A case of transdisciplinarity and collaborative decision making: the co-construction of Gendered Food Product Profiles.

Crop breeding in sub-Saharan Africa has made considerable gains; however, postharvest and food-related preferences have been overlooked, in addition to how these preferences vary by gender, social difference and context. This context is changing as participatory approaches using intersectional gender and place-based methods are beginning to inform how breeding programmes make decisions. This article presents an innovative methodology to inclusively and democratically prioritise food quality traits of root, tuber and banana crops based on engagement with food systems actors and transdisciplinary collaboration. The outcome of the methodology is the Gendered Food Product Profile (GFPP) - a list of prioritised food quality characteristics - to support breeders to make more socially inclusive decisions on the methods for trait characterisation to select genotypes closer to the needs of food system actors. This article reviews application of the methodology in 14 GFPPs, presents illustrative case studies and lessons learned. Key lessons are that the transdisciplinary structure and the key role of social scientists helped avoid reductionism, supported co-learning, and the creation of GFPPs that represented the diverse interests of food system actors, particularly women, in situ. The method partially addressed power dynamics in multidisciplinary decision making; however, effectiveness was dependent on equitable team relations and supportive institutions committed to valuing plural forms of knowledge. Actions to address power asymmetries that privilege particular types of knowledge and voices in decision making are crucial in techno-science projects, along with opportunities for co-learning and long-term collaboration and a transdisciplinary structure at higher level. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Use of sensory and physico-chemical parameters to understand consumer perception of attiéké, a fermented cassava product.

BACKGROUND: Cassava breeding research programs focused initially on agronomic performance but in recent years they have considered the processability and the organoleptic properties of the final product, to increase the adoption of new varieties. One important cassava foodstuff is attiéké, a fermented and granular product, so it is necessary to determine criteria used by attiéké processors to select raw cassava and the characteristics leading consumers to like this product. This study assessed the attiéké production process, the criteria associated with the quality of attiéké, the sensory drivers of consumer acceptance, and their thresholds. RESULTS: The total processing yield of attiéké varied according to the cassava variety and depended primarily on the fermentation-pressing yield. However, it was not correlated either with the peeling yield or with morphological characteristics of cassava roots. The production of a ton of attiéké required about 150 h. Dry matter, organic acids, soluble sugars, total pectin, and the pH of raw material and attiéké varied depending on the cassava variety. Ten discriminating sensory attributes of attiéké were identified. Consumer testing showed that overall liking for attiéké was associated with sourness, texture, and brightness. Acceptable sensory score thresholds were 1.67-2.18 for sour odor, 4.75 to 6.3 for cohesiveness, and 5.4 to 6.3 for 'mouthfeel sensation'. Attiéké dry matter correlated positively with cohesiveness and moldability. CONCLUSIONS: Several potential solutions are discussed to improve the adoption of cassava varieties for attiéké production. However, further studies need to be carried out to translate the sensory thresholds of texture attributes into robust instrumental methods because texture is an important attribute of attiéké in addition to sourness. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

East African highland cooking banana: towards an efficient selection of hybrids with user-preferred food quality traits.

BACKGROUND: Determinants of culinary qualities of East African highland cooking bananas (EAHCB) are not well known. This constrains the inclusion of user-preferred traits in breeding. The present study aimed to quantify key indicators of user-preferred characteristics to enable selection of acceptable hybrids. RESULTS: Qualitative characteristics that drive preference were big bunches (15-34 kg), long straight/slightly curved fingers (12-23 cm), yellowness and soft texture. Descriptive sensory analysis of the intensity of colour and texture the 23 genotypes revealed that landraces Kibuzi, Mbwazirume, Nakitembe and Mpologoma had higher intensity of yellowness and lower intensity of hardness (softer) and a low score (≤ 1.0) of astringency taste. A preference test showed that they had higher acceptability scores. Biochemical, instrumental and sensory data revealed correlations between sensory firmness and instrumental hardness (r = 0.5), sensory firmness and amylopectin (r = -0.54), suggesting that qualitative descriptions can be predicted by instrumental and biochemical indicators. Significant (P < 0.05) variations in amylose and total starch content were observed in different varieties. Moderate correlations between instrumental hardness and firmness in mouth (r = 0.55), cohesiveness and firmness in the mouth (r = 0.57), and adhesiveness and firmness in the mouth (r = 0.64) were observed. Surprisingly, carotenoids content was not correlated with yellowness in cooked matooke. However, positive correlations were observed between chroma (b*) parameters of raw matooke and sensorial assessed color on cooked samples. CONCLUSION: Qualitative characteristis; the bunch, pulp colour and texture; that drive users-preference in the EAHCB were quantified, paving way for breeders to use them to select genotypes with these attributes early in the breeding process. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Genetic and environmental effects on processing productivity and food product yield: drudgery of women's work.

