Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Abstract

Effects of Fermentation on the Nutritional Quality of QPM and Soybean Blends for the Production of Weaning Food

Buta MB and Emire SA

The purpose of this work was to study the effects of fermentation on quality protein maize (QPM) and soybean blends with respect to the nutritional quality including physico-chemical and functional properties; microbiological and sensory analyses, minerals and antinutrients composition. Quality protein maize-soybean blend flours were fermented for 24 and 48 hrs by natural and controlled fermentations. In contrary concentration of tannins and phytate were reduced significantly due to the fermentation process. Micronutrients increment in (mg/100 g) for P, Fe and Zn was 32.57 to 61.9; 3.98 to 7.20 and 2.61 to 4.21; respectively were revealed. Fermentation significantly (p<0.05) decreased the antinutrients which resulted a significant increase in micronutrients. Microbiological result revealed significant reduction of undesirable coliform count and increment of LAB with increase in fermentation time. Sensory quality result showed that gruel prepared from the fermented blended flours at 24 hrs of fermentation time and <250 μm particle size was found acceptable. In line with the result of this study, natural and controlled fermentation uniformly reduced antinutrients composition and improved the nutritional quality of the weaning blends via increased energy and nutrient densities. Fermentation of cereal and legume blends is low-cost and safe technique to save life of children suffering from protein-energy malnutrition.