Evaluation of the Nutritional Value and Acceptability of Powdered Reconstituted Kunu-zaki Drink; an Index of Increasing Shelf Life of the Drink

Increasing the shelf life of kunu-zaki via conversion to powder form at the same time retaining its nutritional and sensory acceptability was evaluated on different cereal grains often used in the production of kunu (maize, sorghum, and millet). The grains were bought from Ibadan market, sorted carefully after which equal mass (250 g) of the sorted grains where soaked for seven two (72) hours, drained and were milled with the inclusion of other ingredients as spice. The mixture was sieved to remove the chaff and the liquid portion was allowed to Sediment after which it the upper layer containing water was decanted and the sediment layer was further processed to powdered form via drying. Sensory evaluation of the freshly prepared kunu and powdered reconstituted prepared kunu was done and compared. Similarly, the proximate, mineral composition and an assessment to verify any storage challenges such as insect infestation were investigated. The result obtained show that the shelf life of kunu-zaki was elongated from three days to more than six month as a result of the conversion to powdered form. The sensory evaluation of freshly prepared and powdered reconstituted kunu-zaki showed that there is no clear cut significant difference in the overall acceptability between freshly prepared kunu and powdered reconstituted kunu. Sorghum showed a better appearance, color and aroma both in the freshly prepared kunu and powdered reconstituted kunu above the other grains used. The proximate analysis carried out showed that the processed powdered form of kunu had a significant increase in protein, lipid and carbohydrate when compared with the freshly prepared kunu. The predominant minerals present in the sample include Iron, Copper, Zinc, Cobalt and Magnesium. It can be concluded that powdered reconstituted Kunu-zaki showed no significant difference in the major nutritional and sensory evaluated properties and was proven to have an elongated shelf life for more than six (6) months with no insect infestation during storage when compared to freshly prepared Kunu.