PRODUCTION AND QUALITY EVALUATION OF BISCUITS PRODUCED FROM MALTED SORGHUM-SOY FLOUR BLENDS

Malnutrition is a major problem especially among children in developing countries including Nigeria. Consumption of nutritious snacks could help to reduce protein-energy malnutrition in school children and adults. This study aimed at producing quality biscuit from cheap and underutilized crops (malted-sorghum and soybean flour blends). Biscuits were produced from malted-sorghum flour and soybean flour blends using various proportions (100:0; 90:10; 80:20; 70:30; 60:40 and 100% wheat flour as control). The proximate composition, mineral analysis and sensory properties of the biscuits were evaluated. The proximate composition of the biscuit produced from the composite flour showed an increase in percentage of protein (7.3 to 11.7%), fat content (27.4 to 30.8%), crude fiber (2.8 to 3.5%) and ash content (2.2 to 2.8%) while the carbohydrate content decreased from 56.7% to 47.1% depending on the level of substitution. The results of the mineral analysis of the biscuits produced from the composite flour showed that the iron content (1.2 to 1.4 mg/100 g), zinc content (1.0 to 1.2 mg/100 g) and calcium content (1.3 to 3.0 mg/100 g) increases as the level of substitution of soy flour in the blend increases, however, a decrease (20.5 to 17.0 mg/100 g) in phosphorus was observed. Sensory evaluation results of the biscuits showed that all the biscuit samples were highly rated for all the selected sensory attributes evaluated. Consumption of the biscuits will increase the nutrient intake of the people especially children and also increase the utilization of sorghum in developing countries including Nigeria.