Training on Cottage (Kitchen) Level Processing of Tomato

By

R. O. Awodoyin and Adefoyeke O. Aduramigba-Modupe

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The availability of tomato fruits in Nigeria experiences period of glut and scarcity. The period of glut is characterised by massive wastage and period of scarcity is characterised by complaints from all kitchens, irrespective of status of the manager of the kitchen. Considering the culinary and health values of tomato, it should be available in adequate quantity at all times. Tomato is the pure food for the heart and blood because of its lycopene content. Lycopene is a highly rated antioxidant that scavenge the free radicals in the body that result in many degenerative diseases.

Processing and preservation will reduce wastage and stabilize price of tomato, but there is nearly no local processing facilities, hence most of the grown tomato fruits are consumed fresh and the remaining are wasted.

As the Agro Impact Projects and Empowerment Initiative (AIPEI) of the University of Ibadan Women Society is planning to have a processing outfit, the Tomato Group of the Initiative embarked on capacity building for women and youths on cottage level processing as an immediate intervention to reduce wastage and make tomato available for consumption all year round. The intervention also aims at assisting the kitchen managers to save some monies that the family can use to acquire other valuable materials.

The Tomato Group held the first workshop on 29 April 2017 with 24 females, drawn within the University of Ibadan community, in attendance. The training was anchored by The AgroImpact Tomato Working Committee chaired by Prof. R. O. Awodoyin with Dr. Ngozi F. Anurudu, a Lecturer in the Department of Animal Science as arrowhead and Mrs. Oreofeoluwatomi Lawal (Nee Ajayi), a M.Sc. Student from the Department of Food Technology, University of Ibadan as Resource Person. Other members of the committee are Prof. V. O. Okoruwa, Dr. A. A. Olapade, Dr Abiodun Claudius-Cole and Dr. Adefoyeke O. Aduramigba-Modupe, all of the University of Ibadan. The workshop was declared open by Dr. Wumi Olayinka, the Initiator, AIPEI Impact and the President, University of Ibadan Women Society. Feedback from the training reveals that the tomato so processed retains its qualities for more than six months, a duration that is long enough to bridge scarcity gap in tomato fruit supply.