Theses and Dissertations Collection

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations Collection by Subject "children aged 1-2 years"

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    Development and acceptability of Mringa fortified porridge for children aged 1-2 years
    (Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2024) Selemani, Salha Yustus
    BACKGROUND INFORMATION Malnutrition is a significant public health problem in Tanzania, particularly among children under the age of five. Chronic under nutrition under the age of five is associated with less schooling, late entry into starting school, and between 22 to 45% less income throughout a lifetime. Inappropriate complementary feeding practices are linked with high incidences of under nutrition among infants and young children in Tanzania. Complementary feeding practices in Tanzania are suboptimal as they do not meet the four WHO-recommended complementary feeding indicators. Complementary feeding is the process of introducing solid foods to an infant's diet while continuing to breastfeed. It is a critical period for infant growth and development, and appropriate complementary feeding practices are essential for optimal growth and development. Inappropriate complementary feeding practices, such as late introduction of complementary foods, low meal frequency, and low dietary diversity, are frequent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A study conducted in Tanzania found that improving complementary feeding practices is feasible in Tanzania given the renewed focus on child nutrition in the country. Child nutrition policy interventions should target all mothers, particularly mothers from low socioeconomic backgrounds and those with limited access to health services to maximize results. Another study found that inappropriate complementary feeding practices have a significant effect on the nutritional status of children aged 6-24 months in Tanzania. The current study set out to produce and explore the potential for nutrient-dense, palatable, and affordable complementary food products made from nutritious locally available underutilized crops like Moringa oleifera combined with cereals and other non-cereal METHODOLOGY Flours made from cleaned and powdered pearl millet, dry dates, Orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), and Moringa leaves were mixed in different ratios to form seven products to meet the nutritional requirement for young children aged 1-2 years old. These flour samples were analyzed for proximate composition based on AOAC guidelines. The contents for specific minerals (iron, zinc, and calcium) was analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Whereas UV spectroscopy was used to determine pro-Vitamin A content in the samples. Additionally, the samples were subjected to functional quality tests to establish their viscosity, bulk density, and water absorption capability. Porridge was prepared from the 7 samples stated above. Consumer acceptability and quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) tests were conducted on the porridge samples. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS-version 25) was used to evaluate the test results. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was run, with significant differences identified at the 5% level (p<0.05). The mean ± SD of the duplicate data was used to express all results. A PCA Biplot was performed to show the correlation between the samples and characteristics. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The objective of this study was to formulate a highly nutritious and tasty porridge for children aged between 1-2 years. Seven different blends were produced based on specific ratios that were calculated according to Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for children aged 1-2 years. Each ingredient used in the study contributed differently to both the functional and sensory qualities of the porridge. Notably, Orange-fleshed sweet potato and Dates generally enhanced the sensory quality of the porridge samples. The ratios included 90:2.5:7.5 [PmMD1], 95:2.5:2.5 [PmMD2], 88:3:9 [PmMD3] for Pearl millet grain flour, Moringa leaf powder, and dates, respectively. Likewise, ratios of 95.5:2:2.5 [PmMP1], 88:2:10 [PmMP2] and 95:2.5:2.5 [PmMP3] were used for Pearl millet grain starchy foods. flour, Moringa leaf powder, and Orange-fleshed sweet potato. A control sample was prepared by blending Pearl millet, Dates, and Orange-fleshed sweet potato in a ratio of 50:15:35 [PmDP]. The results showed that the flour's nutritional composition, measured on a dry weight basis, was as follows: iron, zinc, and calcium contents ranged between 4.5-6.3, 1.46-1.81, 183-240 mg/100g, respectively; pro-vitamin A content was 308-497 μg/110g; crude fiber: 2.6-3.3 g/100g; ash: 1.9-2.13 g/100g; crude fat: 0.66-1.38 g/100g; carbohydrates: 73-77 g/100g and 346-352 g/100g energy. Significant variations (p<0.05) were observed in bulk density and viscosity due to differences in the quantities of Orange-fleshed sweet potato and Dates used, but no significant difference (p>0.05) was noted in water absorption capacity between these samples. Sensory evaluation studies recorded significant differences in aroma, taste, color, and overall acceptability (p<0.05) in all samples. The sample PmDP was the most preferred in terms of color, whereas PmMP2 scored the highest score in aroma, taste, and overall acceptability. Quantitative descriptive analysis revealed no significant differences (p>0.05) in color, aroma, thickness, and grittiness between samples. However, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the intensity of sweetness among the samples, with mean values ranging from1.9 to 4.2. The control sample [PmDP] scored the highest in sweetness intensity due to the presence of naturally sweet Orange-fleshed sweet potato and Dates. A PCA bi-plot illustrated the relationship between the samples and their attributes. It was found that adding Moringa to the supplemental food significantly increased its nutritional value. However, adding more than 3% Moringa in porridge formulations resulted in higher values than the RDA, which would limit its use in the stated age group. The functional qualities are important in influencing qualities related to storage, transportation, and distribution in addition to sensory appeal. The acceptance of the samples was enhanced by the addition of dates and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. The most -liked sample, PmMP2 (88% pearl millet:2% Moringa leaf powder:10% orange fleshed sweet potato), was therefore recommended for toddlers between the ages of one and two years.