http://www.sciepub.com/journal/AJFST American Journal of Food Science and Technology is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that provides rapid publication of articles in all areas of food science and technology. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists and academicians all over the world to promote, share, and discuss various new issues and developments in different areas of food science and technology. Science and Education Publishing en 2013 Science and Education Publishing Co. Ltd All rights reserved. American Journal of Food Science and Technology 14 3 January 2026 2013 Science and Education Publishing Co. Ltd All rights reserved. http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajfst/14/3/1 Tchakpalo, a traditional beninese beer, has gradually spread throughout the country. This study aimed to establish the socio-professional profile of vendors and to document the new production practices of Tchakpalo. Hence semi-structured survey combined with direct observations of Tchakpalo vendors were carried out in the five municipalities of Southern Benin. The study indicates that this trade is strongly dominated by women (97.52%), aged 35 to 54 (87.60%), mostly educated (64.46%) and married (75.21%). They have at least five years of experience (78.51%). However, some have been working in this field for over 15 years (30.58%) and some practise this activity exclusively (42.97%). Nevertheless, Tchakpalo trade allows them to contribute significantly to their families’ financial needs (100%). A large diversity of production practices has been registered through the study area. Thus, maize is the most used raw material in Tchakpalo production. Five technological variants of Tchakpalo production have been identified (DFM: Double-Fermented Maize; MFM: Mono-Fermented Maize; NFM: No-Fermented Maize; MFMS: Mono-Fermented Maize-Sorghum; NFMS: No-Fermented Maize-Sorghum). Each variant presented the same unit operations while the number, sequence, operating conditions, additives, and production equipment differ from a variant to another. The Mono-Fermented Maize (MFM) variant is the most commonly used by producers (37.70%). The results of this study provide a solid scientific database for projects to promote this beer, which is emblematic of Benin's food heritage.]]> d’Avila DOGNON, Agossou Damien Pacôme NOUMAVO, Sènan VODOUHE, Lucile ADJOVI, Joseph BRAVO, Yanik Yaï AKIN, Nicodème Worou Chabi, Adolphe ADJANOHOUN, Farid BABA-MOUSSA 2026-05-26 Science and Education Publishing 2026-05-26 3 14 63 73 10.12691/ajfst-14-3-1 http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajfst/14/3/2 r 2 = 0.5364). In the β-carotene test, samples treated recorded lesser oxidation than control, verifying the efficacy of an antioxidant. When kept in refrigerated conditions (4°C, 12 days), the control samples increased in TBA concentration sharply (0.33 to 4.71mg/kg), but in treated samples, the value was lower, especially in Mix 1 and Mix 2 (0.95 and 1.00 mg/kg). Protein degradation was also on the same trend, whereas the control TVB-N rose to 6.79 and 15.16 mg/100 g, mixtures remained lower (10.67 and 10.28 mg/100 g). Microbial growth was also prevented, the counts of LABs grew to 4.79 log cfu/g in control, but remained substantially lower in Mix1 and Mix2 (2.01 and 2.19 log cfu/g). Sensory acceptability was reduced in all samples but maintained better in treatment groups with mixtures experiencing the least (approximately 22%). These results prove that the plant-based extracts particularly in synergy are helpful in enhancing the oxidative stability, reducing spoilage and increasing the shelf life of meat products. The improvements that were observed were related to the difference in phenolic composition and extract type where pomegranate and onion skin extracts also showed significant effects with TBA value about 1.21-1.22 mg/kg and TVB-N at around 11.00 mg/100 g. Meanwhile, individual extracts had a moderate protection over mixtures, which mean that there was variation in the efficacy between the sources. In general, findings support the possibility of using natural extracts as a substitute of synthetic preservatives in the meat systems during storage.]]> Yousif A. Elhassaneen, Lamiaa A. Diab, Esraa S. ElFaramawy 2026-07-05 Science and Education Publishing 2026-07-05 3 14 74 91 10.12691/ajfst-14-3-2