Child malnutrition remains a major public health problem in low-income African communities, caused by factors including the low nutritional value of indigenous/local complementary porridges (CP) fed to infants and young children. Most African children subsist on locally available starchy foods, whose oral texture is not well-characterized in relation to their sensorimotor readiness. The sensory quality of CP affects oral processing (OP) abilities in infants and young children. Unsuitable oral texture limits nutrient intake, leading to protein-energy malnutrition. The perception of the oral texture of selected African CPs (n = 13, Maize, Sorghum, Cassava, Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), Cowpea, and Bambara) was investigated by a trained temporal-check-all-that-apply (TCATA) panel (n = 10), alongside selected commercial porridges (n = 19). A simulated OP method (Up-Down mouth movements- munching) and a control method (lateral mouth movements- normal adult-like chewing) were used. TCATA results showed that Maize, Cassava, and Sorghum porridges were initially too thick, sticky, slimy, and pasty, and also at the end not easy to swallow even at low solids content—especially by the Up-Down method. These attributes make CPs difficult to ingest for infants given their limited OP abilities, thus, leading to limited nutrient intake, and this can contribute to malnutrition. Methods to improve the texture properties of indigenous CPs are needed to optimize infant nutrient intake.

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Child malnutrition is an endemic public health problem in Africa. Infants are supposed to receive complementary foods from about 6 months onwards, as breastmilk alone no longer provide adequate nutrients. Commercially available complementary foods (CACFs) form an important part of baby foods in developing countries. However, systematic evidence on whether they really meet optimal quality specifications for infant feeding is limited. Some CACFs commonly used in Southern Africa and other parts of the world were investigated to establish if they meet optimal quality standards for protein and energy content, viscosity, and oral texture. For the energy content, most CACFs for 6–24‐month‐old children both in the dry and ready‐to‐eat forms (range: 372.0–1816.0 kJ/100 g), were below Codex Alimentarius guidelines. The protein density of all CACFs (0.48–1.3 g/100 kJ) conformed with Codex Alimentarius requirements, but some (33%) were below the minimum World Health Organization (World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe (2019a). Commercial foods for infants and young children in the WHO European region) target of 0.7 g/100 kJ. Most CACFs had high viscosity values even at high shear rate of 50 s−1, and were too thick or thick, sticky, grainy, and slimy, which may limit nutrient intake in infants, potentially causing child malnutrition. There is a need to improve the oral viscosity and sensory texture of CACFs for better nutrient intake by infants.

Food texture remains a key sensory attribute for food enjoyment, with potential to modulate food intake, particularly in individuals with limited oral processing capabilities (OPC) such as the elderly, dysphagia,...

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