Hema Kesa

• University of Johannesburg

The main purpose of this study was to determine the anthropometric indications and nutritional intake of pregnant and lactating women in the Vaal Triangle (n = 431). A validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used in this study. Trained fieldworkers conducted interviews with the help of food models to estimate portion sizes. The anth...

Background Food waste in private hospitals is a significant issue, particularly in South Africa, where food insecurity affected 25.9% of the population. This study investigated food waste management in private hospitals, focusing on its extent, causes, and strategies to mitigate it. Methods A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitat...

Introduction Nutrition‐related apps are increasingly significant for promoting healthy eating. Given South Africa's high prevalence of obesity and non‐communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, evaluating users’ perceptions of the effectiveness of these apps is crucial. Methods In 2019, a quantitative descriptive survey...

Introduction: Obesity and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are major public health concerns in many countries, including South Africa. While nutrition-related apps have been considered a promising solution to address these issues, their impact is not yet evident given their limited adoption and the persistently high prevalence of these dise...

This study investigated the rheological, physicochemical, and thermal properties of fermented and germinated whole reddish‐brown cowpea, white sorghum and orange‐fleshed sweet potato. Germination substantially reduced the pasting and rheological attributes of flour suspensions compared to the fermentation process. This study observed notable increa...

Background Fruits are excellent sources of micronutrients; hence, their consumption is highly recommended. However, fruit peels, often discarded, despite some being edible have been reported to contain essential nutrients and antioxidants, which contribute to disease prevention and well-being. Aim This study sought to evaluate the micronutrient an...

While South Africa maintains national food security, food insecurity persists at the household level, with not all households having access to sufficient food. Proposals to address this include promoting the consumption of indigenous foods (IF). However, urbanization in the Gauteng region has sparked a nutrition transition, characterized by increas...

The prevalence of non-communicable diseases still represents a public health concern in South Africa, of which eating habits are some of the main risk factors. A modern diet consisting of the consumption of highly processed foods high in fat, salt and caloric sweeteners and low in fibre is recognised as unhealthy. This study was conducted to assess...

We aimed to analyse the association between processed food consumption and the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in South Africa. In this empirical study, we analysed nationally representative secondary data obtained from the South African Demographic and Health Survey (SADHS) VII. The survey included 13,288 occupied households, of which 11,...

Background: Food insecurity is increasing due to economic recession, resulting in childhood malnutrition, a risk factor for adult morbidities. Strategies to prevent and combat it are being implemented. This study aimed to evaluate the menus used in school feeding programs and their impact on the health and well-being of children in South Africa. Me...

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to examine the socio-demographic and economic factors associated with the consumption of processed foods in South Africa. Study design: This is an empirical study where secondary data analysis was performed from the South African Demographic and Health Survey VII. Methods: A nationally representati...

Urbanisation in South Africa has led to a nutritional transition from traditional diets (mainly based on indigenous foods) to a Western diet. Currently, the country is one of the most concerned about the prevalence of associated malnutrition and non-communicable diseases. One should, therefore, question the position of indigenous foods (IFs) in the...

Background: Many individuals are grappling with food insecurity due to the ongoing global recession. Childhood malnutrition poses a risk factor for adult morbidities, underscoring the need for cost-effective strategies to prevent and combat this issue. This study aimed to determine the impact and challenges of in-school nutrition programs, shedding...

Developing economies are shaped by the current predicament of urbanization and its impact on health is inevitable. In the post-pandemic times, India and South Africa witnessed a GDP growth rate of about 1.7% and 1.9% respectively, while the developed economies like Europe and the United States have bounced back with more than 2% GDP. The similariti...

Compositional differences exist among grain varieties as well as in the content of respective fractions. The proximate composition, amino acids, mineral contents, and functional properties of white and brown sorghum and its anatomical parts (dehulled and bran) were studied. The results showed that the bran had higher crude protein, crude fat, crude...

With an estimated six million consumers purchasing coffee in South Africa, they are demanding that various factors be present in a coffee business for quality experiences. Local specialty coffee businesses have followed international processes; however, there is little information on how the industry perceives the changing consumer market for speci...

Knowledge/awareness significantly influences people's dietary choices, lifestyle, and inadvertently their health outcomes; hence it is imperative that people have correct information with regards to food and health. This study was undertaken to establish the role of nutrition knowledge on dietary choices and habits of people in Calabar, especially...

The dominance of cereals as staple foods in Africa may partly be linked to the availability of numerous cereal-based fermented food products in the continent. This chapter provides an overview of cereal-based fermented food products, particularly their biochemistry (including modifications that occur during cereal fermentation), nutritional composi...

Background: ‘Eating out (EO)’ has witnessed a significant increase across nations and in India. Understanding food behaviour from an economic standpoint is essential to recognize food systems and nutrition transition. Aim: Our work compared the macro-data on per capita income and gross state domestic product from India with household expenditure on...

Complementing traditional food processing techniques with emerging ones like three-dimensional (3D) food printing can re-innovate the derived products as more consumer-centric with known human wellness values. This study investigated the nutritional quality, polyphenol composition, and antioxidant activity of conventional and 3D printed biscuits fr...

Background: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been of global concern as it has affected the health of many and the economies of nations. In order to strengthen the immune system against COVID-19, certain plant-source foods were consumed. Aim: This study was designed to identify and compare various special foods and drink...

Abstract Background Food away from home (FAFH) is an ‘eating behavior’ widely practiced across nations, more common in developed nations. Likewise, in developing countries an increase of close to 50% indicates an upsurge in FAFH consumption. While various indices and tools are used to assess diet quality, diversity, or healthy eating, FAFH is less...

