QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF COOKIES PRODUCED FROM COMPOSITE FLOURS OF CASSAVA AND CUCURBITA MIXTA SEED

^*1Falola, A.O; ²Olatidoye, O.P, ¹Balogun, I.O, ¹Opeifa, A.O

¹Department of Food Technology, Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos

²Department of Food Science and Technology, Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria

E-mail address: arinlinks@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The use of cucurbita mixta flour substitution in cassava flour from 5 to 30% each for the production of cassava-cucurbita mixta (CCM) cookies was evaluated for proximate, functional and consumer acceptability.  Fresh samples of cucurbita mixta were sorted and dried at 60⁰C for 6hrs to produce six blends with cassava flour baked to produce cookies.  Data obtained showed that protein, ash content and gross energy increased with increased proportion of cucurbita mixta seed flour.  The protein content of the resulting cookies increased significantly from 2.10-20.05% with a corresponding decrease in the carbohydrate content from 82-55.10% and swelling power from 2.20-1.57%, water absorption capacity 2.30-1.85, bulk density 0.79-0.60 while foam stability increased from 8.60 to 13.08. The ash content increased with progressive increase in the proportion of cucurbita mixta flour, the highest value (5.40%) was recorded for the 30% cookies. At 20% level of substitution with cucurbita mixta flour, there was no noticeable difference in the organoleptic qualities of the composite product and that obtained from pure cassava flour alone. Apart from adding value and varieties to cookies, the data obtained clearly show the nutritional potentials of cucurbita mixta as alternative food ingredient for protein fortification and a good source of amino acids for children and adult which will reduce problem of food security among where malnutrition due to protein deficiency is prevalent.

Keywords: Cassava flour, cucurbita mixta seed flour, cookies, physicochemical analysis