Nutritional Quality, Functional Properties, and Sensory Acceptability of Complementary Food Porridge Blends Formulated From Fermented Millet, Pigeon Pea, and Carrot Flour

Protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies remain persistent public health challenges among infants aged 6-24 months in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, driven largely by the nutritional inadequacy of cereal-based complementary foods. This study formulated and evaluated five complementary food porridge blends from fermented millet, pigeon pea, and carrot flour at ratios of 100:0:0 (A, control), 90:5:5 (B), 80:15:5 (C), 70:25:5 (D), and 60:35:5 (E). Proximate composition, mineral and vitamin content, amino acid profile, functional properties, and sensory acceptability were determined using AOAC standard methods and a nine-point hedonic scale. Protein content increased significantly (p < 0.05) from 19.11% in Sample A to 21.80% in Sample E, exceeding the WHO recommended minimum of 10% for infant complementary foods across all blends. Calcium (0.21–0.52 mg/100 g), magnesium (0.13–0.33 mg/100 g), and iron (0.28–0.56 mg/100 g) improved with pigeon pea inclusion, while vitamins A, C, D, and B6 declined due to processing-related thermal losses. Essential amino acids, particularly lysine, leucine, threonine, and valine, increased progressively, confirming the nutritional complementarity of the cereal-legume combination. Functional properties were appropriate for infant porridge reconstitution across all blends. Sensory evaluation favored Sample B (90:5:5), which recorded the highest overall acceptability score (8.33/9.0). These findings demonstrate that fermented millet-pigeon pea-carrot blends represent a sustainable, locally available, and low-cost strategy to address infant malnutrition in Nigeria.