Carrot Powder and Jaggery Supplemented Germinated Oat, Teff Based Complementary Infant Food: Formulation,...

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Nutritional Science
• Pediatric Nutrition

Background:

• Rising demand for nutritious complementary infant foods necessitates alternatives to commercial options.
• Concerns exist regarding antinutrient levels in commercially available infant foods.
• Development of novel, nutrient-dense complementary foods is crucial for infant health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a nutritious composite complementary infant food.
• To create an alternative with reduced antinutrient content compared to commercial products.
• To optimize the formulation of germinated oats and teff supplemented with carrot and jaggery.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of composite infant food using germinated oats and teff with carrot powder and jaggery via Minitab software (v.19.1, USA).
• Proximate analysis of the formulated complementary infant food to determine nutritional composition.
• Sensory evaluation using a seven-point hedonic scale to assess taste, flavor, color, texture, appearance, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability.

Main Results:

• The optimized formulation (59.5g Oat-Teff (1:1), 30.5g Carrot powder, 10g Jaggery) achieved a maximum desirability of 0.9736.
• Proximate analysis revealed ranges for moisture (7.13–13.31g), ash (2.76–3.35g), protein (7.83–15.97g), fat (2.68–4.27g), fiber (2.67–12.11g), carbohydrates (54.87–69.34g), and energy (301.62–360.47 kcal/100g).
• High sensory scores were reported, with overall acceptability at 6.55 ± 0.58, indicating positive consumer perception.

Conclusions:

• The developed composite complementary infant food is a promising, value-added product.
• The formulation utilizing coarse cereals (oat and teff), carrot, and jaggery offers a unique nutritional profile.
• This optimized food presents a viable alternative within the complementary composite food category for infants.