Vitamin and Mineral Composition of Complementary Food Formulated from Yellow Maize, Soybean, Millet and Carrot Composite Flours

Traditional complementary foods are mainly based on cereal grains which could not satisfy protein and energy needs of infants and young children. This study was carried out to investigate the nutritional quality of yellow maize, millet, soybean, and carrot which were processed into flour and powder. The complementary foods were prepared from different blends of refined yellow maize flour, millet flour, soybean floor and carrot powder in the respective ratios of 45:30:20:5, 30:45:20:5, and 20:30:45:5 and compared with Nestle Cerelac. The complementary foods were analyzed for their vitamins and minerals. Result revealed a significant differences (pless than0.05) were observed in calcium, potassium, sodium, iron, copper, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin A (Retinol), vitamin C (Ascorbic acid), vitamin E, Folate and vitamin B12 (Cobalamine) contents of the complementary food samples. The calcium content of the samples ranged from 1.20g/kg, 1.31g/kg, 1.80g/kg, potassium values ranged from 10.50g/kg, 13.33g/kg, 14.10g/kg, sodium values ranged from 1.90g/kg, 2.31g/kg, 2.40g/kg, iron values ranged from 0.12g/kg, 0.14g/kg, 0.50g/kg, copper values ranged from 0.01g/kg, 0.01g/kg, 0.02g/kg, zinc value were 0.10g/kg each, phosphorus values ranged from 6.10g/kg, 22.40g/kg, 27.93g/kg respectively. Vitamin A values ranged from 422.80µg, 765.50µg, 916.40µg, vitamin B12 values ranged from 0.30mg/g, 1.13mg/g, 1.60mg/g, vitamin C values ranged from 63.61mg/g, 76.11mg/g, 93.90mg/g, vitamin E values ranged from 0.30mg/g, 0.43mg/g, 0.80mg/g, folate values ranged from 0.04mg/g, 0.40mg/g, 0.50mg/g respectively. The study revealed that it is possible to prepare nutritionally adequate and acceptable complementary diet from readily available and affordable food items.