Effect of process improvement on the physico-chemical properties of infant weaning food from fermented composite blends of cereal and soybeans

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillusplantarum ATCC 10776 were used as starters toferment various composite blends of cereals and legumes produced through malting and toasting of two varieties of maize – Zea mays (DMR-LSR white & DMR-ESR yellow),sorghum – Sorghum bicolor (Dawa white & Dawared) and one variety of soybeans (Glycine max). Compared to the untoasted and unmaltedfermented blends, a relatively lower pH (3.6),highly sour product was obtained with 12 h offermentation. Results also showed that cereal and soybeantoasting brought about a better reconstitution indices(B25, 84 ml; B45, 87 ml), water holding capacities(B25, 0.68 ml/g; B45, 0.62 ml/g), bulk densities (C15,11.6; C35, 10.8) and gross energy (B15, 501.5Kcal/100g; B45, 508.5 kcal/100g) at the end offermentation. Furthermore, reductions in totalpolyphenol and tannin contents were observedwith fermentation of toasted and malted cereal blendssupplemented with toasted and malted soybeans whileporridges from the same blends displayed desirablestarch stability and consistent gelling tendency,although B15 (a ferment of malted, toasted white maizesupplemented with toasted and malted soybean) fellwithin acceptable limits. In all, the physicalcharacteristics were affected by varieties of cerealand soybeans.