[For further information on the Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture see Forum website.
Note, participants are assumed to be speaking on their own behalf, unless they state otherwise.]

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod3
Sent: 17 June 2004 12:58
To: biotech-room3@mailserv.fao.org
Subject: 3: Traditional fermentation in West Africa // Starter cultures

My name is Joseph Hounhouigan. I'm senior lecturer (Food science and technology) at the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin.

Referring to the comments from Suzanne Wuerthele (Message 2, June 16) on the conference Background Document, I'd like to contribute to a better understanding of what traditional fermentation is in West Africa. Traditional fermentation is generally described as "uncontrolled and dependent on microorganisms from the environment or the fermentation substrate for initiation of the fermentation processes".

The traditional fermentation is not totally uncontrolled as it is believed. Facing the variability of quality depending on many factors, there is an attempt from the fermented food producers to develop some types of "starter" which can be the fermented substrate, but this starter can be also prepared differently. Some traditional starters are even sold in markets. [A starter, or starter culture, is a culture containing microorganisms used to start a food fermentation...Moderator].

There is a need to investigate the characteristics of some starters commonly used for some widely produced foods in West Africa: Attieke, soumbala/dawa-dawa/netetou/afitin/iru, gari, burukutu, tchoukoutou/dolo. Scientists should be more careful as the use of starters in the traditional process is not spontaneously declared by the producers during surveys. When this is done, it is evident for the producer that it is better to use a starter than to avoid using it, mostly for those working at a large scale. Furthermore, there are many traditional foods for which imported starters are used; which means that smale scale traditional food producers know the efficiency of the use of starters and where it is possible, know how to develop and keep their own starter.

Sustainability of the production of starter culture from selected micro-organisms for small scale entreprises in West Africa (whatever the methods used) is a key issue. Scientists should be more innovative in that area.

Joseph Hounhouigan, PhD
Maitre de Conference
Sciences et technologies des aliments
Faculte des Sciences Agronomiques
Universite d'Abomey-Calavi
01 BP 526 Cotonou
Republique du Benin
Tel: + 229 91 39 84 / + 229 36 01 26
Fax : + 229 36 01 22
e mail: hounjos (at) bj.refer.org
hounjos (at) intnet.bj
hounjos (at) yahoo.fr
http://www.bj.refer.org/fsa

[Some additional information about the local fermented foods mentioned above:
- Attieke and gari are fermented products derived from cassava. According to "The cassava transformation in Africa" by Felix I. Nweke (http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/agpc/gcds/publications/gcdsvol.2.doc) "In Africa, there are three common types of granulated cassava products: gari, attieke, and tapioca. The methods for making granulated cassava products originated in Brazil. To prepare gari, fresh cassava roots are peeled, washed, and grated. The resulting pulp is put in a porous sack and weighted down with a heavy object for three to four days to express effluent from the pulp while it is fermenting. The de-watered and fermented lump of pulp is pulverized and sieved and the resulting semi-dry fine pulp is toasted in a pan. The grating, effluent expressing, pulverization, toasting, and the addition of palm oil are adequate to reduce cyanogens to a safe level (Hahn 1989). Fermentation imparts a sour taste to gari. The duration of fermentation varies depending on consumer preference for sour taste. The COSCA study found that commercial gari processors in Nigeria ferment cassava for different lengths of time depending on the market. Toasting extends the shelf-life so that gari can be easily transported to urban markets. If kept in a dry environment, gari will store better than grain because gari is not known to be attacked by weevils (Okigbo 1984). The second type of granulated cassava products is attieke, a type of steamed cassava that is found only in the Cote d'Ivoire. Attieke is made in much the same way as gari with more or less the same inputs. But instead of toasting, attieke is steamed. Attieke is available in a wet form and it has a shorter shelf-life than gari".
- Soumbala is a fermented product from the African locust bean tree. According to FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin 142 (2000), four indigenous species of this perennial tropical tree legume are represented. The seed of the crop is fermented in West Africa to yield a product used both as a food condiment and as a meat substitute in soups. It is referred to as "dawadawa" or "daddawa" by the Hausas of Northwest Africa. "iru" by the "Yorubas" of southern Nigeria, "kpalugu" in Ghana, "khinda" in Sierra Leone, "netetou" in the Gambia and "soumbala" or "soumbara" in many francophone West African countries. A recently published relevant article is entitled "Exploiting the potential of indigenous agroforestry trees: Parkia biglobosa and Vitellaria paradoxa in sub-Saharan Africa" by Z. Teklehaimanot, in Agroforestry Systems 61: 207-220, May 2004.
- Burukutu is an alcoholic beverage produced from guinea corn and cassava in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana (http://www.fao.org/docrep/x2184e/x2184e07.htm)
- Tchoukoutou is a local beer made from sorghum or millet...Moderator]

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod3
Sent: 17 June 2004 13:26
To: biotech-room3@mailserv.fao.org
Subject: 4: Re: Traditional fermentation in developing countries // GE microorganisms

This is from Professor Olusola Oyewole, Nigeria.

