Browsing by Author "Danquah, A.O."
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Item Biogenic Amines in Foods(Food Biochemistry and Food Processing: Second Edition, 2012-04) Danquah, A.O.; Benjakul, S.; Simpson, B.K.Biogenic amines (also known as biologically active amines) are low-molecular weight organic compounds produced in biological systems by enzymatic decarboxylation of certain amino acids such as histamine and tyrosine. Examples include dopamine, histamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and tyramine. They function in the body as neurotransmitters and relay signals between neurons across synapses to impact on mental functions, blood pressure, body temperature, appetite, and several other physiological processes. The levels of biogenic amines in the body are regulated for proper functioning of the various physiological processes that they are associated with. Certain foods contain biogenic amines that can add to the amounts naturally present in the body. High intake of these foods could upset the balance of biogenic amines in the body to cause health problems such as hypotension, hypertension, gastrointestinal distress, headaches and migraine, and others. Thus, it is crucial to curtail the formation and levels of these compounds in certain food products. This chapter discusses the formation and occurrence of biogenic amines in selected food products, their effects of human health and significance to the food industry, their detection, and their fate during processing and storage. The chapter also covers regulation of biogenic amines in foods. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc..Item Carotenoids content of Corchorus olitorius and Solanum macrocarpon - commonly used Ghanaian vegetables(International Food Research Journal, 2014-01) Steiner-Asiedu, M.; Agbemafle, I.; Setorglo, J.; Danquah, A.O.; Anderson, A.K.Green leafy vegetables are rich in carotenoids. The study investigated the effect of duration of storage and cooking time on the carotenoids in Corchorus olitorius and Solanum macrocarpon, locally known as 'adeimey' and 'gboma' respectively. The storage conditions were: overnight at room temperature (25°C), refrigeration for one day and a week, and cooking at 100oC for thirty minutes. The three individual carotenoids and total carotenoid content (TCC) were quantified using HPLC and by measuring absorbance at 450 nm, respectively. The TCC varied from 17.1 mg/100 g to 670.2 mg/100 g. The β-carotene content ranged from 7.5 mg/100 g to 196.3 mg/100 g while lutein ranged from 1.4 mg/100 g to 112.8 mg/100 g. The zeaxanthin content ranged from 0.7 mg/100 g to 16.3 mg/100 g. These results show that the two green leafy vegetables are good sources of carotenoids. There were variations in the concentrations of carotenoids in Solanum macrocarpon and Corchorus olitorius with the latter having a higher carotenoids content than the former. β-carotene was the most predominant carotenoid whilst zeaxanthin was the lowest in the vegetables studied. It was observed that the β-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and the total carotenoid contents decreased drastically when the vegetables were left to stand overnight at room temperature, refrigerated for one day and a week and then cooked for thirty minutes. These findings suggest modification in the storage and cooking practices of these green leafy vegetables to ensure retention of the carotenoids for the best nutritional value and health benefit; hence the need for policy towards nutrition education on vegetable processing and storage. © 2008 IFRJ, Faculty of Food Science & Technology, UPM.Item Consumer perceptions of plant based beverages: The Ghanaian consumer’s perspective(Future Foods, 2023) Acquah, J.B.; Amissah, J.G.N.; Affrifah, N.S.; Wooster, T.J.; Danquah, A.O.This study identified factors influencing consumer desirability for a concept beverage from tiger nut milk and cocoa pulp using qualitative focus groups with four demographic groups: mothers, young adults, adults, and middle-aged adults. Specifically, Ghanaian consumers’ knowledge of plant-based beverages (PBB), sensory attributes driving preferences and selection, and willingness to purchase were investigated. Focus group discussions were thematically analyzed by Attride-Stirling’s method using ATLAS.ti.7 software. Most consumers were knowledgeable of PBB. Health and nutrition were main drivers of consumption while taste, cost, availability, and culture were barriers to consumption. Drivers of consumer preference of PBB differed across demographic groups. Environmentally conscious consumers (mothers, adults, and middle-aged) preferred paper packaging while young adults preferred plastic packaging for convenience. Middle-aged adults preferred unsweetened versions for health reasons and mothers preferred unflavoured PBB for their children. Consumers expressed willingness to purchase the concept beverage, citing innovation, taste, and health benefits as main drivers. Industrial Relevance: Increased consumer awareness of the relationship between diet and disease and the importance of consuming healthful foods has informed a switch to more plant-based diets. Our results provide valuable insights to facilitate the development of an acceptable plant-based beverage for Ghanaian consumers.Item Effect of storage and cooking time on the antioxidant properties of two commonly used ghanaian vegetables(Advance Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2012-04) Steiner-Asiedu, M.; Agbemafle, I.; Setoglo, J.; Danquah, A.O.; Anderson, A.K.Green leafy vegetables are good sources of antioxidants. