Effects Of Processing Methods On The Quality Of Maize-Groundnut Infant Weaning Food

Abstract

Five infant weaning foods were formulated from alternate mixtures of fermented maize-fermented groundnut (FMFG), fermented maize-roasted groundnut (FMRG), fermented maize-malted groundnut (FMMG), malted maize- malted groundnut (MMMG) and unprocessed maize-roasted groundnut (UMRG). The products were each complemented with skim milk since maize and groundnut are deficient in lysine and methionine. These mixtures were compared with Cerelac, a commercially available weaning food in Nigeria. The proximate compositions of alternate formulated mixtures compared favourably with Cerelac. Fermented maize-fermented groundnut had the highest protein and fat contents (15.1 and 10.5% respectively). Sensory evaluation studies showed significant differences in colour, aroma and consistency between the maize-groundnut infant formulations and Cerelac at P<0.05; but not in taste. The effect of variation of processing method on the nutritional quality indicated no significant difference (P>0.05) between rats fed with Cerelac and the four experimental based diets (FMFG, FMRG, FMMG AND UMRG) while the viscosities of all the diets and Cerelac fell within the accepted values for weaning foods. Also the variation of the processing methods showed similarity in the reconstitution time of the products. Rats fed with Cerelac and UMRG respectively differed significantly from those fed with MMMG. FMMG. PER and FER study showed that MMMG and FMMG had the highest values.

Keywords: Malting, fermentation, maize-groundnut weaning foods, nutritional quality.


(Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences: 2002 8(2): 209-214)