Development and Quality Assessment of Sorghum-enriched Vermicelli: Nutritional, Sensory and Microbiological Evaluation

West Africa imports most of its wheat. Local grains such as sorghum could reduce this dependence on cereal products, but only if the resulting food still tastes acceptable. This study made wheat-sorghum composite vermicelli with sorghum flour grown in Togo and tested three incorporation levels for sensory acceptance, nutritional composition, mineral content, contaminant levels, and microbiological safety to identify the best incorporation level. Vermicelli was produced at 20%, 30%, and 40% sorghum flour, and compared against a 100% wheat control. Thirty untrained consumers scored the samples on a five-point hedonic scale. Moisture, protein, fat, fibre, carbohydrate, and energy content were measured alongside mineral profile, heavy metal levels, and microbiological quality, using standard analytical procedures. Among the sorghum blends, the 20% formulation scored highest with consumers: 3.50 for appearance, 3.67 for texture, 3.50 for taste, 3.68 for aroma. Nutritional value rose with sorghum content. The 40% formulation reached the highest protein (14.92%), fibre (1.45%), fat (13.07%), and energy (419.05 kcal/100 g). Iron more than doubled across the series, from 17.99 mg/kg in the wheat control to 38.05 mg/kg at 40% sorghum, while lead and cadmium stayed below detection limits and within Codex thresholds throughout. The 20% formulation — the one consumer preferred — also cleared microbiological screening: 50,633 CFU/g total mesophilic aerobic flora, 3,033 CFU/g moulds, and no Salmonella spp ., E. coli, S. aureus , or sulphite-reducing anaerobes. Sorghum can replace up to 20% of the wheat in vermicelli without consumers noticing, while adding measurable nutritional value and staying within safety limits. That is a tested, practical route for reducing wheat imports in West African food systems.