Production and Chemical Assessment of Ready to Eat Snacks Produced from Cassava, Soyabean and Cricket Composite Flour

Abstract

Formulated snack was produced from yellow cassava, soybeans and cricket (protein source) composite flour using simultaneous equation and material mass balance method. The formulated snack was statistically compared with their respective means in two proprietary indigenous products sold in the market using proximate composition, vitamins and minerals properties. The formulated snack was found to compete favourably with both proprietary snacks as its proximate composition (protein; 15.50 ± 0.13, carbohydrates; 62.30 ± 1.03, crude fats; 12.36 ± 0.59, crude fibre; 1.83 ± 0.05, ash; 4.78 ± 0.40; moisture; 5.31 ± 0.06).The formulated food complied with the emergency food product (EFP) recommendation for each proximate food component in snacks formulation except in carbohydrate and protein which was 5 % higher and 23 % less than the EFP benchmark for carbohydrate and protein respectively. The mineral composition varied amongst the product. The water soluble and Fat-soluble vitamin in the formulated snack were found to be higher except for B5, making it an excellent source of micronutrient. The studied made remarkable contribution to knowledge as it has developed an efficient new formula with which locally grown food materials can be blend into a potential nutritious low-cost emergency food product. It therefore recommended that substitution of cassava flour, soybean flour and cricket flour using simultaneous equation and material mass balance equation in snacks formulation should be embarked upon by snacks industries as this will help in conserving national foreign exchange and improving the national value of snacks.