Compositing complementary flours with legumes of high protein quality such as soy can be effective in abating Protein Energy Malnutrition. Soy-fortified complementary flours were developed using locally available foods from Western Kenya and used to determine the fortification effect on protein nutritional quality, growth, and rehabilitation. Ten isonitrogenous diets containing 10% protein and one containing 20% protein were formulated from six foods; maize, pearl millet, finger millet, sorghum, cassava, and banana at ratios of 70:30 flour and soy with milk powder as control and fed to weanling male albino rats. Another group was fed on a protein free diet. Banana: Soy diet had significantly superior protein nutritional quality while Maize: soy had 70% Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score. True Protein Digestibility of the fortified diets lay within the acceptable margin for cereal: bean mixtures. Fortification with soy improved protein quality indices of flours in rats, and by extrapolation could support growth of young children if used as complementary foods.

Protein nutrition is important for human health because its deficiency leads to major public health problems such as Protein Energy Malnutrition. Soybean an excellent and cheap source of high quality protein has been introduced into the Western Kenya and other developing countries for improved health and food security, but end use qualities may reduce its utilization. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the protein nutritional quality of four soybean varieties grown in Western Kenya. Protein quality was determined using male weanling albino rats for the indices of net protein retention, food efficiency, apparent and true protein digestibilities and faecal weight. Soybean amino acid efficiency was evaluated using Protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS). Soybean diet SB 132 had the highest protein nutritional quality with the best protein retention of 6.29 g, Apparent Protein digestibility of 89.13%, True Protein Digestibility of 96.48%, weight gain of 5.50 g and a Net Protein Retention Ratio of 4.70. All the four soybean varieties had high amino acid profiles with a Protein digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score of 1.0. Soybean variety SB 132 is the most superior in digestibility and the study recommends its promotion as a food crop in Western Kenya and other developing countries for the management of Protein Energy Malnutrition and for food security.

Context: The prevalence of protein energy malnutrition in developing countries has reduced globally. However stunting, wasting, and underweight are still unacceptably high. These high levels of protein energy malnutrition are a major cause of high infant and child morbidity, and mortality rates. Community-based therapy for acute childhood malnutrition has been successful in a variety of settings over the last five years. This study therefore sought to develop a readyto-use-therapeutic food using foods that are locally available in Western Kenya.Objective: The objectives of this study were to develop a ready-to-usetherapeutic-food using soybeans; assess consumer acceptability of the locally developed ready-to-use-therapeutic-food, test the effect of formulated products on malnourished animal models, and analyze the cost of local production of the ready-to-use-therapeutic-food.Experimental design: Three formulations were developed using soybeans (Glycine max l. Merr), maize (Zea mays), peanut (Arachis hypogaea), sugar, vegetable oil and mineral mix. Proximate analyses for protein, fat, moisture, carbohydrate and energy were done according to standard AOAC International methods. Hedonic characterization on a 9-point scale was done to determine the liking for colour, flavour, texture, appearance and general acceptability. Preference ranking for consumer acceptability of three formulations was done by 50 University of Eldoret students; 27 female and 23 male students aged 21-30 years.Results: soybeans are a cheaper alternative to dairy products for the production of an acceptable RUTF as recommended by UNICEF standards. This will go a long way in reducing the costs incurred by use of imported ready-to-use-therapeutic food.

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