Cereal Mix Research Articles

Investigating the Multifaceted Changes in Physicochemical and Nutritional Attributes of Chicken-Based Nutri Cereal Mix under Cold Plasma Treatment

In this study multifaceted changes in physicochemical and nutritional properties of nutri-cereal mix (NCM) under cold plasma treatment (CPT) were investigated. In present investigation NCM was prepared and treated under CPT using a DBD-based plasma source for 5 min, 10 min, and 15 min at 9 kv. The results revealed that the water and oil absorbing capacity of cold plasma treated Nutri cereal mix (CPT-NCM) increased with increasing CPT time. The carbohydrate content in CPT-NCM decreased with increasing CPT time. From the colour analysis it was observed that the total colour difference (TCD) and whiteness index (WI) increased from 0.23 (NCM -5) to 0.97 (NCM -15), and 55.11 (NCM -5) to 56.08 (NCM -15), respectively. Additionally, the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis suggested that the thermostability of CPT-NCM is likely affected by NCM levels and changes in protein structure and conformation. The diffractograms and micrographs confirmed the crystallinity and microstructural changes in protein content, respectively. Amino acid profiling confirmed that NCM -10 comprises the higher amount of most of the analysed amino acids. Overall, the current study recommends that CPT enhances the physicochemical and nutritional properties of NCM, making it suitable for producing a variety of food products with improved quality characteristics.

Exposure to aflatoxins and ochratoxin A from the consumption of selected staples and fresh cow milk in the wet and dry seasons in Ghana

Across sub-Saharan Africa, the heavy reliance on mycotoxin-susceptible staple foods means that populations in the region are particularly vulnerable to chronic mycotoxin exposure. This study assessed the exposure risk to ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins (AFs) from 18 samples of selected staple foods (maize, millet, groundnut) and 56 fresh cow milk samples collected from across Ghana. The foods were sampled simultaneously to maximise comparability, and at two timepoints in March/April (during the dry season) and July/August (during the rainy season) to assess the effects of duration of storage and seasonal conditions on the mycotoxin levels as measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The margin of exposure (MOE) approach was used to assess the exposure risk from consumption of the sampled foods. Each of the sampled staples was contaminated with OTA (0.19–3.11 ng/g) and at least one AF (0.75–13.05 ng/g B1, ND-12.12 ng/g B2, 0.1–9.95 ng/g G1, ND-16.78 ng/g G2). Up to 67% had contamination above European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) maximum limits, and 50% were above Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) limits. The fresh cow milk samples were contaminated with AFM1 in the range of 0.05–1.49 ng/g, with 95% above EFSA limits and 36% above GSA limits. Aflatoxin contamination in the staples was high, particularly in July/August when the wet conditions may have adversely impacted the handling and storage of farm produce. Variation in AFM1 between the two sampling periods mirrored total aflatoxin in the staples, suggesting that even if dairy cattle were grazing in open pasture and not being rationed on stored feed, then there was a high environmental presence of aflatoxigenic fungi. The MOE estimates were ≤533.09, far below the safe cut-off of 10,000 for suspected carcinogenic compounds. The high mycotoxin levels indicate a priority risk to child nutrition which relies heavily on cereal mixes based on one or all the three sampled staples. The data from this study underscore the urgent need for interventions to better appreciate and address mycotoxin exposure for enhanced food security and public health in Ghana and across sub-Saharan Africa.

