Characterisation of composite foodspreads produced from Persea americana and Arachis hypogea

The present study investigated the nutritional, physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of peanut butter fortified with avocado pear fruit. The peanut butter and avocado paste were blended at different substitution levels of 100:0, 80:20, 70:30, 50:50, and 0:100. Proximate analysis, mineral composition assessment, microbial analysis and sensory evaluation demonstrated that fortifying peanut butter with avocado significantly enhanced its fat content, increasing from 25% to 52.6% and 47.9% in the 20 g and 30 g avocado-containing formulations, respectively. Moreover, fiber content increased from 2.8% to 4.5% and 3.85% for 20% and 30% avocado substitutions, respectively. A notable improvement was observed in ash content, which increased from 0.87% to 1.9%, 1.61%, and 1.42% in samples containing 20%, 30%, and 50% of avocado pulp, respectively, indicating a significant contribution to the mineral composition and potential to enhance dietary energy intake. Additionally, the composite spreads contained higher levels of sodium (Na) and copper (Cu) than the control sample and were rated favorably for appearance, spreadability, and mouthfeel by sensory panelists. Composite spreads showed higher bacterial counts than the standard sample, while no mould, yeast, or coliforms were detected in any sample.These results highlight the potential for incorporating up to 20% avocado paste into peanut butter formulations to develop an improved, nutritionally enhanced food spread.