BACKGROUND: Cassava processing is a crucial source of livelihood for rural farmers and processors in Nigeria and Cameroon. This study investigated the varietal effect on the processing productivity of women farmer processors within their working environment and compared this with the food product quality as evaluated by the processors and the field yield. Field trials were established in Nigeria (Benue and Osun state) and Cameroon (Littoral region). Eight cassava genotypes were evaluated. These eight varieties included newly bred genotypes, commercial checks and varieties provided and preferred by the processors. The roots of these genotypes were harvested and processed into gari and eba by processors. The time of each processing step was recorded. Processors assessed the quality of the roots and food products using pairwise ranking. RESULTS: In the field trials in Cameroon and Nigeria (Benue state), the newly bred genotypes showed superior performance in terms of dry matter content and fresh and dry yield. During processing, genotypes showed significant variation for most assessed parameters in both countries. Some newly bred varieties exhibited lower productivity that can make them more prone to drudgery than the local commercial checks and the varieties provided and preferred by the processors. Newly bred varieties were mostly ranked higher or equal to processors' preferred varieties concerning fresh root and food product quality. In the Cameroon location there were significant varietal differences in processing productivity and drudgery index which suggest that the particular processing methods there - such as pressing methods and fermentation time - cause these varietal differences to matter more. CONCLUSIONS: The varieties that were tested were observed to differ in yield, product quality, processing productivity, and potential drudgery levels. Some breeders' germplasms displayed a combination of increased yields and good product quality and good processor productivity. Those varieties that showed low processor productivity should be avoided during selection to avoid increased labour burden and associated drudgery of women processors. Further research is recommended to enhance food product color, latent culinary qualities, and processing productivity of newly bred varieties to improve acceptability and reduce processing drudgery for women. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Analysis of association of sensory and laboratory assessments for quality and consumer acceptability of steamed East Africa highland bananas.

BACKGROUND: The relevance of several characteristics for the acceptability of steamed East Africa bananas (matooke) was assessed using consumer-preferred characteristics, the overall liking scores, check-all-that-apply (CATA) and the Just About Right scale. The study was conducted in rural and urban locations in three banana growing regions of Uganda. Two landraces and two hybrids were processed into matooke. Twelve trained panellists evaluated color, taste and texture sensory characteristics. RESULTS: Consumers scored matooke from landraces as the most liked. The CATA test showed that the most important characteristics were: smooth mouthfeel, soft to the touch, not sticky, moldable, deep yellow color, attractive, good matooke taste and smell. Principal component analysis confirmed that most of the preferred sensory characteristics were associated with the local genotypes, whereas the less preferred characteristics were associated with hybrids. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive correlations between the consumer assessed characteristics, hardness by touch, softness to touch and yellowness, as well as quantitative laboratory characteristics (moldable, hardness by touch, softness and yellowness) of the steamed matooke. Color assessed by consumers was strongly correlated with the laboratory-assessed color indicators. CONCLUSION: The strong associations observed between laboratory-assessed and consumer-based characteristics (moldable by touch and yellowness) suggest the possibility of predicting consumer characteristics using quantitative laboratory sensory assessments. Matooke taste as assessed by consumer panel is strongly associated with smooth texture and deep yellow color, which were the characteristics associated with landraces in the laboratory sensory assessment. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Relation between quantitative descriptive analysis and textural analysis of boiled plantain.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate consideration of textural quality in conventional breeding pipelines of plantains (from breeders to end-users) results in limited impact. Knowledge of the textural quality characteristics of boiled plantain, as preferred by end-users, could help improve the adoption of new clones when these traits are selected for breeding. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between instrumental and sensory texture attributes of boiled plantain genotypes. Consumer testing (Just About Right and Check All That Apply tests), sensory quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA) and penetrometry were conducted with nine accessions: three landraces and six plantain-like bred hybrids. RESULTS: Landraces were considered just-about-right by more than 45% of people for all the sensory attributes (humidity, sweetness, color and firmness), described by characteristics such as smooth on sight, attractive, mealy, firm, plantain taste and yellow. Color and firmness were the most highly scored attributes by panelists for the landraces. Penetrometry discriminated among genotypes better than TPA. Hardness, gumminess, resilience and chewiness were the most discriminatory attributes for TPA, whereas hardness and area under the curve were the most discriminatory attributes for penetrometry. No correlation was found between penetrometry and sensory texture of boiled plantain. For TPA, negative correlations were found between sensory humidity and hardness, as well as between sensory firmness and resilience, whereas a positive correlation was found between resilience and sensory humidity. CONCLUSION: Combining QDA and texture measurements can make the selection of plantain hybrids more effective and improve the adoption of new varieties. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Varietal impact on women's labour, workload and related drudgery in processing root, tuber and banana crops: focus on cassava in sub-Saharan Africa.

