AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1. To know the laid down procedures for proper production of kunu

2. To know the benefits attached to kunu

3. To determine the PH of kunu and total count of kunu

4. To produce excellent kunu-zaki

 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A survey of the production, consumption and storage of Kunu was carried out. Some

of the information included consumption rate, processing techniques and equipment,

producer's status and grains used. About73% consume Kunu daily, 26% occasionally; 1%

know it is produced but may or may not be consuming it. Millet (Pennisetum

typhoideum), sorghum (Sorghum vulgare), maize (Zea mays), rice (Oryza sativa) and

acha (Digitalis exilis) were used in its production in decreasing order of preference. The

grains were used singly or combined; sorghum/millet was the most common combination

in ratio of 1:2 (w/w). Steeping was done in ordinary water for 12–72 h, depending on the

grain type, in local clay pots, plastic buckets, calabashes or basins or5–7 h in warm water

(60–70 °C). The grains were dry or wet milled with or without spices such as ginger, red

pepper, black pepper, clove and garlic. Other ingredients introduced included: sweet

potatoes, malted rice, malted sorghum and Cadaba farinosacrude extract. Both dry and

wet milling was done with grinding mills, mill stones or mortar and pestle, depending on

locality. The product was then cooked into a thin free flowing gruel. The various types of

kunu were: Kunun zaki, Kunun gyada, Kunun akamu, Kununtsamiya, Kunun baule,

Kunun jiko, Amshau and Kunungayamba. Kunun zaki was the most commonly

consumed. Production and consumption cut across all social classes of the society

3.1 KUNU DRINK

Kunu, also known as Kunu Zaki, is a non-alcoholic Nigerian beverage made of

germinated grain known as millet. This drink is popular in Northern Nigeria and prepared
mostly by the Hausas. The key ingredient used in preparing kunu, millet, is very

nutritious and

beneficial to human health, thus making kunu a very nutritional drink. Sorghum and

maize are also used as a substitute for millet in the preparation of this drink. It is whitish

when prepared with millet or maize, while the Sorghum variant is slightly brownish in

color.

Kunu is highly recommended for vegetarians and can be taken with bread or snacks.

Adeyemi and Umar, (2014), described the traditional process for the manufacture of

Kunun-zaki. This process involves the steeping of millet with spices (ginger, cloves, and

pepper), wet sieving and partial gelatinization of the slurry, followed by the addition of

sugar, and bottling. The fermentation which occurs briefly during steeping of the grains

in water over 8 - 48 h period is known to involve mainly lactic acid bacteria and yeasts.

Sopade and Kassum, (2011), highlighted the significance of rheological characteristics in

processing, quality control, sensory evaluation and structural analysis of Kunun-zaki.

Increasing temperatures reduced viscosity but did not alter the rheological characteristics

of the product. The time of shear (up to 1 h) did not appreciably alter the viscosity.

Storage studies conducted by Adeyemi and Umar, (2013) revealed that the product has a

shelf life of about 24 h at ambient temperatures, which was extended to 8 days by

pasteurization at 60OC for 1 h and storage under refrigeration conditions. Studies are

currently underway at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) Lagos,

Nigeria to produce Kunun-zaki of improved shelf-life. FIIRO has been able to preserve

Kunun-zaki effectively for 90 days with the use of chemical preservatives.

3.2 HEALTH BENEFITS OF KUNU DRINK

Kunu drink (Kunu Zaki) is insanely popular in Nigeria. But did you know that

Kunu drink also offers some serious health benefits? Before we get to our list of 5 health

benefits of Kunu, we need to first understand what this drink is made from.

Kunu drink is made from millet, sweet potato, cloves, water and sugar. Other variations

of Kunu drink replace millet with rice (Kunu Gyada) or with Tiger Nuts (Kunu Aya).

