Department

Consumer and Food Sciences

Degree

PhD Food Science

The nutritive, rheological and sensory quality of selected indigenous complementary foods used for 6 – 24 months infants and young children in African communities.

In my PhD research, I studied the dynamic viscosity and oral texture quality of African indigenous, as well as commercially available complementary porridges, as potential contributors to child malnutrition in Africa. The high apparent viscosity and unsuitable oral texture (described as too thick, sticky, slimy, and not easy to swallow) in some porridges (maize, sorghum and cassava) limits nutrient intake in infants because of their limited oral processing abilities. This can potentially lead to protein-energy malnutrition in young children. I developed a robust and convenient sensory analytical methodology to evaluate the quality of complementary porridges. These findings advance scholarship in arena of child nutrition, food rheology and sensory science, and also help to shape policy for better food and nutritional security in African children.

Email

[email protected]

Supervisors

• Prof MN Emmambux
• Prof HL DeKock

Memberships

• Postdoctoral Fellow for the EU funded InnoFoodAfrica Project.
• African Network for Sensory Evaluation Research (ANSWER)
• South African Association for Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST)
• South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP)
• South African Council for Educators (SACE)

Publications

• Makame, J., Cronje, T., Emmambux, M.N & De Kock, H.L (2019). Dynamic    oral texture properties of selected indigenous complementary porridges used in African communities. foods, 2019 - mdpi.com https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/8/6/221
• Makame, J., De Kock, H.L. & Emmambux, M.N. (2020). Nutrient density of common African indigenous/local complementary porridge samples. LWT, 109978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2020.109978.
• Makame, J., De Kock, H.L. & Emmambux, M.N. (manuscript in prep).  Nutrient density and oral processing properties of common commercial complementary porridge samples in Africa: Effect on energy and protein intakes among children aged 6 – 24 months. Journal of the science of food and agriculture.
• Makame, J., De Kock, H.L. Emmambux, M.N. & May, J. (manuscript in prep). Introducing semi-solid, soft, and solid foods to infants in Sub-Saharan Africa- A food policy perspective. BMC Public Health Journal.

Conferences

• Makame, J., Cronje, T., Emmambux, M.N & De Kock, H.L. Dynamic oral texture properties of African indigenous complementary porridge samples: Is there a link with child protein-energy malnutrition? SAAFoST Conference in Johanesburg, South Africa 1-5 September 2019.
• Makame, J., Cronje, T., Emmambux, M.N & De Kock, H.L. Does the temporal in-mouth texture of African indigenous/locally available complementary porridge samples match the oromotor readiness of infants and young children? Edinburgh International Confererence Center, 28 July – 1 Aug 2019, Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Makame, J., De Kock, H.L. & Emmambux, M.N. Viscosity, protein and energy content of common commercial and indigenous complementary porridge samples in South Africa. The 5th international conference on food oral processing, 1 – 4 July 2018, Nottingham, UK.
• Makame, J., Emmambux, M.N & De Kock, H.L. A nutrition-secure childhood for 6-24 months old infants and young children in South Africa: Does the viscosity of sorghum and other complementary porridge samples limit nutrient intake? the 1st international global sorghum conference, 9-12 april 2018, Capetown, South Africa.
• Makame, J., De Kock, H.L. & Emmambux, M.N. Viscosity, protein and energy content of common commercial and indigenous complementary porridge samples in South Africa. 3rd International Conference on Global Food security, Cape Town, South Africa, 3-6 December 2017.
• Makame, J., De Kock, H.L. & Emmambux, M.N. Flow properties of commercial and indigenous/local complementary foods in South Africa. SAAFoST Conference, Cape Town, 3-6 September 2017.
• Makame, J., & De Kock, H.L. Descriptive sensory evaluation of orange-fleshed sweet potato and other vegetable crisps by the flash profiling method. 1st International Afrosense Conference, Stias Conference Center, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 23-27 Nov 2015.