Roots, tubers and cooking bananas are bulky and highly perishable. In Africa, except for yams, their consumption is mainly after transport, peeling and cooking in the form of boiled pieces or dough, a few days after harvest. To stabilize and better preserve the products and, in the case of cassava, release toxic cyanogenic glucosides, a range of intermediate products have been developed, mainly for cassava, related to fermentation and drying after numerous processing operations. This review highlights, for the first time, the impact of genotypes on labour requirements, productivity and the associated drudgery in processing operations primarily carried out by women processors. Peeling, soaking/grinding/fermentation, dewatering, sieving and toasting steps were evaluated on a wide range of new hybrids and traditional landraces. The review highlights case studies of gari production from cassava. The results show that, depending on the genotypes used, women's required labour can be more than doubled and even the sum of the weights transported along the process can be up to four times higher for the same quantity of end product. Productivity and loads carried between each processing operation are highly influenced by root shape, ease of peeling, dry matter content and/or fiber content. Productivity and the often related experienced drudgery are key factors to be considered for a better acceptance of new genotypes by actors in the value-addition chain, leading to enhanced adoption and ultimately to improved livelihoods for women processors. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Food quality profile of pounded yam and implications for yam breeding.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of the key preferred quality traits in pounded yam, a popularly consumed yam food product in West Africa, is often done through sensory evaluation. Such assessment is time-consuming and results may be biased. Therefore, there is a need to develop objective, high-throughput methods to predict the quality of consumer-preferred traits in pounded yam. This study focused on how key quality traits in pounded yam proposed to yam breeders were determined, measured by biophysical and biochemical methods, in order to shorten the breeding selection cycle through adoption of these methods by breeders. RESULTS: Consumer tests and sensory quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) validated that preferred priority quality traits in pounded yam were related to textural quality (smooth, stretchable, moldable, slightly sticky and moderately hard) and color (white, cream or light yellow). There were significant correlations between sensory textural quality attributes cohesiveness/moldability, hardness, and adhesiveness/stickiness, with textural quality measurements from instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA). Color measurement parameters (L*, a*, and b*) with chromameter agreed with that of sensory evaluation and can replace the sensory panel approach. The smoothness (R2 = 1.00), stickiness (R2 = 1.00), stretchability (R2 = 1.00), hardness (R2 = 0.99), and moldability (R2 = 0.53) of pounded yam samples can be predicted by the starch, amylose, and protein contents of yam tubers estimated by near-infrared spectroscopy. CONCLUSION: TPA and Hunter colorimeter can be used as medium-high throughput methods to evaluate the textural quality and color of pounded yam in place of the sensory panelists. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Drivers of consumer acceptability of cassava gari-eba food products across cultural and environmental settings using the triadic comparison of technologies approach (tricot).

