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 American Journal of  
Food Science and Technology (AJFST)

Complementary Foods Formulated from Orange-flesh Sweet Potato, Soybean, and Date 
Palm Flour Blends Improves the Proximate, Rheological and Sensory Properties of

Children’s Formulas
Peter Abuengmoh1*, Dick Iorwuese Gernah2, Dinnah Ahure3, Kelly Ndombow Yakum1

Volume 3 Issue 2, Year 2024
ISSN: 2834-0086 (Online)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54536/ajfst.v3i2.3032
https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajfst

Article Information ABSTRACT

Received: June 24, 2024

Accepted: July 26, 2024

Published: July 30, 2024

This study evaluated the proximate, rheological and sensory properties of  complementary 
foods produced from orange flesh sweet potato, soybean and date palm flour blends. 
Complementary foods were produced from orange flesh sweet potato (OFSP), soybean and 
date palm flour blends. The samples were formulated by material balancing with all samples 
having 16% protein/ 100g. The samples were coded as CON, CFA, CFB, CFC, CFD and 
CFE with sample CON being the control. The samples were subjected to rheological and 
sensory analysis using standard method. Their proximate composition were; moisture (2.51-
7.38%), ash (2.27-3.02%), fibre (2.11-4.22%), fat (9.13-10.11%), protein (15.12-16.11%), 
and carbohydrate (63.06-65.01%). Rheological properties of  the gruels were as follows; 
consistency index (m) (90.57-186.21 Nsn/m2), Flow behaviour index (n) (0.256-0.411), 
Coefficient of  regression (r2) (0.9765-0.9928) and Standard error (0.318-0.405). The sensory 
attributes gave the following results; appearance (7.77- 8.07), aroma (7.20-8.63), taste 
(6.80- 8.23), mouth feel (6.87- 8.27), and overall acceptability (6.80- 8.33) and these results 
when interpreted on appoint hedonic scale. Higher scores generally indicated better sensory 
attributes and overall acceptability of  the food formulation which was observed in sample CFB 
and CON.  There were significant differences between most of  the bread samples at (p< 0.05).

Keywords

OFSP, Soybean, Dates, 
Complementary Foods

1 Department of  Chemistry, Faculty of  Science, Benue State University, Center for Food Technology and Research, Makurdi, Nigeria
2 Department of  Food science and Technology Federal University of  Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria 
3 Department of  Food science and Technology, University of  Mkar, Benue State Nigeria
* Corresponding author’s e-mail: abuengmohpeter@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION
Any nutritious solid, semisolid, or liquid food that babies 
eat in addition to breast milk or formula is considered 
complementary food (CF) (Okoronkwo et al., 2023). 
When breast milk, which is traditionally the best and 
safest option for infants, is unable to meet the growing 
child’s nutritional and energy needs, these foods are often 
offered between four and six months of  age (Amagloh 
et al., 2012). When a baby is breastfed, the World 
Health Organization (WHO) defines “complementary 
feeding practice” as the introduction of  solid foods 
other than breast milk. Thin porridges or gruels are the 
most common preparations for complementary foods. 
Supplemental feeding may help babies get all the nutrients 
they need when breast milk is not enough.
According to Alemayehu et al. (2014), most infants 
require supplementary foods beyond breast milk to 
ensure adequate energy and nutrition for healthy growth, 
and this process starts at 6 months when the baby starts 
to move from exclusively breastfeeding to semi-solid 
foods. It continues until the baby is 24 months old. The 
only way to do this is to make sure the babies eat these 
meals in the right amounts and in a clean environment. 
The most important thing is to make sure that a child’s 
dietary needs are met regardless of  what they eat, absorb, 
and use. Infant malnutrition is mostly caused by a lack of  
skill in using the available basic ingredients, rather than 
the nation’s economic state.

