Nutritional, Microbiological and Rheological Characteristics of Porridges Prepared from Infant Flours Based on Germinated and Fermented Cereals Fortified with Soybean

Abstract

The complementary feeding was a critical period for the child‟s growth. The germination and fermentation processes were used to improve the properties of infant flours-based maize, sorghum and soybeans. The physico-chemical and the nutritional composition of the porridges prepared from these infant flours were d etermined. The incorporation of roasted soybean flour, sugar and „‟baobab‟‟ pulp in the traditional germinated infant flour (containing germinated maize and sorghum flours in rate 50/50) improved the taste of porridge and the dry matter increasing from 25.31% to 31.23%. The energy value increased from 101.24% to 124.92 kcal and protein levels from 10.20% to 16.65%.In the fermentation process, the use of „‟Mawè‟‟ (dehulled and fermented maize dough) andthe incorporation of roasted soybean flour, germinated maize flour, sugar and „‟baobab‟‟pulp in traditional infant flour (containing “Mawè” flour, roasted sorghum flour and “Mawè” dough in rate 50/46/04) improved the dry matter to increasing from 22, 98% to 30.09%. Consequently, the energy value increased from 91.92 kcal to 120.36 kcal and the protein levels from 2.73% to 15.32%.These fermented and germinated infant flours allowed to prepare infants porridges according to the standards which could contribute to the fighting of child‟ malnutrition.