Formulation and characterization of 3D printed chickpea protein isolate-mixed cereal dysphagia diet

The feasibility study of making 3D printed dysphagia diet was undertaken. A mixture of corn flour and buckwheat flour was used as the model cereal and chickpea protein isolate (CPI) was used as the model protein. Printing gels (inks) of the mixed cereal (control) and CPI-cereal mixture were produced by heating the formulations at 95 °C for 30 min and then cooling them to room temperature. The results showed that all the ink formulations containing CPI had higher apparent viscosity, preferable shear thinning behavior and shape supporting characteristics than that of the control. The cohesiveness and shape supporting ability of 10%CPI-cereal and 20%CPI-cereal formulations were poor and could not produce stable printing shape. The 30%CPI-cereal and 40%CPI-cereal formulations had suitable apparent viscosity, shear thinning behavior, storage modulus, yield stress and printing accuracy and the 3D printed products were stable. The control ink and 10%CPI-cereal ink had low cohesion and also could not pass the spoon tilt test. The 50%CPI-cereal formulation had high hardness and also could not pass the fork pressing test. The 30 % to 40 % CPI-cereal formulations were found to be suitable as dysphagia products as they could be classified as level 5 dysphagia diet.

Influence of almond hulls in lamb diets on animal performance and meat quality

Almond hulls (AH) were fed to lambs to study effects on performance and meat quality. Thirty Sarda lambs were allotted to three experimental groups and fed for 40 days either a cereal-based concentrate diet (control) or diets in which cereals were replaced with 15% (AH15) or 30% (AH30) almond hulls on a DM basis. Diets did not affect final body weight, dry matter intake, average daily gain, feed conversion ratio or carcass weight. Replacing part of the cereal mix (i.e., barley and maize) with AH did not affect meat fatty acid profiles. After 5 and 7 days of refrigerated storage respectively for cooked and raw meat, AH15 and AH30 treatments reduced meat lipid oxidation (P < 0.001). Our results suggest feeding almond hulls up to 30% in fattening lamb diets can improve meat oxidative stability without compromising growth performance.

Impact of supplementation with milk—cereal mix during 6–12 months of age in Delhi, India

Impact of supplementation with milk—cereal mix during 6–12 months of age in Delhi, India

Evaluation of quality and acceptability of pet pasta with buffalo tripe powder

The study was undertaken with the objective of optimizing the level of tripe powder in the formulary of pet pasta. Two levels of tripe powder viz., 2.5 per cent (T1 ) and five per cent (T2 ) were added in the control formulation replacing the cereal flour mix. The samples were subjected to proximate analysis, palatability/acceptability assessment test and preference test. The moisture, dry matter, crude fiber and total ash contents did not vary significantly between the treatments. T2 had significantly (p&lt;0.01) higher crude protein, crude fat and energy content and significantly (p&lt;0.01) lower carbohydrate content among the samples. T2 had high palatability scores when compared to other samples. The intake ratio analysis showed that T2 had significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher intake per cent than T1 and control (p&lt;0.01) and was thus selected as the best formulation. T2 with 6.54±0.24 per cent moisture, 10.44±0.50per cent fat, 16.46±0.60per cent protein, 64.71±0.73 per cent carbohydrate and energy value 418.63±2.64 Kcal/100g could be categorised as dry type pet food based on NRC recommendations (2006).

Impact of supplementation with milk–cereal mix during 6–12 months of age on growth at 12 months: a 3-arm randomized controlled trial in Delhi, India

ABSTRACTBackgroundA large proportion of infants in low- and middle-income countries are stunted. These infants are often fed complementary foods that are low-quality, primarily in terms of protein and micronutrients.ObjectivesWe aimed to test 2 milk–cereal mixes supplemented with modest and high amounts of protein during 6–12 mo of age, compared with no supplementation, for their effect on length-for-age z score (LAZ) at 12 mo of age.MethodsEligible infants (6 mo plus ≤29 d) were randomly assigned to either of the 2 interventions (modest- and high-protein) or a no supplement group. The milk–cereal mixes provided ∼125 kcal, 30%–45% energy from fats, and 80%–100% RDA of multiple micronutrients (MMN). The modest-protein group received 2.5 g protein [protein energy ratio (PER): 8%; 0.75 g from milk source] and the high-protein group received 5.6 g protein (PER: 18%, 1.68 g from milk source). One packet was given daily for 180 d. Counseling on continued breastfeeding and optimal infant-care practices was provided to all.ResultsWe enrolled 1548 infants (high-protein: n = 512; modest-protein: n = 519; and no supplement: n = 517). Compared with the no supplement group, there was an improvement in LAZ [adjusted mean difference (MD): 0.08; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.15], weight-for-age z score (MD: 0.12; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.19), weight-for-length z score (MD: 0.11; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.19), and midupper arm circumference z score (MD: 0.10; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.18) in the high-protein group at 12 mo of age. No significant differences for these anthropometric indicators were noted between the modest-protein and no supplement groups or between the high- and modest-protein groups.ConclusionsCereal mixes with higher amounts of milk-based protein and MMN may lead to improvement in linear growth and other anthropometric indexes in infants, compared with no supplementation.This trial was registered at ctri.nic.in as CTRI/2018/04/012932.

