Nathan Jensen and Dr. Frost Steele, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science
This project was designed to help smallholder farmers in Eastern Africa learn how to develop a dehydrated banana mash using solar technology. This project was inspired by the need of finding a beneficial means of preserving excess banana crops in the region. One of the major varieties of bananas produced in Eastern Africa is the Eastern African highland banana. These cooking bananas, also known as plantains, are the primary production crop in the region. Because bananas have such a short shelf life farmers are not able to sell their produce fast enough and much of it goes to waste. The people in the region commonly make a staple dish called matoke by cooking and mashing the plantains. After much work in the laboratory a preservable matoke dish was successfully produced making it possible to use the research in Eastern Africa.
This project took several months to master a successful plantain dish. One of the biggest disadvantages was not having access to the bananas grown in Eastern Africa. We made the assumption that we could use plantains from South America as a basis of the research and test our methods in Africa to see if they could successfully mimic laboratory tests. The laboratory procedures consisted of slicing the plantains, inactivating enzymes by soaking them in an ascorbic acid solution and then steaming them for 15 minutes, oven drying the plantains, grinding the dried plantains into a powder, rehydrating the plantains with hot water, and flavoring the plantains with salt. Although the project consisted of several simple steps many variables needed to be tested in order to make the most successful product. During each trial run sensory and quality attributes were tested. Differing variables affected flavor and color attributes and it took many trials in order to develop a procedure that was consistently acceptable. After successfully developing the product it was packaged to help determine the shelf-life of the product.
After successfully developing a laboratory procedure the work was focused on developing a cheap method that local farmers in Eastern Africa can use with the supplies made available to them. Dr. Frost Steele and Sean Foster played a vital role in this part of the project. Dr. Steele has been working for several years now on a cheap solar dryer that can be used in third world countries in order to preserve food using solar energy. Sean Foster helped build a large scale solar dryer on the roof of the Eyring Science Center which was used for testing purposes as well as a model for building a solar dryer in Africa. After the project started to develop we made plans to take a trip to Eastern Africa in order to demonstrate the project and test the new solar dryer as well as the dehydrated matoke dish.
Dr. Frost Steele planned a trip for us to go to Kenya with Elder Joseph Sitati to develop the project on his banana farm. We met with him and his wife and presented our project to them. Elder Sitati gave us much insight with regards to developing the project in Africa. Working with him made us aware of what supplies would be available to us in Eastern Africa as well as any challenges we might face. They really liked our project and gave us much hope that it could be successful. Because ongoing safety issues in the country, we were not able to make a trip to Kenya and had to make plans to go somewhere else. Despite the disappointment Dr. Steele partnered with NuSkin’s agricultural college in Malawi and we made preparations to go on a trip to develop the project on their campus.
After knowing which supplies would be made available, much work was still needed in order to be prepared for the work in Africa. For my part of the project I needed to work on being able to use the same method of developing the dehydrated banana mash using the materials that would be available in Malawi. After researching what was available I was able to develop my product in the laboratory using lemons instead of ascorbic acid to inactivate the enzymes, using the solar dryer to dry the plantains, and by using a coffee grinder to grind the dried plantain into a powder. This method was successful and simplified the process. We met together every week to make plans for the trip in order to prepare all that was needed in order to build the research on the campus.
Dr. Steele and Sean Foster were able to go to Malawi for about two weeks. During the trip they built a solar dryer with the assistance of agricultural students in the college and prepared the dehydrated plantain dish using the method that I prepared and trained them to use. The project was successful and research has been set up on the site in order to continue working on its development.
After results from the trip to Malawi I found out that the plantains from South America are pretty similar to the Eastern African highland bananas and that research can also be continued in the laboratory at BYU. I continued the research by adding spices and seasonings to make different flavors of the product. I did more testing on physical properties and preservation. Although the product is still in its beginning stages, there is much work that can still be done in order to improve the product.
Although I am finished with the project, more research should be done on possibilities of protein fortification using other flours such as soy and how it affects the flavor qualities. Dr. Steele continues to make contact with the onsite research in Malawi and will determine if research should be continued by other students in the department. I believe that this project has much potential in being able to bless the lives of many people in Eastern Africa that are struggling to effectively use the majority of their harvested crops. By setting up research in Malawi and teaching the students in NuSkin’s agricultural college this beneficial way to preserve their nutritious food crops, many lives can be benefited.
From the research I learned many valuable tools that will help me in my future career as a food scientist. I learned how to improve food products by testing quality and sensory attributes as well as physical properties. I learned how to work together as a team on projects and how to overcome challenges that get in the way. I have learned how to make a difference, which in turn has prepared me to begin a successful career as a food scientist.