In Nigeria, snake tomato is eaten as a vegetable when ripe and is very rich in nutrients. Like all fresh vegetables, snake tomatoes are highly perishable. Esther Omah therefore set herself the challenge of finding a processing method that would preserve them while retaining their nutrients.
Research into drying processes to promote food security
Osmotic drying proved to be very promising in Dr. Omah's preliminary tests and can also be implemented in Nigeria and other countries on the African continent. As part of her scholarship, the researcher is investigating the influence of osmotic drying on the content of selected phytochemicals in Trichosanthes cucumerina L., the so-called snake tomato. Osmotic drying is a process in which moisture is removed from food by osmosis. The food is immersed in a solution with a high concentration of sugar or salt. The difference in concentration between the solution and the food causes water to flow from the food into the solution, thereby drying it out.
The drying process is intended to preserve the nutrients and add them in the form of a powder to various rice- or soy-based foods to increase their micronutrient content. The results of this study could help to increase food security and reduce malnutrition. In addition, the findings can improve the population´s food supply by promoting the cultivation and processing of snake tomato.
New Humboldt Fellow at the Chair of Plant Proteins and Nutrition
Dr. Esther Chinelo Omah studied Food Science and Technology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where she also completed her PhD. Since 2019, Dr. Omah has been teaching and researching at the same university in the field of food science with a focus on plant-based foods.
A Georg Forster Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has enabled her to pursue her important research at TUM Weihenstephan near Munich since this spring. The Humboldt Research Fellowships are an initiative of the German Alexander von Humboldt Association, which enables highly talented young scientists to settle in Germany and finance their research project.