

Accepted 08 February, 2014

Abstract 

The burden of disease caused by adverse pregnancy outcomes, including maternal and child morbidity and mortality, in developing countries, has been enormous. An important contributor to good pregnancy outcome is the nutritional status of the mother, which is a factor of adequacy or otherwise of the dietary intake in pregnancy. Household food security is a determinant of adequate dietary intake. This study assessed and compared household food security among 720 rural and urban pregnant women from Ogun-East senatorial district using semi-structured, interviewer-administered, six-item, short form food security questionnaire. Data analysis was done using International Business Machine (IBM) statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 14.00. The result was presented as proportions, with the relevant test statistic. Household food security was higher among the rural respondents than their urban counterparts. More urban respondents were food insecure without hunger and with hunger compared with their rural counterparts. There was no significant difference (p = 0.070) between the household food security status of both groups of respondents. Economic empowerment of women and improvement in food availability even during the planting season will go a long way in improving the food security status of many households. 

Key words: Household, food, security, pregnant, women.

Advances in Food Science and Technology Vol. 2 (2), pp. 172-177, February, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Analytical Data of special food crops in Ile-Ife of Osun State, Nigeria

Suya M* and B. I. Dele

Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. 

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 08 January, 2014

Abstract 

Studies showed that young farmers are not attracted to the production of food crops which is central to the reduction of poverty and food security among poverty ridden populace of Osun State. This study analyzes the economic factors responsible for productivity of selected food crops in Osun State. Factors influencing the level of production as well as problems militating against the production of the selected food crops in the study area were examined. Purposively, sampled data were collected from 100 farming households. Budgetary analysis and four functional forms of ordinary least square (OLS) were fitted to the data. Results showed that farm size allocated to crops imposes a positive and significant influence on return. The cost-benefit ratio to food crops are 0.65, 1.22 and 0.44 for cassava, maize and yam, respectively. Capital was the major constraints to food crop production in the study area for all the crops studied. It was concluded that yam production was more profitable but less cultivated compared to cassava. Farmers especially the young ones need to be financially encouraged to cultivate more of these crops and reduce the family size in order to sustain the productivity of these food crops.

Key words: Food crops, food security, productivity.

Advances in Food Science and Technology Vol. 2 (1), pp. 165-171, January, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Limiting household factors that hinders enough food in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Malesela Azubuike, Jabulani P. and Ncanywa E

Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa. 

E-mail:  [email protected]

Accepted 28 December 2013

Abstract

South Africa is experiencing rapid increase in food prices while household income is increasing at a slower rate. This antagonistic state has positioned ordinary South Africans, at present struggling to meet their basic household requirements, more vulnerable to food security. The objectives of the study were to determine factors that affect household access to enough food in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and to determine the role played by agriculture and fisheries in enhancing household access to enough food. Data were collected from 159 households using a questionnaire as the main instrument. Most households interviewed were male headed (50.3%). Unemployment level was high with 73.6% of the interviewed household heads being unemployed. On average, households had five members and range from 1 to 13. The average age of household heads was 59 years. Most of the household heads owned home gardens and had access to arable land though the majority did not cultivate their land (83%). Poultry and livestock production were practiced by 61.6 and 52.8% of the households, respectively. Government grants were the main source of income for the majority of households. The mean household income for all households was ZAR2 987. From the 159 respondents only 29 had access to enough food. Access to enough food was affected by gender of head of household, household size, education level of household head, agricultural training, poultry production and monthly total income. Most of the interviewed households depend mostly on food purchases rather than own production. This therefore mean that the people in the area to do not explore agriculture up to its potential.

Key words: Food security, garden, household, income, land access, livestock.

Advances in Food Science and Technology Vol. 2 (1), pp. 162-164, January, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Resistance pattern of Antibiotic to bacterial obtained from frozen food samples of animal origin in Sanandaj and Ahvaz

E. Mohammed, Moein Bozorgi and Keyvan Khukhan

School of Health, Environmental Health Research Center, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

E mail: [email protected]. 

