BACKGROUND Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is an important health burden in most developing countries mainly in sub‐Saharan Africa, where it contributes to high rates of child morbidity and mortality. This study evaluated the efficacy of compositing with snail meat powder (SMP) on protein nutritional quality of sorghum–wheat buns using a rat bioassay. Nine diets –seven isonitrogenous diets, based on six variations of buns and a reference diet made using skimmed milk powder, in addition to the basal diet meant to estimate the endogenous nitrogen excretion and a 16% protein rehabilitation diet – were fed to male weanling albino rats. Protein efficiency ratio (PER), and food efficiency ratio (FER), net protein retention ratio (NPRR), apparent protein digestibility (APD), and true protein digestibility (TPD), protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS), and digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) indices of protein quality were determined. RESULTS Fortification with SMP significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced PER from 0.21% to 2.70%, FER from 0.02% to 0.27%, APD from 81.17% to 88.28%, and TPD from 87.48% to 95.38%. PDCAAS and DIAAS increased from 45% to 78% and 44% to 69% respectively in unfortified buns to buns fortified with 25% SMP. CONCLUSION Complementary diets fortified with SMP promote growth and rehabilitate emaciated rats, whereas unfortified diet did not support weight gain. Thus, supplementation of buns with SMP might enhance a faster recovery in children affected by PEM. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

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.

Formulation of foods from –low‐lysine cereals fortified with animal protein is a potentially sustainable approach to enhance protein quality in diet due to nutritional compensation while buns are valuable vehicles to deliver nutrients to human body because of their relatively noble eating quality and extended shelf life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensory attributes and consumer acceptability of sorghum‐wheat buns containing snail meat powder (SMP). Buns were prepared by replacing 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% of sorghum‐wheat composite flour with SMP. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed 99% total variation of 23 attributes for buns scored by a descriptive sensory panel, of which 98% was due to the proportion of SMP that replaced sorghum‐wheat composite flour in buns and the remainder 1% was due to the buns’ physical appearance. Compositing sorghum‐wheat buns with SMP imparted positive consumer attributes of fine crumb, sponginess, and crumby texture. It also resulted in buns with reasonably high sensory acceptability as evaluated by 8‐ to 9‐year‐old school children. The buns can serve as supplementary rich sources of protein for alleviating the menace of protein energy malnutrition in sub‐Saharan Africa.