Response Surface Optimization of Dietary Iron, Calcium and Vitamin C in Soyamilk for Complementary Feeding

Response surface methodology (RSM) is a collection of tools developed in the 1950s for the purpose of determining optimum operating conditions. In this work, a three level three factor (33) factorial design that metamorphosed to the response surface design with two augmented central point was employed. In its applications a secondary data from the department of Food Science and Technology (FST), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), containing the mineral components of soymilk for complementary feeding of infants was used. The analysis for the First Order (FO), Two Way Interaction (TWI) and the Polynomial (PQ) model was carried out and the augmented response surface analysis was performed. Following the path of steepest ascent, an optimality condition from the surface and contour lines shows that dietary iron is significant for varying the colour content, while calcium was significant for varying the ash and moisture content. It was then recommended that for optimal colour content in the soymilk, 3.07mg/100ml of Dietary Iron, 154.1mg/100ml of Calcium and 24.23mg/100ml of Vitamin C should be used, for optimal ash content in the soymilk, 2.22mg/100ml of Dietary Iron, 152.03mg/100ml of Calcium and 13.53mg/100ml of Vitamin C should be used while for optimal moisture content in the soymilk, 2.9858mg/100ml of dietary Iron, 335.71mg/100ml of Calcium and 25.48mg/100ml of Vitamin C should be used.