ABSTRACT

Conventional Puff-Puff, made primarily from wheat flour, is nutritionally inadequate, lacking essential nutrients such as protein and vitamins. This study explores the nutrient and sensory attributes of composite flours made from wheat, soya bean and orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) puree for Puff-Puff production. The purpose of this study is to enhance the nutritional profile and sensory attributes of Puff-Puff by incorporating OFSP puree and soya bean flour. An experimental design was adopted, producing five formulations with varying proportions of wheat, soya bean and OFSP puree; SWP1- (25% OFSP, 25% Soya bean, 50% Wheat), SWP2- (50% OFSP, 50% Soya bean, 0% Wheat), SWP3- (20% OFSP, 30% Soya bean, 50% Wheat), SWP4- (30% OFSP, 20% Soya bean, 50% Wheat), SWP5- (0% OFSP, 0% Soya bean, 100% Wheat) which is the control sample. Proximate, vitamin, and sensory analyses were conducted to evaluate the nutritional and sensory attributes of the Puff-Puff samples. The findings from the result tables revealed that the sample SWP2 had the highest protein content (12.41%), fat content (13.77%), and fiber (1.47%) content, indicating soya bean’s contribution to protein and healthy fats while sample SWP4 had the highest carbohydrate content (46.84%), reflecting wheat and OFSP’s starch contribution. Vitamin A levels were notably enhanced in samples containing OFSP puree, with SWP2 (15.33µg/g) recording a significant improvement due to OFSP’s high beta-carotene content. Furthermore, the sensory evaluation revealed that samples SWP3 and SWP4 maintained a moderately acceptable taste, texture and overall appeal, with sample SWP1 (25% OFSP, 25% soya bean, 50% wheat) scoring highest in overall acceptability (5.03). This highlights the potential of composite flours to enhance nutrition while retaining consumer preferences. This study explains that incorporating OFSP puree and soya bean flour into Puff-Puff significantly improves its nutritional content, particularly in protein, fat, and vitamin A, without compromising sensory quality. This approach offers a practical solution to malnutrition while promoting the use of locally available and nutrient-dense ingredients.