Vitamin and mineral foods markets to flower in Africa?

Opportunities in emerging markets continue to flower for foods fortified with vitamins and minerals as growing urbanisation sees populations turning away from fruit and vegetables in Uganda.


With an annual growth rate of 4.0 per cent, and an economy marked as having 'great potential' by the US government, officials in Uganda, it would appear, are encouraging their citizens to turn to fortified foods.


"Fortified foods offer affordable and immediate opportunities to improve lives and accelerate socio economic development.


They eradicate vitamin and mineral deficiencies which is a problem in many families," said Jacinta Sabiti, a senior medical officer in charge of the micronutrients desk at the Ministry of Health, reports Uganda's daily news site 'The New Vision'.


Afflicted by years of chronic political instability and erratic economic management, today Uganda is enjoying firmer growth as steps by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni's government, in place since early 1986, towards economic rehabilitation start to bear fruit. In the fiscal year 2006-2007 the country witnessed a growth rate at a healthy 7 per cent.


Recent market figures on nutraceutical sales for the region substantiate the credence that emerging economies can deliver new opportunities for industry players.


In 2006, multivitamins were the biggest selling product in Africa and the Middle East, with combined sales of almost $300m, according to data gathered by Capsugel's global business development manager for dietary supplements Peter Zambetti, and pooled from Euromonitor, Datamonitor, Mintel and Nutrition Business Journal.


In addition, vitamin B saw sales of almost $150m, and vitamin C sold almost $75m. Calcium and child specific products stood at the $50m mark, with other products below $50m including minerals, vitamin E, tonics and fish oils.


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The figures are small when compared to the global nutraceutical marketplace that witnessed sales in excess of $52bn in 2006, according to Zambetti.


But they do suggest a budding marketplace.


And not necessarily just one-way, with African-sourced plants in turn targetting European shelves.


The southern Africa natural products trade association, PhytoTrade Africa, in collaboration with South African company, Afriplex, are hoping fruit from the iconic African baobab tree could soon receive novel foods approval.


Approval would unlock the EU market for this large green or brown fruit of the Adansonia digitata, (or 'upside-down') tree, enabling its use as a food ingredient in European food products, such as cereal bars and smoothies.


The de-pectinised fruit pulp could also be used as an ingredient in other products, like biscuits and confectionery, says PhytoTrade Africa.


Baobab has not been commonly consumed in the EU prior to May 1997, meaning that approval must be gained under novel foods legislation before it can be used in products for the European market.


The wheels were set in motion last year by PhytoTrade Africa when it submitted an application to the UK's Food Standards Agency.

The many wonders of the baobab fruit

The Guardian U.K.

Normally, as we all know from our close reading of tabloid headlines, the EU is too busy banning the old - bendy bananas, imperial weights from picturesque market stalls, etc - to have time to let in the new.

However, after much lobbying by non-profit trade association PhytoTrade Africa, the EU this week announced that it had approved the fruit of the African baobab (or monkey bread) tree for use in the UK, thereby opening up a potentially lucrative market and creating employment for millions on the continent.

"It is a wonderful fruit!" rhapsodises Antonio Perez, who spent many years travelling around its native land before opening the African Kitchen Gallery Restaurant in central London. "It is very nutritious, full of vitamin C and vitamin A. It has a very special flavour, but the closest I can get to it is jackfruit, which is like melon."

But what can you do with it? Well, when it comes to the baobab fruit, it seems simpler to ask what can't you do with it. In Africa, it is used to alleviate various medical complaints, the leaves are eaten as a vegetable, and the seeds can be eaten raw or roasted, or ground to make an edible oil and thickener for soups and stews.

"For the fruit itself, you can peel it and slice it and cook it with anything - beef, chicken, even bake or grill it with fish," says Perez. "Roast it, mash it, puree it ..." Coming as it does from a culture with no tradition of writing down cookery methods, he says there is no master recipe. "They are learned from family to family, everybody will cook it differently. It will bring the flavour. You must bring your imagination."

You may need a smidgen more imagination than usual for now, as the EU has so far only approved the powdery pulp of the fruit for dismally denatured use in things like cereal bars and smoothies, but Perez remains undaunted. "It is like flour - you can blend it with anything," he urges. "You could make it into something like polenta, into porridge and have it for supper. It is a fantastic fruit."

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Africa’s multipurpose tree to improve rural livelihoods

The problem
Growing populations, urbanisation and increasing industrial production in Africa are combining to raise the demand for food and other agricultural commodities. Yet the capacity of available resources and technologies to secure this provision and to achieve the goal of improved livelihoods for all remain uncertain.

