ABSTRACT

The nutrient composition, minerals and anti-nutrient properties of fresh, steamed and baked tofu coagulated with grape juice was studied. The proximate composition, mineral content, anti-nutrient properties and sensory attributes of the fresh, steamed and baked tofu samples were determined using standard laboratory procedures. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using Statistical Product of Service Solution (SPSS) version 23.0. The proximate composition of the tofu showed there was decrease in moisture content of the fresh tofu from 64.83% to 21.79% on baking. Baking also helped to increase the protein of fresh tofu from 16.46% to 18.65%. Fat increased from 2.73% in fresh tofu to 3.45% on steaming. Baking increased the fibre, ash, carbohydrate and energy value ofthe fresh tofu from 0.32% to 1.21%, 1.18% to 2.29%, 14.45% to 52.68% and 148.19 Kcal/lOOg to 315.79 Kcal/lOOg, respectively. The mineral contents ofthe tofu showed that baking decreased the calcium (110.49 mg/lOOg to 108.93 mg/lOOg), magnesium (122.14 mg/lOOg to 120.48 mg/lOOg), potassium (58.58 mg/lOOg to 56.85 mg/lOOg) and sodium (4.21 mg/110g to 3.40 mg/lOOg) contents of fresh tofu whereas steaming increased the iron content of fresh tofu from 3.86 mg/lOOg to 4.03 mg/lOOg. The antinutrients ofthe fresh tofu showed that the tannin (1.56 mg/lOOg), saponin (0.86 mg/lOOg), phytate (0.95 mg/lOOg) and oxalate (0.35 mg/lOOg) contents decreased to 0.64 mg/lOOg, 0.43 mg/lOOg, 0.72 mg/lOOg and 0.72 mg/lOOg, respectively on baking. Fascinatingly, the anti-nutrients of all the tofu samples were below the lethal dose for humans. The outcome ofthe sensory evaluation showed that beside the texture of deepfried chicken (Control) that was liked moderately, its colour, taste, flavour and general acceptability were liked very much compared to the other tofu samples. Tofu can serve as a healthy and nutrient-dense snack or mid-day meal alternative.