Nigeria’s Foods and Feeding-Stuffs: Their Chemistry and Nutritive value

Beniseed is an important oilseed, with high oil content and nutrient composition. The effect of processing (roasting, soaking, boiling, and germination) on proximate, mineral composition, anti-nutrients and functional properties of the beniseed flour were analysed. Also the sensory properties of cookies from blends of wheat and beniseed flours were determined. The results showed that moisture, fat, crude protein, carbohydrate, ash and crude fibre contents of the flours were significantly different and ranged from 3.20% - 4.79%, 34.34% - 50.43%, 15.19% - 30.65%, 18.90% - 22.16%, 4.54% - 6.01% and 4.30% - 7.59%, respectively. Processing significantly (p the anti-nutritional factors and germination gave the highest mineral values in the beniseed flours. Water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, foaming stability, foaming capacity and swelling index, ranged from 1.00 - 1.28, 1.10 - 1.13, 98.72 - 108.82, 2.94 - 19.80 and 1.14 - 1.54 respectively. Sensory evaluation showed that 20% soaked beniseed flour substitution of wheat had no significant difference with 100% wheat cookies. Germinated sample gave a more desired nutrient composition (low fat and carbohydrate, high protein and mineral composition) but performed poorly in sensory attributes. In conclusion, beniseed gave a good flour blend with wheat in baked products, also further processing of the germinated flour to improve the appearance will give more nutritious cookies.