Helen Onyeaka

University of Birmingham · School of Chemical Engineering

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) have garnered significant attention in the food and beverage industry for their significant roles in enhancing safety, quality, and nutritional value. As starter cultures, probiotics, and bacteriocin producers, LAB contributes to the production of high-quality foods and beverages that meet the growing consumer demand for...

The Mokola Virus belongs to the family Rhabdoviridae and is genotype 3 of the Lyssavirus genera. A small number of cases of animal and human encephalomyelitis, mainly scattered over sub-Saharan Africa, have been linked to the Mokola Virus (MOKV). Currently there is no vaccine to protect against MOKV infection in people or animals. It has been prove...

Chlorella vulgaris, a freshwater microalga, is gaining attention for its potential as a nutritious food source and dietary supplement. This review aims to provide a comprehensive discussion on C. vulgaris, evaluating its viability as a food substitute in the industry by exploring the nutritional value and application of C. vulgaris in the food indu...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious global health issue, aggravated by antibiotic overuse and misuse in human medicine, animal care, and agriculture. This study looks at the different mechanisms that drive AMR, such as environmental contamination, horizontal gene transfer, and selective pressure, as well as the severe implications of AMR fo...

The symptoms of foodborne illness caused by Bacillus cereus often go unreported, complicating the effectiveness of conventional chemical and physical methods used to inhibit its growth in food production. This challenge, combined with the increasing use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the food industry and consumer preference for minimally process...

Globally, increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing energy demand are refocusing attention on sustainable alternatives for fuels and chemicals. It is possible to achieve carbon neutrality through microalgae, forests, and crops since CO2 uptake into their biomass is the primary hydrocarbon source. Since they uptake CO2 through photosy...

Using biomass for energy and chemical sources is one of the effective strategies to develop a sustainable society and attain a net zero and biobased economic future. Biomass-derived bioenergy releases carbon dioxide (CO2), which can be reabsorbed quantitatively into the plants’ biomass through photosynthesis during the growth stage, resulting in a...

Food fraud presents a growing threat globally, impacting consumer health; food safety; and brand credibility. The key motivation for food fraud is usually an economic or financial advantage. Economically motivated food fraud (EMA) is the illegal deception, deliberate and intentional substitution or addition of a substance in a food product, which m...

Climate change results in lower agricultural outputs, disruption of food supply chains, and widening of the social gap between poor and rich in developing countries, with more vulnerable groups being pushed into untold poverty. This review aims to investigate the consequences of climate change on food insecurity in Africa in the context of environm...

Seasonings like garlic, ginger, and scallion provide spicy and masking flavor or aroma in vegetables. However, the method or technique used for drying these spices can affect the flavor profile. Therefore, this review focuses on vegetable seasonings like ginger, garlic, and scallion, the characteristic flavor of fresh and dehydrated vegetable seaso...

So far, the use of artificial low‐calorie sweeteners, like sucralose, saccharin, and so on, to replace the conventional‐based sugars has not succeeded due to the long‐term adverse health effects, for example, hypertension, and not well‐known safety stand. In this review, we discussed the next generation SvGl (rebaudioside M [Reb M]), their biosynth...

The growing emphasis on sustainability has underscored the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in evaluating corporate performance. While research explores the connection between ESG scores and financial outcomes, the role of ESG disclosures in mediating this relationship remains unclear. This study bridges this gap by...

Climate change entails significant challenges to global food security and agricultural sustainability, prompting the need for innovative solutions to enhance climate resilience in farming practices. Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that specifically target and infect bacteria, provide promising applications in numerous agricultural practices to add...

This work is a comprehensive review of the role of legumes as functional foods in managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in West Africa. Nutrition plays a critical role in NCDs onset, progression, and management. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes have beneficial effects in preventing and managing NCDs. Studies have asso...

This paper explores Green Education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), addressing shared environmental challenges across its 21 diverse countries. Despite differing economic structures, economies and politics, the need for green education, also known as environmental education (EE) or education for sustainable development (ESD), is evident...

