Quality characteristics of complementary foods formulated from sorghum, African yam bean and crayfish flours

Abstract

Low-cost, nutritive and ready-to-eat complementary foods formulated from blends of sorghum, African yam bean and crayfish flour were evaluated for proximate, vitamin and pasting properties. The protein, ash, fat and crude fibre contents of the samples increased significantly (p<0.05) with increase in substitution with African yam bean and crayfish flours from 13.56±0.29–23.88±0.82%, 2.77±0.02-3.67±0.02%, 1.85±0.01-3.64±0.01% and 1.46±0.06-2.15±0.02%, respectively, while the carbohydrate and energy contents decreased. The control sample without substitution with African yam bean and crayfish flours (100% malted sorghum flour) had the highest carbohydrate (72.36±0.21%) and energy (364.33±0.35KJ/100g) contents. The vitamin content of the samples showed that the ascorbic acid, niacin, thiamine, vitamin A and folic acid contents of the blends increased with increase in substitution with African yam bean and crayfish flours from 1.27+0.02–2.66+0.06mg/100g, 0.64+0.00–0.88+0.00mg/100g, 0.36+0.00 – 0.53+0.00mg/100g,2.54+0.08–4.15+0.04mg/100g and 0.24+0.01–0.36+0.03mg/100g, respectively, while the riboflavin content decreased. The control sample had the highest riboflavin (3.17±0.02mg/100g) content. The pasting properties of the samples showed that the control had the highest values for final, breakdown and setback viscosities as well as peak time and pasting temperature, respectively compared to the formulated samples. The sample substituted with 30% African yam bean and 20% crayfish flours recorded the highest values for peak viscosity (113.77RVA) and trough (57.42RVA), respectively. However, the study showed that the nutrient contents and pasting properties of sorghum-based complementary foods could be drastically improved by supplementing sorghum flour with African yam bean and crayfish flours in the preparation of home-made nutrient dense complementary foods that would be used for feeding of infants and young children during complementary feeding period in Nigeria and other developing countries of the world.