Participatory Demonstration and Evaluation of Portable Enset Fermenting Implement in West Shawa Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia (Published)

The prime objective of the current demonstration activity was to demonstrate farmers and agricultural extension personnel improved enset fermenter then to collect feedback on the performance of the technology showcased. The research was undertaken in Toke kutaye and Dire enchini districts involving 45 farmers in the two districts with 98 percent women participation. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis in which narration, explanation and simple descriptive statistics were applied. The result revealed that the variation in duration of fermentation was not statistically significant between the kocho fermentation methods of local and improved device. In the contrary the mean difference of kocho yield using fermentation methods of local and demonstrated device is significant at 5% significant level Furthermore FGDs were held among farmers, development agents, and woreda experts. They positively rated the device as compared to the traditional enset fermenting method and some farmers wondered if they could access the device. On the basis of the results, then it was concluded that the technology demonstrated was of improvement that can render a viable solution to an unaddressed problem faced by women farmers for years. Therefore, the technology would be recommended for wider promotion in pre scaling up/out form in other enset culture areas of Ethiopia.

Citation: Ajama G. and Husain A. (2022) Participatory Demonstration and Evaluation of Portable Enset Fermenting Implement in West Shawa Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia, European Journal of Food Science and Technology, ol.10, No.3, pp.39-46

Keywords: Enset, Farmer, Fermentation, kocho, traditional processing

Effects of Kocho Flour Blending with Flaxseed Flour on Nutritional Quality and Sensory Acceptability of Composite Flat Bread (Published)

In Ethiopia, there are various traditional foods with potential to be developed in to nutritional foods. It is important to reduce the incidence of malnutrition, through supplementation and development of nutritious food from locally available resources such as enset plant and flaxseed crops. This study was, therefore initiated with the objective to improve the nutritional quality of kocho products by combining with flaxseed. The study was conducted with two factors, flaxseed varieties and blending ratio (95:05, 90:10, and 85:15) of kocho to flaxseed flour with control 100% kocho flour using completely randomized design and treatment means were tested at significance level of p < 0.05 with three replications. Assessment was made on the proximate composition, mineral content and sensory acceptability of food in the form of bread. Flaxseed flour had influence on moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat and energy content of breads. With 15% flaxseed substitution, percentage moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fat, and crude fiber and energy (kcal) were to 5.12, 2.14, 4.30, 6.78, 4.01 and 388.82, respectively. Carbohydrates were high for control. Kocho bread blending with flaxseed flour at 5%, 10%, and 15% showed a significant (P < 0.05) effect on minerals. With 15% flaxseed substitution Ca, P, Zn, and Fe contents (mg/100g) to 123.30, 136.85, 1.89 and 2.99, respectively. Sensory acceptability of the product increased with increasing level of flaxseed flour supplementation. In conclusion, Kocho bread has lacking nutritional content hence, blending of flaxseed in production of Kocho flat bread to improve nutritional, mineral and sensory acceptability of Kocho-flaxseed bread.

 

Keywords: Enset, Flaxseed, Proximate, kocho-flaxseed bread, sensory acceptability.