E. Afr. agric. For. J. (2012) 78(1),113-118 SENSORY EVALUATION OF QUALITY PROTEIN MAIZE IN KENYA J.O. Ouma # 1 , H.De Groote 2 and N.S. Gunaratna 3 1 Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, P.O.Box 27-60100, Embu, Kenya. 113 # Corresponding Author: j_okuro@yahoo.co.uk 2 International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Nairobi, Kenya, 3 International Nutrition Foundation, Boston, USA ABSTRACT The paper analyses sensory attributes and acceptability of KH631Q and WSQ104, Quality Protein Maize varieties (QPM) and H513 and Embu Composite (EMCO) conventional varieties in the preparation of local food, githeri. KH631Q and H513 are commercial hybrids, while WSQ104 and EMCO are Open Pollinated Varieties (OPVs). The evaluations were conducted in November and December 2007 in one rural and two urban communities in Embu district, Eastern Kenya. 131 participants evaluated samples of each of the four treatments that were presented in randomized order, generated through a balanced design. The samples were evaluated on a Likert scale of 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good) on three attributes namely appearance, taste and texture. Overall score of the samples was also done. Ordinal regression model was used to analyse the data. There were differences (P<0.05) in the sensory attributes of the samples. Samples of WSQ104 were more preferred to H513, the control. There were no differences in preferences between men and women. Similarly, preferences for the samples did not vary by age. Appearance, taste, and texture were all important in determining the overall evaluation. The study suggests that evaluation by an expert panel to explore more detailed criteria be done. It further suggests that conventional varieties should be compared with their QPM converted counterpart where possible to isolate the effect of QPM. Key words: Kenya, protein malnutrition, QPM, sensory, ordinal regression INTRODUCTION Despite recent advances in economic growth, under nutrition remains a persistent and even increasing problem in Africa (Rosegrant et al., 2001). Undernutrition is estimated to cause over 1 in 3 child deaths globally (Black et al., 2004; Caulfield et al., 2004) and despite the United Nations Millennium Development Goal to halve the prevalence of underweight among children under 5 years between 1990 and 2015, it is projected to increase in Africa to 26.8% by 2015 (De Onis et al., 2004). The green revolution, focusing on increasing yield through plant breeding and crop management, was remarkably successful in increasing food production and reducing food prices in Asia (Evenson and Gollin, 2003). This success was, however, not repeated in Africa. However, given the persistent malnutrition problem, efforts are now being undertaken to enhance the nutritional quality of staple food crop (White and Broadley, 2005; Nestel et al., 2006; Johns and Eyzaguirre, 2007) Maize is a vital staple and source of dietary protein in many areas of the developing world. In many African countries, maize is the basic food for the subsistence farmers. In Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, per capita consumption is about 100 kg / year, while in Tanzania, Mozambique, Benin, Togo, Cameroon and Egypt, per capita consumption is estimated at about 40 kg/year (National Research Council, 1988). In Kenya, the area under maize is approximately 1.5 million ha, and per capita consumption averages 103 kg/year (Pingali, 2001). Conventional maize varieties are poor in protein quality due to deficiencies in lysine and tryptophan, two amino acids that are essential in the diets of humans and monogastric animals (FAO, 1992). The deficient amino acids can be supplemented by animal protein such as meat, milk, eggs or fish, pulses or commercially produced synthetic amino acids. Poverty makes it almost impossible for most rural households to afford meat, eggs or milk, except perhaps on a few special occasions (National Research Council, 1988). Some cannot afford beans or other protein-rich plant foods to supplement maize and many raise very young children on foods that are almost derived entirely on maize. Biofortification, or improvement of the nutritional quality of food crops using conventional plant breeding or genetic engineering (White and Broadley, 2005; Nestel et al., 2006; Johns and Eyzaguirre, 2007), is a promising strategy to address an underlying cause of under nutrition, namely households’ poor access to nutritious food. Biofortification is believed to be cost- effective (Meenakshi et al., 2007), more sustainable than nutrient supplementation (Bousi, 1999) and a viable complementary strategy to food fortification, which relies on central processing of food. As such it may be less accessible, particularly to the rural poor (Bouis, 1999; Horton, 2006; Johns and Eyzaguirre, 2007). Anecdotal evidence suggests that the opaque 2 gene has an effect on organo-leptic characteristics, especially making the dough more sticky (Pardo et el., 1972; Ahenkora et al., 1999)