Blended Foods Research Articles

The role of national nutrition programs on stunting reduction in Rwanda using machine learning classifiers: a retrospective study

BackgroundIn Rwanda, the prevalence of childhood stunting has slightly decreased over the past five years, from 38% in 2015 to about 33% in 2020. It is evident whether Rwanda's multi-sectorial approach to reducing child stunting is consistent with the available scientific knowledge. The study was to examine the benefits of national nutrition programs on stunting reduction under two years in Rwanda using machine learning classifiers.MethodsData from the Rwanda DHS 2015–2020, MEIS and LODA household survey were used. By evaluating the best method for predicting the stunting reduction status of children under two years old, the five machine learning algorithms were modelled: Support Vector Machine, Logistic Regression, K-Near Neighbor, Random Forest, and Decision Tree. The study estimated the hazard ratio for the Cox Proportional Hazard Model and drew the Kaplan–Meier curve to compare the survivor risk of being stunted between program beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries. Logistic regression was used to identify the nutrition programs related to stunting reduction. Precision, recall, F1 score, accuracy, and Area under the Curve (AUC) are the metrics that were used to evaluate each classifier's performance to find the best one.ResultsBased on the provided data, the study revealed that the early childhood development (ECD) program (p-value = 0.041), nutrition sensitive direct support (NSDS) program (p-value = 0.03), ubudehe category (p-value = 0.000), toilet facility (p-value = 0.000), antenatal care (ANC) 4 visits (p-value = 0.002), fortified blended food (FBF) program (p-value = 0.038) and vaccination (p-value = 0.04) were found to be significant predictors of stunting reduction among under two children in Rwanda. Additionally, beneficiaries of early childhood development (p < .0001), nutrition sensitive direct support (p = 0.0055), antenatal care (p = 0.0343), Fortified Blended Food (p = 0.0136) and vaccination (p = 0.0355) had a lower risk of stunting than non-beneficiaries. Finally, Random Forest performed better than other classifiers, with precision scores of 83.7%, recall scores of 90.7%, F1 scores of 87.1%, accuracy scores of 83.9%, and AUC scores of 82.4%.ConclusionThe early childhood development (ECD) program, receiving the nutrition sensitive direct support (NSDS) program, focusing on households with the lowest wealth quintile (ubudehe category), sanitation facilities, visiting health care providers four times, receiving fortified blended food (FBF), and receiving all necessary vaccines are what determine the stunting reduction under two among the 17 districts of Rwanda. Finally, when compared to other models, Random Forest was shown to be the best machine learning (ML) classifier. Random forest is the best classifier for predicting the stunting reduction status of children under two years old.

Blended diet in enteral feeding: current guidance.

The practice of administering blended food via enteral feeding tubes has been growing in popularity in recent years. Concerns have been raised as this practice was perceived to increase risk of gastrointestinal intolerance, allergic reactions, nutritional insufficiency, tube blockages, and infection compared with using commercial enteral feed (CEF), the gold standard, as well as risk of litigation against the professional due to their support of practice that is not evidence-based. However, research has shown that the physical, social and emotional benefits from receiving blended diet may outweigh the previously suggested risks. Guidance has been updated to encourage discussions around blended diet while informing the tube-fed individuals, families and carers of potential risks, potential benefits, barriers, considerations for training, safety and contraindications.

Blenderized tube feeding in pediatrics - current evidence, guidelines, and considerations.

Recently, blenderized tube feeding (BTF) consisting of blended whole food components is emerging as a preferred approach to enteral nutrition in pediatric patients. Differences in the nutritional profile, viscosity, and other characteristics between BTF and conventional tube feeding formulas may impact clinical outcomes and practice considerations. Increasing guidance and evidence are emerging for BTF in pediatric populations requiring tube feeding. The characteristics of each BTF formulation vary, which may affect patient tolerance and clinical outcome. BTF is safe and generally well tolerated in children. It is shown to improve symptoms, clinical outcomes, and quality of life for many patients. A thorough risk assessment and nuanced approach may be required to optimize BTF administration.