BACKGROUND: Nigeria and Cameroon are multi-ethnic countries with diverse preferences for food characteristics. The present study aimed to inform cassava breeders on consumer-prioritized eba quality traits. Consumer testing was carried out using the triadic comparison of technologies (tricot). Diverse consumers in villages, towns and cities evaluated the overall acceptability of eba made from different cassava genotypes. Data from both countries were combined and linked to laboratory analyses of eba and the gari used to make it. RESULTS: There is a strong preference for eba with higher cohesiveness and eba from gari with higher brightness and especially in Cameroon, with lower redness and yellowness. Relatively higher eba hardness and springiness values are preferred in the Nigerian locations, whereas lower values are preferred in Cameroon. Trends for solubility and swelling power of the gari differ between the two countries. The study also reveals that the older improved cassava genotype TMS30572 is a benchmark genotype with superior eba characteristics across different regions in Nigeria, whereas the recently released variety Game changer performs very well in Cameroon. In both locations, the recently released genotypes Obansanjo-2 and improved variety TM14F1278P0003 have good stability and overall acceptability for eba characteristics. CONCLUSION: The wide acceptance of a single genotype across diverse geographical and cultural conditions in Nigeria, as well as three acceptable new improved varieties in both locations, indicates that consumers' preferences are surprisingly homogeneous for eba. This would enhance breeding efforts to develop varieties with wider acceptability and expand potential target areas for released varieties. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Combined use of sensory methods for the selection of root, tuber and banana varieties acceptable to end-users.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of user acceptability in relation to crop quality traits should be a full part of breeding selection programs. Our methodology is based on a combination of sensory approaches aiming to evaluate the sensory characteristics and user acceptability of root, tuber and banana (RTB) varieties. RESULTS: The four-stepped approach links sensory characteristics to physicochemical properties and end-user acceptance. It starts with the development of key quality traits using qualitative approaches (surveys and ranking) and it applies a range of sensory tests such as Quantitative Descriptive Analysis with a trained panel, Check-All-That-apply, nine-point hedonic scale and Just-About-Right with consumers. Results obtained on the same samples from the consumer acceptance, sensory testing and physicochemical testing are combined to explore correlations and develop acceptability thresholds. CONCLUSION: A combined qualitative and quantitative approach involving different sensory techniques is necessary to capture sensory acceptance of products from new RTB clones. Some sensory traits can be correlated with physicochemical characteristics and could be evaluated using laboratory instruments (e.g. texture). Other traits (e.g. aroma and mealiness) are more difficult to predict, and the use of a sensory panel is still necessary. For these latter traits, more advanced physicochemical methods that could accelerate the breeding selection through high throughput phenotyping are still to be developed. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Cooking mode and ripening stage influence physicochemical and nutritional properties of boiled plantain pulps.

BACKGROUND: Plantains are of major importance in the diet of many African populations. Plantains undergo many processing techniques at different ripening stages. Boiling is the most common method of processing plantains in Cameroonian households. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of cooking mode and ripening stage on the physicochemical and nutritional parameters of two Musa genotypes. Fruits from genotypes, Batard and CARBAP K74, at three ripening stages (unripe, semi-ripe and ripe) were studied. Physicochemical and nutritional analyses were performed on raw and cooked pulps with and without peel at different cooking times (from 10 to 60 min). RESULTS: Significant variations (P < 0.05) were observed in the parameters assessed during cooking at each ripening stage according to cooking time. Plantain pulps boiled with peel exhibited high firmness (0.7-1.7 kgf), high soluble solids (7.4-22.4°Brix) and high dry matter content (29.8-38.3%) at all ripening stages. This cooking method yielded high protein (3.0-4.8%), lipid (0.2-1.8%), total starch (32-73%) and total carbohydrate (18-32%) contents. Boiling with or without peel had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the pH of Batard pulps, nor the ash content of the pulps of both genotypes. CONCLUSION: Irrespective of the ripening stages used, during cooking by immersion in boiling water, cooking with peel best preserves the physicochemical and nutritional parameters of the analysed genotypes. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Connecting data for consumer preferences, food quality, and breeding in support of market-oriented breeding of root, tuber, and banana crops.

The 5-year project 'Breeding roots, tubers and banana products for end user preferences' (RTBfoods) focused on collecting consumers' preferences on 12 food products to guide breeding programmes. It involved multidisciplinary teams from Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Diverse data types were generated on preferred qualities of users (farmers, family and entrepreneurial processors, traders or retailers, and consumers). Country-based target product profiles were produced with a comprehensive market analysis, disaggregating gender's role and preferences, providing prioritised lists of traits for the development of new plant varieties. We describe the approach taken to create, in the roots, tubers, and banana breeding databases, a centralised and meaningful open access to sensory information on food products and genotypes. Biochemical, instrumental textural, and sensory analysis data are then directly connected to the specific plant record while user survey data, bearing personal information, were analysed, anonymised, and uploaded in a repository. Names and descriptions of food quality traits were added into the Crop Ontology for labelling data in the databases, along with the various methods of measurement used by the project. The development and application of standard operating procedures, data templates, and adapted trait ontologies improved the data quality and its format, enabling the linking of these to the plant material studied when uploaded in the breeding databases or in repositories. Some modifications to the database model were necessary to accommodate the food sensory traits and sensory panel trials. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Instrumental procedures to assess the extensibility of pounded yam and relationship with sensory stretchability and consumer preferences.

