Influence of micronization (infrared treatment) on the protein and functional quality of a ready-to-eat sorghum-cowpea African porridge for young child-feeding

•Micronization instantized cowpea can be used to make a ready-to-eat sorghum composite porridge.•A serving with cowpea leaves meets 40% of 2-5 year children's protein requirement.•Cowpea leaf tannins did not substantially reduce protein digestibility of the meal.•The meal's Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score is comparable with commercial maize-soy composites.

Indigenous plant foods play a major nutritional and cultural role in the diets of rural people in Africa. However, they can contain high levels of antinutrients, which may exacerbate nutritional and health problems in young children consuming nutrient deficient diets. Also, the rapid increase in urbanization in Africa has led to the need for convenience type meals. This study investigated the potential of micronization (infrared treatment) in combination with extrusion cooking in developing a ready-to-eat sorghum and cowpea based porridge supplemented with cooked cowpea leaves for young child-feeding. Micronization not only inactivated the trypsin inhibitors in cowpea, it also produced an instantized product with excellent hydration properties. When served as a stiff porridge with cooked cowpea leaves in the recommended portion sizes for children aged 2-5 years, one daily serving would meet 40% of the children's protein and lysine requirements. Further, the calculated Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score would be comparable to commercial maize-soy instant products. This is notwithstanding that the cowpea leaves had a negative effect on protein digestibility due to their high tannin content. This nutritious ready-to-eat meal from locally available plant foods could contribute substantially to food security in both urban and rural communities in Africa.