Exploring parental thoughts and clinical experiences on blended food in a paediatric population, a qualitative study.

There's a growing interest in blended food (BF) as an alternative to commercial food (CF) for tube-fed children. Thus, we investigated parental and medical experiences with BF as an option for tube feeding in children. In this cross-sectional study, all patients were already using BF, chosen by parents. In March 2022, all patients using BF provided consent and completed a questionnaire assessing their experiences. Medical data were collected retrospectively from patient charts, including biometric changes, dietary adjustments, and nutritional status. A non-validated parent satisfaction score was computed from 17 questions, rated on a scale from one to five. A score of ≥ 51 points, indicating an average score of > 3 per question, was deemed indicative of a positive parental experience with BF. Nine children receiving BF were identified (median age: 4.7 years; weight: 14.9 kg; 66% male). All parents were satisfied with BF, reflected in the parent satisfaction score. Parents cited reduced feeding-related discomforts as the main reason for switching to BF. Weight (+0.3 SD) and length (+0.5 SD) showed positive changes. None discontinued BF, though modifications were made for five patients by the dietician. Nutritional deficiencies, mainly iron with or without zinc deficiency, were observed in four patients, with uncertain onset due to lack of pre-BF laboratory testing. In this small BF cohort overseen by an experienced multidisciplinary team, BF was well tolerated, resulting in high parental satisfaction and maintaining good nutritional status.

Effect of Soybean, Groundnut, Crayfish Inclusion and Vitamin C-fortified Formulated Food Blends on Biochemical, Hematological, Protein Quality and Performance Indices in Weanling Albino Rats

In this study, food staples comprising of Zea mays (maize), Sorghum bicolor (guinea corn), Glycine max (soybean), Arachis hypogea (groundnut) and Procambarus clarkii (crayfish) were traditionally processed and formulated into maize-guinea corn based weaning diets at 16% protein level. A replica of each diet was formulated with inclusion of vitamin C (50 mg/100 g diet). Fifty four 3-week old weanling albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) weighing between 36-39 g were placed into 13 groups of 4 rats per group and administered different diet groups ranging from maize- guinea corn base diet alone, through staples-inclusive diet (singly and in combination) and their vitamin c fortified replica diets, and standard commercial infant formula (Cerelac®) diet. Animals were sacrificed on the 28th day from onset of feeding and evaluated for biochemical, hematological and biological parameters; and sensory evaluation also conducted on the diets. Results showed significant increases in serum concentrations of protein, urea, creatinine; in the levels of red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV); in total body weight gain and organ weights and insignificant changes in white blood cell (WBC) and platelet counts in the staples-inclusive diets compared to base diet and also in the vitamin C- fortified diets compared to non-fortified diets. Incorporation of food staples enhanced the protein quality of the diets while fortification with vitamin C increased only the biological value. On the acceptability rating, only the base gruel-crayfish mix showed significantly higher taste and overall acceptability. Therefore, the inclusion of the food blends comprising of soybean, groundnut and crayfish improved the nutritive content, hematopoietic potential, protein quality, taste and overall acceptability of the maize-guinea corn based weaning diet. These were further improved by fortification of the diets with vitamin C, while crayfish played a prominent role in taste and overall acceptance of the formulated diets. Fortification also significantly bridges the gap between the formulated weaning diets and Cerelac®, a standard commercial weaning formula in Nigeria.

Before and after study of a national complementary and supplementary feeding programme in Rwanda, 2017-2021.

