Evaluation of the nutritional quality of novel weaning food processed from cooking banana and supplemented with legumes: Invitro protein digestibility and amino acid profile. – F. I. Bassey, M. I. Dosunmu, C. A. Edem and I. O. Ekpenyong
ABSTRACT
The nutritional quality of a novel weaning food (WF) processed from cooking banana, cowpea and peanut were evaluated by determining their amino acid profile, fatty acids, vitamins, sugars and in-vitro digestibility profile. The result revealed that some of the essential amino acids have higher values when compared with the suggested FAO/WHO amino acid requirements for the 0-1yr old namely; Histidine 32.55g and phenylanine + Tyrosine 89.06 g. While lysine was 59.28g, leucine 73.42g, tryptophan 11.70g, valine 46.19g, methionine + Cystine 25.06g, Theronine 36.86g and isoleucine 38.88g. Dietary fiber was found to be 13.05g, sugars 15.96g, protein 16.89g, Beta carotene 187IU. The calorie content was 415.59KJ while digestibility was 85.73. This also shows that the the weaning food has the potential of serving as a transition food for weaning infants in developing countries like Nigeria, where proprietary foods are out of the reach of the low income earners.