Effect of drum drying on the physical and chemical characteristics of instant cereal mixes from the blends of millet and sesame fortified with moringa leaf powder

The effect of drum drying on the physical and chemical characteristics of instant cereal mixes (ICM) from the blends of millet and sesame fortified with Moringa Leaf Powder (MLP) was investigated. Unfortified instant cereal mixes (uICM) were produced from graded levels of dehulled 0.75 % citric acid depigmented millet (100, 95, 90, 85 and 80 %) and dehulled sesame seed (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 %), while fortified ICM (fICM) from graded levels of dehulled 0.75 % citric acid depigmented millet (95, 90, 85, 80, and 75 %), dehulled sesame seed (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 %) and MLP (5 %). Slurries of blends was fed to drum drier to produce ICM and evaluated for physical and chemical properties. The MLP (25.33 %) and DSF (24.19 %) had comparable crude protein contents. The total ash and ether extract contents of DSF was 3.09 and 49.85 %, while MLP had 8.57 and 4.82 %, respectively. The fICM had decreased whiteness values (70.27 to 64.60), while uICM showed increased whiteness (78.18 to 80.77) values. The chemical composition of ICM showed increases in ash (0.68 to 1.75 %), protein (8.05 to 12.74 %), total dietary fiber (0.10 to 16.44 %), pro vitamin A (666.85 to 1184.30 μg/100g) contents and amino acids concentrations which increased with sesame and MLP inclusion. fICM showed higher concentration of amino acids, crude protein, total ash, and total dietary fiber than control sample while uICM showed higher L* values than fICM.

Quality Aspects of Rice Based Fermented Beverage

Background: Cereal grains are one of the richest sources of important dietary fibers, proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals. However, flat flavor and poor sensorial properties make them less preferable to be consumed as raw. Fermentation improves the functional properties, texture, flavor, aroma, and restricts the growth of pathogens in the final product. Cereal based fermented drink has advantages over milk-based fermented food for vegans and people with milk allergies or lactose intolerance. Methods: In the present study, to obtain a fermented beverage, a cereal mix was formulated using wheat flour, rice flour, and germinated barley flour in a 4.5:4.5:1 ratio and fermented with curd for 24 hrs. Proximate analysis, microbial analysis, and sensory analysis were done to evaluate the quality and shelf life of the fermented drink. Results: Titratable acidity as lactic acid and protein content, was found 0.23% to 0.41% and 4.80% to 5.12% respectively. The fermented drink contained 9.83-10.12mg calcium, 9.29-9.38mg Iron, 7.36-7.49mg Sodium, and 7.13-7.88 mg magnesium per 100 gm. Sensory analysis showed overall acceptability of product till 10 days of storage. The product was found microbiologically safe, as no pathogens, mold, and fungi were observed. Conclusion and Objective: The present study focused on developing healthpromoting cereal-based fermented beverage using rice flour, germinated barley, and other food adjuncts. The sensory, quality aspects, and microbial analysis for the above product were found acceptable among the consumers.

