Formulation and assessment of nutrient contents of complementary foods from fermented, sprouted, and toasted maize-soybean blend

Background: Provision of quality complementary foods is one of the fundamental ways of fostering the all-around development of a child and preventing long-term nutritional problems. Objective: The study assessed the nutrient contents of formulated complementary foods from fermented, sprouted and toasted maize-soybean blend Methods: Maize and Soybean were purchased from Kings Market in Owo Local Government while a commercial complementary food was purchased from Ceci supermarket, Akure Ondo state. The two grains were subjected to sprouting, toasting and fermentation, and the grains were ground into flours and then formulated into nine (9) different blends using the ratio 70:30 for maize and soybean flour respectively. Samples were analysed for proximate and mineral contents while sensory evaluation was carried out using a 9-point hedonic scale. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT) was performed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 23. The difference is considered statistically significant at P<0.05. Results: The results showed that the protein, fat, and energy contents of sprouted, toasted, and fermented products ranged (15.67% to 20.39%), (9.79-15.18g), and (435.96kcal/g to 469.69kcal/g) respectively. These values were higher than the protein and energy content of the control sample of 15%, 9%, and 398kcal/g respectively. The protein value of any of the blends was significantly (P<0.05) higher than the WHO recommendations of 9.1-13g/day but lower in mineral content. Likewise, iron and iodine were significantly (P˂0.05) higher in the blends than the commercial food Conclusion: The results showed that maize-soy blends contained a high amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate, iron, iodine, and potassium irrespective of the processed method adopted and can provide better nutrition for infants during complementary feeding.