NUTRITIONAL AND MICROBIAL QUALITY OF HOME-MADE COMPOSITE BREAKFAST CEREALS PRODUCED IN ILARO OGUN STATE, NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/Keywords:
Breakfast cereals, Date, Micronutrients, Microbial qualityAbstract
Breakfast cereals (BFCs) consumption is spreading and steadily replacing traditional diets due to its compositions and convenience for various consumers. This study assessed vitamins, minerals, anti-nutrients and microbial quality of BFCs produced from yellow maize, unripe plantain, soybeans and dates. These crops were processed into flours and formulated into blends of five samples at different percentages: Sample A-100% maize; Sample B-60:5:20:15; Sample C-55:10:20:15; Sample D-50:15:20:15 and Sample E-45:20:20:15. Flour blends were mixed, moist, lightly kneaded, oven dried at 80°C for 2 hours, crushed and lightly toasted. Vitamins, minerals, anti-nutrients and microbial contents of BFCs were determined using standard methods. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0, with significance tested at a 5% probability level. Results revealed that Vitamins A (98.12- 121.64 µg/100g), B1 (0.17 – 0.21 mg/100), C (6.19 – 7.88 mg/100); iron (3.11 – 3.82 mg/100), zinc (0.62 – 0.79 mg/100) and potassium (701.08 - 781.44 mg/100) contents of BFCs significantly increased (P<0.05) with increasing addition of unripe plantain flour. The oxalate (0.61 – 0.67 mg/100), phytate (0.39 – 0.41 mg/100), tannin (0.12 – 0.13 mg/100), total bacterial count (0.25×104 - 1.75×104 CFU/g) total fungi count (0.00 – 0.50×104 CFU/g) and total coliform count (0.10 to 0.30×104 CFU/g) contents of BFCs were within recommended safe limits. This study demonstrates that supplementing yellow maize with unripe plantain flour in soybean-date-based BFCs can enhance the vitamins and minerals, yield low anti-nutrient and safe food products. Commercial breakfast cereal producers could incorporate unripe plantain flour, in maize-soybean-date blend for consumer healthier choice.
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