Faba bean is an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins which could serve as a vital nutrient source in ensuring food security. The bean has the potential to be used as a vegetable protein source in different products thus, helping to meet the ever-changing consumer dietary need. The nutrient composition of Faba bean may dep...

Objectives During the COVID crisis, the incidence of food insecurity worsened around the globe. We were reminded that: food insecurity existed before COVID, worsened during this crisis, and will unfortunately be a persistent phenomenon in the post-COVID world. It is evident that to counter this public health threat, systematic changes will need to...

Background: The food security and nutrition of millions of people around the world is currently being threatened by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an evolving health crisis. Aim: To evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on nutrition and health of adults in Calabar, especially after the hard lockdown. Setting: Online cros...

Plant foods reduces the risks of both chronic and infectious diseases in humans. Fruit peel is still frowned upon as part of a normal healthy diet. This study aims at ascertaining consumer fruit peel preferences, perceptions and acceptability to enable the production of processed fruit peel sprinkles that will be accepted by consumers as food addi...

The study assessed the nutritional and sensory properties of a gluten‐free biscuit from blends of high‐quality cassava flour (HQCF) and walnut flour (WF). Design expert software was used to determine the compositing level with HQCF (minimum of 70 g and maximum of 80 g) and WF (minimum of 15 g and maximum of 30 g). Supplementation of HQCF with WF si...

Presentation of foods is essential to promote the acceptance of diversified and novel products. This study examined the color profile, browning index (BI), and structural properties of 3D-printed and traditional biscuits from whole-grain (WG) sourdough and germinated flours. The processed flours and composite/multigrain flours comprising cowpea sou...

Objective: Food proteins provide amino acids (AAs) and serve as building blocks of all vital organs, muscles, hormones, and biological fluids such as blood. Eggs are known as a good source of protein. This study compared the protein quality of bird eggs (raw and boiled), using their AA scores since some individuals consume raw eggs for various rea...

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is known as a region that is highly affected by foodborne illnesses; and like the rest of the world, SSA is also deeply concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the risk of infection by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from food products and food packaging being thought to be very low, it does not exclude possibilities of c...

This research aimed at evaluating food security in three African populations during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the health risk associated with their lifestyle during the lockdown. An online questionnaire was used for this cross-sectional survey. Three African countries were selected-Cameroon, Nigeria and South Africa. The questionnaire link w...

The particular interest in biomodifications of underutilised but nutritionally distinct whole grains is vital to promote diet diversity, nutrition transition and food security. This study investigated the use of short‐term solid‐state fermentation and germination to ease processability and improve the quality characteristics of whole grain (WG) cow...

Tamarind seed, a by‐product of the tamarind pulp industry, is a good source of protein with potential for industrial use. The aim of this study was to determine the functional properties of whole wheat and processed tamarind seed (pressure cooked, oven‐roasted and microwave‐roasted) and further determine the qualities of cookies from the composite...

Purpose Moral aspects of food are gaining increased attention from scholars due to growing complexity of the food system. The foodservice system is a complex arrangement of stakeholders, yet has not benefited from similar scholarly attention on the moral facets. This gap is of significance given that the foodservice system has increased in importan...

COVID-19 is nowadays considered a pandemic whose mortality rate is clearly higher in developed countries. In contrast to predictions, Africa appears as one of the least affected continents. This pilot study was designed with the aim of identifying the various foods/drinks consumed in various sub-Saharan countries under partial or total lockdown to...

One of the recent, innovative, and digital food revolutions gradually gaining acceptance is three-dimensional food printing (3DFP), an additive technique used to develop products, with the possibility of obtaining foods with complex geometries. Recent interest in this technology has opened the possibilities of complementing existing processes with...

The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) aims at supplying nutritious supplementary meals to schoolchildren in order to improve education outcome by elevating learning ability, school attendance, and punctuality. However, in South Africa there is an increasing number of food poisoning reports, especially in schools under the NSNP. This study...

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown measures have risen the malnutrition problem in the world, especially in Africa. The use of nutrition apps/software at individual level therefore appears as suitable solution given the context. This study aimed at assessing the actual usage level of nutrition apps/software and the determinin...

South Africa is known as one of the countries leading the 4 th Industrial Revolution and where a 'western' diet is quite usual. Unfortunately, the country is also one of those most affected by non-communicable diseases, mainly diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory diseases. These diseases contributed to about 51% of the...

The aim of the study is to explore the causes of food wastage in the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) of Johannesburg North Primary Schools. The study was conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews, observations and existing literature. The study revealed that there are various factors that lead to food wastage in the NSNP. T...

Efforts to attain sustainable nutritional diets in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are still below par. The continent is envisaged to face more impending food crises. This review presents an overview of common edible insects in Africa, their nutritional composition, health benefits and utilization in connection with fermentation to enrich the inherent com...

This study explored the motivation for sharing restaurant dining experiences on social media and the most influential variable that shape purchase intentions and behavior of millennial consumers within the restaurant setting. Its findings affirmed the impact of Electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) communication on purchasing intention and behavior of m...

Specialty coffee has emerged from the coffee industry of the 20 th century, with a culture on developing a better appreciation of coffee through quality beans and improved brewing methods. Consumer's knowledge for specialty coffee has changed in recent years through the development of the international coffee industry. As a result, this trend has g...

In this research note we seek to highlight the implications of the fourth industrial revolution for hotels in South Africa (SA) and Kenya. We have demonstrated that South Africa has excelled in mobile phone penetration as well as social media use compared to Kenya. However, Kenya is ahead of South Africa in mobile money transfer systems and has the...