Following the observations made by Suzanne Wuerthele (message 2, June 16), I feel that it may be necessary to make known the status of traditional fermented foods in Africa. Fermented foods contribute substantially to food security and nutrition in Africa. However, little efforts had been made to apply genetically engineered microorganisms for the production of African fermented foods. Below, from one of my earlier works, shows the status of development in many of Africa's fermented food processes. Let me confirm that as of today, genetically engineered microorganisms have not found much application in African fermented foods despite the fact that they are desirable. Most of the work that had been carried out in this respect appears to be limited to the confines of research laboratories. This is largely because efforts have not been made to "industrialize" African fermented food processes. In discussing the application of biotechnology to African fermented foods, strategies for industrialization should also be emphasized too.

Prof. Olusola Oyewole
Department of Food Science and Technology,
University of Agriculture,
P.M.B. 2240,
Abeokuta. Ogun State.
Nigeria 110001
E-mail: solaoyew (at) hotmail.com ; oyewoleb (at) skannet.com
Mobile : +234-803-335-1814 or +234-804-212-4850
Web: www.oyewole-unaab.com
Web: www.unaabcolamrucs.org

[Thanks to Professor Olusola Oyewole for providing this detailed information, on fermented non-grain starchy staples of Africa (16 fermented food products, Table 1); fermented cereals of Africa (22 products, Table 2) and common fermented legumes, nuts and animal products of Africa (16 products, Table 3). In addition to the agricultural raw material involved and the area of consumption of the fermented product, for almost all of these fermented products, information is also given on nine different levels of advancement (0 = Little or no scientific information on the fermentation; 1 = Microorganisms involved known; 2 = Roles of individual microorganisms known; 3 = Genetic improvement carried on organisms; 4 = Starter cultures available for the fermentation; 5 = Varieties of raw materials that are best for the product known; 6 = Improved technology available and adopted; 7 = Pilot plant production; 8 = Industrial plant production...Moderator]

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod3
Sent: 17 June 2004 14:10
To: biotech-room3@mailserv.fao.org
Subject: 5: Re: Traditional fermentation in developing countries // GE microorganisms

This is from Marcel Hofman. I have been working in government research and academic teaching for 45 years, for a large part as a supervisor in the centre of Agrochemical and Veterinary Research of Tervuren, Belgium, now integrated in the Belgian Federal Food Agency. For more than twenty years I have been active in fermentation research, have served three consecutive terms as the chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the European Federation of Biotechnology, am the series editor of Focus on Biotechnology, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht the Netherlands, and still active, presenting in international conferences and as an advisor to government and industry on food safety, food toxicology and water handling. I am also serving as the president to the Belgian branch of the Society for Industrial Chemistry. My educational background is in chemistry and biology, my teaching is engineering science directed.

I want to follow on to Suzanne Wuerthele's remarks (Message 2, June 16) on the Background Document. She wrote:

The Background Document does not use much detail in describing the use of traditional fermentation processes in developing countries, but this is necessary to allow an informed judgement of whether, and in what situations, commerical genetically engineered (GE) microorganisms might be beneficial. The document only stated that traditional processes are "uncontrolled and are dependent on microorganisms from the environment or the fermentation substrate for initiation of the fermentation processes. Such processes, therefore, result in products of low yield and variable quality", and that fermented foods made by traditional means "nevertheless, find wide consumer acceptance in developing countries and contribute substantially to food security and nutrition."

My remarks:
Traditional processes dependant on microorganisms from the environment or the fermentation substrate (or from a "pied de cuve" from prior runs) are not "uncontrolled", and for sure in general do not result in products of low yield and variable quality.

A well adapted fermentation starter (often a mixed microbial population) can provide strong process control with minimal need for control instrumentation and is most suitable not only for the "low tech" environment of developing countries, but for the more sophisticated environment of developed countries as well.

Examples offered: Most of the Far East fermented foods, based on solid fermentation technology, for what we have litte or no instrumental control strategies available, traditional Belgian "gueuze" a beer made by spontaneous fermentation... still in production in the traditional way since the middle ages, and for which more recent "industrial" analogues are poor contenders, and from my own work, the use of a wild type Lactobacillus helveticus, harvested from a "traditional" vat culture in the French "Compte" region and allowing for a highly stable, continuous dense culture for lactic acid production.

