ABSTRACT

The study evaluated the nutrient and sensory properties of flour blends made from maize, fish and tigernut. Flours were made from dried fish, dried tigernut and soaked dried maize grains , chemical evaluation of the flours were done. Three samples of infant food formulae was made. They were sample A: 65% Maize, 20% Fish,  15% Tigernut flour: Sample B of 60% maize, 25% fish, 15% Tigernut: Sample C of 55% Maize , 30% Fish , 15% Tigernut flour. The samples were analyzed for proximate composition, minerals and vitamins. Sensory evaluation was also carried out on the three samples, with the control-CERELAC. The protein proximate of the product was of the level between 23.13 and 36.54%. sample C, have the highest protein proximate of 36.54%. while, sample A had the highest ash content of 3.80%. Carbohydrate content of the product ranges from 37.22% to 47.12%. When scaled with the control statistically, showing that no significant difference existed among the 3 samples, including control at P=<0.05. (calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium were present in all the samples, with sample A having the highest potassium content of 357.0mg/100g followed by sample C of 212.33mg/100g. comparing the product with control –CERELAC. Significant difference occurs in both the mineral composition and the vitamin content. Unlike, other commercially available infant food, vitamin E occurred significantly in all product at a level of 0.60, vitamin A, B12 and C was also present for both the control and the product. No significant difference was found among them. Result from the sensory score test shows that the control-CERELAC, was better appreciated than the test samples because of the additives incorporated in the commercial product to improve the sensory acceptability and to improve nutrient content. Sample B, which had 25% of the fish flour was best accepted among the test samples while sample A, which had 20% of fish was least accepted. The level of acceptability between test samples against the control would depend on incorporating additives to silent the fish aroma  and improve taste.