Analysis of extruded ready to eat baby foods prepared using composite flours from orange fleshed sweet potatoes soybeans and amaranth seeds

Abstract

There is severe food insecurity for many people who live in sub-Saharan Africa. The situation is worse for children under the age of five years who are undernourished. This is caused mainly by poverty limiting access to quality foods, as well as poor breastfeeding, and complementary feeding practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and analyze the physicochemical properties, microbial, sensory properties, and shelf-life of extruded RTE baby foods prepared using composite flours from orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP), amaranth seeds, and soybeans. Ready-to-eat (RTE) baby foods which are conveniently distributed to the poor could be a way of mitigating this challenge. Additionally, there are advocacies for the utilization of locally available food resources for sustainable food production. Extrusion technology has been used in many parts of the world to process RTE foods. However, as with most food technologies, there are always questions regarding optimum working conditions, nutritional quality and safety, consumer outlook, and shelf stability that need to be addressed. The ingredients were optimized using the extreme vertices method of mixture design using Minitab Software. The optimum value for model verification was 57% OFSP, 24% amaranth seeds, and 19% soybeans flour, to achieve targeted values of crude protein (14%), total minerals (4.7%), and Vitamin A (813.6 Retinol Activity Equivalent ug/ 100g). The optimum extrusion cooking conditions were established as 9O“C die temperature, 35% feed moisture content, and 400 rpm screw speed based on Box-Behnken Experimental Design of Response Surface Methodology under Design Expert Software. A completely randomized design (CRD) in a factorial experimental design was employed using statistical analysis software (SAS) for the production of extruded ready-to-eat baby foods. The results revealed that extrusion cooking and blend proportions significantly (p<0.05) affected the physicochemical properties, microbial, sensory properties, and shelf-life of extrudates. The extrusion cooking significantly (p<0.05) reduced moisture content (59.5%), protein content by 5.56%, anti-nutrient content (65.24 - 97.43%), and vitamin A content (2l.33%). On the other hand, there were significant (p<0.05) increases in carbohydrate (12.31%), total minerals (10.44%), dry matter (7.06%) contents, energy value (6.38%) and energy-to-protein ratio (1 1.28%). Blend proportions and extrusion cooking have significant (p<0.05) positive effects on the protein quality of the extrudates in terms of in Vi't|'O protein digestibility and available lysine. The shelf-life of extrudates was found to be about 4 to 6 months. Therefore, the use of extrusion cooking techniques for OF SP, amaranth seeds, and soybeans composite flours has the potential for the production of value-added OFSP food products. These findings can be used to achieve food and nutrition security in developing countries.