ABSTRACT

Eight formulations were carried out in producing a breakfast cereal based porridge using rice (Oryza sativa) and millet (Eleusine coracana) mixed with soybeans (Glycine max). Starch was extracted from millet after fermenting, wet milling, then washed and dried. Rice was soaked, dried, and milled to flour, while soybean was boiled for 20 minutes, dried and then milled to flour. The raw materials (millet starch, rice flour and soy flour) were blended differently with different percentages of soy flour. Proximate and functional analysis was carried out on the raw materials while sensory analysis was carried out on the eight formulation samples of the breakfast cereal -based porridge. The results obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. Moisture content was noted to be high (8.75%), ash content and crude fibre at low (0.85% and 0.01%) percentage respectively in millet starch compared to the other raw materials. Protein and fat content were noted to be high in soy flour (29.26% and 23%) compared to other raw materials. The carbohydrate and total energy content for the three raw cereals were significantly different (P<0.05) from each other. The three raw materials were noted to have high water absorption capacities, apparent viscosities and foam stabilities. Soy flour was noted to have higher gelation capacity at 19% as rice flour had the highest reconstitution time at 24 seconds compared to other raw cereals. Sample D (80.20) rice/soy was the most accepted by the panelist Based on standard nutritional values, a combination of either rice or millet with soybean or mixed blend could be recommended as appropriate breakfast cereal based porridge for all age groups.