ArticleBMC nutrition2025
Nutritional, functional, and microbial qualities of legume-based flour blends processed by SMEs in Zambia and Malawi compared to standard Corn-Soy Blend Plus (CSB +): a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Household soybean processing, protein content, and caregiver acceptability of complementary porridges in rural Malawi.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Nutritional and Antioxidant Profile of BrownMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Development and nutritional evaluation of an extruded grain amaranth-instant porridge as a supplementary food for children under five with moderate acute malnutrition.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Exploring the impact of legume consumption on undernutrition in rural Malawian children aged 6-59 months old: a community-based cross-sectional study.Journal of nutritional science · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLegumes enhance food security in developing countries, necessitating an understanding of their properties. This study examined the nutritional, functional, and microbial qualities of legume-based flour blends from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Malawi and Zambia. SMEs were chosen for their key role in local food production, distribution, and complementary food supply.
methodA total of 36 legume-based flour blend samples were collected using snowball sampling, consisting of 21 samples (7 sets of 3 similar samples) from SMEs in Zambia and 15 samples (5 sets of 3 similar samples) from SMEs in Malawi. Samples were analyzed for proximate composition, energy, iron, and zinc content. The nutritional contributions to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for children aged 1-3 years were assessed. Additionally, functional properties such as water-holding and oil-holding capacities were measured. Microbial analysis was performed, and the data were statistically analyzed to determine significance (p ≤ 0.05).
resultsOur findings revealed substantial variability in the nutritional content of these flour blends. Protein content ranged from 9.4% to 41.5%, carbohydrates from 8.1% to 71.3%, crude fat from 2.3% to 26.8%, and crude fiber from 6.2% to 35.2%. Iron and zinc levels also varied significantly, from 2.9 to 21.9 mg/100 g and 2.2 to 5.2 mg/100 g, respectively. These inconsistencies highlight a lack of standardization in nutrient content for blends intended for infant feeding. When prepared as 96 g porridge servings for children aged 1-3 years, the blends provided notable contributions to the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). However, their nutrient levels were generally lower compared to the standard Corn-Soy Blend Plus (CSB +). The flour blends also showed variations in physico-functional properties, and some had microbial loads exceeding 250 cfu/g, reflecting inadequate hygiene practices during processing.
conclusionTo enhance their products, SMEs should ensure that their flour blends meet both nutritional and safety standards while striving to match or surpass the nutrient content of CSB + to remain competitive in the market.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.