Product Development Programme, National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Faculty of Technology, Department of Food Technology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2022;62(3):656-669. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1825323. Epub 2020 Oct 6.
The burden of malnutrition in Africa calls for deeper exploration of underutilized species which are rich in nutrients and have the potential to reduce food and nutrition insecurity. The common staple crops are not able to meet daily requirements for both macro- and micro-nutrients. In order to lessen this burden; protein, calorie and micronutrient deficiencies must be properly addressed for optimal growth and development to be attained. African indigenous underutilized vegetables can play a significant role in the food security of vulnerable groups like under-five children and women in both urban and rural settings. The potential of grain amaranth in meeting the nutrition needs of humans has remained a subject of interest in scientific research. Amaranth is considered one of the most commonly produced and consumed indigenous vegetables on the African continent with high nutritional potentials but yet to be fully exploited. This review therefore aims at discussing the current knowledge of the inherent potentials of grain amaranths, its current application in the food industry and proposes a framework for actions and partnerships required to scale up and improve amaranth value chain.
非洲的营养不良问题需要深入研究那些未被充分利用但富含营养且有潜力减少食物和营养不安全的物种。常见的主食作物无法满足人们日常对宏量和微量营养素的需求。为了减轻这一负担，必须解决蛋白质、热量和微量营养素的缺乏问题，以实现最佳的生长和发育。非洲本土的未充分利用的蔬菜可以在城市和农村地区为 5 岁以下儿童和妇女等弱势群体的粮食安全发挥重要作用。在满足人类营养需求方面，粮食苋菜的潜力一直是科学研究关注的课题。苋菜被认为是非洲大陆上最常生产和消费的本土蔬菜之一，具有很高的营养价值，但尚未得到充分开发。因此，本综述旨在讨论粮食苋菜内在潜力的现有知识，其在食品工业中的当前应用，并提出了一个框架，以采取行动和建立伙伴关系，扩大和提高苋菜价值链。
