African cereal-based fermented products

The dominance of cereals as staple foods in Africa may partly be linked to the availability of numerous cereal-based fermented food products in the continent. This chapter provides an overview of cereal-based fermented food products, particularly their biochemistry (including modifications that occur during cereal fermentation), nutritional composition, health-beneficial components, as well as microbiota involved during fermentation. African cereal-based fermented foods contain substantial levels of nutrients, and their consumption is associated with numerous health benefits. While a plethora of these fermented products is available on the continent, most of them are still not fully commercialized. The composition of these vital food products is still not fully understood, thus necessitating further research.