Evaluation of the Chemical Composition of Biscuits from Soybean (Glycine max), and Corn (Zea mays) Seeds Flour Blends Supplemented with Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) Pulp

Background/Objective: Development of biscuits from soybeans, and corn flour blends supplemented with date palm pulp and their chemical evaluation was necessitated by consumers demand for varied nutrient-dense foods, and informed food choices.Methodology: The experimental study used standard methods to process flour from soybeans and corn; and pulp from date palm. The flour was formulated into three blends supplemented with the pulp in the ratios of 50:30:20, 40:40:20, 30:50:20. These were made into biscuits and evaluated for chemical compositions with standard procedures. IBM Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS) software version 21 was used to analyze data and presented as mean +/-SD. The means were compared with Analysis of variance and separated with Duncan multiple test range. Result: The proximate composition ranged from 7.37% to 8.66% moisture, 8.74% to 12.05% crude protein, 18.96% to 20.23% fat, 1.16% to 19.4% fiber, 1.24% to 1.93% ash, 57.81% to 60.27% carbohydrates, and 450.74Kcal to 458.09Kcal energy. The vitamin contents ranged from 12.58µg to 14.871µg beta-carotene, 0.56mg to 0.92mg thiamin, 25.52mg to 26.09mg riboflavin, 0.78mg to 1.38mg niacin, 0.27µg/g to 0.84µg/g folate, 15.67mg to 0.84mg Vitamin C. The mineral composition range was 34.74mg to 45.66mg calcium, 15.82mg to 23.47mg magnesium, 19.77mg to 37.62mg sodium, 54.75mg to 65.34mg potassium, 0.57mg to 0.91mg iron, 0.48mg to 0.65mg zinc. The phytochemical content range was 0.26mg to 0.68mg tannin, 0.35mg to 0.92mg flavonoids, 0.16mg to 0.39mg saponin, 0.23mg to 0.78mg phytate, 0.12mg to 0.45mg oxalate, and 0.11mg to 0.66mg phenols. Conclusion: The biscuits have varied nutrients, fiber, and phytochemical content and will improve food intake.