AUTHOR=Owade Joshua Ombaka , Abong’ George Ooko , Okoth Michael Wandayi , Mwang’ombe Agnes Wakesho 

TITLE=A benefit-cost analysis approach for determining the optimal processing of micronutrient-enriched cowpea leaf soup mixes

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Food Science and Technology

VOLUME=Volume 2 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/food-science-and-technology/articles/10.3389/frfst.2022.874557

DOI=10.3389/frfst.2022.874557

ISSN=2674-1121

ABSTRACT=In the dissemination and adoption of postharvest processing technologies of food products, cost-effective techniques are usually recommended. Due to the limited value addition practices of cowpea leaves, Fruits and Vegetables for All Seasons Project undertook a study to bridge the gap of seasonal availability of the vegetable in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of Kenya through production of cowpea leaves soup mix. However, the adoption of these techniques has an economic perspective that guides the decision-making. This study utilized a two-stage methodology of the linear programming using Nutri-Survey and Analytic Hierarchy Process in a seven-step hierarchy for the production of cowpea leaves soup mix of optimal nutrition and sensory quality. Optimal inclusion level of cowpea leaves into the soup mix was 49%. With an R2 of 61.36%, consistency, taste and mouthfeel were greatest determinants of the acceptability of cowpea leaves soup mixes. Incorporating blanching in solar drying and sun-drying were the least cost options with priority vectors of 0.08 and 0.09 (CR<0.1), respectively whereas use of mechanized processing techniques such as oven drying, priority vectors of 0.10-0.19, had higher maximum benefits than local processing technique of sun-drying that had a priority vector of 0.08 (CR<0.1). The benefit-cost ratio was maximum without extrusion, with solar-drying pathway having the highest benefit-cost ratio of 1.5. The study found that the resource intensive pathways were yielding maximum benefits in retention of quality. However, with the exclusion of extrusion, the benefit-cost ratio of the processes improved.