Development of Complementary Food for Children Aged 6 Months to 3 Years from Main Ingredients in Thailand

Abstract

Children aged 6 months to 3 years are at the age of physical, mental, and intellectual growth. A suitable diet for children at this age should be healthy, high-energy, and nutrient-rich. This study aimed to develop nutritious complementary food for children aged 6 months to 3 years by using the main natural ingredients in Thailand. The pumpkin contents were varied to four levels: 3, 7, 11, and 15 percent. The sensory preference was assessed by 25 panelists using a 9-point hedonic scale. The developed products were analyzed for pH, viscosity, and nutritional value. The results found no difference in preference scores across all attributes. Recipes containing 11 percent and 15 percent of pumpkins received the highest overall preference scores, so they were further developed by adding multivitamins, iron, calcium, pea protein, and fructooligosaccharides. The developed recipes were produced in the food industry. The sensory evaluation of 98 panelists found that recipes with 11 percent of pumpkins gained statistically significantly more color preference scores (6.05 ± 2.09 points) than recipes with 15 percent of pumpkins (5.87 ± 1.90 points) at p<0.05. Both formulations have low acidity (6.34 ± 0.01 and 6.46 ± 0.01, respectively) and high viscosity (6,685.80 ± 245.80 and 39,893.33 ± 1,019.94 cP, respectively). Recipes containing 11 percent of pumpkins acquired the most overall preference scores. Therefore, the nutritional value per serving size (110 grams) of this formula was analyzed, including 72.48 kcal of energy, 1.55 grams of total fat, 1.99 grams of protein, 12.64 grams of carbohydrates, 2.57 grams of dietary fiber, 129.80 milligrams of calcium and 1.47 milligrams of iron.