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Traditional complementary foods are mainly based on cereal grains which when cooked get gelatinized and swollen thereby making the diet viscous and bulky for infants and young children. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of fermentation, germination, and roasting methods on the functional properties of maize-millet-soybean mix with a view to producing less bulky and nutrient dense complementary food. Fermented, germinated, roasted, and untreated (control) grains were dried in an air oven at 55°C for 48 h to 10% moisture content, milled and sieved separately into fine flours (450 microns). Four complementary food samples were formulated and analyzed for wettability, dispersibility, water absorption capacity, swelling power, solubility index and pasting properties. Results showed that fermentation, germination, or roasting methods significantly (p<0.05) affect functional property of the complementary food samples. The swelling power of fermented sample was higher, while solubility of germinated sample was higher than other samples. The water absorption capacity of the complementary food samples ranged from 1.27 in germinated maize-millet-soybean to 1.61 in control sample. Fermented sample had the highest peak, trough and final viscosities, while germinated sample had the least. The study showed that germination significantly reduced water holding capacity and swelling power of the complementary food, and is recommended for producing nutrient dense complementary from maize-millet-soybean mix.

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Traditional complementary foods are popular minimally processed baby food used to introduce old infants and young children to adult foods. Cereal grains are it main ingredient, when cooked, because of its starch content, get gelatinized and swollen thereby making the diet viscous and bulky, so that it gives the stomach of old infants and young children enormous work to do. Traditional complementary foods consumed by old infants in many parts of the third world are deficient in essential macronutrients and micronutrients leading to malnutrition, which is one of the serious problems in developing countries. Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) generally occurs during this growing stage when children are weaned from breastmilk to semi-solid and later to family foods. The purpose of this study is to review literature findings on complementary foods. It's also aims to draw the attention of stakeholders and decision makers on the need to assess the nutrients quality and health risks associated with the consumption of low quality complementary foods and, consequently, the necessary measures and steps to reduce intake of low quality complementary foods by old infants and young children.

SummaryThe concentration of several surface active agents required to inhibit the initiation of growth of Aspergillus foetidus in both solid and liquid media was estimated. The culturing in liquid media involved both shake flask and fermenter cultures.