ABSTRACT

 Noodles were produced through manual extrusion technology from the composite flours of cassava, yam, cocoyam with wheat flour in different proportions: wheat/cassava (90: 10, 80:20, and 75:25), wheat/yarn (80:20, 70:30, 60:40), wheat cocoyam (75:25, 70:30, and 65:35). Flours of cassava, yam, cocoyarn were locally processed while wheat flour was bought in the market. The locally processed flours were blended with wheat flours in various proportions as shown above. The various proportions of the flour blends were analyzed for their functional properties, and the noodle samples were analyzed for proximate composition and evaluated for sensory. The results of this research work showed very highly significant differences (P

<0.05) in the noodles produced from composite flours of cassava, yam, cocoyarn with wheat flour. The results of the sensory evaluation showed significant differences (P><0.05) in all parameters: taste, aroma, appearance, texture and general acceptability. Sample 201(90%: 1 0% wheat/cassava) and sample 404(1O0% wheat) showed a significant difference (P><0.05) in the taste and aroma which were significantly different from other samples, in appearance there was significantly difference among the samples with means 8.30 and 4.95, the texture showed that sample 404(100% wheat) had the highest level of texture with mean 8.00 followed by sample 201(90%:10% wheat/cassava) with mean 7.05 and 203 (75%:25% wheat/cassava) with mean 7. 10 which were significantly difference(P><0.05) from other samples. Sample 404(1 00%wheat) with mean 8.45 were generally accepted by the panelist followed by samples 201(90%!0% wheat/cassava) with mean 7.50 and 203 (75%25% wheat/cassava) with mean 7.35 which had no significant difference (P><0.05) from sample 202(80%:20%whcat/cassava) with mean 6.95 while the other samples were least accepted. The functional properties of the samples showed that there were no significant difference (P><0.05) in the bulk density of the flour blends, water absorption capacity showed a significant difference (P><0.05) among the samples with means 4.70 and 0.70, oil absorption capacity also showed significant difference (P><0.05) with means ranging from 2.55 and 1.20, as well as the swelling index with means 0.91 and 0.32. The proximate composition of the noodle products showed no significant difference (P><0.05) between the wheat/cassava (90%:10%) and wheat/cocoyarn (75%:25%) which were significantly different from wheat/yarn (80%:20%) for the crude protein. Ash content, crude fibre, fat content and moisture content of wheat/yarn (80%:20%) had significant differences (P><0.05) from the other samples; wheat/cocoyam (75%:25%) had the highest amount of carbohydrate than the other samples with mean 85.73. >