Development and acceptability of Mringa fortified porridge for children aged 1-2 years
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Date
2024
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
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.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Development, An acceptability, Mringa, Fortified porridge, children aged 1-2 years