Evaluation of some physicochemical and functional properties of a novel weaning food processed from cooking banana, supplemented with cowpea and peanut. – F. I. Bassey, M. I. Dosunmu, K. H. McWatters and C. A. Edem
ABSTRACT
The physicochemical characteristics of a novel weaning food (WF) prepared from cooking banana, cowpea and peanut was analyzed and compared with those of two varieties of commercial weaning food prepared from banana and supplemented with rice (RB) and oats (OB) respectively. It was observed that the physicochemical properties of the weaning foods, WF, RB and OB were significantly different (P 0.05)) with Duncan values of A, B and C respectively except for the pH which was in the same Duncan group for the three samples. The viscosity was in the order 155000, 27333.33 and 7333.33cps for OB, RB and WF respectively. Water absorption capacity followed the same order with values of 5.17, 4.63 and 3.57 for OB, RB and WF respectively. Moisture content was observed to be 5.45, 5.32 and 4.42 for OB, RB and WF respectively. OB was significantly darker followed by WF and RB, with l* values of 74.79, 77.04 and 85.53 respectively. The chroma values of WF and OB which were within the same Duncan grouping but were significantly different from that of RB.