Food packaging plays a crucial role in the food supply chain by aiding in food preservation and reducing food losses throughout the distribution process. The extensive, unregulated utilization, and waste mismanagement of food packaging materials made up of conventional petroleum‐based plastics has led to a significant environmental crisis. Egg comp...

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are peptides that have garnered significant attention owing to numerous applications across different industries. This article therefore provides an overview of the crucial role AMPs play in these domains. In agriculture, AMPs are harnessed to improve crop and livestock health, combat diseases, and enhance productivity...

Background Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines emerged as a powerful tool in the fight against infections. Unlike traditional vaccines, this unique type of vaccine elicits robust and persistent innate and humoral immune response with a unique host cell‐mediated pathogen gene expression and antigen presentation. Methods This offers a novel approach to co...

The challenge of feeding an additional 2 billion people by 2050 is one of the most pressing issues of our generation. The required changes in the current food system must be achieved while reducing the negative environmental impacts of current farming practices on our climate and biodiversity and avoiding deforestation. This formidable challenge mu...

Food safety is a global concern, with millions suffering from foodborne diseases annually. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports significant morbidity and mortality associated with contaminated food consumption, and this emphasizes the critical need for comprehensive food safety measures. Recent attention has turned to postbiotics, metabolic...

This article presents an in‐depth overview of recent developments and prospects in utilizing green microbiology for sustainable water management. It highlights its vital role across various aspects of water management while underscoring its significance for global development. This article delves deep into microbial processes integral to water mana...

Every year, contaminated water is responsible for over one million deaths globally. Microbiology leads other fields in the development of solutions to water contamination to reduce these deaths while advancing the achievement of SDG 6, which aims to ensure universal access to water and sanitation. This article explores hydrogel polymers as a soluti...

This review explores the intricate landscape of food system resilience in Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), focusing on the region's unique challenges and vulnerabilities. SSA confronts a myriad of obstacles, including climate change impacts, inadequate infrastructure and limited access to resources. Nevertheless, our analysis reveals promising drivers of...

Background Farmers in Nigeria are using agrochemicals inappropriately which pose health and environmental risks. The current research aims at establishing the socio‐economic pressure factors behind these practices and also assesses the effectiveness of measures into reducing the risky use of agrochemicals. Data were collected from 840 participants...

Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV), structurally similar to other herpes viruses, possess significant global health challenges as it causes infectious mononucleosis and is also associated with various cancers. Due to this widespread impact, an effective messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine is paramount to help curb its spread, further underscoring the need for its d...

Food safety is crucial for ensuring the quality and safety of the global food supply. However, the gender and social dimensions of food safety are often overlooked and undervalued. Women, who are primary caretakers in households, play a vital role in food preparation, storage, and consumption. Gender inequality can result in limited access to resou...

Food insecurity, a multifaceted global challenge, intertwines with mental health concerns, necessitating nuanced strategies for sustainable solutions. The intricate web of challenges posed by these intersections has made it imperative to delineate a strategic way forward, incorporating solutions and robust policy recommendations. This study aims to...

Background/Objectives: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an RNA virus recognized to be spread mainly by fecal-contaminated water. Its infection is known to be a serious threat to public health globally, mostly in developing countries, in which Africa is one of the regions sternly affected. An African-based vaccine is necessary to actively prevent HEV infe...

Background: Influenza D Virus (IDV) presents a possible threat to animal and human health, necessitating the development of effective vaccines. Although no human illness linked to IDV has been reported, the possibility of human susceptibility to infection remains uncertain. Hence, there is a need for an animal vaccine to be designed. Such a vaccine...

Artificial intelligence has proven to be a game-changing force in health sectors throughout Africa offering prospects for significant development. In sub-Saharan Africa, using AI in healthcare, especially in areas with limited resources, holds valuable promise in transforming and improving healthcare. This article takes an excellent look at how AI...

The systematic review used PRISMA guidelines to examine the impact of carbon pricing mechanisms on energy poverty and socio-economic outcomes. Furthermore, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched for articles published between 1984 and 2023. Nine key themes emerge, including sustainable urban development, renewable energy transition, and...

