Protein-enriched Akamu: Nutritional sensory and microbial quality evaluation

Mitigating Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) is paramount to cohort the infant mortality rate caused by inadequate nutrition. This study examines the effect of enriching maize-based starch gruel "Akamu" with Bambara groundnut flour. Yellow maize was steeped for 72 hours, with the steep water changed every 24 hours. Then, wet milled, its starch separated with a cheesecloth, oven-dried and milled to produce akamu flour. Bambara groundnut was steeped, boiled, dried and milled into flour and used to enrich (10%, 20% and 30%) the akamu. The steep water was evaluated for microbial analysis, while the sample blends were examined for proximate and sensory attributes. The microbes of steep water decreased in coliform count and pH as fermentation progressed. However, Lactobacillus spp and fungi increased from 0.93x103 and 3.63x103 to 8.42x103 and 6.62x103cfu/mL, respectively. Crude protein increased significantly from 8.64 % to 15.54 %, while carbohydrates reduced to 60.20 %. The 100% maize (control) akamu showed the highest acceptability of 6.58, while 30% Bambara groundnut was the least (3.38). Hence, this study helped to establish the nutritional improvement of akamu, a cereal starch gruel with Bambara groundnut aimed at addressing malnutrition.