ABSTRACT

Complementary food production was carried out by combining maize (Zea mays), soybean (Glycine max) and plantain (Musa species AAB group). Maize was fermented, dried and milled into flour, while plantain and soybean were blanched (plantain 20 minutes, soybean 45 minutes), dried and milled into flour of fine texture to prepare six different products of maize-plantain-soybean composite in the ratios 50:25:25, 50:20:30, 50:15:35, 50:10:40, 50:5:45 and 33.33:33.33:33.33. The composite flours were used as base for production of rat diets and complementary foods. The composite flours were subjected to proximate analysis, evaluation of physical and functional properties, minerals, vitamins and anti-nutritional factors. Sensory evaluation and microbiological analysis were carried out. Feeding trail using albino rats were carried out to determine the response of the rats to the diets. The microorganisms identified in the complementary foods were predominantly Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Sensory evaluation showed that there was no significant difference between the general acceptability of the blended complementary food and that of Nutrient (OPBL7 — a commercially produced complementary food). Animal studies indicated growth and development in rats fed with the complementary food. The maize-plantain-soybean based complementary foods are considered nutritionally adequate, organoleptically acceptable, easy-to-prepare and hence recommended.