PRODUCTION OF SOYBEAN FORTIFIED POWDERED PAIP FROM MAIZE

PRODUCTION OF SOYBEAN FORTIFIED POWDERED PAIP FROM MAIZE

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Akamu (Igbo) or ogi (Yoruba) is a fermented cereal paste made from maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum vulgare), or millet (Pennisetum typoideum). The color of akamu is determined by the cereal color used, which can range from cream to reddish-brown from maize to sorghum. Akamu is a sorghum-based porridge or gruel that is popular in northern Nigeria and most of West Africa. It has a smooth texture, a sour taste (pH 4.8), and inhibits the growth of some bacteria. Fortification of ogi with legumes, vitamins, and minerals, as well as improvements in production techniques, have resulted in the development of soya-ogi, a combination of maize and soybeans.

Increased sorghum food use in Sub-Saharan Africa will help to alleviate poverty. Because sorghum is widely available in all parts of the country, chronic malnutrition is not a problem. However, nutritional issues with cereals include their generally low protein content and significantly lower digestibility when cooked when compared to other cooked cereal protein. This could result in protein deficiency in infants who are solely fed sorghum-based meals. Furthermore, cereals are low in minerals and vitamins, which, along with protein, are essential nutrients for the well-being and healthy growth and development of infants, children, and adults who eat only akamu. When cereals are supplemented with locally available high-protein legumes, the protein quality and nutritive values of akamu lost during steeping, milling, and sieving processes are increased when compared to the use of a single cereal. In addition, protein supplementation

will prevent protein-energy malnutrition in infants weaned solely on akamu. Because cereals and their products are invariably cooked before consumption, these issues are unavoidable and require immediate attention.

Several efforts are currently underway in Africa to improve the processing of akamu in order to increase its nutritive value, shelf life, and potential therapeutic qualities. One likely method of accomplishing this is through formulation with soybeans alone, or through formulation that may be fortified with vitamins and minerals. In addition, cereal fermentation was used to preserve, impart aroma, and flavor while producing novelty foods with improved nutrients for complementary feeding.

Soybean oil has a calorific value that is 40% higher than protein and carbohydrates and ranges from 13.9 to 23.2% depending on location, cultivar, and horticultural practices. Soybean

is a low-cost source of high-quality protein with a good balance of essential amino acids and high-quality oil. Soybean protein contains a significant amount of lysine (6.2g/16gN), but is limited by methionine and cystine content (2.9g/16gN). Soybean is essential for infant growth and maintenance due to its lack of cholesterol and lactose, as well as the presence of essential amino acids.

Soybean sprouting is an age-old practice that improves the nutritional value of legumes by reducing anti-nutrients and flatulence-causing oligosaccharides (stachyose and raffinose), thereby increasing protein digestibility and sensory properties. Sprouting also increases vitamin, mineral (calcium, copper, manganese, and zinc) bioavailability, and free amino acid levels. Sprouted soybeans were used to create complementary foods.

When made from a paste, gruel is also known as akamu or ogi. Hot water after dissolving with tap water into a light thick consistency serves as a major weaning food for infants in West Africa or by nursing mothers as it encourages breast milk supply, a good vehicle for food nutrients to sick people because it is an energy food rich in carbohydrates with traces of vitamins, and a good vehicle for food nutrients to sick people because it is an energy food rich in carbohydrates with traces of vitamins (Oyelana et al; 2012). It is simple to digest and light in the stomach. A sorghum-sprouted soybean blend will not only increase the nutritional value of akamu as a breakfast meal, weaning food, and choice food for the sick, but will also increase soybean production and consumption. This study aimed to increase the protein content of akamu by using sprouted soybean paste.