NUTRIENT AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF COOKIES MADE FROM YELLOW COCOYAM (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) AND WHITE CASSAVA (Manihot esculenta) FLOUR BLENDS ENRICHED WITH Moringa oleifera LEAVES

Abstract

Background: Cookies are the smallest treatscommonly forced into shapes, consumed among all age

groups in many countries. Cookies and pastries could be made from flours of local crops. To evaluate the proximate and sensory properties of cookies from composite flour blend of yellow cocoyam, white cassava enriched with Moringa oleifera leaves.Baking ingredients used were purchased from Owerri main market, Imo State, moringa leaves were harvested from polytechnic farm. The cocoyam, cassava and moringa leaves were processed into flour and packed in air tight container before subjection to proximate, mineral, vitamin and sensory evaluation using standard methods of AOAC. The nine-point Hedonic scale was used to evaluate sensory properties of the cookie samples. Thecookies produced was enriched with moringa leaves using the standard procedure in the proportion of 100% wheat – A, 60:30:10 –B; 40:40:20 -C and 30:60:10-D percent of cocoyam, cassava and moringa leaf powder respectively. Moisture ranged from 9.15% to 12.03%. There was slight variation in protein content of the cookies. Fat content ranged from 5.08% to 9.02%. Fiber content of the samples was almost comparable (2.32 vs 2.00, 2.68 and 2.56). Carbohydrate content of the cookies was high (78.29% - 87.08%). Mineral content showed significant difference (P<0.05) in calcium content. The cookies had significant magnesium content (17.80mg, 22.00mg and 19.44mg) than the control (13.62mg).Phosphorus content was against the control (43.26 vs 52.68mg, 56.27mg and 61.87mg) respectively. Vitamin C content of the cookies slightly varied. Sample D had the highest vitamin A content (0.50µ). Sensory attributes of the cookies showed that the colour score for the samples ranged from 6.15 to 8.10. Sample A and B had comparable score for flavor. Sample A had the highest score for texture (8.35). Samples A and B were more acceptable.  Moringa leaves can be used in enrichment of cookies and locally flour blend from staple tuber crops in production of cookies and pastries.