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of storage and cooking time on the antioxidant properties of two commonly used Ghanaian vegetables: Corchorus olitorius and Solanum macrocarpon locally known as "adeimey" and "gboma" respectively. The storage conditions were: Left to stand overnight at room temperature, refrigerated for one day and refrigerated for one week, and cooked for ten and thirty minutes at 100°C. The reducing power and the total carotenoid content were determined by measuring absorbance using a Shimadzu UV-120-02 spectrophotometer at 700nm and 450 nm respectively. The free radical scavenging activity was determined by the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) method. The antioxidant activity (AOA) ranged from 91.59 to 38.42%. The total carotenoid content (TCC) varied from 5.10 to 27.30 mg/100 g. The reducing power ranged from 9.52 to 50.59%. The results show that Solanum macrocarpon and Corchorus olitorius are good sources of antioxidants with the later exhibiting higher antioxidant properties than the former. However the AOA, TCC and reducing power decreased drastically when the vegetables were refrigerated for one day and one week and cooked for thirty minutes at 100°C. Similarly the AOA, TCC and reducing power decreased slightly when the stored vegetables were cooked for ten minutes. These findings suggest modification in the storage and cooking practices of these green leafy vegetables to ensure retention of antioxidants for the best nutritional value and health benefit. The results also indicate that in areas where refrigeration is not possible, vegetables can be left overnight at room temperature to preserve the antioxidants in them. © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2012.Item Fish and Shellfish Allergens(Allergen Management in the Food Industry, 2010-08) Danquah, A.O.; Boye, J.I.; Simpson, B.K.This chapter discusses fish and shellfish allergens. Topics include food allergy, abnormal reaction of body's immune system to certain foods, food products containing fish and fish ingredients and processing effects on allergenicity. The chapter is divided into sections discussing fish and shellfish allergy; food products containing fish and fish ingredients; and effects of processing on allergenicity.Item Food Allergens(Food Biochemistry and Food Processing: Second Edition, 2012-04) Boye, J.I.; Danquah, A.O.; Lam Thang, C.; Zhao, X.The management of allergens along the food value chain and the diagnosis of food allergic diseases continue to pose serious challenges to the food industry as well as health care professionals. Of the over 170 foods known to provoke allergic reactions, nine foods (and their derived products) are today considered to be major allergens accounting for over 90% of all food allergic reactions. These priority allergens include milk, eggs, soya beans, peanuts, tree nuts (e.g. almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazel nuts, pistachios, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts and hickory nuts), seafood such as fish (i.e. both saltwater and freshwater finfish), crustaceans (e.g. shrimp, prawns, crab, lobster and crayfish) and molluscs (e.g. snails, oysters, clams, squid, octopus and cuttle-fish), gluten-containing cereals (i.e. wheat, rye, barley and their hybridised strains and products), sesame and mustard. Symptoms of food allergic reactions and the threshold dose required to provoke allergic reaction markedly vary among sensitised individuals. Food production practices, processing conditions and matrix effects can also modify the molecular structure of food allergens and their potential immunogenic properties which can make allergens diffi-cult to detect even when present in foods. This chapter provides an overview of the different types of food hypersensitivities including a distinction between food allergies and food intolerance, the properties of the nine priority food allergens, current approaches for the management of food allergens and a summary of some of the current methods used in food allergen detection. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc..Item Insecticide use pattern on tomatoes produced at Yonso community in the Sekyere West District of Ashanti Region, Ghana(Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science, 2009) Danquah, A.O.; Ekor, A.K.; Asuming-Brempong, S.Item The Nutrition Situation of the Elderly in Ghana: A case study(Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 2010) Danquah, A.O.; Steiner-Asiedu, M.; Mombo Pelenah, Sr. J.; Bediako-Amoa, B.Item A pilot study of the dietary and physical activity behaviours of international students: Implications for health promotion(African Journal of Food Science, 2010) Danquah, A.O.; Yovwinor, O.; Graham-Acquaah, S.; Steiner-Asiedu, M.A cross-sectional survey was conducted to describe the dietary practices of international students attending the University of Ghana, Legon. One hundred and fifty international students volunteered to participate in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to solicit information from respondents. Main outcome measures were self reported demographics, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, meal skipping, fruit and fat related behaviours. Analysis of variance, paired t-test, and logistic regression were used to test for differences and association between dependent and independent variables. The findings indicated the eating habits differed both in the home country and in Ghana. Although breakfast is the most important meal of the day, some (n = 21) respondents skipped it because there was no time for them to eat in the morning due to their tight schedule. There was a significant difference between ethnicity and breakfast intake with more Caucasians eating breakfast than those of African origin. More respondents of African descent (n = 88; 61.1%) than Caucasians (n = 37; 25.7%) were of the view that fruits were of less importance. Reasons for skipping lunch were either not hungry, weight related or lack of time. Science students skipped meals than those in the Humanities and Arts. Food choice was influenced by availability, variety and affordability. More than half of the respondents (78.5%) engaged in some physical activity. There is the need for nutrition education for foreign students as they enter a new environment.