Rheological and nutritional characteristics of infant flours prepared from mixed flours of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott), soybean and baobab pulp

Abstract

If, according to the UN, chronic hunger is declining, it still affects 795 million people worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, one in four people is undernourished. Malnutrition kills 3.1 million children under the age of five each year. This study aims to contribute to children‟s food security at complementary feeding age through taro valorization in Benin. Rheological and nutrient qualities of two infant flours formulated (FT25, FT35) with a mixed flour of taro, soybean and baobab pulp were evaluated. These flours were analysed for their rheological, nutritional, microbiological and sensory profiles by standard methods. The result indicates that the rheological characteristic was 250.50, 345.50 and 353 cp respectively for FT25, FT35 and commercial infant flour „‟Beau bébé‟‟ (FBB). The infant flours FT25, FT35 and FBB had respectively 91.07±0.5; 91.65± 0.04 and 93.68 ± 0.007% for dry matter. The protein, fat and carbohydrate content were 14.97±0.01; 5.46±0.14 and68.41±0.46% for FT25, 20.96±0.01; 7.31±1.06 and 60.30±1.73% for FT35 and 15.81±0.31; 7.34±0.05and 67.33±0.32% for commercial infant flour FBB. The ash content and energy value were respectively 2.23±0.05% and 382.23±2.53Kcal for FT25; 2.58±0.08% and 390.85±2.67Kcal for FT35; 3.21±0.05% and 399.12±0.25Kcal for commercial infant flour FBB. It then becomes important to promote the product developed in order to valorize taro and to contribute to children‟s food security in Benin. This goes through an industrial production and commercialization of taro based infant flours fortified with soybean.