MICROBIOLOGICAL AND QUALITY EVALUATION OF MILLET/SOYBEAN MEAL

Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and soybean (Glycine max) are two essential crops widely recognized for their nutritional and economic importance, particularly in developing countries. The potential for combining these crops into a composite food product such as millet/soybean meal offers promising benefits, including enhanced nutritional value, potential economic advantages, and broader food security. This study focuses on the enhancement of millet through the incorporation of soybean meal, aiming to improve its nutritional profile and microbiological safety. Millet and soybean co-fermentation was carried out for 72 hours, followed by milling and drying. The resulting blends were analyzed for proximate composition, mineral content, Microbiological tests were conducted to assess the safety of the product, molecular characterization of bacterial isolate, and sensory evaluation was performed using a 9-point hedonic scale to determine consumer acceptability. Proximate analysis revealed significant differences: Sample A (millet) had lower protein (5.79%) and fat (1.90%) content compared to Sample B (Millet/Soybean), which exhibited higher protein (17.37%) and fat (20.00%). Both samples maintained a consistent moisture content of around 11%, but Sample A contained more carbohydrates (78.16%) than Sample B (41.13%). Mineral analysis showed that millet had higher levels of manganese (51.89 mg/kg) and phosphorus (129.70 mg/kg), while soybean presented lower values (46.86 mg/kg and 117.10 mg/kg, respectively). Nucleic acid analysis indicated that Sample B had a higher DNA concentration (142.40 ng/µl) and tested positive for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Proteus mirabilis . In the co-fermentation process, total titratable acidity (TTA) decreased over three days, with a corresponding pH increase indicating active microbial fermentation. Sensory evaluation highlighted Sample A's with higher scores for appearance, aroma, taste, and mouthfeel,compared to Sample B's lower scores. This study emphasize the nutritional benefits of millet and soybean, with millet demonstrating preferred sensory qualities.