ABSTRACT

Plant milks formulated from breadfruit seeds, tiger nut, coconut and date fruit were evaluated and studied for quality characteristics and compared with the quality characteristics of a conventional plant milk beverage “Vitamilk” which served as the control sample. Data obtained from this study were subjected to statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA. The results of the proximate and physical properties of the formulated beverage samples showed average values of 83.05, 1.09, 8.82, 2.01 and 4.64 percent for moisture, ash, protein, fat and carbohydrate contents and 5.00, 5.89, 1.02, and 87.29 percent for pH, total dissolved solid, specific gravity and viscosity. These values were comparable to the values recorded from the control sample which were 81.41, 1.23, 6.00, 3.84 and 7.26 percent and 6.44, 6.04, 1.04 and 88.60 percent for the same quality parameters. The mineral composition analysis showed that the values of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and iron (8.25, 1.42, 9.50 and 0.33) percent from the control sample were higher than the average values recorded for the formulated beverage samples (3.70, 0.63, 4.94 and 0.06) percent. The average values for potassium and phosphorous (2.72 and 5.77) from the formulated beverage samples were higher than the values from the control sample (0.33 and 0.46) percent. Out of ten phytochemicals screened in the beverage samples viz; flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phenols, oxalate, glycosides, carotenoids, terpenoids and steroids, seven were present in the formulated beverage samples (flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phenols, oxalate and glycosides), while four were  present in the control sample (flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins and tannins). The overall microbial qualities of the formulated beverage samples were safe and stable for the 1st 21 days of storage and up until 28 days for the control sample. The sensory evaluation analysis showed consumer preference to the control sample over the formulated beverage samples probably due to their longtime familiarity with soymilk based beverages, however, samples toasted, cooked and blended at the ratios of 1:7:1:1 where the preferred samples according to the consumers rating