Traditional Production Practices, Nutraceutical Potential, Safety Evaluation, and Chemometric Analysis of Furdu Sorghum Beer: A Comprehensive Study Across Six Divisions in Far North Cameroon

Furdu, a traditional sorghum beer, is prized for both its cultural and nutritional value. However, its production lacks standardization, leading to variations in quality and safety. This study presents a comprehensive characterization of furdu, integrating production practices with physicochemical, bioactive, microbial, sensory, and chemometric analyses. Field surveys of 120 producers revealed yellow sorghum (59.2%) as the predominant raw material, processed through 24–48 h mashing and 12–72 h spontaneous fermentation. The pH (3.94–4.60), alcohol (4.64%–5.52% ABV), ash (0.17%–0.39%), dry matter (6.1%–15%), total sugars (11.6–14.8 gGE/100 mL), proteins (4.9–6.2 g/100 mL), and free amino acid (2.7–4.9 gAE/100 mL) contents all exhibited statistical variations ( p < 0.05) according to the analyses. The samples from Mayo Kani had the highest phenolic (49.44 mgGAE/100 mL) and flavonoid (10.95 mgQE/100 mL) contents, while Logone and Chari recorded the largest tannin content (7.69 mgCE/100 mL). Overall antioxidant activity was highest in the samples from both divisions (0.45 and 0.91 RACI, respectively). Despite the presence of nutraceuticals and lack of pathogens in furdu, the microbial loads (logCFU/mL) surpassed safety levels (TAMB 9.02–9.91; yeasts/molds 5.5–7.1; total coliforms 4.17–5.16). Sensory evaluation indicated relatively high consumer acceptance (6.3–7.8), with Mayo Danay scoring highest. PCA revealed three key discriminating components: PC1 (39.5% of total variation) correlated with physicochemical and sensory properties; PC2 (27.1% of total variation) linked to polyphenol and flavonoid contents and the related antioxidant activities; and PC3 (18.89% of total variation) correlated with tannin content and its antibacterial effect. These findings highlight the nutraceutical potential of furdu, but emphasize the need for hygiene measures to guarantee its safety.