Draft:Inventing Sorghum In Novel Food Systems For The Improvement Of Food Safety And Security In Rwanda.

INVENTING SORGHUM IN NOVEL FOOD SYSTEMS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF FOOD SAFETY AND SECURITY IN RWANDA

ABSTRACT

Sorghum was originally considered a basic crop by almost every household in Rwanda. It was mostly planted for domestic consumption and was typically farmed by multiple farmers. Sorghum was produced across Rwanda, even in areas with little agricultural potential, because it is the sole native cereal species in the East African Community. This reality gradually faded, and the Rwandan government eventually forbade sorghum production throughout the country. This was due to the untapped potential of sorghum to boost the nutritional value of food items, as well as the limited ways in which sorghum could be incorporated into the different unique dishes invented by Rwandans as technology advanced. Because of the current epidemic of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases, various literature reviews have highlighted the potential role that sorghum could have played due to its nutrient and bioactive content, potential health benefits, and 'gluten-free' status. Furthermore, this paper's improvements in sorghum-based food items are required to assist both food scientists and industry in identifying current trends and future directions. Studies on handmade processing are still limited, necessitating foundational changes. This review also sought to present the most recent information on the use of sorghum to generate ready-to-eat goods or food ingredients, drawing on studies published in the last decade (2014-2024), which guided discussions on recent advances and possibilities. Sorghum has significant potential as a useful and sustainable crop. Sorghum has a lot of potential as a functional and sustainable food that can be used in place of traditional grains like wheat, rice, and corn. More work is needed to make significant progress in establishing sorghum-based innovative food systems.

INTRODUCTION

Sorghum is a non-GMO, gluten-free ancient grain that is mostly utilized in the making of local beer but was once a popular food grain among Rwandans. It has a high nutritional value, making it suitable for incorporation into Rwanda's emerging new food systems. Though it was formerly prohibited from Rwanda's budget planning and market determination, it remains the most widely produced cereal. It can be successfully utilized to boost the nutritional value of starch-based goods made using non-whole meal flours such as wheat, millet, and maize.

Food systems should better match with nutrition and sustainability aims (Willett, et al. 2019). Poor-quality diets are a major source of illness worldwide. Poverty-related diets are often monotonous and lack diversity, with a focus on refined cereals (Centeno, et al. 2021). Industrially produced foods high in fats and sugars have been linked to obesity and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes (Gordon, et al. 2017).The existing food system also has an unsustainable level of environmental effect, such as biodiversity loss due to land use change processes like deforestation, excessive levels of water extraction, and greenhouse gas emissions (Guo, et al. 2022).

However, due to the increase in incidence of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases in the population, intake of whole grains remains a worry, triggering the research on sorghum incorporation in novel meals .Research shows that sorghum's nutritional makeup and potential as a functional food can help to diversify diets and improve human health.

When compared to other cereal grains, sorghum exhibits better advantages to the gut microbiota, lower glycemic response, and strong antioxidant activity among the physiological effects that have already been studied (Gamage, et al. 2017). Excess leucine has been shown to interfere with the conversion of tryptophan to niacin, resulting in pellagra in people fed a poor sorghum diet.

Despite the human health benefits of sorghum eating, its cultivation in Rwanda remains predominantly for local beer manufacture, which was the primary reason for prohibition. Researchers have become increasingly interested in the health advantages of sorghum eating during the last ten years and the utilization of this grain in the creation of healthier food items (Taylor and Duodu 2022).

In addition to a high concentration of fat, protein, and dietary and non-dietary fibers, sorghum flour also contains a number of micronutrients and bioactive compounds that can help enhance the nutritional value of cereal-based products intended for human consumption (Apostol, et al. 2020).

Sorghum also has the benefit of being gluten-free (GF), which makes it a highly sought-after ingredient for people looking to enhance the quality of GF foods. Since GF products are neither enriched nor fortified, they frequently have poor nutritional quality. In addition, they have low technological and sensory quality, don't look or taste well, and leave a gap that sorghum fills.

This paper aims to provide technological information about the use of sorghum in the development of novel food products for human consumption that relate to Rwanda's rapidly evolving food technologies. It highlights how sorghum can replace current, scarce, and expensive cereals in products like porridge and bakery goods, as well as the advanced improvements of producing local sorghum bread (Rukacarara) that are linked to modern production technologies. This essay will also draw from other works of literature that have been released in recent years.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Numerous research papers, books, journals, articles, and locally based knowledge regarding various facets of sorghum in the ensuing areas of concern were undertaken. The research on processing sorghum and food products made from it was also assessed.

Meeting and conversing with those who are directly involved in Rwanda's sorghum plantations and consumption simultaneously led to the identification of critical entry points where the development of sustainable methods for the production of sorghum-based food products has the potential to enable increased sorghum consumption in Rwanda, thereby improving nutrition and environmental sustainability in the nation.

