Nutritional and Sensory Analysis of Milk Processed from Seeds of Sweet Pea (Cyperus esculentus L.) Consumed in Côte d’Ivoire

Aims: To determine the nutritional and sensory parameters of milk processed from sweet pea seeds consumed in Côte d'Ivoire.

Study Design: Sweet pea seeds samples gathered from communal markets in Abidjan district were used to process milk using improved and traditional methods. Nutritive parameters and sensory traits analyzed.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Laboratory of Biochemistry and Food Sciences, Biosciences Unit, at Félix Houphouet-Boigny University, between January and May 2015.

Methodology: Sweet pea seeds from nine communal wholesale markets were considered in three communes of Abidjan district, three markets from each. A pool of 50 kg of the overall sweet pea samples was constituted, and then processed for milk production using traditional cloth filtration and improved microfiltration. Milks were used for nutritional evaluation consisting in proteins, lipids, ashes, and carbohydrates contents, and caloric energy value, and then carbohydrates and fatty acids components. Furthermore, sensory analyses were performed for acceptance and description of four sensory parameters (flavour, aroma, appearance, and texture).

Results: The sweet pea milk is richer in carbohydrates (25.06%), lipids (15.30%), and fibers (16.51%) and contains 4.97% proteins. Starch and sucrose are the major carbohydrates components (p-value<0.05), with respective contents of 146.99% and 88.55% from the raw milk, then 40.67% and 24.50% when milk is filtered. These milks are highly richer in unsaturated fatty acids (p-value<0.001) including more than 66% monounsaturated fatty acids and over 15% polyunsaturated fatty acids. The sensory profile revealed close appreciation of the filtered sweet pea milk and the soya milk for the sweet flavour, the white appearance, and the fruit aroma, more than the raw sweet pea milk (p-value<0.01). Both filtered milk and soya milk also recorded more acceptance than the raw sweet pea milk.

Conclusion: Thanks to the significant nutritive properties and sensory acceptance, the sweet pea milk, especially when quite filtered, could be more valorizing for increasing the profitability of this culture and addressing the nutritional concerns for populations.