Functional Properties and Nutrient Composition of Stiff Dough Produced From Composite Flour of Pearl Millet, White Maize and Cassava in Enugu State, Nigeria

The study prepared stiff dough blends from composite flour of pearl millet, white maize, and cassava in three formulations. Data collected for this study was analyzed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions while ANOVA was utilized in testing the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings for the proximate compositions of the stiff dough samples revealed that moisture ranges from 10.42% to 10.60%. Ash content was within ranges of 1.10% to 1.34%. Crude fibre content was within ranges of 2.30% to 8.20%. Fats/oil content was from 1.20% to 5.40%. Protein was within ranges of 2.50% to 12.60%. Carbohydrate content was within ranges of 65.58 to 82.15%. The functional properties revealed that the values for bulk density ranged from 0.56cm3 to 0.69 g/cm3; water absorption capacity was 186.2%, 170.4% and 150.2%; oil absorption capacity was 160.4%, 154.0% and 132.9%; swelling capacity values were 15.2%, 6.8 % and 5.4% while flour dispersibility values were 68.0 g/g, 52.4 g/g and 44.6 g/g. Home makers can produce stiff dough from composite flour of pearl millet, white maize and cassava for family use thereby reducing consumption of commercially available composite flours. Furthermore, community nutrition education and awareness of the stiff dough can be created to promote consumption and improvement of the general health of the public.