GM (genetically modified) organisms extend the population from which a biotechnologist can select his/her tools. The main work remains however in process development. Many of our most succesful fermentation processes are mixed culture based. Question is if incorporating a genetic modified organism in food fermentation makes for added efficiency? Here I very much associate with Suzanne Wuerthele's remarks.

Prof Dr ir Marcel Hofman
President SCIBB
Chairman ORCOM ECB9
Series Editor Focus on Biotechnology
Fax 32 2 767 21 91 Tel 32 2 767 2399
Hondsbergen 2, BE-3080 Tervuren
Belgium
mailto: secretariat (at) ecb9.be

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod3
Sent: 17 June 2004 14:53
To: biotech-room3@mailserv.fao.org
Subject: 6: Traditional fermentation - India

I am E.M. Muralidharan from India. I work for a publically funded forest research organization and am involved in use of different biotechnological tools in my research, but mainly in vitro culture. I have no background in food processing and will be making only general comments here.

In response to Suzanne Wuerthele's posting (Message 2: June 16, 2004), I have to mention here about a few traditional breakfast foods involving fermentation that are prevalent in southern India. There are at least three types that I can think of - the `idli', `dosa' and `appam', all having rice flour as the main ingredient and mixed with either pulse flour (black gram, Phaseolus mungo), palm toddy (fresh or fermented) or a bit of sugar. The batter is fermented overnight and prepared as a pancake or is steam cooked. Now, the fermentation conditions and the precise composition of the batter can make a lot of difference in the quality and taste. Modern housewives sometimes use bakers yeast which leaves a different taste in the preparation. Similar fermented food using pulses can be found in other parts of India too.

These are the days when the traditional food preparations are being marketed in ready-to-eat foil packaging or cook-and-serve packing. The selection of the strains of microorganisms, their genetic modification and standardization of the fermenting processes appear to be in the offing, particularly since there is a huge market potential within the country and also elsewhere in the world. What can result in the form of improvements in nutritive value or other benefits through such interventions needs to be evaluated. And the ramifications of this happening and its effect on the traditional cuisine and the community of small restaurateurs needs to be considered. There is already concern here about the widespread commercial use of ajinomoto in traditional food preparations like the `curry'. On the other hand many of such fermented, steam cooked food are nutritious and are recommended as diet for convalascents.

Dr. E.M. Muralidharan
Scientist, Biotechnology
Kerala Forest Research Institute
Peechi, Thrissur, Kerala State
680653, India
Email: emmurali (at) kfri.org

["In the offing" means "in the near future"; ajinomoto is a brand name for a flavour enhancer known as monosodium glutamate....Moderator]

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod3
Sent: 17 June 2004 15:04
To: biotech-room3@mailserv.fao.org
Subject: 7: Re: Traditional fermentation in developing countries // GE microorganisms

Responding to Message 4 (June 17) by Professor Olusola Oyewole, I question if the industrialisation of the food industry is desirable for Africa (or even, more generally, for any country where a large proportion of the population is getting the major part of its income from primary production of food). The industrialisation of the food industry in Europe and the US has been carried forward under circumstances where there was a huge demand for human labour in manufacturing industries. This is hardly true anymore now.

Prof Dr ir Marcel Hofman
President SCIBB
Chairman ORCOM ECB9
Series Editor Focus on Biotechnology
Fax 32 2 767 21 91 Tel 32 2 767 2399
Hondsbergen 2, BE-3080 Tervuren
Belgium
mailto: secretariat (at) ecb9.be

[Professor Olusola Oyewole wrote in Message 4, "efforts have not been made to "industrialize" African fermented food processes. In discussing the application of biotechnology to African fermented foods, strategies for industrialization should also be emphasized too"...Moderator].

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod3
Sent: 17 June 2004 15:07
To: biotech-room3@mailserv.fao.org
Subject: 8: Re: Traditional fermentation in West Africa // Starter cultures

Responding to Message 3 (17 June) by Joseph Hounhouigan:

Completely agree to that. Detailed study of the starters used would be a very rewarding venture.

Prof Dr ir Marcel Hofman
President SCIBB
Chairman ORCOM ECB9
Series Editor Focus on Biotechnology
Fax 32 2 767 21 91 Tel 32 2 767 2399
Hondsbergen 2, BE-3080 Tervuren
Belgium
mailto: secretariat (at) ecb9.be