Formulation and Nutritional Evaluation of Potential Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) from Locally Available Cereals and Legumes Blends

Abstract

Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five in Nigeria, contributing to nearly 50% of the country's annual under-five deaths. Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) have proven effective in managing SAM, but the conventional peanut-milk-based formulations remain costly and inconsistently available due to import dependence. This study formulated and nutritionally evaluated four RUTF blends developed from locally available cereals (millet, sorghum, yellow corn), legumes (soybean, groundnut), and crayfish, designated SA101, SA555, SA777, and SA888, differing in ingredient composition and proportions. Raw materials were processed, milled, and analyzed for proximate, vitamin, mineral, and phytochemical composition using standard AOAC methods, with data subjected to one-way ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Range Test at p<0.05. Carbohydrate content ranged from 67.44–73.85%, protein from 16.65–38.40%, and energy from 363.95–373.55 kcal/100g, with SA555 recording the highest protein and energy values owing to its higher legume and multi-cereal composition. Fat content was low (0.81–1.01%) and moisture levels remained below 10% across all samples, favoring storage stability under tropical conditions. The blends also contained appreciable levels of beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B9, C, and E, along with essential minerals including zinc, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium, with legume inclusion enhancing overall mineral quality. Phytochemical screening revealed alkaloid and flavonoid concentrations within ranges considered safe for consumption. These findings indicate that locally sourced cereal-legume-crayfish blends, particularly SA555, offer a nutritionally adequate, cost-effective, and potentially safer alternative to imported RUTF for the community-based management of severe acute malnutrition in resource-limited settings, warranting further clinical and sensory evaluation prior to large-scale adoption.