Quality assessment of weaning food produced from fermented cereal-legume blends using starters

Infant weaning food was produced from sorghum - cowpea blends fermented with four combinations of starter organisms (Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (AB1), Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus acidilactici (AB2), Pediococcus acidilactici and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (AB3), and Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus acidilactici and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (AB4)) for 72 h and sampled 12 hourly for pH, titrable acidity, proximate analysis, antinutritional factors and sensory quality attributes. There was a steady drop in pH with corresponding increase in titratable acidity throughout the fermentation period in all the combinations. The weaning food produced using the combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (AB1) had the highest (26.50%) protein content and the least antinutrient content while Sample AB4 showed the highest value of antinutrients. Porridges made from the formulated blends were rated above average in terms of over-all acceptability. However, samples fermented with the three combinations (AB4) had the highest preference rating. On the whole, fermentation of sorghum-cowpea formulated weaning blends with combinations of Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (AB1) had the highest nutritional contents and the least antinutrients and may be recommended for good quality weaning food.