PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF FLOUR BLENDS PRODUCED FROM THREE INDIGENOUS CROPS (MAIZE/COWPEA/MORINGA SEEDS) 1 2 1 1

• I. O. Shakpo

  Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

  Author

• T. I. Ademulegun

  Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

  Author

• O. A. Ajala

  Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

  Author

• M. K. Olatinpo

  Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

  Author

The objective of the study was to increase the nutrient content of the cereal and improve the nutritional intake of the rural consumers. Flour blends were produced from maize, cowpea and moringa seed flours in the following ratios of maize:cowpea:moringa seed; 100:0:0; 80:10:10, 75:15:10, 75:10:15, 75:20:05 respectively Physico-chemical analyses (proximate and functional properties) were carried out on the flour blends using standard methods. The result for the proximate composition shows that the moisture, ash, fat and fibre contents ranged from 8.75% to 11.23%, 2.00% to 3.10%, 8.15 to 15.00 and 2.00 to 3.94% respectively, while protein and carbohydrate contents ranged from 10.05% to 15.10% and 57.40 to 66.57% respectively. The result of the functional properties shows that; least gelation, bulk density (BD) and foaming capacity of the samples ranged from 4.00 to 8.00%, 0.80 to 1.44 g/ml and 4.96 to 13.92% respectively. The swelling index, water and oil absorption ranged from 0.3 to 0.96 ml/g, 70 to 190%, 124 to 220% respectively. The trend observed in the functional properties of the flour blends suggests that addition of cowpea and moringa seeds flour to maize significantly influenced the water and oil absorption capacities, swelling index and foaming capacity of the maize flour. This increase in foaming capacity can be attributed to increase in protein concentration. Thus the lower BD of samples 75:10:15 and 75:20:05 will encourage the intake of more calorie and nutrients from the samples. Conclusively, enrichment of maize flour with 10% cowpea and 15% moringa seeds flours will produce a most acceptable and affordable nutritious flour blends with considerable proximate and functional properties that can serve as potential raw material for indigenous snack production as well as weaning food.

1. I. O. Shakpo, Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

   Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

2. T. I. Ademulegun, Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

   Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

3. O. A. Ajala, Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

   Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

4. M. K. Olatinpo, Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

   Food Science and Technology Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo Hospitality Management Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.

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