Traditional climate action strategies often overlook the critical role of social cohesion. This study explores how social protection programs and community unity can bolster climate resilience and public support for decarbonization efforts. The study adopted a systematic methodology that employed quantitative (scientometric/bibliometric analysis) a...

Food fraud is a significant challenge in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that threatens food safety and security. This article explores the types and effects of food fraud and the difficulties and potential controls to improve food safety and security in the region. The current state of the food safety and security landscape in SSA is discussed, highlight...

Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation have led to severe environmental pollution from the accumulation of wastewater and poorly treated or untreated industrial wastes. Traditional waste treatment methods are often expensive and ineffective in fully removing contaminants. As a result, there is a growing interest in exploring natural and cost-effe...

As the world attempts to decarbonise the food industry and limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, plant-based meat analogues (PBMAs) have emerged as a sustainable alternative to traditional meat. The objective of this study is to assess the environmental impacts of PBMAs compared to traditional beef burgers, aiming to address the research gap in the...

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the education sector to transform significantly in order to support students across the world. Technology played a crucial role in enhancing and adapting traditional learning to digital resources and networks, which are now an essential component of education. However, there is concern about the quality of teaching and...

Predictive microbiology is a rapidly evolving field that has gained significant interest over the years due to its diverse application in food safety. Predictive models are widely used in food microbiology to estimate the growth of microorganisms in food products. These models represent the dynamic interactions between intrinsic and extrinsic food...

Research has shown that some pathogens, including Salmonella and other spore-formers, survive and remain viable in low-moisture foods (LMF). This review highlighted trends in publication and outlook of the research field, using articles published in Scopus between 2001 to 2020. Systematic article retrieval, data analysis, and trend visualization we...

As the world attempts to decarbonise the food industry and limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, plant-based meat analogues (PBMAs) have emerged as a sustainable alternative to traditional meat. This study implemented a life cycle assessment (LCA) to rigorously compare the environmental impacts of a beef burger (BB), produced with British beef, aga...

The escalating threat of plastic pollution necessitates urgent and immediate action, particularly within the food and beverage (F&B) industry, a significant contributor to single-use plastic waste (SUP). As the global population surges, so does the consumption of single-use plastics in the F&B sector, perpetuating a linear economy model characteriz...

From its early identification by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg to its current prominence in scientific research, Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis ) has emerged as a foundational model organism in microbiology. This comprehensive review delves deep into its genetic, physiological, and biochemical intricacies, revealing a sophisticated cellular bluepri...

This article explores the fundamental right to food, examining its legal framework, its relationship with other human rights, and the efforts being made globally to improve this right. It begins by looking at international and national laws that protect the right to food and examining their importance in ensuring food security and sovereignty. It t...

Food insecurity is a significant public health problem worldwide and critical to mental health. There is a complex relationship between food security and mental health. We carried out a narrative review study aiming to address how food insecurity impacts mental wellbeing by focusing on the mental health repercussions of food insecurity, recognizing...

The potential impact of the virus on food safety during the COVID-19 outbreak has posed a critical challenge to governments, the food industry, and consumers worldwide. The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of adult people regarding food safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. It is a crosssectional study which i...

Objectives Cronobacter sakazakii, formerly Enterobacter sakazakii, is an emerging ubiquitous and opportunistic foodborne pathogen with a high mortality rate. It has been implicated in cases of meningitis, septicaemia, and necrotizing enterocolitis among infants worldwide in association with powdered infant formula (PIF). This study was an insilico...

The removal of Ibuprofen antibiotics (IBU) by photo-degradation UV/H2O2/Fe+2 system was investigated in a batch reactor under different initial concentrations of H2O2 (100-500) mg/L, Fe+2 (10-40) mg/L, pH (3-9) and initial concentrations of IBU (10-80) mg/L, and their relationship with the degradation efficiency were studied. The result demonstrate...

In this study, the heat transfer enhancement was made by using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with distilled water (i.e . nanofluid) in a coiled agitated vessel. The thermal conductivity of the nanofluid at a volume fraction of (0.3 Vol%) was estimated with different parameters (temperature, propeller speed, flow rate, and time ultrasonicati...

