ABSTRACT

Snacks are basically prepared from wheat flour, which are nutritional inadequate. There is need to complement the nutrient content of these snacks by varying the food sources. Chin-chin snacks were produced from composite flours of wheat, soybean and orange-fleshed sweet potato puree (OFSPP) . Five formulations (SWC1–SWC5) were prepared with varying proportions of OFSPP, soybean, and wheat flour with the following formation SWC1 - (OFSPP 25% : Soybean 25%: Wheat 50%), SWC2- (OFSPP 50%: Soybean 50% : Wheat 0%), SWC3 - (OFSPP 20% : Soybean 30% :Wheat 50%) , SWC4 - ( OFSPP 30%: Soybean 20%: Wheat 50%). Wheat flour SWC5 (100%WF) served as control. The samples were analyzed for proximate and vitamin composition using standard methods. The analysis revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in the proximate composition of the chin-chin samples. The values ranged from 4.69 - 15.54% for moisture content, 84.46 - 95.31% for dry matter, 1.36 - 1.65% for crude ash, 1.43 - 1.60% for crude fiber, 12.68 - 19.36%for crude fat, 11.87 - 12.77% for crude protein and 49.11 - 67.89% for carbohydrates. Higher fiber content (1.57% and 1.60%) was obtained in samples (SWC2 and SWC4) containing higher proportion (30% and 50%) of OFSPP. SWC2 (12.77%) and SWC3 (12.55%) with higher soybean flour, recorded higher protein values. The moisture content was high (4.69 - 15.54%) in the chin- chin samples due to the inclusion of OFSPP. Vitamin analysis revealed that the inclusion of OFSPP enhanced carotene and vitamin C content, with SWC2 having the highest values (18.53µg/g and 8.47mg/100g, respectively). Similarly, soybean flour increased B vitamin levels, with SWC2 exhibiting the highest concentrations of vitamins B1 (0.62 mg/100g), B2 (0.28 mg/100g), and B3 (0.73 mg/100g). Overall, the vitamin content of snacks from the composite flours were higher than that of the control sample (SWC5), with the inclusion of OFSPP significantly enhancing the levels of vitamins B1, B2, B3, C, and carotene. In conclusion, substituting wheat flour with soybean flour and OFSP puree significantly improved the nutritional profile of chin chin, particularly in protein, fiber, and vitamins.  SWC2- (OFSPP 50%: Soybean 50% : Wheat 0%) formulation provides a healthier alternative to traditional chin-chin and could help address nutritional deficiencies.