MAIN FINDINGS

SORGHUM PLANTATION

Worldwide, sorghum is grown in a variety of habitats. In warmer, semi-arid regions of the world, sorghum is grown in tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones due to its drought resistance, high production potential, and low input usage. In Rwanda, sorghum is widely grown throughout all of the provinces. Despite being viewed as a minor crop, sorghum is the fourth most significant staple cereal food crop, taking up to 170,793ha of land and producing 178,500 metric tons annually (national institute of statistics of Rwanda 2023)).

SORGHUM PROCESSING

Processing techniques

The sorghum grains can be processed in various ways to enable their consumption as human food. there are variety of steps involved in the food industry's processing of sorghum. These procedures demonstrate that there are still few home processing techniques available, which limits the acceptance of maize as a staple food by consumers.

These methods are also applied in the food processing industry to strengthen the final products. Due to its high antioxidant capacity, phenolic compound content, and anthocyanin content, sorghum is a cereal with many nutritional benefits. However, in order to maintain its nutritional qualities, processing methods for sorghum must be gentle (Bianco-Gomes, et al. 2022)According to research, home processing of sorghum grains is advantageous since it can reduce the grain's phytic acid and tannin levels.

Nonetheless, current studies link sorghum's high tannin content to its advantages in producing food items with increased antioxidant capacity. Further research is required to clarify the procedure for the different genotypes of sorghum in terms of nutritional quality, viability in terms of grain yield, suitability for home and commercial processes, and customer acceptance (Guo, et al. 2022).

To understand the influence on each grain, more research is required to examine the processes with different genotypes of sorghum. It is imperative that studies also compare processed sorghum to its raw form and to conventional cereals. This will help to clarify sorghum's potential as a cereal alternative and demonstrate the benefits and drawbacks of each processing method that is investigated.

PROCESSING TECHNICQUES AT HOUSEHOLD LEVEL

Soaking

The act of immersing an object or substance in liquid for a certain amount of time in order to clean, soften, or get it ready for use again is called soaking. This method is frequently applied to achieve desired results in cooking and other applications. This widely used household technique lowers the phytate content and increases the bioaccessibility of legumes, which improves their nutritional quality while also cutting down on cooking time (Abbas and Ahmad 2018). A few studies tried to assess this sorghum cereal's suitability for human consumption.

Soaking is a widely used method in the production of beverages and grain germination for human consumption. Several studies have utilized the soaking method to lessen the anti-nutritional elements of sorghum grains, such as tannins, oxalate, and phytic acid, with the goal of enhancing the grains' bioavailability and digestibility (Afify, et al. 2012). After sorghum grains underwent various processing methods (control, washing, soaking, malting, and germination), their protein digestibility and mineral content and bioavailability were assessed.

It was found that the soaking process decreased antinutrient factors and increased protein digestibility and mineral content and bioavailability (Keyata, et al. 2021). When the soaking process for the grain was taken into account, there were decreased levels of antioxidant activity, β-carotene, total phenols, total flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acid, and vitamin E. In assessing the mineral availability in soaked sorghum grains, it was found that the amount of soluble fiber had decreased. Certain research findings indicate that soaking may not always be an advantageous technique, as there may be a decrease in the amount of minerals present in the sorghum grains despite the reduction of antinutritional factors (Kruger, Oelofse and Taylor 2014).

Cooking

Sorghum is typically prepared as grains in Rwanda; however, it is first ground into flour and then cooked into porridge. Beyond porridge consumption, there is still a gap in Rwanda's sorghum utilization. Although sorghum is very beneficial, it has already been removed from household consumption in Rwanda, where it was once also available to the ancient population. Cooking is still the most efficient way to prepare sorghum.

This study used five different processes to prepare commercially available sorghum: cooked grains, porridge, cookies, muffins, and extruded puffed snacks. Through sensory analyses, it was confirmed that the samples with the strongest flavor were the cooked sorghum grains and the cookies made with sorghum flour demonstrated unique flavor characteristics and were identified as the samples with the most authentic grain flavor (Tran and Chambers 2020). The acceptability of consuming cooked sorghum was the subject of another study.

After testing several cooked grains, comparative sensory analyses revealed that cooked sorghum was just as well-liked as cooked refined rice. This suggests that cooked sorghum is a good alternative to refined cereals and can help promote the consumption of whole grains. This suggests that, by helping to prevent malnutrition overall, sorghum can still be beneficial and tolerated when added back into the local diet (Tran and Chambers 2020).

NOVEL TECHNOLOGIES OF SORGHUM PROCESSING

Popping

Nowadays, popcorn, or corn, is the product of this technique. Sorghum is unfamiliar with it, but it could be helpful in creating product variety and increasing its marketability. The endosperm ruptures and bursts apart the outer endosperm during the popping process because the moisture content in the center of the endosperm vaporizes and increases internal pressure (Hoseney, Zeleznak and Abdelrahman 1983). Current studies reported the use of the popping process, using, namely, a popcorn maker, hot air chamber, microwave and an adapted fluidized bed dryer. the popped sorghum can be prepared through a simple method that can be used at home. the sorghum can replace corn in the popping process and present good volume and yield with low numbers of unpopped grains and, also sensory acceptance similar or over to popcorn.

