ABSTRACT

Flour, Sugar and Groundnut oil were fortified with a natural source of Vitamin A (Palm oil) and an artificial source of Vitamin A (capsules) at different concentration levels of 0, 250, 500, 750, and 1000. Effect of fortification on the relevant fictional of the stored food products was monitored every three weeks for fifteen weeks. The change in bulk density, water absorption capacity and foam stability were evaluated for the flour samples with increase in storage period. For Sugar samples, the effects of Vitamin A fortification on the Bulk density, water absorption capacity and wettability were evaluated. For Groundnut oil the effects of fortification with Vitamin A on the free fatty acid contents, Iodine value and Saponification values were monitored as storage period increased. At the end of the fifteenth week of storage, a highest Bulk density of I .766g1m1 was recorded for the flour samples fortified with 1000 artificial Vitamin Awhile the highest water absorption capacity of I .40g/g was recorded for the flour fortified with 500 natural source of Vitamin A. The foam stability of flour was most affected with increase in concentration of Vitamin A. Bulk density of sugar was highest at the fifteenth week for the sample fortified with an artificial source of Vitamin A at 750 concentration level with l.374g/ml. All the sugar samples had a wettability value of one second at the end of the study and the highest water absorption capacity of 4.og/g was recorded at the third week of storage for the sugar fortified with both artificial and natural source of Vitamin at concentration levels of 250, 500 and 1000. A Saponification number of 385.23 was the highest recorded value for the oil sample fortified with a natural source of Vitamin A at 250 concentration level. FFA value was highest with 1.572 after the study for the samples fortified at 1000 concentration level of Vitamin for the naturally fortified sample and a highest Iodine value of 156.93 was recorded for the naturally fortified sample at 250 level of concentration of Vitamin A at the fifteenth week of storage. Loss of Vitamin A in the fortified food materials significantly differed (p<Z0.05) with the samples fortified with the natural source of Vitamin A having a greater loss.