BACKGROUND: Stretchability is the most important sensory textural attribute considered by consumers of pounded yam. It is important both for the processor during pounding and for the consumer during consumption to measure this attribute while screening large populations of yam genotypes intended for advanced breeding and eventual adoption. Texture determined by sensory evaluation and consumer perception is time consuming and expensive. It can be instrumentally mimicked by texture analyzer, thereby providing an efficient alternative screening tool. RESULTS: Two instrumental methods (uniaxial extensibility and lubricated squeezing flow) were applied to assess the extensional properties of pounded yam. In order to evaluate the accuracy, repeatability and discrimination of the methods, six yam genotypes with contrasting extensional properties, previously evaluated by 13 panellists in terms of stretchability and moldability and by 99 participants randomly selected in terms of overall liking, were used. Both methods allowed the discrimination of different genotypes as a function of extensional properties. Principal components showed that the genotypes were grouped within separate components associated with specific sensory attributes and their related instrumental texture parameters. Moreover, significant correlations were found between uniaxial extensibility textural attributes, bi-extensional viscosity and consumer overall liking. However, the sensory attributes were not significantly correlated with instrumental data and consumer overall liking. CONCLUSION: Bi-extensional viscosity and uniaxial extensibility attributes can be used to discriminate and screen yam genotypes for their stretchability characteristics. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterizing quality traits of boiled yam: texture and taste for enhanced breeding efficiency and impact.

BACKGROUND: Boiled yam key quality attributes typical for West African consumers are that it is crumbly, easy to break and has a sweet taste. New yam varieties are being developed but high- or medium-throughput tools to assess the required quality traits and their range of acceptance are limited. This study assessed the acceptance thresholds of these quality attributes and established predictive models for screening yam varieties that meet the required consumer preferences. RESULTS: Overall liking was associated with sweet taste, crumbliness and easiness to break (r-values 0.502, 0.291 and -0.087, respectively). These parameters and selected biophysical parameters highly discriminated the boiled yam varieties. Crumbly texture and easiness to break were well predicted by penetration force and dry matter, whereas sweet taste were well predicted by dry matter and sugar intensity. A high crumbliness and sweet taste are preferred (sensory scores above 6.19 and 6.22 for crumbly and sweet taste, respectively, on a 10 cm unstructured line scale), while a too high easiness to break is disliked (sensory scores ranging from 4.72 to 7.62). Desirable biophysical targets were between 5.1 and 7.1 N for penetration force, dry matter around 39% and sugar intensity below 3.62 g 100 g-1 . Some improved varieties fulfilled the acceptable thresholds, and screening was improved through deviation from the optimum. CONCLUSION: Acceptance thresholds and deviation from optimum for boiled yam assessed through the instrumental measurements are promising tools for yam breeders. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Establishing the linkage between eba's instrumental and sensory descriptive profiles and their correlation with consumer preferences: implications for cassava breeding.

BACKGROUND: Gari and eba, forms of cassava semolina, are mainly consumed in Nigeria and other West African countries. This study aimed to define the critical quality traits of gari and eba, to measure their heritability, to define medium and high throughput instrumental methods for use by breeders, and to link the traits with consumer preferences. The definition of a food product's profiles, including its biophysical, sensory, and textural qualities, and the identification of the characteristics that determine its acceptability, are important if new genotypes are to be adopted successfully. RESULTS: Eighty cassava genotypes and varieties (three different sets) from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) research farm were used for the study. Participatory processing and consumer testing data on different types of gari and eba products were integrated to prioritize the traits preferred by processors and consumers. The color, sensory, and instrumental textural properties of these products were determined using standard analytical methods, and standard operating protocols (SOPs) developed by the RTBfoods project (Breeding Roots, Tubers, and Banana Products for End-user Preferences, https://rtbfoods.cirad.fr). There were significant (P < 0.05) correlations between instrumental hardness and sensory hardness and between adhesiveness and sensory moldability. Principal component analysis showed broad discrimination amongst the cassava genotypes and the association of the genotypes concerning the color and textural properties. CONCLUSIONS: The color properties of gari and eba, together with instrumental measures of hardness and cohesiveness, are important quantitative discriminants of cassava genotypes. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

An interdisciplinary and participatory methodology to improve user acceptability of root, tuber and banana varieties.

