DEVELOPMENT OF SWEET-POTATO SOYBEAN BLEND, AN ALTERNATIVE TO MAIZE-LEGUME MIX AS A COMPLEMENTARY FOOD FOR INFANTS IN GHANA

Abstract

Background: The composition of the foods given to infants and young children in Ghana significantly contributes to the prevalence of malnutrition. Currently, a better option may be Weanimix (maize-soybean-groundnut blend) designed to be processed as industrial- or household-level complementary food. Weanimix has adequate protein and energy densities, but is high in phytate an antinutrient which inhibits nutrient bioavailability. Objective: To formulate a low-phytate complementary food from cream-fleshed sweet potato to contain comparable levels of macronutrients as Weanimix. Design: A composite blend of sweet potato, defatted soybean and soybean oil was cooked on a stove-top, oven-dried, milled and enriched with fishmeal (referred to as stove-top cooked Com Fa). Outcomes: Stove-top cooked ComFa had a protein level which was higher than that of Weanimix (25.49 ± 0.10 vs. 14. 26 ± 0.29 g/100 g; p=0.001). However, the energy content was low compared to Weanimix (370 ± 1.70 vs. 431 ± 0.71 kcal/100 g; p=0.001). Stove-top cooked ComFa had a 7.5% energy deficit compared to the recommended level of at least 400 kcal/100 g in Codex standard, but met the calcium (105 mg/100 kcal) and zinc (1.6 mg/100 kcal) densities as recommended by WHO for complementary foods. Conclusion: The sweet potato-soybean blend has the potential to serve as an alternative complementary food if the energy content could be improved.