Food Science and Agriculture: Research Highlights Vol. 7

Protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies continue to pose significant public health challenges for young children in Burkina Faso and other low-income countries in West Africa. Although locally produced infant flours, which are typically formulated from blends of cereals and legumes, are increasingly promoted as affordable options for complementary feeding, recent studies have highlighted concerns regarding their variable microbiological quality and suboptimal nutrient density, particularly during storage. In this study, the microbiological safety, physicochemical composition, and storage stability were evaluated over two months of selected infant flours marketed in Ouagadougou. Products from six production units were included, and samples from six randomly selected supermarkets were collected at three time points: immediately after production (T0), after one month of retail storage (M1), and after two months (M2). Microbiological analyses, including counts of aerobic mesophilic flora at 30°C, Escherichia coli, yeasts, and moulds, were conducted at the National Agency for Environmental, Food, Occupational Health and Health Product Safety (ANSSEAT, ex-LNSP). Physicochemical parameters such as moisture, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, total ash, and iron content were determined at the Department of Food Technology (DTA/CNRST) using standardised reference methods from AFNOR and ISO, with results compared against Codex Alimentarius CXS 74-1981 criteria. Our findings revealed that at production (T0), approximately 83% of the samples complied with Codex limits for aerobic mesophilic flora (≤10⁵ CFU/g) and E. coli (absent in 1 g), demonstrating acceptable hygiene practices in most production units. However, counts of yeasts and moulds increased significantly (p < 0.05) from 1.8–2.5 log CFU/g at T0 to 3.2–4.1 log CFU/g at M2, with 44% of samples exceeding the recommended threshold of 10³ CFU/g. While carbohydrate contents ranged from 60% to 78% and lipid contents from 12% to 20% both meeting or surpassing Codex minima and supporting adequate energy density (>400 kcal/100 g dry matter) protein levels (8–13% vs. ≥15%) were inadequate in half of the units, and iron contents (2.3-4.8 mg/100 g vs. ≥8 mg/100 g) fell short in all samples. Moisture levels rose modestly from 4-6% at T0 to 5-9% at M2, likely contributing to microbial proliferation through permeable packaging. These results are consistent with recent findings from West African contexts, which underscore vulnerabilities along the food value chain. To enhance the safety and nutritional efficacy of these products, we recommend implementing airtight multi-layer packaging, systematic micronutrient fortification, and strengthened regulatory oversight throughout production and distribution.