Improving The Quality And Nutritional Status Of Maize Fermented Meal By Fortification With Bambara Nut

Abstract

Studies were conducted to develop an appropriate household/small scale enterprise level technique for the production of bambara groundnut-fortified fermented maize dough or meal by comparing different treatments, processing methods and fortification levels. The effect of fortification of maize based traditional foods with legume protein, bambara nut at 0%. 10% and 20% replacement levels, on the rate of fermentation and product quality were investigated. Sensory characteristics, amino acid pattern, proximate composition (moisture, protein, fat, ash) pH, titratable acidity and theological properties (pasting temperature, peak viscosity, viscosity at 95°C and 95°C hold and viscosity at 50°C) were used as the indices of quality. The results obtained showed that Bambara nut addition caused only minimal changes in the proximate composition with the exception of protein content which increased remarkably from 10.1% to 16.4% and 10.1% to 16.2% with 20% bambara nut addition respectively for boiled bambara nut fortified fermented maize dough and raw bambara nut fortified fermented maize dough. The product pH decreased with concomitant increase in moisture, fat, ash and titratable acidity with increasing bambara addition. A significant improvement was also achieved in the lysine and tryptophan pattern of the fortified dough compared to the unfortified. However, boiling bambara nut for 20mins before incorporation into the maize for milling and fermentation imparted a desirable flavour. This results showed that the most appropriate technique for the production of bambarafortified high protein fermented maize dough has been suggested to involve incorporation of boiled whole bambara nut in soaked maize before milling and fermentation for improved sensory characteristics, enhanced nutritive valve and optimal functional properties. Little or no changes in the pasting viscosity characteristic occurred in sample containing raw bambara nut. Organoleptic evaluation revealed that the foods were well accepted. Based on the findings of the study, the application of Bambara nut fortification to traditional foods suggests a viable option of promoting the nutritional quality of African maize-based traditional foods with acceptable rheological and cooking qualities.