From ending poverty and hunger to responding to climate change and sustaining natural resources – Prof Victoria Jideani from the Food Science and Technology Department, dubbed Professor Bambara by many at the institution, has the solution.

The Bambara groundnut is an African food crop, which is not only a rich source of nutrition, but also ideal for preventing chronic illnesses. The Bambara groundnut is well suited to cultivation in South Africa and is extremely resilient to drought and climate change. Once planted, Bambara nut takes about five to six months to mature. Despite its importance in food security and potential for income generation for small scale farmers, it remains a neglected and underutilised crop.

The Department of Food Science and Technology has used the Bambara Groundnut as a raw material to create several gluten-, lactose- and cholesterol-free value-added products. These include dairy substitutes, baked goods, meat substitutes and beverages. These products have the potential to be rapidly scaled up to provide niche and alternative products that are nutritious and marketable. The Bambara groundnuts contain up to 60 % carbohydrate, 16 % to 20 % protein, low levels of oil (6% to 8%) and are a rich source of minerals and essential amino acids. Thus Bambara is viewed as a complete food.

The Technology Transfer Office is managing the commercialisation of the technology. According to the Director, Dr Revel Iyer, CPUT is in the process of starting a food business directed at producing the semi-processed Bambara-based products.

“We are looking for potential partners to be involved in this business. We are also hoping to identify companies who would like to develop foods final products from the Bambara-based intermediate products. These could include foods such as polonies, patties, biscuits, crisps, pies, breads, non-dairy milk and yoghurt substitutes.”

To prove that the products are marketable and desirable, Prof Jideani and her team of food scientists researched and tested an extensive range of dishes prepared using Bambara in many forms and presented it in the form of a recipe book. Products were also exhibited and served to representatives of the South African food industry, potential investors and government as part of a showcase on the Bambara groundnut value chain. The basket of products was well received by the attendees who were able to provide critical feedback on aspects such as taste and product positioning. One representative from industry expressed the view that Bambara appears to tick all the boxes as far as food security and nutrition goes.

Written by Jayde Barends

Written by CPUT News

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Food security in Africa need not be a problem as the continent is home to most of the world’s drought-resistant crops.

“Africa is blessed with many unexploited crops (cereals, legumes, tubers, oil seeds, fruits & vegetables). Yet most of these crops are highly tolerant to drought, soil salinity and high air temperature making them climate-smart as well as more relevant to food security in view of climate change,” says Food Technology Professor Victoria Jideani.

Amongst these crops is the Bambara groundnut (BGN), which according Jideani has hitherto unexplored medicinal and nutritional properties.

“BGN is high in protein and low in fat. It also has the highest concentration of soluble fibre compared to other beans. Despite its rich nutritional profile, it is classified as underutilised; it is unknown to consumers and has no place in the national and international food baskets,” Jideani explains.

Her research into BGN has yielded two patents: 1) a process for the production of BGN milk (BGNM) and BGN probiotic yoghurt and (2) BamFibre, a natural, gluten-, lactose- and cholesterol-free fibre, which also assists with detoxification.

The first patent gave birth to BamPro, a great-tasting lactose- and cholesterol-free yoghurt-like drink low in fat and rich in protein, fibre and antioxidants. This probiotic beverage is produced from Bambara groundnut flour fermented with lactic acid bacteria. Consumers reacted positively to this new product in a 2015 study testing consumer sentiment, with 54.2% of respondents rating the drink as very good. Respondents likelihood to purchase BamPro ranged from probably (43.2%) to definitely (42%).

“Professor Jideani is a perfect example of the calibre of researchers at CPUT. Our researchers do work that impact people’s lives directly and in real time and no global challenge is more pressing right now than that of food security,” says Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Chris Nhlapo.

Jideani completed a B.Sc (Honours) in her native Nigeria in 1983. In 2001 she obtained a PhD in Food Microbiology from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Nigeria, where her dissertation was rated the best doctoral thesis of that academic year. She made her way to South Africa via Botswana, and started as a senior lecturer at CPUT in 2008. In 2010 she was promoted to the position of Associate Professor before becoming a full Professor in 2016. Another feather in her cap is the Green Africa Award she received in 2013 in the Agriculture and Food Security category.

Written by Abigail Calata

A leading researcher at CPUT in the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Prof Victoria Jideani, has two patents under her belt.

While this NRF-rated researcher has a patent for dietary fibre from the Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterenea), she also has a patent for probiotic yoghurt produced from a Bambara groundnut milk beverage and the method for the production thereof. The latter may lead to an exciting new business venture for the university.

“Indigenous knowledge (IK) associated with Bambara groundnut (BGN) in South Africa is not documented,” she explains, adding that, “Despite the BGN rich IK and nutritional profile, not much is known about its nutraceutical potential.”

She says that this knowledge system is at risk of becoming extinct because of the rapidly changing natural environment and fast-paced economic, political and cultural changes. 

“There is an urgent need to document the IK and establish a relationship between it and the BGN nutraceuticals.”

“One of my publications on BGN paved the way for international collaboration between the South African Association for Food Science & Technology (SAAFoST) and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in America.”

Her article “Should the BGN remain underutilized?” was published in the August 2015 issue of FST Magazine, which is published by SAAFoST and subsequently republished in Food Technology (USA) by IFT as “Utilizing BGN in Value-added Products” in 2016.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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