NUTRITIONAL AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF EPITI (IKWOKE) PREPARED FROM MAIZE/SOYBEAN FLOUR BLENDS

Abstract

Proximate composition, acceptability and nutritional evaluation of epiti prepared from blends of maize/soybean flour in the ratio 100:0 (sample A, control), 80:15 (sample B); 75:25 (sample C), 65:35 (sample D), 50:50  (sample E), 40:60 (sample F) and 30:70 (sample G) respectively were investigated.  Protein quality was evaluated by feeding 28 days old weaning albino rats with 10% protein diets formulated with sample A to F, with casein as control diets (sample H). Crude protein, fat and ash content of all maize epiti (sample A) were 7.90%, 14.65% and 1.42% respectively as the level of soybean flour in the blend increased to 70%. Up to 35% of soybean flour in the blend produced acceptable epiti with sensory properties similar to the traditionally prepared epiti.  There were no significant (P > 0.05) difference between the values obtained for protein efficiency ratio, net protein ratio and apparent and true digestibility of epiti diet (G) and casein (H) when fed to rats suggesting an improvement in protein quality of epiti prepared from maize/soybean (30:70 w/w) flour blend but epiti was unacceptable.