DEGRADATION KINETICS OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN DEHYDRATED MATRIX OF INDIAN GOOSEBERRY AND GUAVA POWDER

The stability of antioxidants in any material is essential for delivering health benefits even after their additional thermal processing for their preparation itself, for example, their incorporation in biscuits, cookies, bread, breakfast cereal mixes or many other functional foods for the end product’s nutritional enhancement and value addition. In this study degradation of antioxidants were studied in Indian gooseberry and guava powder prepared by the cabinet and freeze-dried techniques at temperature 65 to 850C for 8 hours in the hot air oven. Polyphenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic acid content decreases in both the fruits as the temperature increased. Degradation of polyphenolics, flavonoids and ascorbic acid during processing, followed first-order degradation kinetics. Rate constants increased with increase in the temperature range. Activation energies calculated for cabinet dried Indian gooseberry powders were 31.04, 41.87 and 44.55 kJ/mol and 36.13, 45.23.48.65 kJ/mol while in case of guava, activation energies found to be 34.15, 74.62 and 42.78 for cabinet dried and 38.42,79.11, 52.47 for freeze-dried powder for total phenolics, flavonoids and ascorbic acid. The degradation followed first-order reaction model with the higher value of R2&gt;0.927. The Arrhenius law was used to relate the coefficient k (drying rate constant) with the air drying temperature

Lead and cadmium in infant milk and cereal based formulae marketed in Nigeria: a probabilistic non-carcinogenic human health risk assessment

There has been concern on the likelihood of contamination of infant formulae and consequent health risk in children. This study has assessed and compared the lead and cadmium levels in infant formulae commonly consumed in Nigeria with international regulatory limits. It has also compared the estimated daily intake with Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and Proposition 65 Provisional Tolerable Daily Intake. Lead and cadmium levels in 26 different brands of infant formulae purchased from stores in Port-Harcourt, Rivers state, Nigeria in January 2018 were assayed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The lead and cadmium levels in milk based infant formulae ranged from 0.61-3.50 mg/kg and 0.01-0.55 mg/kg respectively whereas the range of the lead and cadmium levels in the cereal and cereal mix based were 0.29-1.95 mg/kg and 0.02-0.37 mg/kg, and 0.47-2.34 mg/kg and 0.001-0.46 mg/kg respectively. The mean lead level in the milk-based formulae (1.49 0.89 mg/kg) was slightly higher than other groups of formulae but the difference was not significant (p<0.05). The mean level of cadmium (0.17 mg/kg) in milk-based infant formulae was higher than levels in cereal and cereal mix but there was no significant statistical difference (p<0.05) between the samples. The lead and cadmium level in milk, cereal and cereal mixed based infant formulae were above the food safe limits. The consumption of infant formulae may add to the body burden of cadmium and lead of children with attendant public health implication. Regular monitoring and safety assessment of metals contamination of these infant formulae is advised.

Carcinogenic and neurotoxic risks of dietary acrylamide consumed through cereals among the Lebanese population

The present study aims to determine the carcinogenic and neurotoxic risks associated with acrylamide intake from cereal products. Analysis on a UPLC–MS/MS spectrometer revealed that oat-based and mixed cereals contain the highest amount of acrylamide among cereal products with levels as high as 271 and 348 μg/kg, respectively. Children were shown to exhibit both carcinogenic and neurotoxic risks regardless of the type of cereal product consumed. For adults above 50 years of age, only consumers of oat-based cereal products seem to exhibit carcinogenic and neurotoxic risks. To avoid a carcinogenic and neurotoxic risk among the Lebanese population, we propose that food processors set the maximum tolerable concentration for acrylamide in cereal products at 94.8 μg/kg product, a value which is threefolds lower than the average acrylamide levels found in this study. Alternatively, and unreasonably, the average Lebanese population and children among the Lebanese population may choose to cut down on cereal consumption by 1.7- and 7.2-folds respectively, should they want to avoid a health hazard as a result of acrylamide intake. The industry should also respond by optimizing the production process in a way to reduce acrylamide levels in cereals.

Inclusion of limited amounts of extruded legumes plus cereal mixes in normocaloric or obesogenic diets for rats: effects on intestinal microbiota composition.

