Quality Evaluation of Rice-Based Sinasir Enriched with Plantain and Sesame Flour Blends
Rice-based sinasir is naturally low in protein and micronutrients. This study evaluated the quality of sinasir enriched with unripe plantain (for vitamins and minerals) and sesame (for protein) by partially substituting rice flour. Five composite flour blends were formulated based on the ratio of Rice: Plantain: Sesame: RSA (100:0:0), RSB (94:5:1), RSC (88:10:2), RSD (82:15:3), and RSE (76:20:4). Functional properties, proximate composition, vitamins, and sensory attributes were analysed using one-way ANOVA at a 5% level of significance. Results showed that moisture (9.05% to 10.05%), ash (0.83% to 1.88%), fat (0.58% to 2.06%), crude protein (6.30% to 7.24%), and crude fibre (1.39% to 1.50%) increased significantly with higher substitution levels. Conversely, carbohydrate content decreased from 81.76% to 77.38%. Vitamins A and B increased with the addition of sesame and plantain, whereas vitamin C content decreased due to unit processing operations. Functional properties varied significantly across the flour samples. Sensory evaluation revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in taste, colour, texture, aroma, and overall acceptability among the samples. Sample RSD (82% rice, 15% unripe plantain, 3% sesame) emerged as the most acceptable formulation. In conclusion, incorporating unripe plantain and sesame composite flour significantly enhances the nutritional profile of rice-based sinasir while maintaining good consumer acceptability.