Accepted 01 December, 2013

Abstract 

One of the major public health challenges nowadays is the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens. This study investigated the antibiotic resistance pattern in bacterial isolates obtained from frozen food samples of animal origin in Sanandaj and Ahvaz Iran. A total of 250 packages of food of animal origin were purchased from different separate grocery stores in Sanandaj and Ahvaz during one year. Bacteria were isolated and identified based on national procedures. Antibiogram was done according CLSI guideline. From a total of 250 samples collected from Sanandaj and Ahvaz, 68 (54.4%) and 71 (56.8%) were positive for bacteria respectively. In Sanandaj Prevalence of Escherichia coli, Citrobacter Spp, Enterobacter Spp, Staphylococcocus Spp, and Bacillus cereus was 40, 18, 05, 03 and 2% respectively. The most contaminated food was chicken nuggets (80%). Antibiogram results clearly showed that resistance to Tetracycline and Ampicillin was 55 and 50% respectively. Similarly, in Ahvaz also prevalence of E. coli, Salmonella Spp, and Proteus Spp, were 52, 03.2 and 02.4% respectively. The above bacteria were 39 and 26% resistance to Ampicillin and Tetracycline respectively. The frozen food samples are perhaps the potential vehicles for transmitting food-borne diseases. Antimicrobial resistance among enteric organisms in food animals was generally low; however, the significance of this study lies in the detection overall resistance of bacterial isolates from the frozen food samples of animal origin in Ahvaz and Sanandaj against different antibiotics.

Key words: Frozen food, antimicrobial resistance, Escherichia coli.

Advances in Food Science and Technology Vol. 1 (12), pp. 157-161, December, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Sanitary status evaluation of dish washing waters, utensils and hands

Winifred Kelsey, Kislon Logan and Gregory Carver

Department Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, College of Applied Science and Technology, Illinois State University, USA. 

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 28 November, 2013

Abstract 

During investigations on street food vendors’ materials, seventy samples of three types of dish washing water (E₁, E₂, E₃), eighty-five pieces of money, eighty utensils were collected for microbiological assessment. Hands microbiological status of one hundred twenty-five consumers and seventy sellers were also assessed. The analysis revealed that 100% of E₁ washing waters were very impure, while, 44.5% of second washing water (E₂) were impure, 44.5% very impure and 11% acceptable. 45.45% of E₃ washing water were acceptable, 27.27% impure and 27.27% very impure. The spoons and the dinner plates were sometimes contaminated with unacceptable levels (above 10²) of different bacteria such as, coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus (P 0.05). Knives microbiological examination revealed presence of numerous bacteria (8.6 x 10⁵ cfu/knife) such as coliforms, S. Aureus, Salmonella and Shigella. Pieces of money analysis revealed presence of coliforms and S. aureus. These data showing pathogen bacteria in food vending sites indicates hygiene monitoring failure.

Key words: Street foods, hands, pieces of money, utensils, dish washing waters, bacteria, hygiene.

Advances in Food Science and Technology Vol. 1 (12), pp. 150-156, December, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Cytotoxic effect and Genotoxic effect of food flavor enhancer, monosodium glutamate (MSG) using Allium cepa assay

Obi Ikem and Emeka Uzor

Department of Agricultural Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 06 November, 2013

Abstract 

Genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG) used as flavor enhancer in foods was analyzed using the Allium cepa assay. Onion bulbs were grown at different concentrations (1, 3, 5 and 7 g/L) of MSG dissolved in distilled boiled water and also evaluated when dissolved in distilled water without boiling; a control group was also set up. The macroscopic (morphology and color of roots) and microscopic (mitotic index and chromosomal aberrations) parameters of Allium root tips were studied. MSG inhibited growth of A. cepa root tips in all concentrations and was significant on days 2 to 5 in distilled water without boiling and on days three to five when dissolved in boiled distilled water. MSG also reduced the number of roots growing from primodium in all test concentrations as compared to control and the least was observed in 5 g and 7 g/L. Color of root tips range from brownish to dark brown or black in higher MSG concentrations. Sticky chromosomal aberration at telophase was most commonly induced in all the MSG test concentrations. MSG decreased mitotic index of A. cepa cells at all the test concentrations but this result was not statistically different. There was no significant difference in total chromosomal aberrations in all experimental set up as compared to control.

Key words: Monosodium glutamate, genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, Allium cepa assay.