Influence of processing conditions on the nutritive value of Ogi-baba, a Nigerian fermented sorghum gruel

The effect of germination, cowpea fortification and fermentation on the che mical and amino acid composition of ogi-baba, a Nigerian fermented sorghum gruel was investigated. The lowest protein value of 1.4% was obtained in th e traditionally prepared sample, while samples prepared from germinated, fo rtified sorghum had 13%. The ash ranged from 0.9% to above 2%, while the fa t was in the range of 1.2% to 2.8%. Generally, fortification, in addition t o germination, improved the chemical composition of ogi-baba relative to th e control sample. There was improvement in the amino acid profile of all th e ogi-baba samples compared to the unprocessed sorghum grains. Lysine, a li miting amino acid in sorghum, increased more than 50% in ogi-baba. However, samples prepared using germinated sorghum without the addition of cowpeas had a lower lysine content.