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07 August 2024 | Story André Damons | Photo André Damons
Dr Alba du Toit
Dr Alba du Toit, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, is leading the newly established Innovative ARC-DALLRD-UFS Agro-processing for Climate-smart Food System research chair at the UFS.

The Innovative Agro-processing for Climate-smart Food System research chair, one of four ARC-DALLRD-UFS research chairs recently established at the University of the Free State (UFS), will focus on innovative agro-processing technologies that could affect food and nutrition security. The chair’s work will also focus on improving food systems that can impact socioeconomic development.

In a concerted effort to address the challenges and effects of climate change in Southern Africa, the UFS, together with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), established four new research chairs within the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS).

The other research chairs are Climate Change and Agriculture, Agriculture Risk Financing and Sustainable Livestock Production and together with the Innovative Agro-processing for Climate-smart Food System research chair, and fall under the umbrella of climate change. They will also be part of the centre of excellence of the ARC and DALRRD on Climate Smart Agriculture.

Dr Alba du Toit, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, will lead the Innovative Agro-processing for Climate-smart Food System research chair and says the chair allows researchers to dedicate their time and effort towards research. It consolidates expertise, resources, and facilities to strengthen the research team’s capacity and will have a strong foundation for sustainable development goals. The chair provides a hub for collaboration between the UFS, ARC and DALLRD to focus on regionally engaged research with maximum societal impact.

The chair, which officially started on 1 July, also allows researchers to do trans- and multi-disciplinary, relevant and cutting-edge research.

Nixtamalisation could transform the food system

“We believe that nixtamalisation could transform the food system. However, the consumer’s willingness to adopt and embrace new products and techniques is dependent on the success of the initiative.

“Thus, innovations in new product development must be consumer-led since the consumer is constantly evolving, making it imperative to understand consumer behaviour and motivations behind decision-making,” says Dr Du Toit.

The nixtamalisation process, she explains, is a multistep technique commonly employed in Mexico, Central America and the southern regions of the US to transform maize into food products. The nixtamalisation process alters the physicochemical, nutritional and sensory properties of maize products by increasing protein quality, improving the content of calcium, magnesium and potassium and reducing mycotoxin levels.”

According to Dr Du Toit, by using the principles of circular food design, they will develop products that could provide solutions and support the food system. It involves using processing technologies that could be applied and implemented by anyone with access to a basic kitchen.

“This would benefit rural farmers and communities, small-scale and emerging farmers to provide food for themselves and become economically active small business owners. We believed the right product could not only influence the food security and well-being of individual households but also stimulate entrepreneurial action, which could benefit the community and overcome barriers to make nixtamalisation an acceptable practice for all,” says Dr Du Toit.

Maize and sorghum

“Maize and sorghum are staple crops in South Africa that are not being utilised to their full potential. South Africa is well known for its maize production, and it is the staple for most of the population in the form of pap. However, the reliance on pap exaggerates the issues of food and nutrition insecurity because pap cooked from Super Maize Meal is deficient in nutrients and often consumed in isolation without diversification in the diet.

“Sorghum is another cereal crop that is climate-smart, drought-resistant and suited in South Africa’s arid and semi-arid areas, while it offers good nutritional value. However, most consumers are not familiar with the crop except for its application as an instant porridge.  Nixtamalisation is a process that could benefit consumers as maize and sorghum could be transformed into nutritious, safe meals directly from the farm to the fork,” explains Dr Du Toit.

Home-grown dried whole maize kernels, she continues, could be converted into safe and delicious meals in homes using basic equipment as it is widely and effectively done in Mexico by rural women. The research will determine if consumers would accept the process of nixtamalisation, whether the products would be acceptable, and if the nutritional value would be comparable to commercial products.

Some of the news consumer-acceptable products already developed, include maize chips, dehydrated phutu pap, and corndogs. Currently, the team is working on maize-milk, maize-milk frozen dessert and a custard tart. Maize products have the advantage of being lactose- and gluten-free and thus would appeal to consumers of plant-based products.

Societal impact

Dr Du Toit says she is excited about the societal impact this project will have on communities and the country and is hopeful that they will be able to influence policymakers and the industry to provide more nutritious staples that could be “game-changers” for the sake of society. She is looking forward to collaborating with DALRRD, the ARC and the grain industry to ensure that partnerships are strengthened and new opportunities are created for the staff and students.

Prof Wilna Oldewage-Theron, a Professor of Nutrition in the College of Human Sciences at Texas Tech University, will join the research chair next year as the co-leader. She has experience in community nutrition research in Africa, and her research interests include the factors contributing to household food insecurity and malnutrition in resource-poor communities. She will be focused on the nutritional benefits of soy for human health.

Prof Maryke Labuschagne, who is leading the NRF SARChI Chair in Diseases and Quality of Field Crops and who is passionate about impacting malnutrition, has been appointed as mentor for the chair.

News Archive

Up to 60% of students do not have enough to eat
2013-11-15

 

15 November 2013

A report of the University of the Free State has revealed the shocking statistics that almost two-thirds of the students at the university don’t have enough money to buy food, and suffer from hunger during terms.

The study, conducted internally by the university’s Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, was a response to a growing international concern that students worldwide were not getting enough to eat. While studies were conducted in the USA and Australia, no similar research has been done in South Africa.

“There have been many studies on the impact of poor nutrition on school kids,” says Dr Louise van den Berg, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, “but almost no research on university students. South Africa is, overall, a food-insecure country, and the university wanted to establish how widespread this problem is among our students.”

The reasons given by students invariably referred to a lack of money, as many students were also supporting families. Some students admitted they lacked the knowledge to feed themselves properly, some admitted to borrowing money to buy food, and some even admitted to stealing food to survive.

“This research has confirmed something we have suspected for a long time,” Dr van den Berg states.

A number of students disclosed that they were reluctant to resort to the university feeding scheme, as they were ashamed to admit they did not have money to buy food.

This study is the first of its kind in South Africa, and underlines the fact that tertiary students are particularly vulnerable when it comes to food security. Often a student has to juggle their studies with their role as breadwinner.

A tiny ray of hope to students who find themselves as food insecure, is the No Student Hungry Programme that offers a food bursary to qualifying students.

This programme, initially established by Prof Jonathan Jansen, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector, and now managed by Grace Jansen and Karen Buys, offers a small allowance of about R30 per day to hungry students with an average academic achievement of 60% and above. This criterion discourages entitlement thinking and builds a strong sense of responsibility on the part of those who benefit from the food bursary.

Melanie, a second-year Geography and Environmental Management student, as well as a single mother, is a beneficiary of the NSH Programme. “This bursary helps me to get a balanced meal every day. It is one less worry for me. I dream of completing my studies so that I can be independent and provide my son with the life he deserves.”

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