Sensory Evaluation of Iron Fortified Tea

Abstract

Introduction: Iron deficiency is a major contributor to maternal mortality. As tea is widely consumed in East Africa, it is a candidate for iron fortification. Unfortunately, iron compounds for dark, poor tasting, non-bioavailable complexes with tea tannins. The effectiveness of technology developed at the University of Toronto for prevention of this reaction was tested by evaluating the acceptability of iron fortified tea by trained and consumer sensory panels. Methods: Ten panelists and 60 untrained participants (both male and female) of different social-economic backgrounds assessed iron fortified tea brewed by 4 local techniques, using the 9-point Hedonic scale at Haydom, Manyara Tanzania. Results: Majority of the panelists liked iron fortified tea prepared by brewing in a mixture of water, tea leaves and sugar in a tea pot, or by steeping the iron fortified tea brewed with or without milk. More than three-quarters of the participants were fond of the iron fortified tea appearance, however, most noted that the tea was blacker than tea commonly consumed in the area. All participants liked its taste and the aroma. Conclusion: The iron fortified tea was well accepted by average consumers at Haydom, despite noting the slight darkening of the tea colour. Implications: The results indicate