Proximate, Minerals and Vitamins Analyses of Some Common Foods in Nigeria

Abstract

Nutritional composition is a key factor that must be considered in our daily choice of diets. Hence, the need for nutritional analysis of these five (5) common Nigerian solid foods (poundo yam, semovita, corn flour, cassava flour, and wheat flour).  The flour samples were chemically analysed for proximate and Mineral elements: magnesium, iron, sodium and calcium composition, using the methods described by Association of Analytical chemist. Vitamin A content was determined by spectrophotometric method while Vitamin C content was determined using the spectrometric method coupled with DNPH procedures. The result revealed that Poundo yam had the highest carbohydrate content (82.695%) and least in the following parameters; moisture (7.55%), calcium (30.075mg), iron (9.20mg), sodium (15.565mg), and magnesium (26.185mg) among other samples. Semovita has the highest protein content (16.3%), vitamin A (0.52mg) and vitamin C (3.61mg). Wheat flour was rated highest in ash (1.82%) and sodium (25.3mg) contents respectively. It was also observed that wheat flour had the least content of vitamin A (0.09mg). Corn flour is highest in crude fat (5.5%). Cassava flour had the highest crude fibre (1.9%), calcium (228.55mg), iron (17.85mg) and magnesium (88.55mg), and turned out to be least in protein (1.025%) and vitamin C (0.44mg) content.