Extrusion

Extrusion cooking is typically used to enhance the flavor of the finished product and change the properties of the raw materials. The utilization of the production yield, which can help minimize losses associated with the underutilization of these crops, is one of the significant benefits of subjecting cereals to the extrusion process in addition to their improved palatability. The techno-functional properties of whole grain flour were found to be similar to those of refined flour extruded products. The nutritional properties of whole sorghum flour can make an extruded product more nutritious than one made with refined rice flour; the extruded sorghum has an energy content comparable to that of extruded rice, but because of its superior phenolic compound content and increased antioxidant activity, it shows promise as an intriguing ingredient for the creation of new, useful whole-extruded products (Espinosa-Ramírez, et al. 2021).

The food industry uses the extrusion process extensively to create a variety of food products, including baked goods, instant food that has been dehydrated, breakfast cereals, and beverages. However, since refined cereals and/or starches with low protein content make up the majority of these products, their primary ingredient composition is carbohydrates. The nutrient content of these extruded goods may be enhanced by substituting whole grain flours, like sorghum. Since Rwanda does not yet have this technology, there is still a gap that needs to be filled in order for sorghum production to be highly valuable in maintaining the economy as well as providing necessary nutrients.

SORGHUM BASED FOOD PRODUCTS

BEVERAGES

Considerable research has been done on beverages based on sorghum, especially beer, as sorghum beer is produced and consumed extensively in China and Africa. In a study conducted by (Davana and Revanna 2021), they brewed beers with different proportions of barley and sorghum (40, 60, and 100% of each grain). According to their research, the beer containing 60% sorghum had the best mouthfeel ratings. For those who are intolerant to gluten, this is especially helpful for gluten-free (GF) beers. Sorghum also offers financial advantages because of its cheaper cost of cultivation. Sorghum has the potential to produce juice in addition to beer. The juice can be extracted with a mechanical press, then sterilized by heating at 90°C for 15 minutes and centrifugation at 6000 RPM for 10 minutes to remove insoluble particles.

The fermentable sugars in the juice can be converted into functional carbohydrate molecules, yielding a functional beverage high in prebiotic oligosaccharides that improve gut health. This demonstrates the value of sweet sorghum juice as a low-cost raw material for creating new functional beverages. Several research have investigated the utilization of sweet sorghum juice to make a syrup with higher nutritional content, which has also been well appreciated by customers (Mazumdar, Rao and Reddy 2012). Sorghum syrup is particularly appealing since it can be used as an alternative sweetener in a variety of industrial food products. According to the researchers, this syrup, made from sweet sorghum juice, has the potential to be used in the production of commercial beverages.

These beverages could be fortified or combined with other fruit juices, concentrates, or even protein concentrates to create products with more nutritional value. These products are likely to be well-accepted in the nutraceutical industry due to the health benefits connected with sorghum.

SORGHUM BASED BAKED PRODUCTS

Gluten free bread

Since 2014, research into producing sorghum-based bakery products, particularly gluten-free bread, has risen dramatically. (Aguiar, et al. n.d.)observed that during the last decade, there has been a global research and comparison of both commercial gluten-containing (GC) foods (n = 7122) and gluten-free (GF) items (n = 3153). An investigation of GF bread labels (n = 935) reveals that these goods are prepared with a wide range of ingredients and additions, resulting in significant diversity in nutritional content (Centeno, et al. 2021). Carbohydrate content ranges from 14% to 84%, fat from 1% to 19%, protein from 0% to 11%, sugar from 0% to 24%, and dietary fiber from 0% to 17%. Despite their popularity, gluten-free products are frequently criticized for being heavy in fat, low in protein, and, in some circumstances low in dietary fiber.

Using sorghum to make gluten-free (GF) bread improves not only its nutritional value but also its physical and sensory aspects. Centeno et al. (Centeno, et al. 2021)developed GF bread that was positively appreciated by consumers. They utilized up to 75% white sorghum flour (from the BRS501 genotype, which is tannin-free) mixed with 25% potato starch, or 100% bronze sorghum flour (from the BRS332 genotype, which has tannins). Cakes Sorghum contributes to good physical characteristics of cakes while also improving nutritional quality and consumer acceptance, indicating that cakes made with sorghum are very similar in flavor, odor, texture, and color to traditional products made with wheat or rice flour (Ari Akin, et al. 2019). (Cayres, et al. 2020)] created GF cakes with 87.8% red sorghum wholegrain flour (flour basis), proving that sorghum may be utilized as the primary ingredient in this food product. The authors point out that when questioned, Brazilian customers replied that they were unaware of sorghum, implying that its use could be promoted as a novelty on the market.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The data reported in this study help to highlight the potential use of sorghum in daily meals and food items for both home and industrial processing, thereby helping to the valorization and incorporation of sorghum into human food. However, more research on home ways of processing sorghum grains is needed to demonstrate their feasibility in terms of grain yield, practicality of the methods evaluated, and consumer approval. This study also clarified the use of maize and provided useful insights into keeping sorghum in our country as an important cereal. All that remains is to improve and raise awareness about the health and economic benefits of sorghum in order to build a community free of malnutrition.

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