Malted weaning food made from maize, soybean, groundnut and cooking banana

Abstract

Infant malnutrition and mortality are common in Africa, although Africa is endowed with agricultural produce that could be harnessed through processing to produce adequate infant food. This project was set up to explore the possibility of using local raw materials to develop a nutritious, lowdietary-bulk, cheap infant food. The materials used included cereal (maize), pulses (soybean and groundnut) and tuberiferous plants (cooking banana). The grains were ®rst germinated and dried or kilned before milling and formulation. The malted products were compared with fermented ones in terms of nutritional, dietary bulk and acceptability criteria. Malting increased the nutrient content, reduced the dietary bulk and enhanced the taste of the infant food. In terms of protein content, least gelation concentration and overall acceptability, malted samples had values in the range of 138±151 mg g À1 , 150±175 g l À1 and 7.2±8.82 respectively, while the control (fermented) sample had values of 54 mg g À1 , 100 g l À1 and 6.29 respectively. Roasting of malted cereals above 55°C reduced the bulk reduction ability but enhanced the taste of the products. A combination of malted maize and soybean, roasted groundnut and cooking banana in the ratio of 50:15:15:20 gave a very recommendable weaning food for infants between the ages of 6 months and 2 years.

Functional properties of weaning food blends from selected sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) varieties and soybean (Glycine max)

“…The WBC was also observed to decrease with an increase in the quantity of MSF included. This observation essentially conforms to an earlier observation that the inclusion of malt in a flour blend usually tends to lower its water binding capacity (Onyeka and Dibia, 2002). This has to do with possible enzymatic breakdown of the starchy component in the malt flour which might have led to simple sugar availability.…”

“…WBC also depends on the availability of hydrophilic groups that bind water molecules on the gelforming capacity of macromolecules (Onyeka and Dibia, 2002). The results of WBC of the blends are shown in Table 2.…”

“…This has to do with possible enzymatic breakdown of the starchy component in the malt flour which might have led to simple sugar availability. A high WBC reflects high starch content and is also dependent on the availability of hydrophilic groups that bind water molecules and on the gel-forming capacity of the macromolecules (Onyeka and Dibia, 2002). The viscosity of the weaning food blends is shown in Table 2.…”

Effect of Barrel temperature Feed composition and Feed moisture content on some Functional Properties of Dakuwa extrudates from Blends of Sorghum ((Sorghum bicolour L) Groundnut (Arachis hypogeal L) and Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus)

“…The water holding capacity of protein is very important because it affect the texture and also the ability of soy protein to bind and retain water and enhances the shelf life of bakery products (Hettiarachchy and kalapathy, 1997). The water holding capacity of any blend depends on the availability of hydrophilic groups that binds water molecules and on the gel forming capacity of macromolecules (Onyeka and Dibia, 2002).…”

“…Water hydration capacity has been used as measure of quality attributes of extrudate product and considered as indicator of starch gelatinisation (Ding et al, 2005. The water holding capacity of any blend depends on the availability of hydrophilic groups that binds water molecules and on the gel forming capacity of macromolecules (Onyeka and Dibia, 2002). A high water holding capacity WHC reflects high starch content.…”