The solution: baobab
Harvesting from the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata L.) enables rural people to have a balanced diet. Marketing of baobab products is an important means of income generation for many people and can provide a much needed buffer in times of drought and famine thus helping to reduce hunger and alleviate poverty.

The baobab is therefore one of the most valuable resources in the dry lands of Africa:
* the fruits are rich in vitamin C and are used to prepare beverages,
* the leaves are used fresh or dried as vegetables and as forage,
* the seeds are used to extract oil,
* all parts of the tree have medicinal properties,
* the bark provides strong and durable fibres,
* the tree is fire resistant and can survive severe droughts,
* it is easy and cheap to cultivate and free from any serious pests and diseases
* and it provides shade and protects the soil against erosion.

What could be done to make the baobab tree more widely used? Despite its wide distribution and multi-purpose uses the potential of baobab has not been fully realised. The following steps should be taken to overcome the limitations:

• the availability of quality planting material should be increased,
• improved propagation and management techniques should be developed and adopted,
• processing technologies should be developed and adopted,
• market chains and infrastructure for baobab products should be developed.

The way forward
Increase the availability of quality planting material. Organisations involved in conservation and utilisation of dry land genetic resources should support:

• Survey and collection of seed
• Identification of suitable varieties and their field testing
• Mapping the tree diversity in different ecosystems
• Selection and vegetative propagation of appropriate varieties in relation to utilisation objectives

Organisations involved with rural development and tree planting should support:

• Establishment of tree nurseries
• Multiplication through vegetative propagation of desired types Development and adoption of improved field establishment and tree management techniques
• Application of improved propagation and management techniques

Development and application of processing technologies Attention needs to be paid to:

• Improvement of storage and processing technology (e.g. to retain high levels of vitamin C in drinks and pro-vitamin A in dried leaves)
• Standardisation of methods for the preparation of medicinal products
• Knowledge transfer and technical support
• Promotion of local small-scale industries for baobab products
• Collaboration between industry and NGOs and CBOs should be promoted.

Marketing of baobab tree products Collaboration between eco- and fair trade associations and partner NGOs and CBOs should be supported.
The priorities are:

• Adoption of international standards for products
• Development of locally-made products for local markets
• Development of market chains and infrastructure for baobab products
• Promotion of the baobab fruit as a healthy fruit and for cosmetic use for export markets
• Information collection on the market value of products, and supply and demand estimates
• Collection of data on income derived from the production to consumption chain

Legends of the Baobab Tree

The Baobabs are are full of mystery and wonder in Africa, tales have been brought down verbally from generation to generation. We have tried to compile as much as possible regarding this great tree of life.


A very, very long time ago, say some African legends, the first baobab sprouted beside a small lake. As it grew taller and looked about it spied other trees, noting their colorful flowers, straight and handsome trunks, and large leaves. Then one day the wind died away leaving the water smooth as a mirror, and the tree finally got to see itself. The reflected image shocked it to its root hairs. Its own flowers lacked bright color, its leaves were tiny, it was grossly fat, and its bark resembled the wrinkled hide of an old elephant.


In a strongly worded invocation to the creator, the baobab complained about the bad deal it’d been given. This impertinence had no effect: Following a hasty reconsideration, the deity felt fully satisfied. Relishing the fact that some organisms were purposefully less than perfect, the creator demanded to know whether the baobab found the hippopotamus beautiful, or the hyena’s cry pleasant-and then retired in a huff behind the clouds. 


But back on earth the barrel-chested whiner neither stopped peering at its reflection nor raising its voice in protest. Finally, an exasperated creator returned from the sky, seized the ingrate by the trunk, yanked it from the ground, turned it over, and replanted it upside down. And from that day since, the baobab has been unable to see its reflection or make complaint; for thousands of years it has worked strictly in silence, paying off its ancient transgression by doing good deeds for people. All across the African continent some variation on this story is told to explain why this species is so unusual and yet so helpful.

Baobab For Cellular Integrity

Baobab as a Super Food contains Thiamine and Riboflavin which optimizes development of the organs for maintaining cellular integrity of the nervous, skin and ocular systems. In addition the presence of epithelia and niacin (vitamin PP or B3) is very important to regulate many metabolic functions.


Furthermore, the fruit contributes to the injection of some essential minerals and essential fatty acids. In fact, 100 g of pulp contains an average of 293 mg of calcium, 2.31 mg of potassium, 96-118 mg of phosphor and alpha-linoleic acid (27 mg of acid per gram of dry product).

