Peer-reviewed article

Nutritional and Sensory Evaluation of Complementary Foods Developed From Staple Grains and Dried Dagaa Fish (Stolothrissa tanganicae).

Marie Amélie Nabuholo, Olouwafemi Mistourath Mama, Adama Diouf, Esto Bahizire, Galibwa Kulimushi Alexis et al. · 12 Oct 2026

Abstract

Plant-based complementary foods commonly consumed in South-Kivu are often deficient in protein and essential micronutrients, contributing to undernutrition among young children. This study developed fish-enriched complementary flours and evaluated their proximate composition, sensory quality, acceptability, and storability. Three composite flours were formulated: a control complementary flour (CCF, no fish) and two enriched formulations containing 40% (ECF1) and 20% (ECF2) dried dagaa. Proximate composition and mineral content were determined using AOAC methods, and the sensory acceptability of CCF and ECF1 was evaluated among 82 mother-child pairs using a 7-point hedonic scale. Nutrient composition differed significantly among formulations (p < 0.0001). ECF1 had the highest levels of protein (33.1 g/100 g), iron (11.5 mg/100 g), zinc (6.54 mg/100 g), and calcium (820.5 mg/100 g), whereas CCF had the highest carbohydrate (71.7 g/100 g) and energy (408 kcal/100 g) contents. Based on a 50 g dry flour serving as recommended by WFP, ECF1 provided the greatest estimated contribution to protein and mineral requirements for infants aged 6-12 months. Sensory evaluation showed that both mothers and children preferred CCF to ECF1 (p < 0.0001). Nevertheless, ECF1 achieved acceptable child acceptability (68.3% with an appreciation index ≥ 70%), and nearly two-thirds of mothers expressed willingness to offer the product despite its lower sensory scores. Both formulations remained microbiologically safe after 6 months of ambient storage. These findings demonstrate that dried dagaa substantially improves the nutrient density of cereal-based complementary foods while maintaining acceptable sensory properties and storage stability, supporting its potential as a sustainable food-based strategy to improve complementary feeding in resource-limited settings.