3.3 HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THOSE BENEFITS :

3.3.1 BOOST YOUR SPERM COUNT

Perhaps you’re not yet pregnant but trying to conceive. If so, then this next

health benefit of Kunu Drink is a must read as I said above, Kunu Drink contains sweet

potato (another so-called “super food” by the way). Sweet potato is filled with very high

levels of vitamin C. In one large sweet potato of 180g, there is 35.3g of vitamin C. And

that’s great news if you’re looking to increase your sperm count. As WebMD has

reported, certain studies have reported that vitamin C is an antioxidant that has the

“power to neutralize sperm-busting free radicals”. Even if you’re not trying to get

pregnant, it’s always good to have lots of vitamin C in your diet. Advantages of vitamin

C include reducing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and eye problems.

3.3.2 LOSE WEIGHT WITH KUNU DRINK

 You might feel like you’re getting to grips with understanding the nutritional

value of Kunu drink. But there’s one question that our readers ask us all the time: is Kunu

drink fattening? To be honest, this is a difficult question to answer. Because like all types

of food, the answer depends on how much Kunu drink you consume and how

much sugar or other sweeteners you add. The great thing about Kunu drink (when drunk

in moderation, at least) it that it can actually help you lose weight. It does this due to its

core ingredient: Millet. This nutritious grain contains high levels of protein and allows

you to meet your daily protein requirements without eating meat. The problem with

eating lots of meat is that is rich in calories and can lead to weight gain. There is a clear

link between eating less meat and losing weight. So if you drink Kunu drink as opposed

to eating more calorific foods (e.g. hamburgers, sausages etc.), then this will help anyone

looking avoid

fattening

3.3.3 SOOTH COLDS AND COUGHS WITH KUNU DRINK

Kunu drink is usually served in Nigeria with cloves, which brings us to the next health

benefit: it soothes colds and coughs. Yes, cloves are well known for their medicinal

properties. And according to Health.com: “Cloves work as an expectorant, loosening

mucus in the throat and esophagus so you can cough it up “Next time you have a cold or

cough, try drinking Kunu drink with lots of cloves and you may feel the benefits.

3.3.4 PROTECT YOUR HEART WITH KUNU DRINK

 Kunu drink offers excellent protection for your heart due to the use of millet. Millet

contains a lot of magnesium and potassium and both of these minerals play an important

role in reducing blood pressure. You probably know that having high blood pressure

increases the risk of having a stroke or heart attack. So Kunu drink can be great for your

heart as it actually reduces blood pressure. Kunu Drink also contains high levels of

Vitamin B3 due to its millet content. Some doctors argue that Vitamin B3 can help your

heart by increasing the good cholesterol in your body (i.e. high density lipoprotein or

HDL).

• The Kunu drink is known to help reduce the risks associated with diabetes.

According to healthdiaries.com, millet contains a polynutrient called lignan, which has

cancer fighting properties and is beneficial in the treatment of heart disease. It is also

known to reduce the risks associated with diabetes.

• Kunu also helps in dealing with thirst and also serves as an appetizer.

• The key ingredient, millet, contains a poly nutrient called lignin, which has cancer-

fighting properties and is beneficial in the treatment of heart disease.

• Kunu is good for women that have reached the stage of menopause as it helps them

relax their muscles.

• It is also recommended for nursing mothers as it helps increase the flow of their breast

milk.

• Due to the ginger content, it lowers the cholesterol level and prevents the formation of

blood clots.
• The kunu drink is rich in fiber, thus helping to promote a healthy digestive system.

• Kunu helps in the prevention of chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid

arthritis. Having known few of these benefits, I’d rather recommend a chilled glass of the

kunu drink rather than some caffeinated soft drink.

3.3.5 KUNU DRINK AND PREGNANCY

Kunu Drink has significant health benefits for pregnant women. The reason is simple: it

creates a magic ingredient. The magic ingredient is the “super-food”, ginger, that offers a

range of benefits for pregnant women.

1. Ginger improves the blood circulation in the body. This is important so that your baby

will get the right level of blood supply.

2. All pregnant women know that nausea is a common symptom during the

first trimester. The ginger in Kunu Drink can settle your stomach and help reduce nausea.

3. Pregnancy causes the muscles in the digestive tract to relax and, therefore, food will

travel through the intestines at a slower rate. The result is serious indigestion and

bloating. The ginger in Kunu Drink will help reduce problems with digestion.

