Quality Evaluation and Comparative Nutritional Assessment of Six Instant Weaning Foods Formulated from Selected Staple Foods and Protein Supplements

Inadequate and poor weaning practices in addition to malnutrition remains a serious public health challenge among the under-five in developing countries, Nigeria inclusive, since the commercial weaning foods are not quite affordable and to some extent not available to the common man. Hence this study is aimed at evaluating the Quality and comparatively assessing nutritional composition of six instant weaning foods formulated from selected staple foods and protein supplements. Six weaning foods formulated: three rice-lentil based (A-C) and three sweet potato-soybeans based (D-F) at the respective ratios of 70:10, 60:20 and 50:30 blended with groundnut, crayfish and smoked fish in varying quantity to make up the 100g. These blends were compared with a reference weaning diet (Nutrend- Maize-soybean blend). The nutritional composition, sensory acceptability and microbial count of the diets were investigated using standard methods. The results of the investigation showed that fat content of experimental diets ranged between 3.00_+ 0.01% to 7.51+_0.01%, moisture contents 6.58+0.09% to 8.02+0.04%, the protein contents between 9.12+0.07% to 17.73 + 0.02%. The proximate compositions of the experimental diets were within standard range except for diet E when compared with the reference diet. The same trend was observed with carbohydrates contents except for diet A. The assessment showed low fat to high carbohydrate and protein contents. The mineral contents were significantly higher than that of the reference except for phosphorus and potassium contents which were lower for the rice blends while the sweet potato blends were higher making them more fit in comparison to the reference especially diet F. Sensory evaluation panelists generally scored the sweet potato blends higher however, blend F was most preferred as compared to others scoring second to the reference. The microbial screening of the diets shows that all the blends A-F were fungi free even after 28 days of shelf life and it competed favourably with the reference. The study however revealed that the sweet potato – soybean based formulated weaning food may serve as a good substitute for commercial weaning foods for infants in developing countries.