Nutrient Composition, Functional and Organoleptic Properties of Complementary Foods From Sorghum, Roasted African Yam Bean and Crayfish
CHAPTER ONE
AIM AND OBJECTIVE
To determine the nutrient composition, functional and organoleptic properties of complementary foods from sorghum, roasted African yam bean and crayfish.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
COMPLEMENTARY FOODS
Complementary foods are foods other than breast milk or infant formula (liquids, semisolids, and solids) introduced to an infant to provide nutrients. Recommendations on the introduction of complementary foods provided to caregivers of infants should take into account:
The infant’s developmental stage and nutritional status;
Coexisting medical conditions;
Social factors;
Cultural, ethic, and religious food preferences of the family;
Financial considerations; and
Other pertinent factors discovered through the nutrition assessment process.
The ideal time to introduce complementary foods in the diets of infants is difficult to pinpoint. Complementary foods introduced too early are of little benefit to the infant and may even be harmful due to the possibility of breast milk or infant formula. Introducing complementary foods too late may cause an infant to develop nutritional readiness. Consequently, the infant may have difficulties learning to eat complementary foods when they are introduced later. When complementary foods are introduced appropriate to the developmental stage of the infant, nutritional requirements can be met and eating and self_ feeding skills can develop properly. Pediatric nutrition authorities agree that complementary foods should not be introduced to infants before they are developmentally ready for them; this readiness occurs in most infants between 4 and 6 months of age.
‘There is no evidence for harm when safe nutritious complementary foods are introduced after 4 months when the infant is developmentally ready. Similarly, very few studies show significant benefit for delaying complementary foods until 6 months’ (Complementary Feeding 2004). The timing of introduction of complementary foods for an individual infant may differ from this recommendation. There is some disagreement among authorities on the need for additional sources of nutrients of nutrients besides breast milk in the first 6 months. However, there is agreement that infants need a good dietary source of iron and zinc by about 6 months of age, which cannot be met by breast milk alone.
Older babies and young children need foods other than breast milk for two reasons: firstly for nutrition to grow and develop healthy; secondly to accustom them to the eating habits of the family and community. These two goals do not always harmonize. However, in some societies, the shamed family meal may not deliver appropriate nutrients to the young child and she may miss out nutritionally if parents and caregivers are unaware of the importance at active feeding and do not know which foods are the most appropriate.
The use of an age based cut-off for the introduction of complementary foods is unphysiological and is a clumsy (though necessary) public health tool. As Gill Raphey has pointed out so cogently, children do not crawl, walk, cut their teeth or talk at an exact age so why are they all expected to need complementary feeding at the same age (Raphey G, 2006).
Contaminated complementary foods are the major route of transmission of diarrhea among infants (Black et al., 1999). For this reason, the higher incidence of diarrhea in the second semester of life coincides with the increase in the intake of these foods (Martinez et al., 1992). Proper material practices regarding the management, preparation, administration and storage of complementary foods may reduce their contamination (Feachem et al., 1993).
CHAPTER THREE
MATERIALS AND METHOD
Crayfish
Sorghum
African yam bean
Procurement of raw materials: The red variety of sorghum (sorghum bicolor. L) and crayfish were obtained from a local market in Igbo-Ukwu town, Anambra State, Nigeria. The African yam bean (sphenostylis stenocarpa) was obtained from a local market in Abakpa town, Enugu State, Nigeria.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1: Nutrient composition of the complementary food.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion: The work has demonstrated that formulation of complementary foods from sorghum, African yam bean and flour is a protein-rich product with good functional and sensory properties.
Recommendation: From the findings made so far; use of protein sources in local food formulation has the potential of meeting the protein and mineral need of children in the regions where protein_ energy malnutrition is prevalent. This implies that the protein content African yam bean and crayfish flours complemented with the sorghum protein and improved the nutritional quality of the formulated food. The fat content of the complementary food was higher than the control. This also implies that it will deliver more energy and nutritional density when consumed but may have less storage life.
REFERENCES
- Abbey, B.W & Berezi, P.E 1988. Influence of processing on the digestibility of Processing on the digestibility of African yam bean (Sphenostylis Stenocarpa) (Hoechst EX. A Rich. Harms) flour.
- ‘Agricultural Production, Worldwide, 2009’ FOASTAT, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. (2010).
- AOAC, 2006. Official Methods of Analytical Chemists 18th Edu, Washington DC.
- Amoatey, H.M, Klu, G.Y.P, Bansa, D.Kumaga, F.K.Aboagye, L.m, Bennett, S.O & Gamedoagbao, D.K. 2000. African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) A Neglected crop in Ghana.
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