Among the world’s most significant, adaptable, and 
underappreciated food crops is the sweet potato, 
scientifically known as Ipomoea batatas L. (Olatunde et al., 
2020). Subterranean sweet potatoes are rich in soluble 
carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins; their flesh may be 
any shade from white to cream to yellow to purple to 
orange. The roots of  sweet potatoes are a great source of  
nutrients and provide a wide range of  sensory attributes 
due to their varied flavors, textures, and colors. Although 
sweet potatoes are rich in energy and other micronutrients 
like vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, iron, and zinc, they 
are low in protein and fat. To make up for this, you can 
add legumes like soy beans to your sweet potato recipe to 
increase the protein content.
Products made from soybeans (Glycine max L.) are a great 
alternative to meat and dairy because they provide a 
variety of  vitamins and minerals, as well as a “complete” 
protein profile that includes almost all of  the necessary 
amino acids (with the exception of  methionine). A 
growing number of  people in sub-Saharan Africa are 
turning to soybean flour for its purported high protein, 
fat, and nutritional content (Mmari et al., 2017). The food 
product’s flavor and texture are just as important as its 
nutritional value and must be considered in meeting the 
needs of  the target consumers. For these reasons, date 
palm fruit is an essential ingredient for sweeteners and 
nutritional enhancement of  the acceptability of  the food.
Date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a good source of  



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sugar (around 70–80 % sugar content), depending on the 
species and maturity stage of  the fruits and it is made of  
glucose, fructose, and sucrose which are easily absorbed 
by the body to provide energy (Abdul et al., 2022). Date 
fruit contains a considerable amount of  moisture (12–
14),  crude fiber (4.5–5.0), protein (2.0–2.5), fat (1.8–2.4), 
and ash (1.7–1.9)  which is essential for children’s growth 
and developments  (Abdul et al., 2022). Dates is also rich 
in antioxidants and phenolic compounds and also contain 
antimicrobial properties (Abdul et al., 2022). This will help 
to improve the storage stability of  the complimentary 
food formulations.

Statement of  the Problem
Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM)
PEM is a major nutritional problem especially in children 
and pregnant mothers in Sub-Saharan Africa. PEM is 
commonly caused by deficiency of  protein in quantity 
and quality.

Micronutrient Deficiencies (MND) 
MND is caused by insufficient supply of  vitamins 
and minerals needed for growth, development and to 
maintain optimal health. MND can cause several serious 
health issues such as; lack of  Iron, vitamin A, B12 and 
folic acid can lead to anemia causing fatigue, weakness , 
shortage of  breath and dizziness.

Underutilization of  Good Protein Sources from 
Crops 
The growing global urge to switch from an animal-
based protein diet to a vegetarian-based protein diet has 
accelerated the demand for the utilization of  crops with 
high quality protein in the food industry. Under-utilized 
crops like soybeans can offer significant potential for 
food security, nutritional requirements.

Post-harvest Losses of  Locally Available Crops
Locally accessible ingredients such as orange-flesh sweet 
potatoes are highly perishable, despite the fact that they 
are highly available and nutritionally rich hence converting 
them to flour and using to formulate complementary 
foods reduces post-harvest losses (Eucharia et al.,2024).  

Aim
The study aims to evaluate the quality of  complementary 
foods produced from orange flesh sweet potato, soybean 
and date fruit flour blends 

Specific Objectives
i To determine the proximate composition 

complementary food formulations, 
ii. To determine rheological properties (viscosity 

versus Shear rate at 40oC) of  gruels prepared from 
complementary food formulations 

iii. To determine the sensory attributes of  gruels 
prepares from complementary food formulations 

METHODOLOGY
The research used a combination of  quantitative approach 
to determine the proximate composition (AOAC 2015) of  
food formulations and a qualitative approach to evaluate 
the rheological and sensory properties of  gruels prepared 
from complementary food formulations.

Procurement of  Materials                                    
Sweet potato was obtained from the National Roots 
and Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), UMUDIKE. 
Soybeans, and dates palm fruits were obtained from the 
Wurukum Market, Makurdi. Nestle Cerelac was obtained 
from a local supermarket in Makurdi. Procured materials 
were taken to the CEFTER Food Processing Laboratory, 
Benue state university for processing. 

Equipment
Standard equipment from the CEFTER food processing 
laboratory was used for the processing of  the products. 
This equipment included but not limited to knives, 
bows, trays, driers, blender, mixer, oven, sieves (0.5 mm), 
measuring cylinder and weighing scale. Standard analytical 
equipment from the Chemistry laboratory were used for 
lab analysis.

Preparation of  Raw Materials
Standard processing procedures and chemicals were used 
in the preparation of  the flours and complementary food 
formulations.