To address high rates of malnutrition among children from vulnerable households in Rwanda, the government initiated a national food supplementation programme. A before and after evaluation, using repeat cross-sectional surveys in randomly selected villageswas conducted; aimed at assessing the effectiveness of providing fortified blended food (FBF) to children 18-23 months of age, pregnant and lactating women in the lowest tier of Rwanda's social support system. Data were collected in 2017, 2018and 2021 through interviews with caregivers; anthropometric measurements and a capillary blood sample were obtained from children. The primary statistical analysis compared the nutritional status of children before and after the introduction of FBF. We enroled 724 children during each survey. The prevalence of stunting declined from 47% to 35% between 2017 and 2021; in 2018, the prevalence of stunting was 43%. Children had a 42% reduction in the odds of being stunted (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.47-0.74, p < 0.001) from 2017 to 2021 even after adjusting for inherent, distal, proximal, and intermediate covariates. The reduction in stunting observed within the first year of the programme was not statistically significant (AOR: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.67-1.03, p < 0.091). We observed meaningful reductions in the prevalence of stunting among children which coincided with the introduction of Government-led initiative to reduce malnutrition. The Rwandan Government has committed to improving the living conditions of vulnerable households and has made strong investments in reducing malnutrition. The impact of these investments can be seen in the overall trend towards improved nutritional status highlighted in this evaluation.

The evolution of nutrition management in children with severe neurological impairment with a focus on cerebral palsy.

Nutritional management of children with severe neurological impairment (SNI) is highly complex, and the profile of this population is changing. The aim of this narrative review was to give the reader a broad description of evolution of the nutritional management of children with SNI in a high resource setting. In the last decade, there has been an emphasis on using multiple anthropometric measures to monitor nutritional status in children with SNI, and several attempts at standardising the approach have been made. Tools such as the Feeding and Nutrition Screening Tool, the Subjective Global Nutrition Assessment, the Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System and the Focus on Early Eating and Drinking Swallowing (FEEDS) toolkit have become available. There has been an increased understanding of how the gut microbiome influences gastrointestinal symptoms common in children with SNI, and the use of fibre in the management of these has received attention. A new diagnosis, 'gastrointestinal dystonia', has been defined. The increased use and acceptance of blended food tube feeds has been a major development in the nutritional management of children with SNI, with reported benefits in managing gastrointestinal symptoms. New interventions to support eating and drinking skill development in children with SNI show promise. In conclusion, as the life expectancy of people with SNI increases due to advances in medical and nutrition care, our approach necessitates a view to long-term health and quality of life. This involves balancing adequate nutrition to support growth, development and well-being while avoiding overnutrition and its associated detrimental long-term effects.

Sensitive ELISA and lateral flow immunoassay for the detection of walnut traces in processed food and working surfaces

Walnut represents one of the most allergenic nuts that can be found as a hidden allergen. In this study, sandwich ELISA and lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA), based on the determination of Jug r 1, were developed to detect walnut. Cross-reactivity was only found with Pecan nut among a panel of 88 food ingredients tested. ELISA and LFIA could detect 0.25 and 0.5 µg/g of walnut protein in complex food matrices spiked with walnut extract, respectively. Furthermore, walnut was detected in blended (chocolate) and incurred foods (ice cream and bread) added with ground walnut at levels of 0.5 and 1.5 µg protein/g by ELISA and LFIA, respectively. LFIA could also detect 0.1 μg of walnut protein in working surfaces. ELISA displayed acceptable precision and high recovery (71–97 %) and both tests were robust. This study shows that developed ELISA and LFIA are reliable tools to be applied in allergen control programs.

Role of Viruddhahara in Ayurveda w.s.r. to Deshviruddha and Kaalaviruddha Aahara

Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine in India. It is a science and specialty of sensible carrying on those aids in achieving life expectancy. It puts a compliment on obstruction and recovery medicines despite different ways to deal with sanitizing and recovery. It can help each person with reaching the right decisions about their food, lifestyle, and exercise to re-establish a decent game plan between their body, cerebrum, and care, to re-establish a decent generally speaking plan between their body, mind, and care, thusly finishing the spread of disorders. Some unsatisfactory eating schedules, penchants, lifestyles, problematic food blends (e.g., milk and fish, melons and grain, yogurt, and meat or cooked Madhu, etc), periodic changes, checked sentiments, and stress factors can all act either together or freely to change the harmony of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. According to the possibility of the explanation, either Vata, Pitta, or Kapha go through intensification or craziness which impacts the Agni (gastric fire) and makes Ama (harms). This Ama enters the circulatory framework and is circumnavigated all through the body, plugging up the channels. Systems for upkeeps of toxic substances in the blood achieve toxemia. This assembled noxiousness, when profoundly grounded, will step by step impact Prana (vital life energy), Ojas (obstruction), and Tejas (cell metabolic energy) and result in afflictions. This can be nature's undertaking at killing the harmfulness from the body. Each alleged contamination is a crisis of Ama noxiousness. Ama is the crucial inside justification behind all ailments, due to the annoyed Doshas.