3.4 HOW TO PREPARE KUNU DRINK

Kunun Zaki (Millet drink Recipe) Kunu drink is a popular drink made from whole

grains of millet and sometimes sorghum or corn. It’s quite popular in most parts of

Nigeria

especially the northern part where it originates. It’s got a spicy, nutty flavor and it’s
packed with nourishing vitamins and minerals. It’s also rich in protein and high in fiber.

Preparation of this drink takes about a minimum of 2-3 days. This is because for the first

two days, it’s left to soak in water so as to trigger the process of fermentation. Making

Kunu at home is quite easy and requires nothing fancy.

Kunun-zaki: This is a millet-based non-alcoholic fermented beverage widely consumed

in the Northern parts of Nigeria. This beverage is however becoming more widely

consumed in southern Nigeria, owing to its refreshing qualities. Adeyemi and Umar,

(2014), described the traditional process for the manufacture of Kunun-zaki. This process

involves the steeping of millet with spices (ginger, cloves, and pepper), wet sieving and

partial gelatinization of the slurry, followed by the addition of sugar, and bottling (Fig. 4).

The fermentation which occurs briefly during steeping of the grains in water over 8 - 48 h

period is known to involve mainly lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. Sopade and Kassum,

(2011), highlighted the significance of rheological characteristics in processing, quality

control, sensory evaluation and structural analysis of Kunun-zaki. Increasing

temperatures reduced viscosity but did not alter the rheological characteristics of the

product. The time of shear (up to 1 h) did not appreciably alter the viscosity. Storage

studies conducted by Adeyemi and Umar, (2016) revealed that the product has a shelf life

of about 24 h at ambient temperatures, which was extended to 8 days by pasteurization at

60OC for 1 h and storage under refrigeration conditions. Studies are currently underway

at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) Lagos, Nigeria to produce

Kunun-zaki of improved shelf-life. FIIRO has been able to preserve Kunun-zaki

effectively for 90 days with the use of chemical preservatives. Fig. 4. Flow chart for the

traditional process of Kunu-zaki

3.5 PRODUCTION OF KUNU

The production and preservation of kunun-zaki include the following simple processing

steps.

Sorting; the grains are sorted to obtain wholesome grain for processing

Weighing; the sorted grains are then weighed accurately

Washing and soaking; the weighed grains are washed thoroughly and soaked for about

24 hours

Washing and draining; the soaked grains are washed thoroughly again and allowed to

drain

Wet milling; the grains are wet milled in a hammer mill (ginger, sweet potato or pepper

is added)

Sieving; the wet milled grains are sieved with adequate quantity of potable water.

Heating; the filtrate after sieving is heated over a period of time

Addition of preservative; the right quantity of preservative and flavor are added

followed by thorough mixing

Filtration; the kunun-zaki is filtered to remove suspended particles

Pasteurization; the kunun-zaki is subjected to heat treatment to destroy micro-organism,

prevent fermentation and inhibit undesirable enzyme activities

Cooling and packaging; Pasteurized kunun-zaki is cooled to room temperature, bottled,

labeled and packaged in cartons. And now ready for sale.

3.6. TYPES OF KUNU

Kunu made from corn alone, whitish kunu made from sorghum, brownish

kunu made from millet, somehow whitish mixtures of the grains, color ill brownish
Don't forget instead of sugar we add sweet potatoes before blending so no need to add

sugar.

3.6.1 PROCEDURE IN MAKING "KUNUN ZAKI" DRINK

Utensils:

• Blender

• Cheese bag/cloth

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Millet (de-hulled)

• 1 medium sized Sweet potato, peeled- Optional

• 2 Medium sized Ginger, peeled

• 1 tbsp. Cloves (Konofiri)

• Sugar (To taste if you're not using sweet potato) – Optional

• Water

Directions:

Step 1: Soak the seeds in water for 48hours to allow the seeds ferment making sure you

change the water every 7 hours.

Step 2: Wash thoroughly with clean water and place the millet, Ginger, Cloves (Konofiri)

& Sweet potato in a blender (You need one with sharp blades) and blend till you have a

smooth paste making sure you add water while blending to enable it blend smoothly.