Sweet Potato Flour 
Mature orange-flesh sweet potato tubers (Ipomoea batatas), 
were cleaned and trimmed manually using knives. They 
were washed, peeled and sliced using a manual food slicer 
into smaller sizes of  approximately 10 mm thickness to 
facilitate the drying process. The sliced sweet potatoes were 
blanched for 5 mins at 70oC and dried in an air circulating 
oven (Gallenkamp S/No 90/02/190, UK) at 60oC for 48 h 
according to the method of  (Marcel et al., 2021) with slight 
modification. The dried samples were milled to pass a 0.5 
mm sieve for flour blends (Truong et al., 2018). 

Soybean Flour 
Before being soaked for 24 hours, the soybean seeds 
were separated from large impurities like stone, sticks and 
rinsed. After the beans were soaked, they were strained 
through a sieve to remove any excess water. To make 
decortication easier and to inactivate the enzyme activity, 
the beans were cooked for 30 minutes. Robbing between 
palms was used to dehull the soybeans, and then potable 
water was used to drain off  the skins. Afterwards, it was 
roasted for 30 minutes at 120°C after being oven dried for 
48 hours in a hot-air oven. A laboratory mill (Laboratory 
Blender of  type KM 901D; Kenwood Electronic, 
Hertfordshire, UK) was used to grind the roasted beans 
into flour. A 0.5 mm mesh sieve was used to filter the 
flour (Olatunde et al., 2020).



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Date Palm Flour 
The date flour was prepared by sorting the date palm nuts 
to remove all foreign particles and washed. It was followed 
by de-seeding through manually cutting the nut using a 
knife and removing the seed. The inside was cleaned and 
size reduction of  the nut was done in order to ensure 
efficient drying and milling processes. The pulp with the 
pericarp was then oven dried at 60°C for 72 h (Ahaotu et 
al., 2021). The dried pulp was milled into fine flour using 
a laboratory blender. The flour was then sieved through 
a 0.5 mm mesh sieve (British Standard) to obtain fine 
homogeneous particle size flour and packaged.  

Food Product and Diet Formulation 
Table 1 displays the various amounts of  orange-fleshed 
sweet potato flour, soybean flour, and date palm fruit 
flour that were combined to create different types of  
complementary food formulations. These flours were 
created from varying levels and percentages of  flour 
replacement. Based on the protein content, these ratios 

were determined to provide 16 g of  protein per 100 g 
of  food, in accordance with the recommendations made 
by the World Food Programme (2018) and the United 
Nations Children’s Fund (2016) for baby meals. Based on 
the treatment combinations, five samples were produced 
using material balancing: CFA, CFB, CFC, CFD, and 
CFE. The diets were kept in 500 ml plastic containers 
with airtight lids and packed in low density dark-colored 
polyethylene bags. They were kept at room temperature 
with Nestle Cerelac used as the control.

Preparation of  Porridges
Five composite flours (CFA, CFB, CFC, CFD & CFE) 
from different blends of  orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, 
soybeans and date palm fruit (Table 1) and control 
sample (Nestle Cerelac) were used to prepare porridges 
by mixing 50 g of  flour in 150 ml of  water and boiled for 
10 m with continuous stirring until the porridge is cooked 
(Marcel et al., 2021).

Table 1: Sample Formulation of  Complimentary Food
Samples Orange-fleshed 

Sweet potato (%)
Soybean Flour (%) Date (%)
Boiled/Oven-dried Sun-dried/Toasted

CON / / / /
CFA 57.5 42.5 / /
CFB 48 42 / 10
CFC 48 21 21 10
CFD 58 / 42 /
CFE 47.5 / 41.5 10

KEY
CON
Nestle Cerelac

CFA
Boiled and Oven-dried Soy Flour/Orange Fleshed Sweet 
Potato

CFB 
Date palm, Boiled and Oven-dried Soy Flour/Orange 
Fleshed Sweet Potato  

CFC
Date palm, Boiled and Oven-dried/Sun-dried and toasted 
Soy Flour/Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato  

CFD
Non-Sweetened Sun-dried and toasted Soy Flour/Orange 
Fleshed Sweet Potato  

CFE
Sweetened Sun-dried and toasted Soy Flour/Orange 
Fleshed Sweet Potato

Analysis
Proximate Composition of  Complementary Food 
Samples
Using the analytical technique outlined in   AOAC (2012) 
publication, the complementary foods were measured 
for moisture, protein, fat, ash, and crude fiber. The sum 
of  the percentages of  fat, moisture, ash, crude fiber, and 
protein content was subtracted from 100 to get the total 
carbohydrate.