Investigation of Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Activities of Chocolate Fortified with Muscadine Grape Pomace.

Muscadine grape pomace and mixed products with chocolate extracts from three muscadine genotypes exhibiting different berry skin colors (black and bronze) were investigated for total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), DPPH, FRAP antioxidant activity, and anticancer activity using MDA-MB-468 (MM-468; African American) breast cancer cells. Muscadine berry extracts and mixed products showed cytotoxicity activities of up to 70% against MM-468 breast cancer cells. Cell growth inhibition was higher in 'macerated Floriana' with an IC50 value of 20.70 ± 2.43 followed by 'Alachua' with an IC50 value of 22.25 ± 2.47. TPC and TFC in macerated MGP powder were (1.4 ± 0.14 and 0.45 ± 0.01 GAE/g FW, respectively), which was significantly higher than those in cocoa powder. Data analysis showed a high association between DPPH, FRAP antioxidant activities, and TPC content and a positive high correlation between anticancer activity and antioxidant capacity and between TPC and anticancer activity. The anticancer and antioxidant effects of muscadine grape pomace and chocolate extracts are attributed to the TPC of extracts, which showed a stronger positive correlation with growth inhibition of African American breast cancer cells. This study would be of great value for food industries as well as other manufacturers who are interested in new food blends.

Blended diets for tube-fed children and young people: a rapid review update

BackgroundMany children and young people with complex health and care needs use enteral feeding tubes to optimise their nutritional intake in the UK and other countries. Blended diets as an...

Innate attraction and aversion to odors in locusts.

Many animals display innate preferences for some odors, but the physiological mechanisms underlying these preferences are poorly understood. Here, with behavioral tests, we establish a model system well suited to investigating olfactory mechanisms, the locust Schistocerca americana. We conducted open field tests in an arena designed to provide only olfactory cues to guide navigation choices. We found that newly hatched locusts navigated toward, and spent more time near, the odor of wheat grass than humidified air. In similar tests, we found that hatchlings avoided moderate concentrations of major individual components of the food blend odor, 1-hexanol (1% v/v) and hexanal (0.9% v/v) diluted in mineral oil relative to control presentations of unscented mineral oil. Hatchlings were neither attracted nor repelled by a lower concentration (0.1% v/v) of 1-hexanol but were moderately attracted to a low concentration (0.225% v/v) of hexanal. We quantified the behavior of the animals by tracking their positions with the Argos software toolkit. Our results establish that hatchlings have a strong, innate preference for food odor blend, but the valence of the blend's individual components may be different and may change depending on the concentration. Our results provide a useful entry point for an analysis of physiological mechanisms underlying innate sensory preferences.

Dietary Strategies for Complementary Feeding between 6 and 24 Months of Age: The Evidence.

Suboptimal complementary feeding practices remain highly prevent. This review aims to comprehensively synthesize new emerging evidence on a set of topics related to the selection and consumption of complementary foods. We synthesized evidence related to five key topics focused on nutritional interventions that target the complementary feeding period, based on four systematic reviews that include updated evidence to February 2022. While there have been many studies examining interventions during the complementary feeding period, there is an overall lack of relevant information through which to draw conclusions on the ideal feeding schedule by food type. Similarly, few studies have examined the effects of animal milk versus infant formula for non-breastfed infants (6-11 months), though those that did found a greater risk of anemia among infants who were provided cow's milk. This review highlights a number of interventions that are successful at improving micronutrient status and anthropometry during the complementary feeding period, including fortified blended foods, locally and commercially produced supplementary foods, and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements. Complementary feeding education for caregivers can also be used to improve nutrition outcomes among infants in both food secure and insecure populations.

