Mineral Composition and Consumer Acceptability of Amaranthus Leaf Powder Supplemented Ujeqe for Improved Nutrition Security

Abstract

Malnutrition, especially micronutrient deficiency, is a widespread health challenge that predominantly affects young children, young ladies who are within the productive age, refugees, and older adults who reside in rural communities and informal settlements in underdeveloped and developing countries. Malnutrition is caused by consuming either too little or too much of one or more food nutrients. Additionally, monotonous dietary lifestyle, especially the over-reliance on staple foods, is identified among the top factors limiting many individuals’ intake of essential nutrients. Thus, enriching starchy and cereal-based staple foods including Ujeqe (steamed bread) with fruits and especially leafy vegetables is being suggested as a strategic medium for essential nutrient delivery to malnourished populations and especially the Ujeqe regular consumers. Amaranthus, called pigweed, has been rediscovered as a nutrient-dense multipurpose plant. The seed has been explored as a nutrient-enhancer in staple foods; however, the leaves are underutilized, especially in Ujeqe. This study aims to enhance the mineral content of Ujeqe. An integrated research approach was used where Amaranthus dubius was self-processed into leaf powder. Amaranthus leaf powder (ALP), and the ALP-supplemented wheat flour Ujeqe prototypes 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% were investigated for their mineral composition. Sensory evaluations of enriched Ujeqe were conducted using 60 panelists on a five-point hedonic scale. Findings show that the moisture contents of the raw materials and the supplemented prototypes were low, indicating a good shelf life of the food ingredient before being used for Ujeqe development. Carbohydrates of raw materials ranged from 41.6–74.3%, fat ranged from 1.58–4.47%, ash ranged from 2.37–17.97%, and protein ranged from 11.96–31.56%. Additionally, fat, protein, and ash content had significant differences at (p < 0.05). The moisture content of enhanced Ujeqe was equally low, connoting keeping quality of the sample. The increase concentration of ALP led to an enriched Ujeqe especially in the ash and protein content. Similarly, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and iron content were significantly influenced at (p < 0.05); 2% ALP-supplemented Ujeqe was the most acceptable prototype as the control sample, 6% was the least preferred prototype. Although ALP dubius can enrich staple foods including (Ujeqe), this study declared that higher addition of ALP dubius leads to low consumer acceptability rate of the Ujeqe, which is not statistically significant. Amaranthus is an economical source of fiber, which was not investigated in the study. Therefore, further studies can explore the fiber content of the ALP-supplemented Ujeqe.

Valorization of Fruit Co-Product Flours for Human Nutrition: Challenges, Applications, and Perspectives

“…It is interesting to note that bakery products are one of the most consumed food groups worldwide, with refined wheat flour being the main ingredient. However, refined flour has a high glycemic index and despite its excellent technological characteristics for bakery products, its use as an ingredient imposes restrictions on individuals suffering from pathologies associated with its intake [79,80]. This makes the inclusion of fruit co-product flours in bakery products, such as breads, cakes, and cookies, an interesting alternative for improving the nutritional and functional profile of these products [71,81].…”

Development of Fortified Breads Enriched with Plant-Based Bioactive Peptides Derived from the Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) Expeller

“…To gain insights into consumer preferences and acceptability criteria, consumer-oriented testing methods and untrained sensory panels have proven to be a valuable approach [41,42]. In order to assess the consumer acceptance and preference information for the formulations treated with chia protein hydrolysates in a wheat bread, the B10 formulation, which had highest amount of hydrolysate per gram of flour, was selected for a further preliminary sensory analysis [43].…”

Embracing Tradition: The Vital Role of Traditional Foods in Achieving Nutrition Security

“…Bone characteristics and fracture strength were improved in tortilla-fed groups, and the study suggested that OH could be a sustainable method for tortilla production while maintaining a nutritional value comparable to that of traditional methods. Olusanya et al [16] discussed the potential of enriching staple foods such as Ujeqe with Amaranthus leaf powder (ALP) to enhance the mineral content to mitigate a malnutrition situation. The study found that ALP supplementation increased protein, ash, and certain mineral content, but higher ALP concentrations led to a lower consumer acceptability of Ujeqe.…”