Determination Rheological Properties (viscosity 
versus Shear rate) at 40oC
Gruels prepared from the complementary food samples 
were subjected to rheological studies by measurement 
of  their viscosity using a viscometer. This was done at 
different share rates (5, 10, 20, 50 & 100 rpm) using 
spindle 4 at 40℃ as described in the method used by 
(Okoronkwo et al., 2023) with slight modifications. The 
relationship between viscosity and share rates at 40℃ of  
gruels samples obtained from the complementary food 
formulations were investigated using Power law model 
described by (Ndombow et al., 2024).



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Sensory Evaluation of  Porridges from Formulated 
Complementary Flour Blends 
A panel of  twenty (20) nursing mothers or caregivers 
from CEFTER, Benue State University, Makurdi who 
attended to children between 6 months and 2 years old 
were deployed to evaluate the coded gruels based on 
several sensory qualities. According to (Abuengmoh et al., 
2022), the panelists were given a 9-point hedonic scale 
to rate the samples based on their appearance, aroma, 
mouth feel, taste, and overall acceptability. A score of  1 
indicates a strong dislike, 2 indicates a dislike, 3 indicates 
a moderate dislike, 4 indicates a slight dislike, 5 indicates 
neither a like nor a dislike, 6 indicates a slight like, 7 
indicates a moderate like, 8 = a very much like, and 9 
indicates an extreme like. 

Statistical Analysis
The experiments were repeated three times and the 

findings were analyzed using one way ANOVA. The 
Multiple Ranges Duncan’s test (p < 0.05) using the 
statistical software of  Statistical Package for the Social 
Sciences (SPSS), Version 28, was used to distinguish the 
groups. When applicable, we computed and reported 
means and standard deviations; we evaluated differences 
at the 95% significance level (Yakum et al., 2024).
The rheological properties (relationship between viscosity 
and share rates) of  gruel samples obtained from the 
complementary food formulations were analyzed using 
the power law model and results presented in table 3  
(Ndombow et al., 2024).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Proximate Composition of  Bread Samples from 
Wheat, Banana and Mango Flour Blends
The proximate compositions of  samples were as shown 
in Table 2

Table 1: Sample Formulation of  Complimentary Food
Samples Moisture (%) Ash (%) Fiber (%) Fat (%) Protein (%) CHO (%)
CON 2.51d±0.23 3.02a±0.36 4.22a±0.54 10.11a±0.31 15.12b±0.21 65.01a±0.04
CFA 7.38a±0.21 2.27b±0.13 2.11c±0.24 9.18c±0.25 16.00a±0.28 63.06b±0.67
CFB 6.84b±0.63 2.30b±0.16 2.35b±0.12 9.32b±0.16 16.03a±0.03 63.16b±0.01
CFC 6.64b±0.41 2.32b±0.21 2.37b±0.31 9.35b±0.32 16.11a±0.26 63.21b±0.53
CFD 7.04ab±0.15 2.31b±0.11 2.16c±0.43 9.13c±0.53 16.03a±0.18 63.33b±0.27
CFE 6.37c±0.17 2.32b±0.09 2.38b±0.23 9.27b±0.13 16.05a±0.29 63.61b±0.18

Values are means ± standard deviation of  triplicate determinations. Mean scores within the columns with the same letters are not 
significantly different (p>0.05). Key: CON, CFA, CFB, CFC, CFD, CFE same as in Table 1

Moisture Content of  Complementary Food 
Formulations by Material Balancing
Moisture Content ranged from 2.51% in sample CON 
(Nestle Cerelac) to 7.38% sample CFA. There was 
significant (p < 0.05) reduction in moisture content 
from the samples without dates to the samples with date 
palm pulp flour. There was a more significant (p < 0.05) 
reduction in moisture content from all the other samples 
to sample CON.  The addition of  date palm pulp flour, 
led to a decrease in moisture content. This can be because 
of  the ingredients in the food formulations and the way 
it was processed, specifically with regard to the soy bean 
flour. This conclusion is consistent with what was found 
in the study by Bello et al. (2020). The research found 
that the flour samples had a decreased moisture content, 
which means that the microbe activity would be lowered 
as well, extending the shelf  life of  the flour (Bello et 
al., 2020). The FAO/WHO has advised a safe limit of  
less than 10% moisture for the complementary food 
formulations, since greater moisture levels might impact 
the food’s storage quality. 

