Formulation of Complementary Foods for Children 6-12 Months Using Local Staple Foods in Damaturu the North- Eastern Nigeria

Malnutrition in children continues to be a global health concern. Undernutrition is thought to be the cause of 45% of all paediatric fatalities in low- and middle-income nations. For babies and young children between the ages of six and twenty-four months, complementary nutrition is crucial to their growth and development. The proximate, vitamin, and mineral composition of a locally produced supplemental food made from maize, wheat, soybean, egg white, sweet potato, and groundnut were evaluated in this study. Utilising conventional laboratory techniques. The blends (1 to 10) were prepared and assessed using nine scaled hedonic points for colour, taste, flavour, and consistency. The top five were then assessed using standard Association of Analytical Chemists (AOAC) procedures for proximate composition, certain vitamins, and minerals. The favoured formulas were 2, 8, 1, 3, and 7, according to the results of the sensory examination. Micronutrient analysis showed that all three (1, 3, and 7) formulas had vitamin A contents ranging from 204.97 to 1309.77 IU, while moisture contents ranged from 4.6 to 9.5%, ash contents ranged from 2.65 to 3.50%, fibre contents ranged from 5.21 to 8.31%, protein contents ranged from 16.11 to 35.41%, fat contents ranged from 10.20 to 15.10%, and carbohydrate contents ranged from 43.51 to 64.51%. Iron ranged from 4.22 to 8.54 mg/100g, zinc ranged from 2.0 to 2.75 mg/100g, and calcium ranged from 344.67 to 507 mg/100g. The formulation offers vital nutrients when compared to suggested dietary requirements, however its vitamin, iron, and zinc content has to be improved. The results imply that iron supplementation and fortification with B12-rich sources and enhancers could improve its nutritional adequacy. Although more research is required to evaluate microbial load and storage durability. This study reveals that locally produced components can be used to create affordable supplemental foods.