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Description
A sweetpotato-based complementary food was formulated to enhance the use of locally available ingredients to address micronutrient deficiencies, particularly vitamin A deficiency in Ghana. Five complementary food blends were formulated using orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), Bambara groundnut, and brown rice flours with the possibility to meet the nutritional requirements of infants aged 6 to 23 months in alignment with the CAC standards. A sensory evaluation was conducted, consisting of breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding mothers, to identify the most suitable blend, after which the nutritional profile and functional properties of the preferred blend was analyzed. The most preferred formulation was Formula 5 (60% OFSP, 30% Bambara groundnut, and 10% brown rice flours). It exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of protein (14.24%), fiber (4.50%), ash (2.77%), carbohydrate (73.78%), and β-carotene (541.4 mg/100g) compared to the Commercial Complementary Food (CCF), which contained 13.27%, 1.33%, 1.65%, 62.88%, and 0.21 mg/100 g, respectively. In addition, it had a higher concentration of calcium (185.3 mg/100g), iron (5.84 mg/100g), potassium (261.33 mg/100g), and magnesium (204.75 mg/100g) than the CCF (1.05, 0.99, 38.67, and 179.41 mg/100 g, respectively. The blend exhibited optimal functionality, including a water absorption capacity (WAC) of 140.95%, swelling power of 9.25 g/g, solubility index of 14.01%, and bulk density of 0.64 g/mL. The formulated sweetpotato-based complementary food demonstrated a favorable nutritional and functional profile that supports the basic dietary needs of infants aged 6 to 23 months. It provides adequate levels of protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, essential minerals, and β-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. These attributes align with the CAC standards for infant nutrition and have the potential to help address common micronutrient deficiencies particularly vitamin A deficiency.