Analysis of health aspects, food acceptability and economics benefits of the solar box cooker in Sierra Leone -- October 1, 1988-May 31, 1990 : final report

Tests performed on numerous locally produced foods (onions, pepper, smoked fish, groundnut paste, sweet potato leaves, groundnut soup, and palm oil soup) indicate that the SBC can effectively destroy the usual fungi associated with food stuffs. Taste tests demonstrated high preference for SBC-cooked foods over foods cooked with fuelwood. The project also demonstrated that the SBC can be used to disinfect small quantities (2-3 liters) of water for drinking purposes. There is considerable enthusiasm for the SBC in Sierra Leone. It appears that the adoption rate will be fastest in the urban areas, primarily because of the persistent increase in fuelwood prices, and also that the SBC will be most attractive to families in which both parents work. There is a need to extend the project for at least another year to permit research on the use of local, less expensive materials in constructing the SBC.