PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF ROASTED BAMBARA NUT FOR COMPLEMENTARY BASE FOOD
Abstract
Malnutrition remains a major health issue in developing countries due to the high cost of
commercial complementary foods and the low nutritional quality of traditional cereal-based
diets. This study formulated and evaluated the proximate composition of complementary food
made from roasted Bambara nut (Vigna subterranea), yellow maize (Zea mays), and date fruit
(Phoenix dactylifera). The raw materials were processed into flours and blended in two ratios:
Sample A (70 g maize, 25 g Bambara nut, 5 g date) and Sample B (65 g maize, 30 g Bambara
nut, 5 g date). Proximate analysis followed AOAC (2005) methods. Results showed that Sample
B had significantly (p < 0.05) higher protein (4.88%) and fat (19.22%) contents than Sample A
(4.21% and 14.81%), while carbohydrate content decreased as Bambara nut proportion
increased. Moisture levels were below 10%, indicating good storage stability. The study
concludes that increasing Bambara nut improved the nutritional quality of maize-based
complementary food. It recommends optimizing Bambara nut ratios for better nutrient balance,
ensuring proper drying and storage, and including mineral and vitamin analysis in future
research. Promoting Bambara nut-based complementary foods can enhance infant nutrition and
support sustainable local food systems.
Full-Text Access Notice
In accordance with the NERD Policy on promoting peer-reviewed publication, public access to the full text of a project, thesis or dissertation is restricted for three years, allowing the author and supervisors sufficient time to pursue peer-reviewed publication.
During this period, researchers with legitimate academic or research purposes may request authorisation directly from the author to enable NERD to release the indexed full texts of the work using the form below.