Ash Content of  Complementary Food Formulations 
by Material Balancing
The Ash Content of  the complementary food 
formulations ranged from 2.27% in sample CFA to 

3.02% in sample CON (Nestle Cerelac). The ash content 
increased insignificantly with addition of  date palm pulp 
flour. This could be as a result of  increased minerals in 
date palm pulp flour. Ash content is considered very 
essential as it gives a measure of  the mineral elements that 
can be obtained from the food sample (Ashum Kumea, 
2018). There was a significant (p< 0.05) increase in ash 
content from all the other samples to sample CON. The 
presence of  milk in Nestle Cerelac accounts for the high 
ash content observed in that sample. 

Crude Fiber Content of  Complementary Food 
Formulations by Material Balancing
The crude fiber Content of  the complementary food 
formulations ranged from 2.11% in sample CFA to 4.22% 
in sample CON (Nestle Cerelac). The crude fiber content 
increased insignificantly with addition of  date palm pulp 
flour. The increase in crude fiber content observed from 
the addition of  date palm pulp flour is a reflection of  it 
being rich in roughage. Crude fiber content is considered 
very essential as it gives a measure of  the bulk  in the food 
sample (Ashum Kumea, 2018). There was a significant 
(p < 0.05) increase in crude fiber content from all the 
other samples to sample CON. The presence of  maize in 
Nestle Cerelac accounts for the high crude fiber content 
observed in that sample. 



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Fat Content of  Complementary Food Formulations 
by Material Balancing
The fat Content ranged from 9.13 % in sample CFD 
to 10.11% in sample CON. The fat content increased 
significantly (p < 0.05) with addition of  date palm pulp 
flour. The increase in fat content observed from the 
addition of  date palm pulp flour is a reflection of  it 
being rich in fatty acids. Fat content is considered very 
important in food products as it gives a measure of  the 
energy value of  that food. It also influences oxidative 
rancidity of  flours hence must be highly considered in 
food processing (Ashum Kumea, 2018). There was a 
significant (p < 0.05) increase in fat content from all the 
other samples to sample CON. The increased fat level 
detected in Nestle Cerelac is due to the milk powder that 
is in the sample. In general, the samples have a low fat 
content, which might be useful for storing flour samples. 
Bello et al. (2020) have made a similar finding. Due to 
the prevention of  oxidative rancidity, these authors found 
that products with low quantities of  fat had an extended 
shelf  life.

Crude Protein Content of  Complementary Food 
Formulations by Material Balancing
The crude protein Content ranged from 15.12 % in 
sample CON to 16.11% in sample CFC. The crude protein 
content increased insignificantly (p < 0.05) with addition 
of  date palm pulp flour. The high amino acid content of  
date palm pulp flour explains why its addition raises the 
crude protein concentration. Consistent with previous 
research, this data suggests that the biochemical activities 

of  germinating seeds during malting are responsible for 
the higher protein content of  the meal formulations 
(Bello et al., 2020). From all the other samples to sample 
CON, the crude protein level decreased significantly (P < 
0.05). Crude protein content is considered very important 
in food formulations because they make up the building 
blocks of  the body hence playing a vital role in growth 
and repairs of  damaged tissues.

Carbohydrate Content of  Complementary Food 
Formulations by Material Balancing
The carbohydrate content of  the complementary 
food formulations ranged from 63.06% in sample 
CFA to 65.01% in sample CON (Nestle Cerelac). The 
carbohydrate content increased insignificantly with 
addition of  date palm pulp flour. This could be as a result 
of  increased sugar in date palm pulp flour. carbohydrate 
content is considered very essential as it gives a measure of  
the mineral elements that can be obtained from the food 
sample (Ashum Kumea, 2018). There was a significant 
(p< 0.05) increase in carbohydrate content from all the 
other samples to sample CON. The presence of  starch 
in maize and added sugar in Nestle Cerelac which are the 
building blocks of  carbohydrates could account for the 
high carbohydrate content observed in that sample. 
These measurements provided an understanding of  the 
proximate composition of  the different complementary 
food formulations. By comparing the moisture, ash, fiber, 
fat, protein, and carbohydrate content of  each sample, 
we can assess their nutritional characteristics and make 
informed dietary evaluations.

