ABSTRACT

Flour blends prepared from two varieties of cocoyam (red cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittfolium schoti) and white cocoyam (Xanlhosoma sagitlijoiium (L.) Schott)), African breadfruit (Treculia africana) and wheat (Trificum aestivium) at different proportions were extruded into noodles in a locally fabricated and manually operated extruder. Proximate compositions and functional properties of the composite flours were evaluated. The sensory properties of the noodles produced were also determined using the normal indomine instant noodle as a control sample. The flour blends had proximate compositions ranging from 9.38% to 11.76% moisture, 1.25% to 3.24% ash, 8.91% to 14.7 1% crude fibre, 2.33% to 3.54% crude protein, 1.07% to 4.93% fat, and 65.44% to 72.83% carbohydrate. Emulsification capacity and stability of the flour blends ranged from 10.86m11g to 18.70mL'g and 9.2lmllg to 17.6lmllg respectively. The composite flour had gelatinization capacity and gelatinization temperature of 0.50g/ml — 0.99g1m1 and 77.50°C — 84.00°C respectively. Foam capacity and foam stability of the flour blends were 9.75% - 13.65% and 5.63% - 8.72% respectively. Bulk density of the flour blends was 0.58g/ml — 0.60g/ml. The composite flour samples had water absorption capacity of 1. 25m1/g — 2. 34m11g and oil absorption capacity of 1.l9ml/g — 2. l7ml/g. The swelling index and wettability of the flour blends ranged from 1 .93m11g — 2.75m11g and 49.00s — 70.00s respectively. The results of the sensory evaluation based on the nine-point hedonic scale, showed that the cooked noodle samples had 4.73 — 6.67 colour, 5.27 - 6.60 flavour, 5.33 — 6.56 texture, 5.53 — 6.73 taste, 5.20 — 7.07 palatability, and 5.33 — 6.87 general (overall) acceptability. Noodle sample 10 1(80% red cocoyam flour: 10% African bread fruit flour: 10% wheat flour) was found to be the most acceptable to the consumers.