ABSTRACT

Biscuits are baked dry products, usually with a golden brown color and a crisp texture. Biscuits are not eaten as main meals but are consumed in between meals as snacks and to subside hunger and because of the great taste it usually has. This study assessed the chemical and sensory evaluation of high fibre biscuit produced from yellow fleshed cassava flour. Coconut flour was used for the fibre enrichment. The raw-materials were purchased from Ahieke market along Umudike Road, Umuahia North local Government Area of Abia State. The yellow fleshed cassava flour and biscuits were prepared using NRCRI (National Root Crop Research Institute, 2021) method of cassava flour production. Proximate, mineral, vitamin, anti-nutrient and sensory attributes were determined with standard methods. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean of the samples and were presented in mean and standard deviation. P-value (p<0.05) is statistically significant and accepted. The proximate composition showed that sample YFCF (100% yellow cassava flour) with the value of 9.29% was significantly higher in moisture contents compared to the other samples while sample YFCCF1 (50% yellow cassava flour + 50% coconut flour) with the value of 7.19% had the least moisture content. Sample YFCCF1 had the highest protein value of 6.76% followed by sample YFCCF2 with the value of 6.31% and 6.13% for sample YFCCF3, respectively. The mineral composition of the biscuits showed that sample YFCCF1 had the highest percentage of calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc contents with values of 7.86, 20.93, 2.23 and 0.73mg/100g while sample YFCF had the least calcium, magnesium and potassium contents with values of 1.66, 9.78 and 49.73mg/100g, respectively. Sample YFCF was found significantly higher in pro-vitamin A contents with the value of 305.30µg/100g while sample YFCCF1 had the least pro-vitamin A contents with value of 154.25µg/100g. Sample YFCCF1 had the highest thiamine, riboflavin, niacin contents with the values of 0.46, 1.04 and 0.80mg/100g, respectively. The samples had lower concentration of anti-nutrients that inhibits digestion and absorption of nutrients in the body. The sensory scores of the samples shows that Sample YFCF, YFCCF2 and YFCCF3 were mostly accepted by the panelists while sample YFCCF1 was less accepted with the mean score of 6.60. Therefore, this study indicated that sample YFCCF1 which was 50% yellow cassava flour + 50% coconut flour had a significant nutritional value and had more high fiber value than other samples. The findings of the study shows that the biscuits produced in this study contains a significant amount of fibre except for sample YFCF.The samples YFCCF1, YFCCF2 and YFCCF 3 can be referred to as high fibre biscuits due to their fibre values.