Overview of Maize-Based Value-Added Foods in Ethiopia: Traditional Uses, Product Development, Industrial Applications, Storage, and Safety

Maize holds significant importance in Ethiopia as a staple food crop, offering availability, affordability, and versatility for nutrient-dense food products. The purpose of this review was to assess maize utilization in traditional foods, its industrial application, and safety issues related to storage in Ethiopia. A systematic literature review approach was utilized to collect the number of articles published between 2012 and 2021 from databases like Google Scholar, Scopus, and DOAJ using specific search terms related to maize and Ethiopian foods. Accordingly, traditional foods like bread, injera, kitta, kurkufa, besso, fosose, and porridge, as well as drinks like tella, areki, borde, and cheka, emphasize the cultural significance of maize in the country's culinary practices. Additionally, the nutrient profile, product making potential, and aflatoxin levels for improved and released maize varieties were also evaluated. Furthermore, composite flour based on maize can enhance protein, energy and sensory attributes of complementary porridge, gruels, soup, cookies, and extruded food products in Ethiopia. A number of food processing enterprises produce value-added maize-based foods such as corn flakes, maize-soya blends, and instant maize flour, which diversifies the country's maize product market and creates economic opportunities. In Ethiopia, common storage structures for maize include gotta, gotera, sacks, underground pits, polypropylene bags and metal silos. Mycotoxins, notably, aflatoxin is harmful secondary metabolites of fungi isolated from maize stored in different storage materials, pose safety risks; that can cause health problems and financial losses. Overall, maize holds promise for food security and malnutrition relief in Ethiopia