Table 3: Rheological properties (viscosity versus Shear rate) at 40o C
Power Law Parameters CON CFA Samples CFB CFC CFD CFE
Intercept 5.227 4.568 4.506 4.508 4.562 4.519
m(Nsn/m2) 186.213 96.337 90.571 90.748 95.762 91.763
Slope -0.589 -0.733 -0.730 -0.738 -0.732 -0.744
n 0.411 0.267 0.270 0.262 0.267 0.256
r2 0.993 0.989 0.986 0.984 0.990 0.977
S.E 0.318 0.397 0.396 0.401 0.396 0.405

Key: m: consistency index, n: Flow behavior index, r2: Coefficient of  regression 
S.E: Standard error, CON, CFA, CFB, CFC, CFD, CFE same as in Table 1

Rheological Properties (viscosity versus Shear rate) at 
40℃ of  Gruel Samples Using the Power Law Model
The relationship between viscosity and share rates at 40℃ 
of  gruel samples obtained from the complementary food 
formulations were investigated using Power law model 
and results presented in table 3. 

Consistency Index (m) of  Complementary Food 
Formulations
At 40℃, consistency index (m) of  the various 
complementary food formulations ranged between 90.57 
Nsn/m2 in sample CFB made of  boiled and oven-dried 

soy flour/orange-fleshed sweet potato to 186.21 Nsn/m2 
in sample CON. The samples with date palm pulp flour 
had a significantly (p<0.05) low consistency index from the 
samples that had only soy bean flour and orange-fleshed 
sweet potato flour. There was an increase in the consistency 
index for complementary food formulations without date 
palm pulp flour. This implies that the introduction of  date 
palm pulp flour to the complementary food formulations 
decreased the consistency index of  the food formulation. 
Sample CON had a significant (p<0.05) difference from 
the other samples and had a high consistency index. The 
consistency index values were related to the viscosity. 



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Flow behavior Index (n) of  Complementary Food 
Formulations
At 40℃, Flow behavior index (n) were all n<1. The 
flow behavior index (n) of  the various complementary 
food formulations ranged between 0.256 in sample 
CFE to 0.411 in sample CON. There was no significant 
(p<0.05) difference in flow behavior index (n) amongst 
the complementary food formulations except sample 
CON. Sample CON had a significant (p<0.05) difference 
from all the other samples and had a high flow behavior 
index (n). This is surely due to the fact that it is composed 
of  maize which gelatinised to make it very thick hence 
significantly increasing the flow behavior index of  that 
sample. For all the samples, flow behavior index (n) is 
less than 1 (n < 1), inferring that it is a pseudoplastic 
fluid. Pseudoplastic fluids are those fluids whose behavior 
are time independent and have a lower viscosity at higher 
shear rates and produce less resistance. The flow behavior 
index provided information about the effect of  shear rate 
on the fluid. This is similar to the work done by (Perrechil 
et al., 2010) on commercial Italian salad dressings.

Coefficient of  Regression (r2) of  Complementary 
Food Formulations
Coefficient of  regression (r2) determines the proportion 
of  variance in the dependent variable that can be explained 
by the independent variable. At 40℃, the coefficient 
of  regression (r2) of  the various complementary food 
formulations ranged from 0.9765 in sample CFE to 0.9928 
in sample CON (Nestle Cerelac). There was no significant 
(p<0.05) difference in the coefficient of  regression 
amongst the complementary food formulations. They 

were all approximately 1. This implies that the coefficient 
of  regression in this model predicts almost a 100 % 
relationship between the dependent and independent 
variables. For this study, coefficient of  regression ranges 
from 0.9765 for sample CFE to 0.9928 for commercial 
Nestle Cerelac, which means that the model predicted 
97% of  the relationship between viscosity and shear rates 
for sample CFE while for commercial Nestle Cerelac, 
it predicted 99% of  relationship between viscosity and 
shear rates

