Olawale Ogunyemi & Edwin Chigozie Nwokorie

The study assesses the sensory qualities and proximate properties of Kokoro fortified with cowpea and carrot flour. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the taste panelists for the study. A 9-point hedonic rating scale was prepared and administered to respondents. Data was subjected to inferential statistics using SPSS version 23.0. Proximate analysis was carried out on the samples with Multiples Duncan Range method to separate the significant means. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple Duncan Range technique results revealed a significant difference (p 0.05) in the proximate. When the amount of cowpea flour was increased, the protein content rose from 15.20% to 23.03% and the ash percentage fell from 1.29% to 1.90%. With values ranging from 59.17% to 65.00%, 3.24% to 4.40%, and 2.23% to 2.96%, respectively, the amounts of carbohydrate, fat, and fiber decreased. The temperature and pasting time did not differ significantly (p ≥ 0.05). With values ranging from 186.67 to 210.00 g/100 g, 163.33 to 195.00 g/mg, and 30.73 to 39.27%, respectively, the functional characteristics showed that water absorption, oil absorption, and foaming capacity considerably enhanced with an increase in cowpea flour (100% maize sample). The maximum dispersibility value was displayed (6.63%). Both the least gelatinization concentration and swelling capacity showed no significant difference (p ≥ 0.05). Sensory results revealed that an increase in cowpea flour did not significantly alter the sensory parameters (p ≥ 0.05). The study concludes that Kokoro should be fortified with cowpea and carrot flour in addition to the usual customary method to enhance the nutritional benefits. It is therefore recommended that locally grown crops should be processed and used in the production and fortification of flour for snacks production. Keywords: Carrot, cowpea, Kokoro, maize, physicochemical properties 0150