Effect of soy flour addition and heat-processing method on nutritional quality and consumer acceptability of cassava complementary porridges.

BACKGROUND The nutritional quality of cassava complementary porridge was improved through extrusion cooking and compositing with either defatted or full fat soy flour (65:35 w/w), and product acceptability by mothers with children of the target population was evaluated. RESULTS The protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) of extrusion- and conventionally cooked composite porridges was within the recommendations for complementary foods. The kinetics of starch digestibility showed that all porridges had a rapid rate of starch digestibility, but the rate was lower when defatted soy flour was added and lowest when full fat soy flour was added. The formation of amylase-lipid complexes as shown by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry can be attributed to the lower digestibility of extrusion-cooked porridge with full fat soy flour. If fed thrice per day, extrusion-cooked porridge with defatted or full fat soy flour would meet the energy, protein and available lysine requirements of a child aged 6-8 months receiving low or average nutrients from breast milk. All porridges were well received by Mozambican mothers who use cassava as a staple food. The mean scores for sensory liking of all porridges were 3 and above on a five-point hedonic scale. CONCLUSION Extrusion-cooked cassava/soy flour porridges have good potential for use as high-energy/high-protein complementary foods and have acceptable sensory properties.