Journal of Applied Biosciences (J. Appl. Biosci.) [ISSN 1997 - 5902]
Volume 28: 1712 - 1717. Published April 8, 2010.
Effect of soybean fortification on fermentation characteristics and consumer acceptability of Hausa koko, a Ghanaian fermented porridge
J. Owusu-Kwarteng, F. Akabanda* and R. L. K. Glover
University for Development Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Department of Applied Biology, P.O. Box 24, Navrongo Campus, Ghana.
*Corresponding author email: fakabanda@yahoo.com;ABSTRACT
Objective: To assess the effect of soybean fortification on microbial growth and consumer acceptability of Hausa koko.
Methodology and results: Hausa koko was prepared from a mixture of soaked millet grains and pre-soaked, blanched and dehulled soybeans added at 0 to 50 % replacement levels. pH, titritable acidity and microbial counts were determined before and after the fermentation period using standard methods. The effect of the added soybean on acceptability was evaluated on a nine point hedonic scale by an untrained panel that is familiar with Hausa koko. Data were subjected to Analysis of Variance and Tukey testing for the separation of means (p<0.05). There was a general increase in acidity with increasing percentage of soybean in the mixture. Lactic acid bacteria growth was accelerated with the addition of soybean from 106 to 109 cfu/ g after 12h of fermentation. Taste, odor and overall acceptability were significantly and negatively affected above 40% soybean content. Colour significantly improved upon addition of soybeans whereas texture was not noticeably affected.
Conclusions and application of findings: Hausa koko can be fortified with soybean up to 40% replacement level to improve the protein quality. The fortification with soybeans up to 40% yielded a product most acceptable to consumers. This will make a significant contribution towards the alleviation of protein–energy malnutrition in communities of developing countries where Hausa koko or similar products are consumed.
Key words: Fortification, Hausa koko, fermentation, acceptability
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