4. Discussion
Infant flour production units in the city of Ouagadougou
Semi-industrial units generally have mechanised production equipment, even if they may use manual processes for some steps. Artisanal units generally have only simple equipment, including basins, sieves, roasters, mixers and bag sealers. Manual transformations dominated in their manufacturing processes [
3]. This study showed that more than half of the infant flours (65.38%) were produced in an artisanal way in the city of Ouagadougou. The high cost of production equipment and the lack of means could explain the artisanal production of infant flours by production units in Ouagadougou, unlike in developed countries where they are produced industrially. This could explain the insufficiency of infant flours on the local market, favouring the use of imported flours in the feeding and nutritional recovery of children. Furthermore, it should be noted that the unavailability of raw materials could also be a limiting factor for industrial production. However, the nutritional and sanitary quality of the infant flours produced do not depend on the type of company or the level of production [
3].
Raw materials used for the production of infant flours in Ouagadougou
A study conducted on infant fours sold in the city of Ouagadougou showed that cereal raw materials used in the production of these flours were mainly composed of maize (60%) followed by millet (30%). However, this study did not start from an investigation at the production units’ level [
6]. Cereals are sources of energy, dietary fibres and vitamin B [
7]. The high use of millet could be explained by its richness in protein compared to sorghum and maize. Also, previous studies have shown that millet flour remains the most energetic cereal grown in Burkina Faso [
8]. However, its availability and high cost could partly justify its association with other cereals, in particular sorghum and maize widely grown in Burkina Faso. For a good composition of infant flours, you need a mixture of cereals and legumes [
9]. Cereals are an important source of carbohydrates while legumes are an important source of proteins and lipids [
10]. The combination of these two food groups makes infant flours available which, enriched with micronutrients, contain all the nutrients necessary for a good growth of infants and young children. Several studies have shown that monkey bread has a high content of micronutrients such as vitamin C, Zinc, Iron, Calcium [
11]. The rice is used less and wheat is not used by infant flour production units in Ouagadougou (
Figure 3). This could be explained by the fact that they are very little cultivated and therefore of high cost. Legumes such as cowpea and vouandzou were used very little or almost not at all in the production of infant flours. This could be due to the presence of antinutritional factors such as phytates, polyphenols, terpenoids, steroids and alkaloids contents in these legumes. These compounds have the drawbacks of reducing the bioavailability of macro- and micronutrients and inhibiting the enzymes necessary for digestion. Some antinutrient factors, like phytates, limit protein bioavailability and some minerals like iron and zinc [
12,
13]. Many studies have reported that 95% of anaemia cases are associated to iron-poor diet [
14,
15]. The prevalence of anaemia among children at wean age could be explained by the high intake of antinutritional factors present in infant flours. Consumption of these legumes could cause flatulence in children [
10].
Storage conditions of raw materials
The use of storage straws prevents the raw materials from being in direct contact with the ground, thus reducing their humidity level. Indeed, humidity is favourable to the development of fungi and moulds, sources of mycotoxin production [
16]. Storage pesticides are used to prevent and/or eliminate insects and other rodents present in storage stores and responsible for the deterioration of seed quality. Damaged seeds have a negative impact on the nutritional quality of infant flours [
17]. Otherwise, the abusive and unregulated use of pesticides in the management of raw materials used for the production of infant flours can be a long-term source of chronic diseases such as cancer in infants and young children who consume them [
18,
19]. It would therefore be wise to encourage the use of natural pesticides and insecticides such as neem oil, the ash of
Eucalyptus grandis leaves, the essential oils of
Ocimum gratissimum and
Xylopia aethiopica, for example for the treatment of warehouses if needed.
Natural insecticides have the potential to improve safe crop protection [
20,
21].
Infant flour production processes
The cleaning of the seeds leads to a significant reduction in the rate of mycotoxins such as aflatoxin [
17]. As for fermentation, it makes the flours produced much more digestible. It significantly reduces anti-nutritional factors [
22]. All of these processes improve the sanitary and nutritional quality of infant flours. Washing rids the raw materials of certain particles and microparticles. As for drying and roasting, they reduce the moisture content in the infant flours produced; thus, limiting the contamination/production of mycotoxins. A previous study conducted in Ouagadougou on infant formulas showed the maize and rice used for the production of infant flours were contaminated at 23.5% by AFB1 and 17.6% by total aflatoxins [
23]. If the roasting of the seeds carried out by the production units makes it possible to modify the sensory profile of the flours produced and makes them more appetizing, it cannot, on the other hand, completely eliminate the mycotoxins. In fact, to achieve the elimination of mycotoxins, the seeds must be roasted at a temperature of 200 °C for 30 minutes. However, similar roasting conditions may allow their elimination but also compromise the sensory attributes of the flours produced [
24]. Soaking facilitates peeling. The deshelling operation leads to a marked decrease in the insoluble fibre content of the infant flour produced [
25]. The survey carried out showed that 45.71% of infant flour production units deshell seeds. Reducing the fibre content by deshelling makes it possible to obtain infant flours with a higher concentration of digestible elements [
26]. The rigorous implementation in the production units of steps allowing a reduction of the microbial load such as shelling, washing followed by drying and/or roasting, associated with the practice of walking forward to avoid cross-contamination guarantee adequate microbiological quality.
