Substitutability of wheat flour with potato-sorghum composites for cookies production

The growing demand for convenient and health oriented food products has led to production of ready-to-eat products such as cookies and biscuits with low fat and sugar contents, and appropriate mineral compositions. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of using potato-sorghum composite as a substitute for wheat to achieve cookies with equally competitive nutritional quality and sensory attributes. Composite blends of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flour,in the ratios of 20:10:70, 10:20:70, and 15:15:70, as well as a control with 100% wheat flour,were used to process cookies,whilemaintaining constant other ingredients namely; butter, milk, eggs, baking powder and sugar. Cookies with potato-sorghum blends exhibited less fat and high dietary fiber and protein content than the control. In addition ,mineral profiles in terms of zinc, calcium, potassium and iron showed a significant difference between the control and the cookies containing potato-sorghum composite flour.Substitution with potato-sorghum composite flours increased zinc, calcium, potassium and vitamin C levels in the cookies; whereas the concentration of iron and vitamins A, which are present mainly in sorghum, appeared to be higher when sorghum concentration was increased.There was evidence of a decline in thetrend of acceptability, especially with increasing level of sorghum flour in all the formulations. The best potato-sorghum combination was 15% sorghum, 15% potato and 70 wheat, which considerably favoured cooky quality in terms of general appearance, colour, flavor and taste. The study demonstrated that minerals/fiber-enriched cookies with high quality sensory attributescould be produced by replacing of wheat flour by 15% of potato flour and 15% sorghum. Key words: Solanum tuberosum, Sorghum bicolor, Triticum aestivum, wheat flour