Africa-Press – Eritrea. Our guests today, a group of young graduates who have recently completed their studies in food science and technology at Hamelmalo Agricultural College (HAC), introduced their protein-enriched pasta at the exhibition in Festival Eritrea that was held in August at the Expo grounds in Asmara.
My name is Kiflay Seare. I was born and raised in Asmara, attended Freselam Elementary and Junior School and went to Sawa as a member of the 32nd round. I have recently earned a bachelor’s degree in food science and technology from HAC.
My name is Ariam Haile. I attended Dembe Sembel School and went to Sawa as a member of the 32nd round. After completing the Freshman Program at Eritrean Institute of Technology in Mainefhi, I joined the Food Science and Technology Department at HAC.
Kiflay: Our group consists of the two of us and other two colleague people, Diana Michael and Hermon Measho. Our goal was to do it and present it as our senior project, and we were looking for something that is meaningful and important to society. So, we decided to produce protein-enriched food products, and we began by researching products that were high in protein. When we did some research, we discovered that the pasta we eat on a regular basis has only 12% protein. We have increased that to 24%. Initially, we planned to extract the protein content of cereals, separate the protein and mix it with the wheat flour we wanted to use to make pasta. But, in order to increase the nutritional content that our people would receive from it, we discovered that catfish would be preferable. So, we switched to catfish. The process we used was to first make filets of catfish, then boil that in water for 15 minutes and extract the fats and oil. The squashed filets were then roasted for 24 hours in a 72-degree-centigrade oven. The roasted filets were then crushed and milled to produce fine protein flour, which was then combined with wheat flour to produce the required pasta product.
For starters, it is far easier to separate the protein from catfish than from the other products, and catfish contains greater varieties of protein. And, perhaps most importantly, it is more widely available in Eritrea than the other products that we could get protein from. Because of the rich and variety of contents it has, it is also good for the growth of children, especially their brain. It is also good for the treatment of depression. And because the oil in fish is unsaturated fat, it is good for health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Another advantage is that we can breed catfish simply in freshwater dams and reservoirs. For our project, we used freshwater catfish from dams in Anseba region. By the way, we’d like to thank the branch of the Ministry of Marine Resources at Anseba region for their assistance.
If we decide to produce the pasta on a large scale, we could find ample supply of catfish throughout the year, which was a major factor in our choice. Another reason for our choice of catfish is that it is so simple to prepare that anyone can do it at home.
Aryam: Our goal is primarily to address our society’s protein deficiency because shortage of protein can lead to a variety of dangerous disorders. One major reason for doing the fish product in this manner is that it is among the most nutritious food and also more perishable than other meat products such as chicken and beef, even under refrigerated conditions. So, by preparing the product in this manner, we will make it more durable, reduce waste caused by the perishable nature of fish, and enhance consumption at the same time. According to the research we did on the product we created, it can last at least six months without the use of any chemicals that food companies use to extend the life span of their food products. It is also a preferable way to consume fish for those who do not like to cook or eat fish as a flesh. Though this is our first experiment, we are also investigating how to mix fish powder with other food products. The fish powder may be used in any cuisine, but we’re looking for the most flavorful and effective manner to mix it.
Kiflay: According to research conducted seven years ago, the average consumption of fish per capita in our country was 1⁄2 -1kg per year. When compared to the resources we have, this is a very small amount. On the contrary, the consumption of pasta, particularly in Eritrean cities, is high. So it occurred to us that the use of pasta to balance nutritional intakes would yield excellent outcomes. However, as my colleague said, the fish powder may also complement our many traditional recipes. And we conducted practical testing on over 60 people from all ethnic groups and regions to see how they reacted to the taste, and it was quite promising. Nearly all of them liked it.
Kiflay: Despite the fact that we have no formal contacts with any official organization, the national festival provided us with an excellent opportunity to publicize our prototype. As a result, many individuals and organizations are demonstrating an interest in it. So we are hoping to make this a reality in the near future, and everyone who is interested in this initiative is welcome. Aside from the industrial scale, we urge that our communities employ this simple technique at the household level since it is simple to do and produces excellent results. Furthermore, I would advise individuals to preserve their health by eating chosen foods, because it is possible to receive a good balance of nutrients from a variety of things around them at a low cost.
This should be given priority. It is not the responsibility of only some individuals or the government; it concerns everyone as long as everyone is concerned about their health. We have the resources, but we haven’t used them to their full potential. Finally, we would like to thank our senior project adviser, Mr. Bereket Abraha, the head of our Department, Mr. Madhu Babu, the National Plant and Animal Health Science, as well as our parents.
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