Screening Food Test Parameters to Detect Adulteration of Teff (Eragrostis Tef (Zucc.) Trotter) Flour and Injera with Non-Edible Adulterants
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Date
2018-06-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) is the main staple cereal in Ethiopia that is used to prepare a
fermented flatbread with a unique slightly spongy texture named injera. Majority of Ethiopian
diets consist of injera which accounts for about two-thirds of the daily protein intake of the
Ethiopian population. Recently, adulteration of teff flour and injera with non-edible ingredients is
becoming a serious problem putting the consumers’ health at risk. Therefore, the main purpose of
this study is to screen some of the common food analyses test parameters that could detect nonedible
adulterants in teff flour and injera for potential use in future routine inspection analysis.
In the study, simulation of the adulteration was made on two widely distributed white teff varieties,
namely Quncho Teff (DZ-Cr-387) and Magna Teff (DZ-01-196). Three adulterants were selected
based on the information gathered from local health bureau, namely Sawdust (organic adulterant)
and two inorganic adulterants, chalk powder (calcium carbonate) and gypsum (calcium sulphate
dihydrate). Based on the information gathered, the teff to adulterant ratio was (7:3). Thus, the
primary investigation was conducted on this adulteration ratio. Accordingly, the analytical tests at
this adulteration ratio resulted in a significant mean value difference between the adulterated and
control teff flour samples.
Secondary investigation was done by preparing injera using lower ratio of teff flour to adulterants
(9.5:0.5), (9:1), (8.5:1.5), (8:2) and (7.5:2.5), while unadulterated (100%) teff flour injera was used
as control. Ratios resulting in acceptable injera appearance were used as cut-off adulteration ratios
to apply the selected test parameters. The final investigation was conducted using the cut-off
adulteration ratio, on which the selected test parameters were applied to compare significant mean
differences (p < 0.05) between control and adulterated teff flour and injera samples.
The overall results of the physicochemical analysis showed that some parameters like crude ash,
and crude fibre, and mineral analysis of calcium could be used as detection test parameters for
samples as low as 5% adulteration ratio. Qualitative tests such as effervescence and precipitation
are also effective tests to detect adulteration. Therefore, this study provides test parameters for
preliminary teff flour and injera adulteration detection, which can further be developed by
concerned bodies to come up with standard analytical procedures for the detection teff and teff
injera with the tested and other similar adulterants.
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Keywords
Screening Food Test, Parameters, Detect Adulteration, Teff Eragrostis Tef, Flour and Injera