Short CV content:

I studied B. Home Economics (General) at the University of Pretoria 1990-1993. In 2002 I completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Education at RAU. Between 2010 and 2017, I furthered by post-graduate education by completing B.Sc. Honours (Home Economics), B.Sc. Masters and PhD. I was a post-doctoral fellow at the UFS from 2017 until December 2020.

I was appointed as a Senior lecturer at Sustainable Food Systems and Development in 2021.

I started my post-graduate studies in 2008 at the UFS, and from 2010 onward, I was involved in full-time research and lecturing at the Department of Consumer Science. I currently lecture Food Preparation and Principles at Sustainable Food Systems and Development.

Initially, my studies focused on Cactus Pear research, involving the fruit, cladodes, mucilage and nopalitos. I expanded my research to include wild, edible indigenous succulent plants.

I am currently engaged in a project with Grain SA in the “Promotion of agro-processing of maize in low-income communities in South Africa” with a focus on product development of grain products, sensory analysis, consumer testing, value-adding of maize, training of maize farmers, and capacity building of community women through the processing of maize, and entrepreneurship.

I supervise and co-supervise honours, masters’ and PhD students, review international articles, and publish in international peer-reviewed journals. 

Cactus Pear Website (2019-2020)

I established a cactus pear website with information, fruit and nopalito recipes under the banner of the UFS. Recipes which are suitable for the South African palate and which are compatible with locally available ingredients have been developed, refined and published on the website and is available to the public. 

Patent:

Du Toit, A. & De Wit, M. 2011. A process for extracting mucilage from Opuntia ficus-indica, Aloe barbadensis and Agave Americana. PA 1531178P

Papers:

Du Toit, A., Mpemba, O.S., De Wit, M., Venter, S.L. The effect of size, cultivar and season on the edible qualities of nopalitos from South African cultivars. South African Journal of Botany 142 (2021) 459-466

du Toit A, de Wit M, Fouche´ HJ, Venter SL, Hugo A. 2020. Relationship between weather conditions and the physicochemical characteristics of cladodes and mucilage from two cactus pear species. PLoS ONE 15(8): e0237517. https://doi. org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237517

De Wit, M., Du Toit, A., Osthoff, G. & Hugo, A. 2020. Antioxidant content, capacity and retention in fresh and processed cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-Indica and O. robusta) fruit peels from different coloured cultivars. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 4, 133

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Naudé, S., Taljaard, M. Fouché, H. J., Hugo, A. & Venter, S. L. 2019. Functional properties and sensory evaluation of mucilage from South-African cactus pear cladodes. ISHS Acta Horticulturae 1247: IX International Congress of Cactus and Cochineal: CAM Crops for a Hotter and Drier World: 251-260.

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Seroto, K. D., Fouché, H. J., Hugo, A. & Venter, S. L. 2019. Rheological characterisation of cactus pear mucilage for application in nutraceutical food products. ISHS Acta Horticulturae 1247: IX International Congress of Cactus and Cochineal: CAM Crops for a Hotter and Drier World: 63-72.

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Fouché, H. J., Taljaard, M.,  Venter, S. L. & Hugo, A. 2019. Mucilage powder from cactus pears as functional ingredient: Influence of cultivar and harvest month on the physicochemical and technological properties. Journal of Food Science and Technology: 56(5) 2404-2416.

De Wit, M., Du Toit, A., Fouché, H. J., Hugo, A. & Venter, S. L. 2019.  Screening of cladodes from 42 South African spineless cactus pear cultivars for human food applications. ISHS Acta Horticulturae 1247: IX International Congress of Cactus and Cochineal: CAM Crops for a Hotter and Drier World:47-55.

De Wit, M., Du Toit, A., Osthoff, G. & Hugo, A. 2019. Cactus pear antioxidants: a comparison between fruit pulp, fruit peel, fruit seeds and cladodes of eight different cactus pear cultivars (Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia robusta). Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization.

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M. & Hugo, A. 2018. Cultivar and harvest month influence the nutrient content of Opuntia spp. cactus pear cladode mucilage extracts. Molecules: 23(4) 916

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Osthoff, G. & Hugo, A. 2018. Relationship and correlation between antioxidant content and capacity, processing method and fruit colour of cactus pear fruit. Food and Bioprocess Technology: 11(2018) 1527-1535.

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Osthoff, G. & Hugo, A. 2018. Antioxidant properties of fresh and processed cactus pear cladodes from selected Opuntia ficus-indica and O. robusta cultivars. South African Journal of Botany: 118 (2018) 44-51.

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Osthoff, G. & Hugo, A. 2015. Antioxidant content and capacity of fruit from different colour cactus pear (O. ficus-indica and O. robusta) cultivars. Acta Horticulturae: 1067, 187-192.

Conference presentations: National

Poster presentations at SAAFoST: 23rd Biennial International Congress and Exhibition, Birchwood Hotel, Gauteng, 1-4 September 2019:

Du Toit, A. De Wit, M. Mpemba, O. Makhalamele, B. Colbert, T. Huang, Y. Venter, S. L. & Hugo, A. 2019. Young cladodes from cactus pears (Opuntia ficus-indica) are a viable food source.

