Assessment on mineral composition: Rice-based composite flour and its baked products in Calabar, Nigeria

Abstract

Staple food to mobilize micronutrients as well as agricultural effects to improve food availability, affordability, and accessibility, in the utilization of food to address nutrient deficiencies and other nutritional challenges. This study will explore strategies and mechanisms for assessing the mineral composition of rice-based composite flour produced from blends of rice, soybean, coconut, water-yam, and sweet potato flours. Different blends of the composite flours will be prepared as A, B, C, etc. The mineral composition of the rice-based composite flour and its cookies was determined by the spectrophotometric method (applicable to Na, Fe, Ca, K, and Mg). The mineral contents of the composite flour samples analyzed in the present study ranged between 30.47 ± 1.41 and 82.00 ± 0.57, 0.24 ± 0.02 and 1.27 ± 0.07, 17.37 ± 0.46 and 87.97 ± 0.24, 104.27 ± 0.54 and 701.63 ± 1.32, and 12.17 ± 78.00 and 78.00 ± 0.67 mg/100 g for sodium (Sa), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg), respectively, while the mineral contents of the rice-based composite cookie samples analyzed ranged between 170.67 ± 8.45 and 383.33 ± 4.10, 1.07 ± 0.01 and 2.75 ± 0.02, 45.77 ± 0.78 and 64.73 ± 2.17, 113.97 ± 1.46 and 144.23 ± 0.52, and 27.77 ± 0.35 and 74.73 ± 1.73 mg/100 g for Na, Fe, Ca, K, and Mg, respectively. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the mineral composition of the samples. The finding of this study is a wake-up alert for policymakers to improve and increase availability, accessibility in the utilization of food to address nutrient deficiencies and other nutritional challenges in the country.