EVALUATION OF CONSUMERS’ ACCEPTABILITY OF SNACKS MADE FROM PURE GUINEA CORN FLOUR AND COMPOSITE OF GUINEA CORN AND WHEAT FLOUR

Abstract

This paper seeks to evaluate consumers’ acceptability of popular wheat flour snacks that were produced from pure guinea corn flour and another from a combination of wheat flour and guinea corn flour instead of pure wheat flour. This is in the view of reducing the cost of importation of flour, encourage the usage and consumption of locally produced grains and also the multiplier effect of such on the agricultural sector of the Nigerian economy. Popular snacks- doughnuts, cakes, chin chin, fish rolls, pancakes and bread were produced from pure guinea corn flour and also combination of 50% wheat flour and 50% guinea corn flour. Sensory evaluation form was used to collect data on the texture, taste, after taste appearance packaging and presentation of the products, from the respondent of the study on the samples products. The respondent of the studies were students of College of Science and Technology, Kaduna Polytechnic. The results of the study showed that all the products produced with the combination of wheat and guinea corn flour were acceptable in the absence of pure wheat flour products. For the pure guinea corn flour products, only cookies, chin chin and pancakes were acceptable by the sensory evaluators. The researchers recommends that the production and marketing of guinea corn chin chin, cookies and pancakes should be encouraged in order to reduce the importation of wheat flour into the country, bring down the prices of these products and encourage local farmers.