NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION AND STORAGE OF BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Abstract

Butternut squash is an emerging economic crop in Ghana with ready market and high nutritional value. Government of Ghana under the Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF) introduced butternut squash as a new export product from Ghana on pilot base in some selected communities and the aim was to promote the cultivation and export of butternut squash in the Northern sector of the country, as a strategy to increase the incomes of farmers and help reduce poverty. The main objective of the study was to assess the proximate composition and storability of butternut squash to provide nutritional information for consumers while and reducing postharvest losses on butternut squash grown in Ghana. The samples were randomly picked from Kukobila in Savelugu-District of the Northern Region of Ghana for proximate composition and storage. Recommended methods of the association of official analytical chemist were used for the determination of fat, fibre, protein, ash, carbohydrate, moisture and vitamin C. Storage of butternut samples was by the wooden platform method with the compacted bare floor as control. From the results of the proximate composition, butternut squash contained moisture content (82.15g), ash content (9.9g), carbohydrate (5.51g), crude fibre (1.45g), crude protein (0.86g), crude fat (0.13g) and 15.33 mg of vitamin C which can supplement the nutrient needs for normal body function, maintenance and reproduction especially for persons cutting down or reducing the consumption of fats and proteins. Butternut squash stored in a warehouse on pallets with an average monthly temperature of 30.7 oC and 76 % relative humidity could aid in maintaining the shelf life for more than five months.