Step 3: Place the blend in a large bowl and pour cold water over the paste (This is to
make it easier to sieve) and mix. Gently pour the slurry into the sieving bag and sieve the

mixture. Discard the chaff

Step 4: Leave the sieved out liquid to settle for about 7 hours, by then the clear liquid

would be above the sediment (thick paste below). Sieve out the clear liquid leaving the

settled mixture which should be thick.

Step 5: Divide the thick paste into two bowls (Let’s say bowl 1 & 2). Pour boiling hot

water over the content of bowl 1 and stir (As if you are preparing pap). Add the content

of bowl 2 into bowl 1 and stir some more. At this stage you can add as much water as you

want depending on how thick or watery you want your kunu. It’s usually thick though.

Step 6: Sweeten with sugar, Refrigerate & Serve Chilled. "Kunun Zaki" drink with Ice

cubes

3.7 RAW MATERIALS, SUPPLIES AND UTILITIES

 The major raw material for kunun-zaki production is sorghum. Sodium Benzoate and

sugar are used as preservatives and sweetener respectively. The main items of supplies

are packaging materials which include; plastic bottles, cartons and labels. The main

utility items are electricity, water and diesel.

3.8 MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

The machinery and equipment required for the production of kunun-zaki are; soaking

tank, hammer mill, pasteurizer, and kunu-zaki reactor, filling machine, vibrio sifter,

sedimentation tank, shrink wrapper and other accessories. The cost and installation of the

various machineries listed above for a 2,500 L kunu-zaki production/ day can be made on

request.
 3.8.1 LABOUR REQUIREMENT

Both skilled and unskilled labor are required for this project. For a small scale

production, a total of about 15 workers are required for production, marketing,

accounting and administration of the project.

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULT

This chapter presents the results obtained from the study in the form of tables to which inference

were made. The study considered the analysis of data generated from the research study in

relation to the responses obtained through some reliable source.

4.1 Table 1. Proximate composition of kunu sample

Parameters% Kunu
PH 4.3
Moisture content 68.50
Ash content 3.141
Crude fat content 5.505
Crude fiber content 1.001
Crude protein 9.333
Carbohydrate 49.200
Calorie value(Kcal) 283.677

Table 1: Proximate Composition of Kunu Sample Parameter (%) Kunu pH Moisture content 4.3

68.50 Ash content 3.141 Crude fat content 5.505 Crude fiber content 1.001 Crude protein 9.333

Carbohydrate 49.200 Calorie value (kcal) 283.677 Hamad and Fields (2010) opined that high

value of protein content in cereals is often found in the germ and testa which are often sifted off

during the preparation of kunu product. The results of the protein content analysis in this work
were found to be higher than the values recorded by Essien et al. (2011). The calorie level was

283.6kcal which reveals that the kunu sample analyzed was rich in carbohydrate and energy.

Table 2. Total count of kunu drinks sold at different locations

Location Kunu MAC(cfu/ml) NA(cfu/ml) PDA(cfu/ml)

Location P 2.3x10 2.5x10 5.2x10
Location Q 0.5x10 4.2x10 8.1x10
Location R 3.2x10 3.7x10 5.3x10

Table 2: Total Count of Kunu Drinks Sold at Three Different Locations Locations Kunu MAC

(cfu/ml) NA (cfu/ml) PDA (cfu/ml) Location P 2.3×10 2.5×10 5.2×10 Location Q 0.5×10 4.2×10

8.0×10 Location R 3.2×10 3.7×10 5.3×10 Where; MAC = MacConkey Agar, NA = Nutrient

Agar, PDA= Potato Dextrose Agar; Cfu/ml = Colony forming unit per millimeters

Table 3. Antibiotics susceptibility of kunu zaki

Antibiotics Concentratio E.coli Bacillus S. cereus Salmsp

n (ng) cereus
Ciprofloxacin 5 25 31 29 20
Gentamycin 30 28 12 30 22
Amikacin 30 27 24 17 11
Amoxillin 30 2 10 0 0
Oflaxacin 5 25 28 36 12
Ceptazidine 30 0 0 12 0

Note: Zero resistance [no zone of inhibition]