The Beautiful Baobab

Death is a low chemical trick played on everybody except baobab trees.
- JJ Furnas

The origin of the name baobab is uncertain. Some have suggested that it comes from "bu hobab," a name used for the plant in the markets of Cairo. Or perhaps it was derived from "bu hibab," an Arabic designation for "the fruit with many seeds." The trees are related to the kapok and the balsa. There are 6 species of baobab trees in Madagascar, 1 in Africa and 2 elsewhere (including Australia and Vietnam).
The baobab trees (called renala by inhabitants of Madagascar) are present almost everywhere on the island, except in the highlands and rain forest. They are most prevalent in the dry savannah of the West.

For centuries, much of what was known about baobabs was based exclusively on the African baobab (A digitata). The first recorded reference was by 14th-century Arab traveller Ibn Batuta who mentions the water-storage capacity of its massive trunk. In 1661 the writer Flacourt praised the giants - speaking about the area of Morondava, he wrote: "It is in this region that exists a tree named Anadzahé, which is monstrously stupendously large. It is hollow inside and 12 feet in diameter, round, ending in an archway like the bottom of a lamp. There are only a few small branches here and there on top. The tree is a wonder to be seen."

Sometimes called the "upside-down tree" because of their unusual root-like branch formations, baobabs are extremely long-lived. Some specimens are believed to be more than 3,000 years old. (Two trees on an island off Cape Verde were estimated to be over 5,000 years old. Those trees have since disappeared, however, so the claim can no longer be verified.)

Girth measurements themselves are not reliable estimates of a particular tree's age, as the conditions under which it has grown - and the climatic fluctuations of the centuries - strongly affect them - some years, they can decrease in size. There is no such thing as a "typical" baobab.
Inside its shell, the tree's fruit contains a number of seeds, embedded in a whitish, powdery pulp. Tangy and exceedingly nutritious, the pulp makes a tasty food or, after soaking in water or milk, a refreshing beverage (with 6 times the vitamin C content of an orange). Fermented, it makes a traditional brew.

The seeds may be eaten raw or roasted. They yield an edible oil which is used for cooking and exported for use in cosmetics. The leaves, similar to spinach, are eaten as a relish, especially in times of drought and are considered medicinal - they reduce fever and diarrhœa. The pollen of the African and Australian baobabs is mixed with water to make glue.

The wood has a moisture content of 40%, making it unusuable as timber (which is lucky for the tree because it keeps it from being harvested) but the fibrous bark can be made into baskets, rugs, fishing nets, hats, ropes and the like. The tree seems impervious to having its bark stripped.

Baobab (called kuka trees in Nigeria) flower for the first time at about 20 years. In mid-summer, dozens of luminous white blossoms - the size of saucers - open at sunset and their strong musky odour attracts fruit bats and hosts of insects. Large bats seek out the generous sweet nectar and collect and distribute pollen as they move from flower to flower.

The life of a flower is short lived and it drops to the ground within hours. The resultant seeds are housed in a hairy pod which resembles a miniature rugby ball (inside of which is a white pulp from which cream of tartar is derived). Once they fall to the ground, the pods are fed upon by baboons, monkeys, antelope and elephants, which serve to disperse the hard seeds within. Humans eat them as well.

Bushbabys, squirrels, rodents, lizards, snakes, tree frogs, spiders, scorpions and insects may live out their entire lives in a single tree. Birds nest in holes in the trunk. The hollow trunks of living trees have served as homes, storage barns, places of refuge or worship, and even as prisons or tombs. One tree near Gravelotte in South Africa's Northern Province was used as a bar where up to a dozen thirsty gold diggers could quench their thirst.

Certain tribes in the Transvaal wash baby boys in water soaked in the bark of a baobab. Then, like the tree, they will grow up mighty and strong. To this day the baobab remains at the centre of black magic rituals on the islands where they are found. Most waganga will take their subjects to a special tree, where they may tie ornaments to the branches to give a spell its power, hammer nails into the trunk to kill devils, or climb and sit in the branches whilst carrying out various ceremonies.

The wood being soft, it is subject to attacks of fungus which destroy its life, and renders the part affected easily hollowed out. This is done by natives, and within these hollows they suspend the dead bodies of those who are refused the honor of burial. There they become mummies - perfectly dry and well preserved - without any further preparation of embalmment.

