Consumer acceptance of foods derived from blended wheat flour in Nairobi, Kenya

Governments across Africa have shown enthusiasm for wheat flour blending to reduce food security risks and pull demand for traditional but underutilized crops. However, research has sidestepped the question of whether consumers will accept foods derived from blended wheat flour. We used sensory eval...

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Autores principales: Kariuki, Sarah Wairimu, Donovan, Jason, Muteti, Francisca N., Ibba, Maria Itria, Muoria, John, Mahugu, Alex, Sila, Daniel, Bentley, Alison
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179235
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author Kariuki, Sarah Wairimu
Donovan, Jason
Muteti, Francisca N.
Ibba, Maria Itria
Muoria, John
Mahugu, Alex
Sila, Daniel
Bentley, Alison
author_browse Bentley, Alison
Donovan, Jason
Ibba, Maria Itria
Kariuki, Sarah Wairimu
Mahugu, Alex
Muoria, John
Muteti, Francisca N.
Sila, Daniel
author_facet Kariuki, Sarah Wairimu
Donovan, Jason
Muteti, Francisca N.
Ibba, Maria Itria
Muoria, John
Mahugu, Alex
Sila, Daniel
Bentley, Alison
author_sort Kariuki, Sarah Wairimu
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Governments across Africa have shown enthusiasm for wheat flour blending to reduce food security risks and pull demand for traditional but underutilized crops. However, research has sidestepped the question of whether consumers will accept foods derived from blended wheat flour. We used sensory evaluation and contingent valuation techniques with a sample of 1871 consumers in Nairobi, Kenya to measure the acceptance of two commonly consumed foods (chapati and bread) made from wheat flours blended with up to 20% sorghum, millet, or cassava flour. In blind tasting, bread made of blended flour was slightly less preferred than conventional bread, while chapati products made of wheat and sorghum (10%) or millet (5%) blends were equally valued as chapati made of 100% wheat flour, suggesting the potential to replace up to 10% of wheat flour in chapati without compromising sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance. When informed about the flour composition before tasting, consumers showed a stronger preference for the products made from blended flour and expressed a higher willingness to pay for blend-based products than conventional products. We discuss the policy implications of how consumer interest in such foods can be harnessed to advance food security and economic development goals.
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spelling CGSpace1792352025-12-24T02:05:18Z Consumer acceptance of foods derived from blended wheat flour in Nairobi, Kenya Kariuki, Sarah Wairimu Donovan, Jason Muteti, Francisca N. Ibba, Maria Itria Muoria, John Mahugu, Alex Sila, Daniel Bentley, Alison cassava consumers economic development millets nutrition sorghum wheat Governments across Africa have shown enthusiasm for wheat flour blending to reduce food security risks and pull demand for traditional but underutilized crops. However, research has sidestepped the question of whether consumers will accept foods derived from blended wheat flour. We used sensory evaluation and contingent valuation techniques with a sample of 1871 consumers in Nairobi, Kenya to measure the acceptance of two commonly consumed foods (chapati and bread) made from wheat flours blended with up to 20% sorghum, millet, or cassava flour. In blind tasting, bread made of blended flour was slightly less preferred than conventional bread, while chapati products made of wheat and sorghum (10%) or millet (5%) blends were equally valued as chapati made of 100% wheat flour, suggesting the potential to replace up to 10% of wheat flour in chapati without compromising sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance. When informed about the flour composition before tasting, consumers showed a stronger preference for the products made from blended flour and expressed a higher willingness to pay for blend-based products than conventional products. We discuss the policy implications of how consumer interest in such foods can be harnessed to advance food security and economic development goals. 2025-07 2025-12-23T16:17:01Z 2025-12-23T16:17:01Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179235 en Open Access application/pdf Elsevier Kariuki, S. W., Donovan, J., Muteti, F. N., Ibba, M. I., Muoria, J., Mahugu, A., Sila, D., & Bentley, A. (2025). Consumer acceptance of foods derived from blended wheat flour in Nairobi, Kenya. Food Policy, 134, 102861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102861
spellingShingle cassava
consumers
economic development
millets
nutrition
sorghum
wheat
Kariuki, Sarah Wairimu
Donovan, Jason
Muteti, Francisca N.
Ibba, Maria Itria
Muoria, John
Mahugu, Alex
Sila, Daniel
Bentley, Alison
Consumer acceptance of foods derived from blended wheat flour in Nairobi, Kenya
title Consumer acceptance of foods derived from blended wheat flour in Nairobi, Kenya
title_full Consumer acceptance of foods derived from blended wheat flour in Nairobi, Kenya
title_fullStr Consumer acceptance of foods derived from blended wheat flour in Nairobi, Kenya
title_full_unstemmed Consumer acceptance of foods derived from blended wheat flour in Nairobi, Kenya
title_short Consumer acceptance of foods derived from blended wheat flour in Nairobi, Kenya
title_sort consumer acceptance of foods derived from blended wheat flour in nairobi kenya
topic cassava
consumers
economic development
millets
nutrition
sorghum
wheat
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179235
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