Khady NDIAYE^{1, 2,}, Mamadou Moustapha DIOUF^{1, 2}, Kalidou BA^{1, 2}, Mamadou Faye^{1, 3}, Adama DIOP^{1, 2}

Malnutrition remains a major public health issue worldwide, particularly in Africa. The quality of the flours used during infant weaning plays a crucial role in their nutritional development. This study aims to develop infant flour formulations using exclusively local ingredients such as corn, peanuts, cowpeas, and carrots. To optimize the roasting process for the seeds (corn, peanuts, cowpeas), a design of experiments approach was used, applying a central composite design using JMP Pro software. This method reduced the number of trials required to ten samples subjected to different combinations of roasting temperatures and times. The proportions of the ingredients were determined using a calculation system developed in Python, based on the matrix formulation method in order to comply with WHO/FAO standards : F1 (cowpea 19%, corn 69%, and peanut 12%); F2 (cowpea 20%, corn 67%, peanut 12%, and carrot 1%); F3 (cowpea 23%, corn 65%, carrot 12%); and F4 (cowpea 24%, corn 64%, peanut 11%, and carrot 1%). The results show that the formulated flours comply with WHO/FAO standards. The microbiological loads detected in these flours were below the microbiological criteria applicable to infant flours. Among the formulations tested, flours F4 and F10 obtained the highest scores in sensory evaluations. These formulations can therefore be recommended for young children, thereby contributing to the fight against child malnutrition.

Malnutrition, cereal, infant, valorization, nutrients