Ninki Nanka Protects Ancient Baobab Forest

A Ninki Nanka is a legendary creature based inWest African folklore.  According to tradition, the Ninki Nanka lives in the swamps of West Africa. The animal is said to be extremely large and very dangerous. It is said that when a child gets too confident and feels they can disobey their parents and go into the swamp they will be taken by the Ninki Nanka.


The "dragon" is rumoured to look rather like a game of zoological "consequences", possessing the body of a crocodile, the neck of a giraffe and the head of a horse with three horns. Less fantastically, the team's leader, Richard Freeman of the Centre for Fortean Zoology, suspects the ninki-nanka of being a species of colossal monitor lizard. "Whatever the truth," he says, "this is the first dedicated expedition to search for this animal."


More encouraging are the witnesses. A compelling chap called Papa Jinda had described a scene of devastation at a pumping station where, the blog gushes, "a ninki-nanka had destroyed several pipes". It continues: "The mention of a ninki-nanka had caused a panic among the workers, and they had asked for a mirror as it was thought that the only way to get rid of the animal was to show it its reflection.


Back in 1983, amateur naturalist Owen Burnham discovered the fresh carcass of a strange beast on a remote beach in the Gambia. It was around 15 feet long and looked like a cross between a crocodile and a dolphin. Realizing that it was something unknown to science, Owen, a missionary’s son, made detailed sketches of the creature. He and his family then buried it in the hot sand above the tide line, hoping that the dry sand would preserve the body. He also made a detailed map.


Makasutu a 500-hectare piece of bush in the Kombo central district of the republic of The Gambia is deemed by some to be a devil's home. They say he is there in the form of a ninkinanko or dragon, and protects the hidden crown and clothes of King Jatta from Busumbala who was killed 200 years ago by the Muslim king Kombo Silla on his way east to take over the country. Jatta's men took the crown and clothes and placed them for safekeeping in the area of Makasutu, now known as the Big Forest. 

Baobab FDA Approved

Agency Response Letter GRAS Notice No. GRN 000273

CFSAN/Office of Food Additive Safety

July 25, 2009














 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responding to the notice, dated December 17, 2008, that you submitted in accordance with the agency’s proposed regulation, proposed 21 CFR 170.36 (62 FR 18938; April 17, 1997; Substances Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS); the GRAS proposal). FDA received the notice on December 19, 2008, filed it on December 19, 2008, and designated it as GRAS Notice No. GRN 000273.


The subject of the notice is baobab (Adansonia digitata) dried fruit pulp (BDFP). The notice informs FDA of the view of PhytoTrade Africa (PhytoTrade) that BDFP is GRAS, through scientific procedures, for use as an ingredient in blended fruit drinks and fruit cereal bars at levels up to 10 percent and 15 percent, respectively.


PhytoTrade’s notice discusses evidence supporting its GRAS determination including, a compositional analysis that indicates similarity to other fruit based ingredients and corroborating evidence of a history of safe use as a food ingredient in Southern Africa. PhytoTrade also provides information regarding the method of processing, an estimate of BDFP intake based on proposed use levels, and the possible presence of naturally-occurring toxicants.


PhytoTrade describes the identity and composition of BDFP. PhytoTrade states that BDFP is a free-flowing, coarsely milled powder derived from the fruit of the baobab tree (A. digitata). The color is described as off-white to cream, and the flavor as tart and acidic. PhytoTrade discusses the composition of BDFP noting that BDFP contains approximately 79 percent carbohydrates, 14 percent moisture, 6 percent ash, 2 percent protein, and 0.5 percent total fat, in addition to appreciable concentrations of the vitamins C, B1 and B2, as well as the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium.


Compositional details provided by PhytoTrade include the specific fatty acids (predominantly palmitic, oleic, linoleic and alpha-linoleic acids), amino acids, carbohydrates (predominantly pectin and glucose) and organic acids (predominantly citric acid) present in BDFP. PhytoTrade includes a table of values which compares the macronutrient and micronutrient content of BDFP to a number of other commonly consumed fruits and legumes. PhytoTrade notes that BDFP is similar in nutrition and composition to the ranges of nutrients observed in other types of fruit and legumes commonly consumed.


PhytoTrade discusses the method of processing and provides specifications for BDFP. Baobab fruit is first harvested from the wild. The hard shell of the fruit is cracked open and the fruit pulp removed. The seeds and the fibrous material from the fruit pulp are mechanically separated. The fruit pulp is milled and screened using a fine mesh. Finally, the milled fruit pulp is stored in clean, food-grade packaging. PhytoTrade provides food-grade specifications for BDFP. These include limits on foreign matter, ash, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and microbiological contaminants.


