Production and Evaluation of Kuli Kuli from Groundnut Using Different Sweeteners

ABSTRACT Kuli-kuli is a traditional west African snack made from roasted groundnut which are grounded into paste mixed with spice and sugar. The conventional kuli-kuli could be sweetened with natural sweeting agents. The stud aim was to produce asses the quality attributes; proximate composition, microbiological quality and sensory attributes of kuli-kuli from groundnut, date and jaggery. Three samples were formulated; samples A (groundnut 70%, sugar 30%), sample B (groundnut 70%, date 30%) and sample C (groundnut 70%, jaggery 30%). The proximate analysis and microbiological analysis were carried out using the method illustrated by (AOAC, 2021) while sensory evaluation was conducted using a 9-piont hedonic scale score card. The results obtained showed that; sample C recorded the highest proportion of carbohydrate (31.50%), fiber (4.50%), ash (2.30%) and moisture (3.60%) while sample A recorded the highest proportion of protein (21.50%) and fat (45.30%) respectively. The sensory analysis showed that samples C was rated highest in term of texture (8.60), flavour (8.05) and overall acceptability (8.30) while sample A was rated highest for taste (8.70) and sample B (6.65) recorded the lowest mean value. The result of microbiological qualities shows for total plate count and yeast and mould count were within the acceptable range. No coliform was identified across samples. From the findings of the study, it was observed that using sweeteners such as date and jaggery is a conventional approach for the production of a healthier kuli-kuli option with immense health benefits. It was recommended that the use of natural sweeteners in the production of kuli-kuli snack should be encouraged and further analysis on the mineral and vitamin content of samples should be evaluated.