Kirk Dolan

Michigan State University Extension is offering a new Online Self-Paced Better Process Control School instructed by Kirk Dolan, MSU professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. This course is required for all processors of acidified and low-acid canned foods. Examples of acidified foods are all pickled products, many salsas and tomato-based soups. Examples of low-acid canned foods are soups without tomatoes, such as soups with meats, legumes and vegetables.

Fresh red chili peppers (Capsicum annuum L., var. Cayenne), Central America origin, were purchased from Webstaurant (Lititz, PA). The chili samples were carefully selected for ripeness (bright red to orange color and firm texture) and inspected for defects (blemishes, discoloration, and signs of decay or mold). After thorough washing, they were stored at 4°C until processing.

1 INTRODUCTION African indigenous vegetables, often considered neglected treasures, are underutilized yet adaptable to extreme climate conditions and contain significant amounts of proteins, fiber, essential micronutrients, and phytochemicals, thus holding potential for enhancing food and nutrition security as well as biodiversity (Mungofa et al., 2022).