Formulating finger millet (Eleusine coracana L) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) food blend for enhanced micronutrients for children below 5 years

Malnutrition of children under 5 years is a public health concern because it is the most vulnerable stage of child’s growth where its impact results in long term health conditions such as stunting, wasting, obesity and poor cognitive development. This study aimed at developing a Rapoko-Cowpea porridge blend to enhance dietary micronutrients among children below the age of 5 years and assess its sensory acceptability. A mixed methods research approach was adopted consisting of a quasi- experiment and a cross sectional survey. Vendors from Mbare market were clustered based on the source of their finger millet and cowpea grains (Masvingo, Murewa, Gokwe). A Completely Randomised Design (CRD) was used with three treatments (blends) replicated three times. Proximate analysis was done using standard AOAC methods. Compared to cowpea, finger millet had the highest levels of carbohydrates (78.12g/100g), iron (8.7mg/100g), zinc (3.77mg/100g). Results also show that 75:25. Rapoko-Cowpea blend ratio had the ability to meet WHO daily nutrient requirements for children under the age of 5 years. Blend ratio of Rapoko: cowpeas (75:25) had the highest carbohydrates (69.41g/100g), protein (25.64g/100g), zinc (1.74mg/100g), iron (5.14mg/100g), energy (411.37kcal), and vitamins (0.11 mcg RAE) with RaCoB1 blend having the lowest nutrient composition. Results have showed that finger millet (Rapoko), cowpeas and RaCoB (Rapoko-Cowpea blend) blends have high macro and micronutrients (iron and zinc) to support daily nutritional requirements of children below the age of 5 years and may help in addressing malnutrition. Sensory evaluation was done with 100 panellists from the University of Zimbabwe and of the three blends, a 75:25 ratio was the most preferred (90.88%). Further studies need to analyse the effects of anti-nutritional factors, bioavailability of nutrients, shelf life of the food blend and commercialization potential of RaCoB blends. The government is therefore encouraged to provide agronomic support for increased productivity of small grains and pulses through improved research and extension. There is a need to develop a policy at national level that promotes blending of cereals and pulses as well as innovative small scale food processing initiatives through private-public partnerships. Key words: Children under 5 years, Cowpea, food blending, Malnutrition, Micronutrients, Rapoko, Sensory evaluation

Effectiveness of Dietary Management for Moderate Wasting among Children > 6 Months of Age-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Exploring Different Types, Quantities, and Durations.

Currently, no World Health Organization guidelines exist for the management of approximately 31.8 million moderately wasted children globally. The objective of this review was to synthesise evidence on the optimal type, quantity, and duration of dietary treatment for moderate wasting. Ten electronic databases were searched until the 23rd of August 2021. Experimental studies comparing interventions for the dietary management of moderate wasting were included. Meta-analyses were conducted and results were presented as risk ratios or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. Seventeen studies comparing specially formulated foods were included involving 23,005 participants. Findings suggest little or no difference in recovery between Fortified Blended Foods (FBFs) with improved micronutrient and/or milk content (enhanced FBFs) and lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS), whereas children treated with non-enhanced FBFs (locally produced FBFs or standard corn-soy blend) may have lower recovery rates than those treated with LNS. There was no difference in recovery when ready-to-use therapeutic and ready-to-use supplementary food were compared. Other outcomes mostly aligned with results for recovery. In conclusion, LNSs improve recovery compared to non-enhanced FBFs, but are comparable to enhanced FBFs. Programmatic choice of supplement should consider factors such as cost, cost-effectiveness, and acceptability. Further research is required to determine optimal dosing and duration of supplementation.

