Proximate Composition, Mineral and Sensory Properties of Orange-Flesh Sweet Potato Starch, Soybean and Groundnut Flour Complementary Food

Aims: This study was aimed at formulating and evaluating the proximate, mineral and sensory properties of complementary food from blends of orange flesh sweet potato (Ipomea batata) starch, soybean (Glycine max) and groundnut (Arachis hypogea) flour.

Methodology: Orange flesh sweet potato starch (OFSP), soybean flour (SB) and groundnut flour (GN) were blended in the ratio of (OFSP:SB:GN): 90:5:5, 85:10:5, 80:15:5, 75:20:5, 70:25:5, 65:30:5, 60:35:5, 55:40:5, 50:45:5 and designated as PSG1 – PSG9, while 100% OFSP served as control. Evaluations were carried out following standard analytical methods.

Results: Moisture, fat, ash, crude fibre and carbohydrate contents varied significantly (P<0.05) from 7.53 – 10.74, 1.33 -17.22, 1.20 – 1.94, 4.34 – 19.58 and 53.10 – 70.53% respectively. Protein content (7.62 – 21.91%) of the blends will meet >75% of safe level of protein intake for infants and children. Energy ranged from 339.45 – 373.07 Kcal/100g and will meet >55% of energy requirement for infants at 6 months. Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg and Zn varied respectively, from 0.68 - 6.07, 0.28 - 0.62, 4.40 - 11.94, 1.87 - 2.04, and 1.26 – 2.10 mg/100g. PSG complementary food in comparison to the recommended intake of minerals was found to be excellent in Cu, adequate in Fe and Zn but low in Mg and inadequate in Ca. Degrees of likeness for the sensory attributes: aroma, appearance, colour, taste, texture and overall acceptability varied from 5.00 - 7.00, 3.80 - 7.56, 5.04 - 7.20, 3.84 - 7.33, 3.88 - 7.56 and 4.29 - 6.96 respectively. These degrees of likeness from 3.84 - 7.56 indicated dislike moderately to like moderately. PSG7and PSG8 had significantly (P<0.05) the highest degrees of likeness for all attributes except for texture in PSG7 with neither liked nor disliked.

Conclusion: This work showed that enriching orange flesh sweet potato starch by substituting with soya bean and groundnut, increased nutritional composition of the complementary food and addition of soybean flour up to 35 and 40% was acceptable to the assessors. This implies that this complementary food can be recommended as diet for newly weaned and older children.