Comparative Study of Akara Ogbomoso Produce from Blended Cowpea and Unripe Plantain

Student: Oluwayemisi Adetola Onaniran (Project, 2025)
Department of Food Science
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the production and quality evaluation of Akara Ogbomoso prepared from blends of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and unripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca) flours. The objective was to determine the effect of incorporating unripe plantain flour into cowpea flour on the proximate composition, sensory characteristics, and overall acceptability of the product. Cowpea and unripe plantain were processed into flours, mixed in different ratios, and used to prepare Akara samples. The formulated blends included 100% cowpea (control), 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 60:40 cowpea to unripe plantain ratios. Proximate analysis was carried out to determine moisture, protein, fat, fiber, ash, and carbohydrate contents, while sensory evaluation was conducted using a nine-point hedonic scale to assess attributes such as taste, texture, color, aroma, and general acceptability. The results showed that increasing the proportion of unripe plantain flour led to a slight reduction in protein and fat contents but an increase in crude fiber and carbohydrate levels. Sensory scores revealed that the 80:20 blend had the highest overall acceptability, closely comparable

Keywords
Akara Ogbomoso Cowpea Flour Unripe Plantain Flour Blended Flour Nutritional Composition Sensory Evaluation Proximate Analysis Food Quality Functional Properties Product Acceptability
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