Mineral And Sensory Attributes Of Chin-Chin Made From Composite Flour Of Wheat, Oranged Fleshed Sweet Potato Flou And Soybean Flour:- Obeke, Queeneth O

ABSTRACT This study investigated the mineral composition and sensory attributes of chin-chin produced from composite flours of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), soybean, and wheat in different proportions. Five formulations were prepared: Sample A (20% wheat, 20% soybean, 60% OFSP), Sample B (20% wheat, 60% soybean, 20% OFSP) Sample C (20% wheat, 40% soybean, 40% OFSP) Sample D (50% soybean, 50% OFSP) sample E (100% wheat). The mineral composition ofthe analyzed samples revealed notable variations across calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, and sodium contents. Calcium was highest in Sample E (35.01 mg/lOOg) and lowest in Sample B (28.10 mg/lOOg). Potassium concentration peaked in Sample D (114.79 mg/lOOg) but was least in Sample A (25.82 mg/lOOg). Zinc showed its highest value in Sample D (1.34 mg/lOOg) and lowest in Sample E (1.01 mg/lOOg). Similarly, iron was most abundant in Sample D (2.16 mg/lOOg) and least in Sample E (1.51 mg/lOOg). Sodium recorded its highest concentration in Sample E (115.45 mg/lOOg) and lowest in Sample B (71.57 mg/lOOg). These findings indicate that the mineral distribution varied significantly among the samples, with Samples D and E generally exhibiting higher mineral concentrations compared to others. In terms of sensory evaluation, across all sensory attributes, the wheat-only chin-chin (Sample E) consistently achieved the highest acceptability percentages ranging from 83.89% for aroma to 92.00% for appearance indicating strong consumer preference for its familiar visual, flavor, and textural qualities. In contrast, OFSP soybean blends scored in the moderate range (38.89- 58.67%), reflecting reduced sensory appeal despite their nutritional advantages, a trend also reported in recent studies. These findings indicate that incorporating OFSP and soybean flours into chin-chin not only improves its nutritional profile especially in mineral content but also maintains good sensory qualities, making it a healthy and acceptable snack option.