Research efforts have shifted to creating biodegradable polymers to offset the harmful environmental impacts associated with the accumulation of non-degradable synthetic polymers in the environment. This review presents a comprehensive examination of the role of green microbes in fostering sustainable bioproduction of these environment-friendly pol...

The issue of food fraud, safety and contaminants remains a topic of public concern, as it has been aligned to potential food scarcity. However, nanotech-nology presents a promising opportunity for improving various industries, including food, agriculture, and health. This article aims to examine the potential of nanotechnology in enhancing food saf...

Antibiotics released into the water sources harm human health and the environment. This review discusses the eco-toxicological impacts of ciprofloxacin (CIP) on the environment. In this venue, we have examined various sustainable remediation technologies such as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), electrochemical processes, membrane separation, an...

In the last decade, there have been increased reports of atypical Listeria and the discovery of new species. There are public health concerns that new strains may come with increased pathogenicity. Hence, this study aimed to establish the prevalence, evolutionary lineage and ancestry of a Listeria monocytogenes collection that includes isolates tha...

This review article focuses on the safety of street-vended foods (SVFs) in Nigeria, a cultural phenomenon that has become a major source of income and nutrition for many, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Despite their popularity, SVFs have been associated with unsanitary practices and public health risks due to inadequate monitorin...

Crude oil fouling is a complex process caused by multiple mechanisms. This study examined fouling's environmental impact on a distillation unit's heating tubes and heat exchangers, proposing optimal pollution levels to reduce emissions and achieve sustainability goals. The study evaluated five crude oil blends in terms of API, sulphur, salt content...

There is an increasing need for green materials to replace or reduce the already commercialized synthetic materials use in the food and beverage industry. One such green and under-utilized raw material available in nature is lignin. Lignin is a high molecular weight phenolic macromolecule contained in biomass (about 10-50%) aside from other major c...

Sanitation, which offers safe and effective methods for waste disposal, is important for development. However, in Africa and other developing regions, the prevalent practice of open defecation (OD) impedes attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This research delves into the analysis of OD in Africa and proposes a three-tier priority sy...

Physical contaminants in food, such as glass, metal, and plastic, can cause significant health risks and economic loss. This study explores these understudied physical hazards, aiming to provide comprehensive risk analysis and preventive solutions. Our research identified several key infiltration points in the food supply chain, including raw mater...

The transition to green industrial policies has become a global imperative as countries strive to achieve sustainable economic growth parallel to a reduction of environmental externalities. Developing countries face unique challenges in adopting green industrial policy, as they are latecomers to industrialization and must balance economic growth wi...

Globalization and interconnected supply chains have led to complex disruptions in global value chains, caused by various factors such as natural disasters, climate events, geopolitical conflicts, and economic crises. Recent breakthroughs in AI, machine learning, blockchain, and big data analytics offer new possibilities for forecasting and managing...

Climate change is a constant threat to global food security. In Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), extended dry spells, heavy rainfall, flooding, and tropical storms have driven a large percentage of the population to a severe food crisis. Climate‐smart agriculture (CSA) is a potential comprehensive solution whose adoption can mitigate climate change and it...

The rampant spread of the COVID-19 infection poses a grave and formidable challenge to global healthcare, with particular concern to the inhabitants of the African continent. In response to these pressing concerns, different strategies have been employed to combat the emergence of this insidious disease, encompassing crucial measures such as physic...

Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a bacterial pathogen responsible for listeriosis, a foodborne illness associated with high rates of mortality (20–30%) and hospitalisation. It is particularly dangerous among vulnerable groups, such as newborns, pregnant women and the elderly. The persistence of this organism in food-associated environments for months...

A nanofluid is a liquid that contains nanometer-sized particles. Nanofluids are obtained by dispersing nanometer-sized particles in conventional base fluids such as water, oil, ethylene glycol, etc. Nanoparticles of materials such as metallic oxides (Al2O3, CuO), nitride ceramics (AlN, SiN), carbide ceramics (SiC, TiC), metals (Cu, Ag, Au), semicon...

African countries contribute less than 4% of global carbon emissions and are susceptible to the repercus