NUTRITIONAL AND SENSORY, EVALUATION OF BLENDED FLOUR OF WHITE- MAIZE,BENISEED AND DATE- FRUIT FOR PRODUCTION OF CAKE FOR ACTUALISING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Abstract

The study evaluated the sensory and nutritional attributes of blends of white maize and beniseed(Gorigo) flour sweetened with date fruit in cake production. The experimental research design was adopted for the study.Six coded samples of cake produced from wheat, Maize flour, beniseed flour and date fruit: WHS(100%Wheat +Sugar), WHD(100% Wheat +Date), MS(100% Maize+sugar), MD(100% Maize +Date), MBS(50% Maize+50% Beniseed+sugar), MBD(50% Maize+50% Beniseed+Date) were subjected to proximate content dtermination and sensory evaluation. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics.The result revealed that there was significant difference (p<0.05) in the colour, aroma, taste, texture and overall acceptability of the products, with the sampleWHSbeing most preferred and the sample MD (being least preferred. Sample MBD was least preferred across all sensory quality and overall acceptability.Result of nutritional composition of samples showed that crude protein, moisture, crude fat, crude fibre and ash increased from 7.31 to 11.70, 9.80 to 12.47, 17.26 to 20.17, 2.03 to 2.35, and 1.05 to 1.84 respectively in the maize-beniseed-datesample. However, carbohydrate content reduced from 60.27 in the wheat-date sample to 1.49 in the maize-beniseed-date sample. WHS was most preferred with mean score of 7.73, while sample MDwas least preferred with mean score of 5.40.The study concludes that the maize-beniseed-date sample least preferred across all sensory qualities, the nutritional composition of sample showed that crude protein, moisture, crude fat, crude fibre and ash increased in the maize-beniseed-date sample. It was therefore recommended that the production of maize-beniseed-date sample should be encouraged for its rich source of
nutrients, and dietitians should recommend the maize-beniseed-date caketo patients with gluten sensitivity (Celiac patients) and those with protein-energy malnutrition.