Differences in the composition of the intestinal microbiota and energetic metabolism between lean and obese populations have been described. Legume consumption has been reported to modulate intestinal microbiota composition. However, to the best of our knowledge, no information can be found in the literature on the effects of consumption of diets containing extruded legume plus cereal mixes on the intestinal microbiota composition of rats. Our purpose was to evaluate the effects on lipids profile (see the accompanying paper) and intestinal microbiota composition (current paper) of incorporating this new food ingredient in normocaloric and obesogenic diets. Intestinal and fecal qPCR-based microbial composition of rats fed the extruded legumes plus cereal mixes differed (P < 0.05) from controls. Obesogenic diets did not affect bacterial counts. However, the inclusion of the extruded mixes reduced (P < 0.05) log10 counts in some bacterial groups and increased (P < 0.05) counts of Lactobacilli, while others remained unaffected. PCoA at the genus level grouped together Lactobacillus reuteri, Akkermansia miciniphila and species from Parabacteroides, Prevotella, Rikenellaceae, and Lactobacillus with extruded legume plus cereal diets. Feeding on extruded legumes plus cereal mixes was associated with increased mRNA expression of the cytokines IL6 and TNF-α and decreased expression of TLR4. Our results show that the inclusion in the feed of limited amounts of extruded legumes plus cereal mix, providing a diet that is closer to a normal human one, did modulate the intestinal microbiota composition. Taken together, these results point to the protective, health-promoting properties of extruded legume plus cereal mixes.

Occurrence of Bacillus cereus in instant cereal products and their hygienic properties

From July 1992 to June 1993, 155 instant cereal products were purchased from 24-hour stores, supermarkets and grocery stores in Taipei area and examined for Bacillus cereus, coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli and aerobic plate count. The results showed that B. cereus was found on 32% of instant cereal products examined. The isolation rates of B. cereus in regular instant cereal and cereal mix were 26% and 38%, respectively. Count range of B. cereus in all positive samples was 3 - 93 MPN/g. Aerobic plate counts of these two categories ranged between 5 - 2.3 × 104 CFU/g and 5 - 4.2 × 103 CFU /g, respectively. Among all samples, only one cereal mix sample was illegally contaminated with E. coli , while 8 samples contained coliform bacteria. Coliform was isolated from 2 of 74 (2.7%) regular instant cereal products, but isolated from 6 of 81 (7.4%) cereal mix products, except those of only one cereal mix were beyond sanitary standard. All of 44 B. cereus isolates had strong hemolysin activity, but only 4 isolates were capable of producing diarrheagenic enterotoxin.

Determination of zearalenone in cereals by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Zearalenone is a mycotoxin produced mainly by fungi belonging to the genus Fusarium in foods and feeds. A rapid and accurate method to quantify zearalenone in cereals was described. The determination of zearalenone was performed using immunoaffinity column for clean-up, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/fluorescence for quantification and liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS-MS) for confirmation. Cereal samples were extracted with acetonitrile-water (90:10, v/v) prior to a Vicam ZearalaTest™ immunoaffinity column clean-up. Zearalenone was eluted from the column with methanol and quantified by HPLC with fluorescence detection (λex = 274 nm, λem = 440 nm). A mobile phase of acetonitrile-water (50:50, v/v) and a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min-1 were used. Average recoveries of zearalenone from cereals spiked at levels of 5, 20, 100 and 200 ppb ranged from 66.4% to 96.1%. The limit of quantitation was 5 ppb. The selective determination of zearalenone was achieved by LC/MS-MS with an electrospray (ESI) ionization interface. Using the negative ion mode, the parent ion of m/z 317 and the product ion of m/z 175 were selected. The quantification limit of 3 ppb was achieved. Seven mixed cereals samples, seven corn samples, five wheat samples, five rice samples and two oat samples were analyzed. The results showed that zearalenone was detected in four corn samples ranging from 7.9 to 9.0 ppb. Using the consumption data from "Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan 1993-1996", the zearalenone consumption for Taiwanese adults (male and female are 0.00297 and 0.00478 μg/kg b.w. respectively) was much lower than the tolerable daily intake of 0.5 μg/kg b.w. established by JECFA.