Infant flour produced by production units in Ouagadougou
For types of infant flours produced, instant infant flours, unlike baking flours, reduce meal preparation time, which is an important factor in energy saving. On the other hand, they can be risky in places where the available water is not drinkable and is not boiled before consumption. Thus, porridge prepared under these conditions can cause various disorders (diarrhoea, stomach aches, vomiting, etc.) in children [
27]. However, the use of an infant flour for cooking limits these problems insofar the water boils for more than 5 minutes during the preparation [
3]. Ultimately, these aspects involving the health of children should not be neglected. Otherwise, we noted during this study that the flours intended for children in a situation of nutritional recovery (malnourished children) were much more enriched than those intended for children of wean age. The high number of enriched flours used for recovery that were produced by these units could be explained by the strong demand for recovery flours at the national level given the large number of malnourished children in Burkina Faso [
28]. In fact, flours enrichment make it possible to increase the energy value of the infant flours necessary to improve the nutritional status of children in nutritional recovery situation [
29]. About packaging and storage of infant flours, the discrepancy between the information given on the packaging of infant flours during the survey and the findings in the field during sampling could be explained by the reluctance of certain infant flour producers to give all the information on their products in order to certainly avoid repression by State services and unfair competition, among other things. It should be noted that the use of plastic bags leads to problems during recycling. Indeed, these plastic bags are made of a mixture of polymers and contain a range of components, such as paper, organic residues, metals (Ca, Al, Na, Zn and Fe), and halogens (Cl and F) which are present at concentrations between 1 and 3000 ppm [
30]. Defective packaging can alter the quality of the finished product. It is therefore important to make the right choice. The sale of a product goes through its packaging, because not only to attract the eye of the potential buyer but also to inform him on the correct use of this product [
3]. The frequent use of PE or PP bags is explained by their wide availability at the local level. For long storage, the thickness of these bags must be between 150 μm and 200 μm for PE and at least 100 μm for PP [
22]. However, “complex” sachets (e.g., Bi-Oriented Polypropylene/Polyethylene/Aluminum/Polyethylene (BOPP/PE/Al/PE)) are of better quality than PE or PP because these models make it possible to envisage a longer shelf life. These "complex" sachets are rarely available in developing countries because they are much more expensive [
3]. Cardboard boxes are not recommended in single packaging because they offer great permeability to water and air, but they can be used as an overpack of a sachet [
3]. The boxes allow a very good presentation of the product, like quality imported products, but generally too expensive for local production units. The metal boxes used must be made of aluminium or varnished to prevent rust. Thus, PVC or PP boxes would be interesting insofar this packaging is reusable. And more, ventilated, dry and light conditions are necessary for a good conservation of infant flours [
22].
Infant flour quality monitoring
Infant flour quality monitoring corroborate those of Olive et al., (2020) [
3] according to which all producers of infant flours do not always carry out systematic quality controls. These quality control structures (generally laboratories) are responsible for checking the health and nutritional quality of the finished products. Infant flour must be safe. It must not contain pathogenic germs, toxins or toxic chemical residues likely to have repercussions on the health of infants and young children [
31]. The germs most frequently sought during quality analysis in Burkina Faso are generally aerobic mesophilic bacteria, faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, yeasts and moulds, and salmonella. In addition, a good infant flour must also have a good nutritional value. The quality monitoring structures are responsible for checking the nutritional composition of the infant flours produced by these production units. The macro and micronutrient content determine the nutritional value of an infant flour. Infant flours intended to supplement breastfeeding must provide 68% carbohydrates, 13% protein, 7% lipids and 400 Kcal per 100 g of flour [
32]. Otherwise, low micronutrient intake leads to deficiencies in children [
33]. The presence of vitamins (A, D, C, B12, K1, Thiamine, Folic acid…) and minerals (Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Iodine, Zinc, Chlorine…) are also essential for infants and young children. The micronutrient supplies to the body through the foods consumed does not fully cover its needs. It is extremely difficult or almost impossible to achieve the micronutrient densities recommended for the body using only raw materials and without resorting to fortification [
3].