44D-13 |
Comparative evaluation of cowpea varieties and their performance in a fermented food product |
S. K. SEFA-DEDEH1, E. O. Sakyi-Dawson, and E. O. Afoakwa. (1) Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Box LG 134, Legon, Accra, Ghana To address malnutrition in developing countries the use of legumes such as cowpea Vigna unguiculata Walp has been proposed. As new cultivars are developed there is the need to establish their chemical and functional properties and determine how they perform in traditional foods. This work aimed at establishing chemical and functional characteristics of cowpea cultivars and ascertain how their presence in traditional fermented maize dough affect consumer acceptability. Six cultivars of cowpeas were analysed for proximate composition, water absorption and swelling, foam expansion, Brabender viscoamylograph indices, texture of soaked and cooked seeds and dehulling efficiency. Fermented corn dough fortified with 20% of cowpea flour was evaluated for pH and titratable acidity. The dough was cooked into a porridge and ranked by a taste panel for color, flavour, taste and acceptability using a 9-point hedonic scale. The cowpea cultivars had protein content ranging from 21.1% to 24.9%, fat and ash contents were similar ranging from 1.1 to 1.4% and 3.0 to 3.5% respectively. Dehulling efficiency ranged from 44.5% for Melack to 77.8% for ITx148-1. Seed water absorption capacity were similar for the cultivars, their corresponding flours however had water absorption ranging from 86.5 to 105 g/100 g dry sample. The soaked seed texture showed similarity in the cultivars, on cooking however differences in the texture were detected with the ‘sweet cowpea' having the highest cooked hardness. Viscosity indices showed characteristic differences in the cultivars. Sensory evaluation indicated that the presence of the cowpea cultivars in the fermented corn products did not influence their acceptability by the panel. Differences in chemical and functional properties of cowpea cultivars did not significantly influence their acceptance in cowpea-fortified fermented corn porridge. It is possible to incorporate any of the cowpea cultivars in this traditional food.
Session 44D, International
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