Formulation of a Nutrient-Rich Complementary Biscuit for Children Between Eight Months and Fifty Nine Months

Abstract

Low breast feeding rates, early introduction of complementary foods, heavy workload of the care givers, lack of ready-to- prepare formulations and the infrequency of feeding of the weaned children are the major causes of Protein Energy Malnutrition in western Uganda. The common complementary foods in Ugandan rural areas are staple cereals gruels and porridges which have low energy density with low animal-protein intake. The study aimed at formulating a nutrient-rich biscuit from locally available materials with the potential to mitigate undernutrition. A low water content biscuit with high energy density and recommendable shelf-life stability under domestic storage conditions was baked from locally available food materials with a composite flour of 24% soya bean flour, 20% pumpkin seed flour, 32% banana flour and 24% wheat flour. Biscuit servings of 66g, 77g, 110g and 132g were sufficient to meet above 50% of the RDA for infants of 8 months to 12months, 12 months to 24months, 24 to 48 and 48 to 59months old children respectively.