Prof Chiemela Enyinnaya Chinma, a leading authority in Food Science and Technology at the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA), has called for the adoption of bioprocessing techniques to enhance the nutritional, functional, and health properties of local crops across Nigeria and Africa, while tackling challenges in food security and promoting sustainable development.
Delivering his inaugural lecture titled “Unlocking the Potentials of Plant-Based Foods Through Bioprocessing” on Thursday at the FUT Gidan-Kwano campus, Prof Chinma highlighted the factors limiting the use of plant-based foods in food product development.
He explained that antinutritional compounds in cereals, legumes, roots, and tubers reduce nutrient digestibility and bioavailability.
Other challenges, the university don cited include hard-to-cook properties, low functional characteristics such as solubility and gelling, undesirable flavors, allergenicity, contamination from pathogens and mycotoxins, and the high cost of sophisticated processing equipment.
Professor Chinma revealed that his research focuses on simple, low-cost bioprocessing methods such as soaking, germination, fermentation and enzymatic treatments.
“These techniques improve protein quality, mineral bioavailability, antioxidant levels, and techno-functional properties of plant-based foods, while promoting local crop utilisation and food security,” he said.
In his recommendations, Prof Chinma urged the scaling up of low-cost bioprocessing techniques, stronger collaboration between researchers, food processors, policymakers, and farmers, and investment in small-scale processing infrastructure.
He further emphasized that such measures would reduce post-harvest losses, lower dependence on imported raw materials, and contribute meaningfully to achieving food security and sustainable development goals.
Commending the presentation, the Vice-Chancellor of FUT, Professor Faruk Adamu Kuta, described it as “an outstanding contribution that addresses critical challenges in food security, nutrition, and sustainable development.
He noted, ” Prof Chinma’s work highlights practical, low-cost solutions that can transform local crop utilization and across Nigeria and Africa.”
Bioprocessing key to unlocking nutritional potential of local crops – Don