Table 4. PH Values of the Kunu-zaki

Sample PH
1 6.83
2 6.96
 3 6.83
4 7.05
5 6.92
6 7.05
7 7.13
8 7.04
9 7.02
10 6.93
11 6.71
12 6.77
13 6.80
14 6.86
15 6.80

16 6.86

Table 5. Titratable Acidity of Kunu lactic zakisamples (% of acid)

Samples 1st day 2nd day 3rd day 4th day 5th day
K1 0.549 0.677 0.792 0.883 0.923
K2 0.468 6.208 8.016 9.984 1.233
K3 0.243 0.476 0.621 0.701 0.882
K4 0.360 0.698 0.929 1.208 1.463
K5 0.594 0.766 0.847 0.928 1.134
K6 0.297 0.742 1.049 1.346 1.557
K7 0.567 0.763 0.937 1.024 1.224
K8 0.630 0.799 0.882 0.901 0.954
K9 0.600 0.775 0.861 0.899 0.936
K10 0.603 0.799 0.878 0.960 1.098
K11 0.594 0.687 0.753 0.880 0.981
K12 0.585 0.793 0.922 1.042 1.248
K13 0.585 0.682 0.744 0.832 0.927
K14 0.612 0.827 0.904 0.996 1.058
K15 0.225 0.576 0.747 0.801 0.977
K16 0.495 0.743 0.922 1.106 1.238

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Parameters obtained for the proximate analysis are presented in Table 1. The pH was 4.3 which

indicate an acidic pH. These values are within the range of 3.80 and 3.99 reported by Innocent et

al. (2011), 2.42 to 3.83 recorded by Otaru et al. (2013), 5.25 to 5.65 reported by Amusa and

Ashaye, (2012). The acidity of the kunu drinks may be due to the presence of some bacteria

which help in acid fermentation of the kunu products.

Moisture content was 68 5%. The percentage ash content was 3.14. These values were higher

than 0.2% obtained by Otaru et al. (2013), but the results however agree with 2.00 to 3.00%

obtained by Innocent et al. (2011). The percentage content of crude fat, crude fiber, crude protein

and carbohydrate were 5.5, 1.0, 9.3 and 49.20 respectively. Essien et al. (2011) reported that loss

of protein during the processing of the drinks may be responsible for the low protein content

observed. Table 1: Proximate Composition of Kunu Sample Parameter (%) Kunu pH Moisture

content 4.3 68.50 Ash content 3.141 Crude fat content 5.505 Crude fiber content 1.001 Crude

protein 9.333 Carbohydrate 49.200 Calorie value (kcal) 283.677 Hamad and Fields (1979)

opined that high value of protein content in cereals is often found in the germ and testa which are

often sifted off during the preparation of kunu product. The results of the protein content analysis

in this work were found to be higher than the values recorded by Essien et al. (2011). The calorie

level was 283.6kcal which reveals that the kunu sample analyzed was rich in carbohydrate and

energy. Colony counts of bacteria isolated from fresh kunu samples are presented (Table 4). The

counts ranged from 0.5×10 to 3.2×10 for total coliform bacteria, 2.5×10 to 4.2×10 for total

heterotrophic bacteria and 5.2×10 to 8.0×10 for total heterotrophic fungi. The results indicate

that fresh kunu presented a high bacteria count after 24 hr of incubation. Efiuwevwere and

Akoma, (2015) also reported similar abnormality of high bacterial populations in kunu-zaki

prepared and sold in Jos metropolis (Hatchers et al., 2014). The high colony count is an
indication of spoilage as a consequence of either poor hygiene or poor quality of cereals and the

water used. Table 2: Total Count of Kunu Drinks Sold at Three Different Locations Locations

Kunu MAC (cfu/ml) NA (cfu/ml) PDA (cfu/ml) Location P 2.3×10 2.5×10 5.2×10 Location Q

0.5×10 4.2×10 8.0×10 Location R 3.2×10 3.7×10 5.3×10 Where; MAC = MacConkey Agar, NA

= Nutrient Agar, PDA= Potato Dextrose Agar; Cfu/ml = Colony forming unit per millimeters