The public had the opportunity to sample healthy extruded snacks made with omena, at the recently held Nairobi International Trade Fair from September 23rd – 28th, 2024.
This innovation is part of the value addition efforts led by Prof. Nelson Ojijo from the Department of Food Science and Technology at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), under the three-year EU-funded project on omena.
Omena, also known as Silver Cyprinid, is rich in essential nutrients such as proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium, making it highly beneficial for body functions like bone health and brain development. However, its strong smell often discourages consumption.
The project aims to increase omena’s appeal, and ultimately its consumption, by turning it into nutritious snacks, designed to appeal to youth and children with high nutritional needs, while simultaneously boosting the income of fisher-folk, especially women and youth involved in the value chain.
The omena is first dried using either a hybrid-solar dryer—another innovation from the project—or an oven. It is then ground and mixed (at different percentages) with maize flour and selected spices before being passed through an extruder machine, which cooks the mixture and produces the ready-made puff-like snacks.
The aim of showcasing this product to the public was to provide direct access to potential customers, enabling Prof. Ojijo’s team, which includes Ms. Margaret Mwanzia, a Technologist at the Department of Food Science and Technology, to gather valuable feedback on the taste, packaging, and pricing of this unique product that has yet to enter the market.
“Exhibiting our omena-based extruded snacks at the trade fairs was an invaluable opportunity to directly engage with the public and receive immediate feedback on this innovative product. It allowed us to demonstrate how value addition can transform a locally abundant yet underutilized resource like omena into a nutritious and appealing snack, explained Prof. Ojijo.
According to his technical assistant Ms. Mwanzia, the positive responses they received “reinforces the importance of continuing this work and refining the product based on customer input before it enters the broader market.”
The events also provided a platform to share the innovative snacks’ brand story directly with customers.
This included highlighting the hard work of the fishermen who venture into Lake Victoria in the evening and work through the night, as well as the women who arrive at the shores in the early morning hours to receive, dry, and prepare the catch for the market.
Sharing these efforts was crucial in building an emotional connection with the product, enhancing its appeal to consumers.
Overall, the omena extruded product received positive feedback from attendees, particularly primary school children, secondary school youth, and parents. Interestingly, flavors like chili were suggested as a popular addition for children, highlighting the product’s versatility and potential to cater to diverse tastes.
“These snacks are really crunchy and tasty, and I do not mind that they are made from omena. I like the spices, and I think adding some chili would make them even better!” said Bernadette
Kemunto from Nairobi.
The extruded omena snacks also received positive feedback during the Nyeri Agricultural Show held from September 9th – 14th, 2024.