Nutritional evaluation of cookies produced from pigeon pea, cocoyam and sorghum flour blends

Cookies were produced from pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) flour blends. Ten different cookie formulations were produced. The cookies were evaluated for proximate composition, antinutritional factors and protein quality. The protein content ranged from 6.40% for cookies from 100% cocoyam flour (CF) to 12.97% for cookies from 100% pigeon pea flour (PF). Only four out of the ten cookie formulations had the FAO/WHO minimum recommended protein content of 10%. Low levels of antinutritional factors such as tannins, oxalate, saponins, trypsin inhibitors, hydrogen cyanide and phytates were observed. Diets made from cookies with minimum protein content of 10% were similar to the casein diet in maintenance weight, food intake, digested nitrogen, nitrogen balance, biological value and net protein utilization when fed to rats. It is concluded that cookies from the flour blends showed promise in helping to combat protein malnutrition in those countries where protein malnutrition poses a threat.