Grain Quality, Provitamin A Carotenoid Profiles, and Sensory Quality of Provitamin A-Biofortified Maize Stiff Porridges

Provitamin A-biofortified maize could contribute to the alleviation of vitamin A deficiency (VAD), which is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa due to a high consumption of starchy, maize-based diets. Four varieties of provitamin A biofortified maize were studied for grain colour, grain texture, thousand kernel weight, and hectolitre mass. Provitamin A biofortified maize stiff porridges were prepared and their retained provitamin A was determined using lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene (all-trans and cis isomers) as standards. Provitamin A concentration in the biofortified porridges ranged from 2.24 to 3.18 µg/g and retention from 91–105%. Descriptive sensory analysis and the 5-point facial hedonic test were used to evaluate the sensory quality of the porridges. The biofortified maize porridges were described as sticky, fine, with high intensity residual grain, and having a slightly bitter aftertaste with a cooked maize flavour and aroma, whereas the intensities of these attributes were insignificant in white maize porridge. About 33% of the consumer sample (N = 60) liked the porridges and 28% disliked the porridges, whilst approximately 38% of the consumers were neutral. The findings suggest that biofortified maize stiff porridge can deliver a significant amount of provitamin A to targeted consumers, but the acceptance of biofortified maize still needs to be improved on.