Standard Error (S.E) of  Complementary Food 
Formulations
At 40℃, the Standard error of  the various complementary 
food formulations ranged from 0.318 in sample CON to 
0.405 in sample CFE. There was no significant (p<0.05) 
difference in Standard error amongst the complementary 
food formulations except sample CON made of  
Nestle Cerelac. Sample CON had a significant (p<0.05) 
difference from all the other samples and had a low 
Standard error.
The consistency index values were related to the viscosity 
and the flow behavior index provided information 
about the effect of  shear rate on the fluid  (Perrechil 
et al., 2010). For instance, when the gruel is forced out 
through pipes, it flows out smoothly from the pipe due 
to the low viscosity at high flow rate. However, after it is 
poured out, it does not flow and its increased viscosity 
allows it to be rigid. This information is important to 
consider in the food industry when transferring fluid 
foods through pipes or the choice of  the size of  pipe to 
use for packaging.

Table 4: Sensory Evaluation of  complementary food formulations
Samples Appearance Aroma Taste Mouth Feel Overall Acceptability
CON 8.07a±0.83 8.63a±0.61 8.20a±0.61 8.20a±0.61 8.33a±0.61
CFA 7.77d±1.07 6.77c±0.94 6.87d±1.01 6.87d±0.86 6.80d±1.03
CFB 7.93b±1.07 7.93b±0.74 8.23a±0.94 8.27a±0.87 8.27a±0.83
CFC 7.83c±0.91 7.80c±0.76 7.90b±0.85 7.67b±0.66 7.53b±0.78
CFD 7.73d±0.98 7.50d±1.01 7.47c±0.73 7.23c±0.68 7.03c±0.76
CFE 7.80c±1.20 7.20e±1.10 6.80d±0.89 6.87d±0.86 6.73d±0.91

Values are means ± standard deviation of  triplicate determinations. Mean scores within the columns with the same letters are not 
significantly different (p>0.05). Key: CON, CFA, CFB, CFC, CFD, CFE same as in Table 1

Sensory Evaluation of  Complementary Food 
Formulations
The sensory scores of  the gruels prepared from both 
the control and formulated samples showed significant 
(p<0.05) differences in appearance, aroma, taste, mouth 
feel and overall acceptability. 

Appearance Scores of  Complementary Food 
Formulations
The appearance scores of  the complementary food 
formulations ranged between 7.77 in sample CFA to 8.07 
in sample CON. The samples with date palm pulp flour had 

a chocolate brown appearance and was preferred by many 
panelists hence showed a significant (p<0.05) difference 
from the samples that had only soy bean flour and orange-
fleshed sweet potato flour. Sample CON (Nestle Cerelac) 
had a cream white appearance and was the most preferred 
by sensory panelists. There was a significant (p<0.05) 
difference between sample CON and all the other samples.

Aroma Scores of  Complementary Food Formulations
The aroma of  the various complementary food 
formulations ranged between 7.20 in sample CFE to 
8.63 in sample CON. The samples with date palm pulp 



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flour had a significant (p<0.05) difference in aroma from 
the samples that had only soy bean flour and orange-
fleshed sweet potato flour. This was with the exception 
of  sample CFE that recorded the lowest score in aroma. 
This implies that the introduction of  date palm pulp flour 
to the complementary food formulations brought in some 
flavor components that enhanced the aroma of  the food 
formulation. The increase in aroma is of  great significance, 
as it is reported to increase the acceptability of  the food 
formulation to infants. In a similar work carried out by 
(Bello et al., 2020). In general, consumers tend to dislike 
the smell of  soy beans, according to Bello et al., (2020). 
Therefore, it is possible that the inclusion of  OFSP and 
date contributes to the higher scent scores of  the food 
formulation types. Because OFSP and dates have stronger 
and more appetizing flavors, they might have made the 
food formulation types more palatable by masking the 
smell of  iron-rich soy beans. This confirms the results of  
an Ethiopian study on composite porridge (Adoko et al., 
2021) that included sweet potato, soybean, and moringa. 

