Composition of Selected Moroccan Cereals and Legumes: Comparison with the FAO Table for Use in Africa

The need for a Moroccan food composition table has long been recognized. The purpose of this study was to construct the beginning of such a table. The most consumed cereals (barley, corn, durham wheat, soft wheat, sorghum, and rice) and legumes (peas, lentils, white beans, and broad beans) in Morocco were analyzed for energy, water, protein, fat, total carbohydrates, toal ash, and 15 minerals. The samples originated from two different regions. The regions produce 33.7 and 22.5% of the total Moroccan production of cereals and legumes, respectively. The results of this study were then compared to the values of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) food composition table for use in Africa. The data show that the energy value of the Moroccan foods are higher than those reported in the FAO table. However, the protein contents of the Moroccan foods are lower than those in the FAO table, except for rice. The differences in fat and mineral contents between the Moroccan foods and those reported in the FAO table are not consistent. The contents of 15 minerals in Moroccan foods are reported, including Ca, P, and Fe, the only minerals reported in the FAO table. The comparison of the mineral content of foods from two different regions of Morocco showed some significant differences, indicating that food composition varies with the source of the sample. The data also indicate the need for more work of this type and caution is needed when extrapolating international data to a regional level. Moreover, the use of the FAO table may result in failure to consider the potential for a nutritional problem such as iron deficiency anemia.