Mpemba, O., Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Venter, S. L. & Hugo, A. Nopalitos a new food source: Comparison of two nopalito cultivars to known vegetables.

De Wit, M., Du Toit, A., Bothma, C. & Hugo, A. Application of liquid native and powdered freeze-dried mucilage in functional food product development – A sensory perspective.

Makahalamele, B., De Wit, M., Truter, M., Du Toit, A., Amoo, S. & Hugo, A. The morphological and physicochemical evaluation of nopalitos from twenty South-African cactus pear cultivars.

Mashanganyisi, D., De Wit, M., Bothma, C., Hugo, A., Venter, S. L., Du Toit, A. & Du Toit, L. Functional properties of cactus pear mucilage: gelling, emulsification, edible coatings and spherification.

Oral presentation at SASAS: 51^st Congress of the South African Society for Animal Science, 10-12 June 2019

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Mpemba, O., Makhalamele, B., Colbert, T., Huang, Y. & Hugo, A. Young cladodes from cactus pears (Opuntia ficus-indica) as a viable food source. Invited speaker

Poster presentation at SAAFoST: 22nd Biennial International Congress and Exhibition, Cape Town, 3-7 September 2017.

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M.,  Taljaard, M.,  Bothma, C. & Hugo, A. The application of cactus pear mucilage in health-promoting mayonnaise products.

Poster presentation at SAAFoST: 21st Biennial International Congress and Exhibition, Durban, 6-9 September 2015.

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M. Fouché, H. J. & Hugo, A. Determination of the physical and rheological properties of mucilage from the cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) cladodes for human food applications.

Poster presentation at SAAFoST: 20th Biennial International Congress and Exhibition, Pretoria, October 2013.

Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Osthoff, G. & Hugo, A. Antioxidant content and potential in processed products from the fruit and cladodes of cactus pears (O. ficus-indica and O. robusta).

Conference presentations: International

IX International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal, Coquimbo Chile, March 2017, Organised by FAO-ICARDA CactusNet

Oral presentation: Du Toit, A., De Wit, M.,  Fouché, H.J., Hugo, A. & Venter, S. L. Cactus pear mucilage: functional properties (Recipient of the ISHS student award for best oral presentation)

Poster presentation: Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Fouché, H. J., Hugo, A., & Venter, S. L. The rheological characterisation of reconstituted freeze-dried mucilage for application in nutraceutical food products

VIII International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal, Palermo Italy, October 2013. Organised by: FAO-ICARDA CactusNet

Oral presentation: Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Osthoff, G. & Hugo, A. Antioxidant content and potential of fresh cladodes and fruit from different colour cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica and Opuntia robusta) cultivars

Poster presentation: Du Toit, A., De Wit, M., Osthoff, G. & Hugo, A. Antioxidant content and potential in processed products from the fruit and cladodes of cactus pears (O. ficus-indica and O. robusta)

Nixtamalization is an ancient food processing technique that provides several benefits over unprocessed maize. Any whole dried maize kernels can be used, even inexpensive dried yellow maize kernels used for chicken feed. South Africans prefer white maize, but yellow maize or any colour of dried maize kernels is safe for human food use and can make tasty and nutritious masa and masa flour.

The benefits of nixtamalization:

•            The nutritional value is increased as the Niacin (Vitamin B3) and the amino acids Tryptophan and Lysine are more bioavailable. It thus prevents malnourishment – particularly the deficiency disease called pellagra. The Phytic acid, which prevents the absorption of Niacin and Tryptophan, is reduced.

•            More calcium, iron, copper and zinc become bioavailable.

•            The starch granules are easier to digest.

•            The maize is more easily ground and processed.

•            The flavour of the maize is improved.

•            This process removes 100% of aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are toxic compounds produced by moulds during the storage of dried maize kernels and can cause liver damage and cancer.

This project is ground-breaking in developing nutritionally adequate staple maize product formulations. The nixtamalization process has health and nutritional benefits in communities where maize is the staple grain. The germ is not eliminated during nixtamalization, and the calcium in nixtamalized maize is significantly increased. The calcium content increases because the kernels absorb calcium during the steeping process. The protein content is complete because of the increased because of Tryptophan and Lysine bioavailability. Because of the improved niacin bioavailability, the risk of pellagra disease is reduced. The dietary fibre also increases owing to carbohydrates transforming to resistant starch in nixtamalized maize products. Another benefit of nixtamalized maize food products is the commercialization of conventional products that provide benefits beyond essential nutrition. Because of their extended shelf life, nixtamalized commercial products offer communities income and market opportunities.

Product Development

Food principles and preparation

Analysis classification, composition, functions, selection, preparation and storage of food.

Food Preparation Practicals: Planning, preparation of purchase orders, presentation of classes.

First years: CNSF1614, CNSF1624

Second years: CNSF2614, CNSF2624