Nutritional benefits, technological innovations and safety of fermented cereal products: Insights from umqombothi

In Africa, locally prepared fermented cereal products form part of regular diets. These products often share some similarities in raw materials and processing techniques. However, each is distinguished by unique cultural names and characteristics tied to the specific regions from which they originate. Umqombothi is a traditional sorghumbased beverage valued for its cultural, economic, and nutritional benefits in Southern Africa. This review examines umqombothi within the broader context of other fermented cereal products, focusing on its nutritional benefits, potential technological innovations and safety issues around its consumption. Fermentation generally enhances the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of key nutrients, including vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and health-promoting phenolic compounds. However, the specific health-promoting potential of umqombothi remains underexplored. Its production in unregulated environments poses safety risks, including microbial contamination and mycotoxin presence, which limit commercial scalability. Controlled fermentation with defined starter cultures combined with process optimisation of umqombothi production provide an effective strategy for enhancing product consistency, process efficiency, and ensuring better overall quality of umqombothi. Addressing safety concerns through sustainable mycotoxin mitigation strategies, improved hygiene practices, and regulatory frameworks is important to promoting umqombothi as a safe and health-promoting beverage. Future research should integrate traditional brewing knowledge into modern food technology to promote safe, large-scale production of the beverage for local and global food markets.