The Physiochemical and sensory characteristics of a supplementary food for malnourished underfive children, a case of maize, millet and peanut

Abstract

Malnutrition in children remains a major public health challenge in developing countries. The local un-availability of the necessary ingredients and lack of knowledge on how to prepare food for malnourished children are among the primary causes of child malnutrition. The study sought to determine the use of locally available food material (maize, millet and peanut) in formulating a food product to address the rampant protein- energy malnutrition of children in Kenya. The linear programming model of the nutrisurvey computer software was used in generating six treatments of a supplementary food as follows: Sample A=27%millet, 36%maize, 28% peanut and 9% oil, B=30%millet, 33%maize, 30% peanut and 7% oil, C=32%millet, 19%maize, 38% peanut and 11% oil, D=35%millet, 11%maize, 42% peanut and 12% oil, E= 35%millet, 30%maize, 26% peanut and 9% oil and F=40%millet, 20%maize, 30% peanut and 10% oil . Physico-chemical and sensory attributes of the supplementary food were determined using standard procedures.  The moisture, energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total ash, iron, calcium and zinc of 100 g of the products A,B,C,D,E and F were found to have ranges from: 3.9 ±0.3g to 5.2 ±0.3g, 424.0kcal 485.0kcal, 9 ±1.1 to 14.1 ±1.1g, 23.9 ±0.2 to  35.9 ±0.1g, 28.7 ±0.7 to 52.4 ±1.4g, 7.9 ±1.8 to 18.0 ±1.0g, 1.6 ±0.01 to 2.1 ±0.02g, 2.0 ±0.7 to 7.0 ±0.1g, 14.47 ±0.3 to 33.4 ±0.3g,  2.6.0 ±0.0 to 4.4 ±0.1g respectively. The formulations chemical attributes were in the range that meets the RDA’s requirements for children under five in 2 to 3 serving of 100g of the products and thus, it’s supplementation to other foods given to the child could be effective in the treatment of malnourished children after the clinical trial.