Microbiological Safety and Nutritional Adequacy of Composite Porridge Flour Used in a Selected School-Feeding Program in Kamuli District, Uganda

Abstract

By providing nutrient-enriched meals, the Iowa State University-Uganda Program plays a crucial role in combating hunger and improving school attendance by pupils in Kamuli district, Uganda. The lunchtime meals for pupils in primary grades 3 to 7 consist of a blend of maize grains and beans cooked together with vegetables and eggs to enhance their nutritional value. The program introduced a new composite porridge flour (44% maize, 26% millet, and 18% amaranth grain) for feeding pupils from kindergarten to primary grade 2 at break time. However, the microbiological safety of the flour for making the porridge had yet to be assessed. Additionally, though the proportions of the flour ingredients were known, its proximate composition and energy density were unknown. Hence, the porridge’s contribution to each pupils recommended dietary allowance had never been evaluated for adequacy. This study, therefore, assessed the microbiological safety and nutritional adequacy of the composite flour (n = 5 batches). Fungal contamination was determined by spread plating on acidified Potato Dextrose agar. Aflatoxin concentrations were determined by Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry. Proximate composition was determined following standard methods. Gross energy was estimated using the energy conversion factors. To evaluate nutritional adequacy, the contribution of the porridge flour to pupils’ RDA was compared with the 1998 FAO/WHO RDA guidelines. The mean fungal count (4.4 ± 0.1 log cfu/g) slightly exceeded the acceptable maximum limit (4 log cfu/g), although no aflatoxins were detected, thus indicating satisfactory microbial safety. The flour predominantly contained carbohydrates (81.0% ± 0.7), moderate amounts of protein (8.2% ± 0.1), and crude fat (7.6% ± 0.5) alongside minimal levels of total ash (1.8% ± 0.1) and crude fiber (1.7% ± 0.6). Its contribution to the pupils’ RDA was very minimal owing to the low porridge intake (about 10 g dry matter per pupil per day). Therefore, there is an urgent need to enhance the nutrient profile of the composite flour by incorporating more protein and fiber rich ingredients and increasing the serving size to meet the dietary needs of the pupils. The flour could also be extruded to ensure a higher bulk density of the porridge.