PhytoTrade provides an estimation of daily intake (EDI) for BDFP. PhytoTrade calculates the EDI for BDFP based on data from the United States Food and Drug Administration’s 2005 Total Diet Survey (TDS), and the intended use levels of BDFP. The intended food categories are not listed in the TDS. Therefore, PhytoTrade used two related food products that PhytoTrade expects to have similar consumption levels. These are identified as fruit juice containing 10 percent fruit and granola bar with raisins. The intake values for these two substitute products were combined with maximum intended use levels for blended fruit drinks (10 percent) and fruit cereal bars (15 percent). PhytoTrade reports EDIs at the 50^th and 90^th percentile for these intended uses as 4.3 grams/person/day (g/p/d) and 8.6 g/p/d, respectively.


PhytoTrade discusses the presence of naturally-occurring toxicants in BDFP, noting that there are reports in the scientific literature indicating that BDFP may contain low concentrations of cyanide and appreciable concentrations of the organic acid oxalic acid. PhytoTrade notes that, based on batch analyses, the concentrations of both cyanide and oxalic acid are below the limit of detection of 5 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) for cyanide and 400 mg/kg for oxalic acid in BDFP. PhytoTrade further notes that the concentration of cyanide and oxalic acid is known to be higher in several commonly consumed foods, such as cassava flour in the case of cyanide and spinach and many other vegetables in the case of oxalic acid. PhytoTrade states that if these compounds are present in BDFP at the limit of detection, based on its review of the scientific literature and the EDI for BDFP, the exposures to these substances in food would not pose a risk to human health.

Potential Labeling Issues

Under section 403(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), a food is misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading in any particular. Section 403(r) of the FFDCA lays out the statutory framework for the use of labeling claims that characterize the level of a nutrient in a food or that characterize the relationship of a nutrient to a disease or health-related condition. In describing the intended use of BDFP and in describing the information that PhytoTrade relies on to conclude that BDFP is GRAS under the conditions of its intended use, PhytoTrade raises a potential issue under these labeling provisions of the FFDCA. If products that contain BDFP bear any claims on the label or in labeling, such claims are the purview of the Office of Nutrition, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements (ONLDS) in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.


The Office of Food Additive Safety neither consulted with ONLDS on this labeling issue nor evaluated the information in your notice to determine whether it would support any claims made about BDFP on the label or in labeling.

Section 301(ll) of the FFDCA

The Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007, which was signed into law on September 27, 2007, amends the FFDCA to, among other things, add section 301(ll). Section 301(ll) of the FFDCA prohibits the introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of any food that contains a drug approved under section 505 of the FFDCA, a biological product licensed under section 351 of the Public Health Service Act, or a drug or a biological product for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and their existence made public, unless one of the exemptions in section 301(ll)(1)-(4) applies. In its review of PhytoTrade’s notice that BDFP is GRAS for use in blended fruit drinks and fruit cereal bars, FDA did not consider whether section 301(ll) or any of its exemptions apply to foods containing BDFP. Accordingly, this response should not be construed to be a statement that foods that contain BDFP, if introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce, would not violate section 301(ll).

Conclusions

Based on the information provided by PhytoTrade, the agency has no questions at this time regarding PhytoTrade’s conclusion that BDFP is GRAS under the intended conditions of use. The agency has not, however, made its own determination regarding the GRAS status of the subject use of BDFP. As always, it is the continuing responsibility of PhytoTrade to ensure that food ingredients that the firm markets are safe, and are otherwise in compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements.


In accordance with proposed 21 CFR 170.36(f), a copy of the text of this letter responding to GRN 000273, as well as a copy of the information in this notice that conforms to the information in the GRAS exemption claim (proposed 21 CFR 170.36(c)(1)), is available for public review and copying via the FDA home page at http://www.fda.gov. To view or obtain an electronic copy of the text of the letter, follow the hyperlinks from the “Food” topic to the “Food Ingredients and Packaging” section to the “Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)” page where the GRAS Inventory is listed.

Sincerely,


Laura M. Tarantino, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Food Additive Safety
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

The Baby Boomers, Baobab’s Biggest Market

The Baby Boomers, Baobab’s Biggest Market


Demographically, the Western population is growing older, as the population ages, 80% of older people in Western countries will develop at least one chronic metabolic disease. With nearly one in five people now over 65, a proportion set to rise to one in four by 2050, functional foods and nutraceuticals to boost quality of life and help prevent age-related disease are set to boom. Wild Harvest research indicates that successful products will be those that can boost the immune system over time, as well as offer quicker fixes.


