Abstract

The period from birth to two years of age constitute critical window of opportunity for promoting optimal growth and development of a child. Inadequate food intake and poor feeding practices are causes of malnutrition among Nigerian children, as many locally formulated complementary foods are deficient in protein and micronutrients. Roasted Macrotermes bellicosus (MB) is nutritious and relished as snack by people living the traditional lifestyle. This study was carried out to investigate possible use of MB in formulating nutrient-dense complementary foods from maize and sorghum. Macrotermes bellicosus was collected in Ibadan, Nigeria during their swarming, roasted, de-winged, powdered and added to fermented corn (CF) and sorghum (SF) flour in the ratio 100%flour, 90%flour+10%MB, 85%flour+15%MB, and 80%flour+20%MB to give eight complementary foods, which were analysed for proximate, mineral, vitamin and antinutrient composition using AOAC methods.

Hundred grammes of CF and SF contained 11.7g, 10.6g moisture, 8.9g, 9.7g crude protein, 3.1g, 2.8g fat, 74.3g, 74.8g total carbohydrates, 6.67mg, 26.60mg calcium, 295.50mg, 325.43mg phosphorus, 2.61mg, 7.61mg iron, 3.19mg, 2.41mg zinc, and yielded 353.9kcal, 358.6kcal energy respectively. Significant reduction occurred in moisture and carbohydrate content of MB-incorporated complementary foods while their crude protein, ash, fat, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamins B₃, B₆ B₁₂ and beta-carotene content increased significantly as the level of inclusion of MB increased (p<0.05). Level of atinutritional factors were insignificantly low in the blends, and cannot pose any health risk. Macrotermes bellicosus can be used in enriching cereal-based complementary foods as means of reducing infant and young child malnutrition in Nigeria.

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