Nutritional and sensory quality of a sorghum snack supplemented with sesame and baobab fruit powder

Sorghum, sesame seeds and baobab fruit are commercially viable, underutilized crops in sub-Saharan Africa with potential for use in development of high-quality value-added products for food and nutritional security. This study evaluated effects of processing methods on the nutritional and sensory attributes of a ready to eat snack bar developed from sorghum supplemented with sesame and baobab fruit pulp powder. The moisture content ranged between 6.38 and 10.28%, total fiber content ranged between 5.59 and 10.455 g/100 g while protein and fat content ranged between 11.28 and 16.74 g/100 g and 9.65 g/100 g and 18.58 g/100 g, respectively. The carbohydrates content in the snack bars ranged between 46.37 and 60.31 g/100 g, while energy content averaged 426.33 kcal/100 g for raw materials and 414.38 kcal/100 g for formulated snack bars. Concentrations of iron, calcium and zinc ranged between 5.46 and 14.611 mg/100 g, 82 and 246 mg/100 g, and 1.377 and 4.98 mg/100 g, respectively. Sensory evaluation of the bars formulations was based on a 5-point hedonic scale and revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in color, taste and overall acceptability. The aroma and crunchiness of the snacks were not significant. The study found underutilized crops have the versatility to improve the range of products and spur innovation in new product development.