Taste Scores of  Complementary Food Formulations
The taste scores of  the complementary food formulations 
ranged between 6.80 in sample CFE to 8.23 in sample 
CFB. There was no significant (p<0.05) difference between 
sample CON and sample CFB but these samples were 
significant (p<0.05) different from the other samples. The 
samples with date palm pulp flour also had an insignificant 
enhanced taste score from the samples that had only soy 
bean flour and orange-fleshed sweet potato flour. Thus 
the higher scores for the taste of  the complementary food 
formulations compared to the control could be attributed 
to the relatively high sugar content due to inclusion of  
OFSP, date (Adoko et al., 2021) and the associated chemical 
processes following their production. The result which 
shows a significantly higher score in terms of  overall 
acceptability for the complementary food formulations 
is in agreement with the outcome of  investigations 
conducted by (Adoko et al., 2021) which showed high 
overall acceptability of  complementary processed food 
formulated using OFSP and common beans. This indeed 
provides additional evidence illustrating the contribution 
of  OFSP to the positive sensory attributes of  nutritionally 
enhanced products observed in the current study. 

Mouth Feels Scores of  Complementary Food 
Formulations
When it comes to determining whether or not designed 
meals are acceptable, tongue feel is a key metric. The 
supplemental meal formulations had mouth feel values 
ranging from 6.87 in the CFA/CFE sample to 8.27 in the 
CFB sample. These samples were significantly different 
from the others, although there was no significant 
difference (p<0.05) between sample CON and sample 
CFB. The greater levels of  fiber in OFSP and Date flour 
may explain why sample CFB had a better mouth feel than 
Nestle Cerelac (sample CON) (Kotue et al., 2021). A study 

found that dietary fiber made food items feel softer in the 
mouth, which led researchers to draw this conclusion.

Overall Acceptability Scores of  Complementary Food 
Formulations 
In the CFA sample, the average score for overall acceptability 
was 6.80, whereas in the CON group, it was 8.33. The 
panelists’ overall assessment of  the complementing 
meals was conveyed in this way. It was shown that the 
supplementary meals’ overall acceptance was most affected 
by their appearance, aroma, taste, and mouth feel. With 
an average score of  8.33, the panelists found the control 
sample to be the most palatable, followed closely by the 
CFB sample, which consisted of  date paste, boiling sweet 
potato, and oven-dried soy flour. Although sample CON 
and sample CFB were not significantly different from 
one other (p<0.05), there was a significant difference 
between the two samples. In comparison to the samples 
that included just soy bean flour and orange-fleshed sweet 
potato flour, the ones that contained date palm pulp 
flour showed a significant (p<0.05) difference. It may be 
inferred that the addition of  date palm pulp flour to the 
supplementary food recipes enhanced their sweetness and 
flavor. Because it is said to make babies more receptive, the 
sweetness boost is quite important. The sensory aspects 
of  supplementary food formulations, which are strongly 
tied to newborn and early child food preferences, are more 
important than their energy density, according to a paper 
by Bello et al. (2020). This proved that while developing and 
assessing the quality features of  homemade supplemental 
food formulations, sensory assessment deserves sufficient 
consideration.
Sensory attributes depend largely on the nature of  various 
ingredients used in the formulation, the blending ratios and 
the processing methods applied (Okoye et al., 2021)

CONCLUSION
Acceptable complimentary food can be produced from 
sweet potatoes, soybean flour and date fruit using an 
optimum level of  48% OFSP, 42 % boiled and oven-
dried soy flour and 10% date flour (sample CFB). The 
formulated samples improved the proximate properties 
of  complementary foods and thus improved the overall 
nutritional profile of  food. There was no significant 
difference between most of  the formulation samples at 
(p<0.05) except for the control sample. This was because 
all the experimental food samples were formulated to 16g 
protein per 100g of  complementary food samples.
The flow behavior index (n) of  the gruels exhibits n<1 
indicating pseudoplastic behavior, a characteristic of  
non Newtonian fluids. This information is important to 
consider in the food industry when transferring fluid foods 
through pipes or the choice of  the size of  pipe to use in 
the process.
The gruel samples were generally accepted by the panelists 
with sample containing 48% OFSP, 42 % boiled and oven-
dried soy flour and 10% date flour (CFB) being the most 



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preferred.The processing techniques, blending ratios, and 
constituent types utilized in the formulation significantly 
impact the sensory difference.

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