A Review: ICDS Programmes: To Develop a New Fortified Nutrient Rich Sugar Free Supplementary Food Product

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is India's flagship programme for infant and young child health, nutrition and development. Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) is one of the core components of ICDS. Balshakti (Energy Dense Micronutrient Fortified Extruded Blended Food) is provided as Take-Home Ration (THR) to children 7 months to 3 years. The feasibility of using a wheat flour mill to refine corn, soya, ragi, moong dal and chickpea was studied. Milling of wheat, ragi, rice, corn, chana dal, moong Dal, and soya grain resulted in fiber content from 1.93, 2.16,2.60 and 2.50 % in raw, finely milled and coarsely milled moong dal and ragi respectively. kcal obtain from BSR and BSM 455.66 &amp; 435.22. Similarly, there was a fat, protein (1.74 &amp;0.70) (25.79 &amp;8.59) content from roasted material, according to ICDS Indian RAD for 12-23 month age group of infant have to required 1060 kcal and 16.7 g protein. our product (THR) provides 500 kcal and 12-15 g protein. aim was this new development to more nutrition and healthy food gave infant.50 % requirement fulfilled by this new product. Keywords: ragi, moong dal, ICDS, THR, protein, nutrition, BS.

Processing and optimisation of complementary food blends from roasted pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and soybean (Glycine max) using response surface modeling.

Adequate nutrition is vital during infancy but the high cost of supplemented infant formulae has forced inhabitants of Central and West Africa to depend solely on low-nutrient gruels. Response Surface modelling was used to process a complementary food from roasted pearl millet and Soybean flour. A central composite design was adopted to study the effects of feed composition X1 (5.86-34.14%) and roasting temperature X2 (126-154°C) on the micronutrients, functional, and sensory profiles of the different blends. The responses were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by the independent factors. For the vitamins in mg/100g, the thiamin, riboflavin, folate, and β-carotene content ranged from 0.17-0.33, 24-53.50, 1.32-2.29, and 7-22.98, respectively. For the minerals in mg/100g, the zinc, calcium, potassium, and iron content ranged from 0.35-0.54, 39.5-62.75, 1.2-1.8, and 0.017-0.18, respectively. The viscosity, bulk density, swelling capacity, water absorption capacity, and pH ranged from 1577.5-942.5 cP, 0.74-0.79g/cm3, 0.10-0.30ml/g, 1.2-1.4ml/g, and 4.70-5.70, respectively. The sensory scores were rated highly by the panelists. The optimum processing conditions with a desirability of 0.50 gave 29.28% and 130.39°C feed composition and roasting temperature, respectively.

Novel UBE3A pathogenic variant in a large Georgian family produces non-convulsive status epilepticus responsive to ketogenic diet

PurposeTo report the effect of the ketogenic diet (KD) on non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) due to Angelman syndrome (AS) in two members of a large Georgian family affected by a novel frameshift variant in the UBE3A gene (NM_000462.3). MethodsWe evaluated two members of this family who were affected with clinical and EEG features of AS. Clinical history with special emphasis on development, seizure type, frequency, and treatment was reviewed. Routine and long-term video EEG monitoring were conducted, particularly during NCSE. A non-fasting inpatient KD protocol was implemented using blended food orally with full administration of 4:1 (fat to non-fat) ratio. Urine ketone bodies (KBs), measured with urine ketone acetone strips readings, reached 150 mg/dL in both patients. ResultsPatients had characteristic signs of AS and presented with epilepsy between the age of 2–4 years. As methylation tests were negative, next generation sequencing disclosed a c.2365del variant. For both, NCSE was revealed by cognitive deterioration and did not respond to anti-seizure medication. As recommended, IV pyridoxine, benzodiazepines, and valproic acid were administered, but without success. For both patients, NCSE resolved on the second-third day of KD initiation, before the appearance of ketonuria and resulting in improved communication, mood and sleep. ConclusionKD is safe and effective for the treatment of NCSE due to AS. Resolution before the appearance of ketone bodies points to a possible mechanism of action of KD.