Future growth in the functional food and drinks market will focus on natural and whole food, and scientific research into the influence of nutrients and specific ingredients on conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, CVD and Alzheimer’s disease, and there is massive potential for functional foods within the global market to 2012. In recent years, the interest in probiotic, prebiotic and symbiotic functional foods has grown enormously.

Lost African fruits would benefit from technology, says report

The application of modern horticultural techniques could revive cultivation of traditional fruits in Africa like baobab, butterfruit and tamarind, according to a new report.


People in the West are becoming increasingly familiar with fruits from abroad, many of which are venerated for their nutritional properties. Indeed, baobab and tamarind are not unknown amongst the ranks of superfruits now stocked in many supermarkets.


But, while in the past fruits native to African formed an important part of the indigenous diet, cultivation of these crops in their original homelands has dwindled considerably since they were replaced by bananas, pineapples and papaya that came with the colonialists.


The new report from the National Research Council in Washington, USA, maintains that the time is now ripe to revive the old-timers - and even not so much because of consumers overseas who are hungry for the next batch of superfruits.


Rather, the authors argue that the traditional fruits contain nutrients that would be beneficial for African populations that struggle to have sufficient intake of all that they need.


In addition, they could contribute to environmental stability and rural development.


The report says that the newcomers have thrived in Africa partly because they had already been improved upon through selective breeding before they even arrived.


In addition, their cultivation was encouraged by the new arrivals who brought them since they wanted familiar crops that could also be profitable to grow.


The result was that a drop off in cultivation of native species, accompanied by the loss of knowledge about how to grow them.


Now, the onus is on African science institutes, policy makers, non-governmental institutions and individuals to put modern horticultural knowledge into play.


The report's authors are not alone in arguing for new techniques to be taken to the developing world.


At the annual City Food Lecture in London last week, speaker Lord Christopher Haskins of Skidby argued that this approach could help solve the imbalance of food security in a world where those in the West are wasting as much as 30 per cent of the food they buy - and others are starving.


He said that the more successful farmers could benefit from agricultural technology that would significantly boost productivity. The less productive smallholders, on the other hand, should be encouraged to follow the path of economic success in the urban areas.


The National Research Council report lists the benefits of 24 fruits that are considered candidates for optimisation. These include:


* Aizen - A large Saharan shrub that grows in particularly hostile places where few other plants can survive, aizen could protect eroding slopes, stabilise dunes and create windbreaks. The fruits are good source of vitamins A and C, calcium and some minerals, and the seeds a source of protein and zinc.


* Balanites - Also capable of thriving in the desert, balanites' fruit are similar to dates and are already eaten in arid zones where food is scares. But their full potential is not being realised, particularly since their kernels are have a similar oil-protein balance to soybeans and sesame seeds (one half oil, one half protein). They could also help counter desertification.


* Boabab - A sticky pulp from the fruits can be dried and used as a nutritious powder that is high in protein, vitamins and minerals. This is drunk with milk or other beverages. The pulp is also made into thin pancakes that keep for a long time. The "almost indestructible" trees also yield a leafy vegetable.


* Butterfruit - Butterfruit is a small tree, but its fruit, high in calories and protein, are regarded as very promising to help reduce child malnutrition. It is also a cash crop, and the mahogany-like wood could show promise for plantations.


* Tamarind - The fruits are an excellent source of B vitamins and calcium, and last a long time with no refrigeration. The sweet-sour pulp can also be made into cakes. Tamarind trees also come with the promise of restoring damaged lands.


Source


Lost Crops of Africa: Vol 3, Fruits


Available from National Academies Press

Probiotic Baobab Good For Senior Consumers

Probiotic products are living microbial food supplements, which beneficially affect the host animal by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of beneficial micro flora improving its intestinal microbial balance.


Digestive health is a concern for many people, particularly senior consumers who often find that their taste preferences change and the appetite can decrease. Probiotics and prebiotics are powerful immunity boosters, which can help senior consumers to fend off common viruses and generally increase well being. Senior consumers are becoming aware of the need to improve overall immunity levels in order to boost general health and to help prevent illness.


Sales of pre-and probiotic yogurts hit €12.4bn, a 108% increase on 2002 levels. The soluble fibers of baobab are Symbiotic which combine the prebiotic and probiotic aspects in a single product. Baobab is an ideal intermediate organic product which can be applied to thousands of products.