Inclusion of Limited Amounts of Extruded Legumes Plus Cereal Mixes in Normocaloric or Obesogenic Diets for Rats: Effects on Lipid Profile.

Overweight and obesity are regarded as world epidemics and are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Two new highly palatable extruded mixes based on rice and pea (Pisum sativum) or kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) meals were incorporated into normocaloric or obesogenic diets for rats at a low inclusion level (25%). Our purpose was to evaluate the effects of dietary incorporation of this new food ingredient on lipid profile. Organs (heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, small intestine, colon, cecum) and visceral fat relative weights were different (p < 0.01) from controls for animals fed the obesogenic diets and in rats fed extruded diets with respect to controls. Faecal excretion of bile acids was higher (p < 0.01) for rats fed extruded mixes compared with controls. The inclusion of extruded mixes replacing part of the casein in the control diet lowered liver cholesterol and triglycerides (p < 0.001) and plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL; p < 0.01) values, although plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was unaltered. Both the inclusion of extruded mixes and the use of obesogenic diets resulted in significantly (p < 0.001) different long chain fatty acid (LCFA) profiles in liver and visceral fat. Incorporating extruded legume plus cereal mixes beneficially influenced lipid metabolism, and would therefore deserve closer attention in human intervention studies, particularly with adolescents. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the nutritional and physiological effects of extruded legume plus cereal mixes.

Appropriateness of Essentials Trace Metals in Commonly Consumed Infant Formulae in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND:Mothers who feed their children with infant food have increased have over the years leaving a large percentage of children who consume other types of liquid food for supplementation or as alternatives.AIM:Determining the levels of essential trace metals in these formulae with the aim of ascertain their appropriateness is considered important.METHODS:Iron, zinc, manganese, chromium and cobalt in 26 infant formulae purchased from Port Harcourt city, Nigeria were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The estimated daily intake EDI and percentage of EDI to the recommended daily allowance of these essential trace metals were used in the exposure assessment.RESULTS:The highest mean concentration of Mn, Cr and Co was found in the milk based (0.15 ± 0.09 mg/kg), (0.61 ± 0.70 mg/kg), (0.12 ± 0.32 mg/kg) compared to the cereal based and cereal mix based but the differences was also not significant. The EDI of chromium in the infant formulae exceeded the RDA.CONCLUSION:Infant formulae may add to the chromium body burden of infants in Nigeria.

Succession rate of microbial community causes flavor difference in strong-aroma Baijiu making process

Solid-state fermentation is a dynamic process involved with complex microbiome. Microbial structure and succession significantly affect the yield and quality of fermentation productions. Although the importance of microbial structure was extensively studied, the significance of microbial succession rate remains unclear in solid-state fermentation. To address this gap, we designed an in situ experiment in a typical distillery to characterize the effects of microbial succession rate. In this study, we found the process of strong-aroma Baijiu making could be divided into two stages according to fermentation parameters (starch, moisture, acidity, reducing sugar, alcohol, temperature). The early stage showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher microbial diversity than that of the later stage according to Shannon index. Compared with single cereal fermentation, mixed cereals fermentation showed slower microbial succession rate of stage shift. We found that Lactobacillus could reflect microbial succession rate of stage shift in strong-aroma Baijiu fermentation. Meanwhile, we found fermentation parameters could affect microbial succession rate of stage shift. Microbial diversity was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with fermentation parameters. Moreover, molecular ecological network analysis (MENA) showed that succession rate of microbial community could affect microbial interactions. In addition, fermentation of mix cereals (sorghum, wheat, corn, rice and glutinous rice) increased the enrichment of Clostridiales from pit mud according to results of source tracking. Collectively, succession rate of microbial community could be an important trait to explain differences of microbial diversity and flavor profile from the perspective of microbial decline and enrichment. Our study highlighted the importance of microbial succession rate during strong-aroma Baijiu making process and provided a dynamic perspective to observe solid-state fermentation.