FORMULATION AND NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF HIGH PROTEIN DIET PRODUCED FROM YELLOW MAIZE (Zea mays) SOYA BEAN (GLYCINE MAX), PUMPKIN (Cucurbita pepo) SEED AND FISH (Alestes nurse) MEAL

&#x0D; The aim of this study was to produce high protein diet for growing children from yellow maize, soya bean, pumpkin seed and fish meal. The raw materials were subjected to different processing techniques. The yellow maize (YM) was blended with different proportions of soya bean (SB), pumpkin seeds (PS) and fish meal (FM) with a view to formulating a high protein diet to address protein Energy Malnutrition. The formulated food Blends were; Blend 1 (70 % YM: 30 % SB), Blend 2 (70 % YM: 30 % PS), Blend 3 (70 % YM: 30 % FM), Blend 4 (70 % YM: 20 % SB :10 % PS), Blend 5 (70 % YM: 15 % SB: 15 % FM), Blend 6 (60 % YM: 20 % PS: 20 % FM), and a therapeutic milk (F-100) was used as a control diet. The raw materials and the food Blends were assayed for proximate, mineral, vitamin content and amino acid profile. The data obtained were analyzed statistically. The results of the proximate composition showed significant (p&lt;0.05) decrease in moisture, protein, total fat and fibre contents of the fermented yellow maize, roasted soya bean and pumpkin seed while that of the dried fish showed significant (P&lt;0.05) increase. The results shows that food Blend 6 had highest values for protein (17.77±0.09 %), total fat (6.00±0.27%) and total energy (388.10±0.29 Kcal/100g). A Significant (P&lt;0.05) difference was observed in the mineral element content of yellow maize and fish meal after fermentation and drying respectively, while an increase was observed in roasted soya bean and pumpkin seed. The food Blend 5 recorded higher value for Na, and K, while the control diet had higher value for P, Zn, Fe and Cu. An increase in B-group vitamins, and vitamin C, were observed in the samples, while decreased in fat soluble vitamins A and E were observed in fermented yellow maize and dried fish, while decrease was observed in roasted soybean and pumpkin seed. The control diet had higher value for all the vitamins analyzed compared to the food Blends, except for vitamin A and E. The result of the amino acid profile showed that the levels of the essential amino acids were increased in the fermented yellow maize, and dried fish, while a reduction was observed in roasted soya bean and pumpkin seed. However, all the prepared food Blends were enhanced in terms of essential amino acid, but more enhanced in food Blend 6, followed very closely by food Blend 5. The amino acid profile of the control Blend was higher than those of the food Blends1, 2, 3 and 4. Thus, the high energy and protein contents of the formulated diets are adequate in the management of PEM.

Formulation and nutritional evaluation of a complementary food blend made from fermented yellow maize (Improved variety), soybean and African cat fish meal

Fermented cereal-based gruels with poor nutritional value form a major component of the diet of infants during the transition phase of childhood. With the recent security challenges affecting people in the north- east region of Nigeria, food security is at stake, malnutrition is common among infants and young children while reliance on UNICEF for supplies of ready- to- use therapeutic foods is not a long-term solution. A complementary food blend was prepared following the guideline of WHO/FAO on infants’ nutritional requirements in a 60:20:20 ratio from fermented yellow maize (improved variety), roasted soybean and fishmeal respectively. All the sample materials were pre-processed by either fermentation, drying or roasting prior to food blend formulation. Standard methods (AOAC) were used to evaluate the nutritional values of the raw and processed materials and the formulated complementary food blend. Water absorption capacity of the fermented yellow maize significantly decreased (P&lt; 0.05) with decrease in pH and increase in titratable acidity from 20% - 51% (0 – 72h). The carbohydrate (64.35±0.03%) and protein contents (14.55±0.03% and energy value (351.64±0.03 Kcal/100g) of the complementary food blend was closely comparable to the commercial complementary food blend cerelac® (Carbohydrate 69.00%, Protein 15.0%, and energy 426.00 Kcal/100g) and satisfied the needs of infants. The low moisture content (3.1±0.02%) exhibited by the complementary food blend might give a good storage stability. The iron level of the complementary food blend (40.33± 0.03%) was higher than that of the commercial complementary food blend celerac® (10.0%), though the levels of potassium, zinc and calcium were lower. Microbial analysis showed no contamination with pathogenic organisms in the formulated food blend. The formulated complementary food blend met the WHO estimated requirements of infant 6 – 23 months in terms of nutritional quality and may therefore be a good substitute to the imported, expensive alternatives.