Proximate Analysis and Formulation of Infant Food from Soybean and Cereals Obtained in Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

In a bid to stem the tide of infant malnutrition occasioned by the high cost of proprietary infant food in developing countries, the study formulated a nutritious infant food by beneficiating a cereal-legume composite prepared from short rice, yellow maize and soybean grains obtained in Benue State, Nigeria using crayfish, egg yolk and banana flavour. Among the cereals species compared by proximate analysis, short rice and yellow maize were found to be the most soybean-complementing cereal pair. The proximate compositions, caloric value and sensory properties of the formulated food were determined and statistically compared with their respective means in two common proprietary infant formulae sold in the market. The formulated food was found to compete favourably with both proprietary formulae as its proximate composition (protein; 16.71%, Carbohydrate; 55.51%, crude fat; 10.39%, crude fibre; 12.64%, ash; 4.20% and moisture; 10.55%) was quite comparable to the mean proximate composition of both proprietary formulae (protein; 15.63%, Carbohydrate; 64.42%, crude fat; 10.84%, crude fibre; 1.74%, ash; 3.03% and moisture; 4.35%). The formulated food complied with united nation’s protein advisory group (PAG) recommendation for each proximate food component in infant food except in carbohydrate which was 9% less than the PAG benchmark for carbohydrates in infant food (65%). Accordingly, the caloric value of the formulated food (380 Kcal/100g) was less than the mean in both proprietary formulae (417 Kcal/100g). Sensory evaluation showed that with exception in flavour, the formulated food did not differ significantly (p=0.05) from the proprietary formulae in appearance, taste, after-taste, mouth-feel, colour and overall acceptability. Sensory judges had a higher preference for both proprietary formulae than for the formulated food because the residual flavour of the crayfish and egg yolk components were mildly perceivable. Most judges observed that the formulated food could be improved upon by further reducing its particle size to give it a much finer texture. The microbial shelf life of the formulated food was found to be 6 weeks from the date of formulation.