Impact of drying processes on properties of polyphenol‐enriched maple sugar powders

AbstractThe aim of this research was to develop a natural food ingredient based on maple sugar powders (MSP) enriched in polyphenols. By incorporating 0.01% (wt/vol) of hot water extract (hot water extraction: 90°C and 1 hr; bark/water, 1/10 wt/vol) from sugar and red maple bark into substandard quality maple syrup, the latter was enriched by 13–20% in total phenolic content (TPC). The mixtures (syrup and extracts) were dehydrated using freeze‐drying (FD: at −36°C for 15 hr and subsequently at 30°C for 10 hr) or vacuum double‐drum drying (VDD: at 80°C and 660 Torr) to obtain the powders. Influence of drying processes on TPC, antioxidant capacity, and physical properties of powders was studied. Both drying processes caused a decrease in TPC and antioxidant capacity of MSP. Nevertheless, bark extracts contributed to higher TPC (8–10%) and antioxidant capacity (&gt;40%) compared to control MSP. The moisture content of VDD powders (0.63–0.71%, dry basis) was significantly lower than that of FD powders (4.10–4.40%, dry basis). MSP produced by FD were amorphous and those produced by VDD crystalline. FD powders had instant‐like properties (dissolution time of 12–13 s), whereas those produced by VDD were less cohesive (Hausner ratio, 1.13–1.21), with excellent flowability.Practical ApplicationsConsumers are increasingly attracted by natural food products. Canada is the world major producer of maple syrup, a nutritious natural sweetener exclusively obtained from maple trees sap. Unfortunately, a “very dark” color syrup is accumulated as surplus in large quantity in Canada as it is considered of substandard quality. In this research, freeze‐drying (FD) and vacuum double‐drum drying (VDD) techniques were studied to produce maple sugar powders (MSP) from this substandard surplus syrup. This syrup was additionally enriched in polyphenols by adding hot water extracts from maple barks. The obtained polyphenol‐enriched MSP have shown interesting qualities for application as natural sweeteners, such as free flowing or instant‐like powder. Our results indicate that FD and VDD are suitable techniques for substandard syrup conversion into value‐added maple product. MSPs have a huge potential of application as natural food ingredients of instant drinks, cereal mix, cookies, and energy bars.

Development of an Optimum Diet for Mass Rearing of the Rice Moth, Corcyra cephalonica (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and Production of the Parasitoid, Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), for the Control of Pearl Millet Head Miner.

The rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica Stainton, an alternate host for the production of the parasitoid, Habrobracon hebetor Say, was reared on different diets, including pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] (Poales: Poaceae) flour only, and in combinations of flours of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] (Poales: Poaceae), peanut (Arachis hypogea L.) (Fabales: Fabaceae), and cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] (Fabales: Fabaceae) to identify the optimal and economical proportion to be used under the conditions of Niger. The addition of cowpea or peanut to the pearl millet diet slightly increased C. cephalonica larval development time. Likewise, the addition of cowpea or peanut to cereal diets yielded a higher C. cephalonica larval survival. Female moths emerging from larvae fed on cereal and legume mixed diets produced higher eggs compared to the ones fed on sole and mixed cereals. Among legumes, cowpea addition is most interesting in terms of cost/production of C. cephalonica larvae. However, female moths emerging from larvae fed on different millet cowpea mix (5, 25, and 50%) laid significantly more eggs than those fed on sole pearl millet. Further, individual C. cephalonica larvae fed on 75% pearl millet + 25% cowpea produced significantly more H. hebetor. With an initial 25 C. cephalonica larvae kept for a 3-mo rearing period, the number of H. hebetor parasitoids produced will reach 2.68–10.07 million. In terms of cost/production ratio, the 75% pearl millet: 25% cowpea yielded better results.