Browsing by Author "Boadu Vida Gyimah"

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Application of portable near infrared spectroscopy for classifying and quantifying cocoa bean quality parameters
(2021-03-11) Elliot K. Anyidoho; Teye Ernest; Agbemafle Robert; Amuah Charles L. Y.; Boadu Vida Gyimah
Fermentation duration (FmD), fermentation index (FI), pH, and moisture content(Mc) are vital quality attributes of cocoa beans. In this study, portable near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and multivariate analyses were used for rapid determination of FmD, FI, pH, and Mc of cocoa beans. The samples were scanned in 900- to 1,700-nmwavelength, and the spectral data were pretreated independently with first deriva-tives (FD) and second derivatives (SD), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), mean centering (MC), and standard normal variate (SNV), while linear discriminant analysis(LDA), support vector machine (SVM), and partial least squares regression (PLS-R)were used to build the prediction models for FmD, FI, pH, and Mc. MSC plus SVM gave an accurate classification of 100%. For predicting FI, pH, and Mc, the PLS-R model gave coefficient of correlation of 0.87, 0.82, and 0.89, respectively. The results showed that portable NIRS could be employed for cocoa bean examination. Novelty impact statement: Fermentation is the single most essential postharvest operation that influences cocoa beans quality parameters including moisture content ,fermentation index (FI) and pH. Unlike stationary laboratory based wet chemistry technique or table top NIR spectroscopy, this study revealed that the relatively inex-pensive portable NIR spectroscopy could provide very fast (within 30 s) results in the routine onsite evaluation of cocoa beans moisture content, fermentation index and pH on farmers field in Sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, the study outcome highlights the potential application of portable NIR spectroscopy based on machine learning for efficient classification of fermentation duration and quantification of moisture content & pH of cocoa beans in real-time usage.
Assessment of Farmer’s Usage of Pesticides on Cocoa Farms at Sefwi Wiawso District in the Western Region of Ghana
(2021) Boadu Vida Gyimah; Boadu Maxwell Osei
Cocoa is the most important agricultural export crop in Ghana, and the country has an enviable reputation of producing high quality cocoa. Pests of cocoa are mostly controlled by the application of conventional insecticides. The study investigated farmers’ knowledge, pesticide use pattern and practices along the cocoa production chain. Descriptive survey design was used for the study since the researchers wanted to find out farmers opinion on the use of pesticides at Sefwi Wiawso in the Western Region. Purposive sampling technique was used because it captures the area which was relevant to the study. Questionnaires were administered to 84 cocoa farmers. The findings of the study revealed that majority of the farmers had indepth knowledge and skills in all aspect of farming since cocoa farming is their main vocation. Cocoa farming is their main source of income, hence are not able to follow the recommended pesticide usage regulation before harvesting. Consequently, it could lead to higher pesticide residue levels of the cocoa beans. With regard to the recommendation, there should be a lot of training programme for the farmers which should be organized by Ghana Cocoa Board and CODAPEC programme should be restored to regulate the use of pesticide by farmers. This is to ensure that the pesticides residue levels in the country’s cocoa beans are within the permissible levels to avoid the rejection of beans from Ghana with its associated international sanctions and loss of substantial revenue
Novel authentication of African geographical coffee types (bean, roasted, powdered) by handheld NIR spectroscopic method
(2024-08-15) Boadu Vida Gyimah; Teye Ernest; Lamptey Francis Padi; Amuah Charles Lloyd Yeboah; Sam-Amoah L.K.
African coffee is among the best traded coffee types worldwide, and rapid identification of its geographical origin is very important when trading the commodity. The study was important because it used NIR techniques to geographically differentiate between various types of coffee and provide a supply chain traceability method to avoid fraud. In this study, geographic differentiation of African coffee types (bean, roasted, and powder) was achieved using handheld near-infrared spectroscopy and multivariant data processing. Five African countries were used as the origins for the collection of Robusta coffee. The samples were individually scanned at a wavelength of 740–1070 nm, and their spectra profiles were preprocessed with mean centering (MC), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), and standard normal variate (SNV). Support vector machines (SVM), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), neural networks (NN), random forests (RF), and partial least square discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) were then used to develop a prediction model for African coffee types. The performance of the model was assessed using accuracy and F1-score. Proximate chemical composition was also conducted on the raw and roasted coffee types. The best classification algorithms were developed for the following coffee types: raw bean coffee, SD-PLSDA, and MC + SD-PLSDA. These models had an accuracy of 0.87 and an F1-score of 0.88. SNV + SD-SVM and MSC + SD-NN both had accuracy and F1 scores of 0.97 for roasted coffee beans and 0.96 for roasted coffee powder, respectively. The results revealed that efficient quality assurance may be achieved by using handheld NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to differentiate between different African coffee types according to their geographical origins.
Nutritional quality of meals served under the Ghana school feeding programme at the Upper West and Central Region of Ghana
(2019-04-08) Bigson Kate; Essuman Edward Ken; Boadu Vida Gyimah; Otoo Gifty Serwaa
This research evaluated the nutritional quality of meals that were served to school children under the Ghana School Feeding Programme in Wa and Cape Coast. A cross-sectional and descriptive survey research designs were employed from which purposive and simple random sampling technique was adopted. In all, a total of 720 respondents were selected and that comprised 600 pupils, 60 teachers and 60 kitchen staff. Data were also obtained using questionnaire, observation and unstructured interview instruments. The data were then analysed with database and statistical software such as SPSS, ESHA, FNPD and USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Qualitatively, the findings revealed that meals served in the schools had most of the needed food nutrients. However, the mean daily nutritional values intake of the pupils in the schools in both studied areas did not meet the recommended nutrient intake value. It is therefore recommended that the government should enhance the nutritional quality of the meals served to the pupils by supplying vitamin supplements. Again, the government should consult experts in food and nutrition in each region to redraw menu which has nutritional benefits from locally grown foods.
The Impact of Different Drying Techniques on the Physicochemical and Quality Characteristics of Oil Palm Fruit Mesocarp (Elaeis guineensis)
(2021-12-24) Boadu Vida Gyimah; Essuman Edward Ken; Otoo Gifty Serwaa; Bigson Kate
Drying is one of the traditional means of preserving food. However, various drying methods can influence the nutritional and bioactive constituents of the food product. This study is aimed at evaluating the effect of different drying methods on the proximate composition, physicochemical properties, and minor constituents of palm oil fruit mesocarp. Two varieties of fresh oil palm fruit (dura and tenera) were processed to separate the mesocarp from the other part of the fruit. The fresh fruit mesocarp was divided into five groups and subjected to different drying methods. Proximate and physicochemical characteristics of the oil palm fruit mesocarp were determined. The dried mesocarp had low moisture content (1.49-3.28%), high crude fat content (78.10-90.60%), carbohydrate (4.41-15.12%), crude protein (0.93-3.40%), and ash (0.53-1.15%). The free fatty acid (FFA) (1.06-3.54) and acid value (AV) (2.17 to 8.83mgKOH/g) were lower because the samples were heated at 100°C for 30min. The lower pH, FFA, AV, titratable acidity, moisture content, and high antioxidant activity of the oil palm fruit products could be an indication of shelf stability against microbial contamination and rancidity