Chemical and consumer evaluation of Soyvita

Abstract

 Soybean has become a prominent source of protein for the human diet and has gained popularity around the world. The project described was carried out to evaluate the level of acceptability of Soyvita, a new product made from soybean (25%), maize (70%) and cassava (5%). The formulated product and the control, Yekivita (a 100% maize product available on the market), were examined by proximate analysis and sensory evaluation. Data were obtained by means of questionnaire designed to obtain pertinent background information on Soyvita consumers. Soyvita showed significantly (P<0.05) higher protein (12.25%), fat (9.63%) and energy (2.93%) contents than Yekivita. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) between Soyvita and Yekivita with respect to the sensory parameters tested, with the exception of the superiority of Soyvita in term of flavour. The retail price of Soyvita is 53.1% lower than that of Yekivita. Soyvita was shown to be consumed by low- and average-income earners. A commercial Soyvita for easy home preparation is recommended.