Breeding programmes for root, tuber and banana (RTB) crops have traditionally considered consumer demand for quality characteristics as low priority against other considerations such as yield and disease resistance. This has contributed to low levels of adoption of new varieties and its potential benefits. To address these challenges, an interdisciplinary five-step methodology was developed to identify demand for quality characteristics among diverse user groups along the food chain. The methodology includes an evidence review, consultations with key informants and rural communities, processing diagnosis with experienced processors and consumer testing in urban and rural areas. Quality characteristics are then prioritised into a Food Product Profile by user group to inform further work of biochemists and breeders in developing improved selection tools. This initiative presents a new basis to understand consumer preferences for RTB crops. The methodology is currently being applied in projects in sub-Saharan Africa and is applicable globally.

Analysis of consumer-oriented quality characteristics of raw and boiled plantains in Cameroon: implication for breeding.

This study aimed at understanding users' demand for raw and boiled plantains in rural and urban areas in West and Littoral regions of Cameroon. Surveys conducted in eight rural localities consisted of key informant interviews, gender-disaggregated focus group discussions, market and individual interviews. Processing and cooking diagnoses were done with restaurant cooks in urban areas, to know the details of plantain processing and boiling and to understand the quality characteristics of raw plantain that give a most-liked boiled plantain. Local favourite landraces, most cultivated landraces in Cameroon (Batard and Big ebanga) and a new CARBAP/CIRAD hybrid (CARBAP K74) were used. The preference for plantain cultivars was both gender and region-dependent. High-quality plantain should be mature, with big fingers and having a dark green peel colour. The fruit length and girth, pulp pH, dry matter content and firmness were found to be relevant postharvest quality characteristics for plantain breeding improvement.

Rheological and textural properties of lafun, a stiff dough, from improved cassava varieties.

We studied the textural and rheological (viscoelastic) properties of fresh lafun dough, a fermented cassava product, and their changes during storage at 45 °C for 5 and 24 h, in order to determine after-cooking storability. Lafun flours were produced from three types of cassava varieties: seven improved white-fleshed varieties, seven improved provitamin A carotenoids (pVAC) varieties and two local white-fleshed varieties; and processed into lafun doughs. Pasting properties of the flours were assessed. Flours from local varieties had pasting profiles with highest viscosities, while pVAC flours had the lowest. The three types of cassava varieties varied significantly in most of their pasting properties. Four promising improved varieties were identified, based on high peak viscosity (55.8-61.5 P) and stiffer texture than local varieties during storage. Undesirable varieties were also found, which softened during storage instead of hardening. Optimum texture of lafun dough was obtained after 5 h of storage.

Understanding cassava varietal preferences through pairwise ranking of gari-eba and fufu prepared by local farmer-processors.

Within communities in Osun and Imo States of Nigeria, farmer-processors grew and processed a diverse set of improved and landrace cassava varieties into the locally popular foods, gari, eba and fufu. Local and 15 main varieties were grown in a 'mother and baby trials' design in each state. Mother trials with three replications were processed by farmer-processors renown in their community for their processing skills. Baby trials were managed and processed by other farmer-processors. The objective was to identify food quality criteria to inform demand-led breeding to benefit users, especially women, given their key roles in processing. Farmer-processors evaluated the overall quality of fresh roots and derived food products through pairwise comparisons. Improved varieties had higher fresh and dry root yield. Overall, landraces ranked first for quality of gari and eba, but several improved varieties were also appreciated for good quality. Landraces in Osun had higher gari yield and a higher swelling power compared to improved varieties. Colour (browning), bulk density, swelling power, solubility and water absorption capacity were the criteria most related to food product ranking by farmer-processors. Evaluation of varieties under farmer-processors' conditions is crucial for providing guidance to breeders on critical selection criteria.

Development of a food product profile for boiled and steamed sweetpotato in Uganda for effective breeding.

This study sought to understand user preferences of raw, boiled and steamed sweetpotato, a staple food in Uganda. A sequential methodology involving state of knowledge review, gendered food mapping, processing diagnosis and consumer testing was used in Lira and Kamwenge districts. Preferred raw sweetpotato characteristics were large roots (≥ 3 cm diameter) with a sweet taste, smooth skin and hard texture, while mealiness, sweet taste and good sweetpotato smell were important attributes for boiled sweetpotato. Processors, mostly women, highlighted ease of peeling and sappiness of raw roots. There were gender differences in quality characteristic preferences and perceived importance. The released variety, NASPOT 8, had the highest overall liking in Kamwenge and was well liked in Lira. Penalty analysis of consumer data showed that sweetness and firmness were key drivers of overall liking. The results will support breeding programmes in meeting specific end-user product profiles, selection criteria and uptake of new varieties.