Meet the VEG-i-TEC reseacher - Mulugeta Hailu Redae

Exploring the potential of natural spices to extend the shelf life of tef injera: A mold mitigation approach)

Tef injera is the staple food of Ethiopians and prepared still often at household level. However, mold growth on the injera is common at the households level, but also at the small enterprise injera bakers. To tackle the early spoilage of injera, Mulugeta’s PhD project focuses on the shelf-life improvement of tef injera  through the extracts of some selected natural spices available in Ethiopia (i.e, Anise, cardamom, clove, cumin, fenugreek, rue, and turmeric). Nowadays, the utilization of natural spices not only aligns with increased consumers preference for clean and minimum processed foods but also offers eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic preservatives. Thus, this project contributes to the visibility of integrating the natural spices as effective strategies to address the challenges associated with mold spoilage in tef injera, thereby extending its shelf life. The antifungal efficacy of the extracts of spices will be first studied and further selected in vitro and then on the injera  itself. His research is conducted under the supervision of Prof. Katleen Raes (Ghent University) and Prof. Afework Mulugeta (Mekelle University), Tigray, Ethiopia. The research project is principally funded by BOF Special Research Fund- Ghent University  for the developing countries.