Nutritional and Quality Content of Biscuits Made from Plantain, Chara Pona Fish, and Acha Flour Blends

The high cost and demand for wheat flour necessitate exploring alternative ingredients like acha and plantain. Combining these with chara pona fish flour could enhance the nutritional value of biscuits while promoting the utilization of underused crops. Plantain (Musa balbisiana,), charapona (Labeorohita) fish flour and acha (Dititaria exilis) based biscuits were produced. Plantain and acha flours were substituted in acha flour at 5:5, 10:5, 15:5, 15:10 and 15:15% with 100% wheat, acha and plantain flours respectively as controls. The biscuits were then evaluated for the proximate composition, minerals and vitamins and sensory properties. The result of the study indicates the break strength and thickness increases while diameter, volume, weight and density of the biscuits samples decreased as the level of plantain and fish flour blends increases. The bulk density decreased whereas the foaming capacity, water absorption capacity and oil absorption capacity of the blend flours increased with increasing level of inclusion. The crude protein, fat, ash and crude fibre content increased while moisture and carbohydrate decrease from 77.46-67.76 with increase substitution of plantain and fish flour. The potassium and calcium increased from 208.17-325 mg/100g while magnesium decreased from 34.06 to 33.97 with addition of plantain and fish flour. Vitamin A, vitamins B1, and B2, of the flour blends biscuits increased from 0.61-0.86, 0.43-0.65 and 0.12-0.18 mg/100g respectively with increase in the level of plantain and fish flour. The acha-plantain and charapona fish blends biscuits were more acceptable up to 15:15%, but most of it was preferred at 75:15:10% added plantain, charapona fish and acha flours blends. The plantain and charapona fish flour could be used to enrich the quality of food products.