Consumer Acceptability and Nutrient Content of Westwood (Cirina forda) Larva-enriched Vegetable Soups

This study evaluated the nutritional content and sensory properties of Okro and Oha soup enriched with Westwood larva (cirina forda). The three raw materials were individually processed using standard methods before combining them at different ratios that resulting to 16 samples used for the analysis. The results were compared with two controls; OK9 (100 % Okro vegetable) and OH9 (100 % Oha vegetable). The samples were assessed for nutritional content and sensory properties using standard methods. The result of the proximate analysis for the protein content of Okro sample ranged from 7.67-22.43 %. OK1(larva 60: vegetable 40) Okro vegetable soup had the highest protein content and differed significantly (p<0.05) from the rest of the samples of Okro. Protein for Oha sample ranged from 7.05-20.75 %. OH7(larva 45: vegetable 55) had the highest protein content and differed significantly (p<0.05) from the rest of the samples of Oha. Total viable count, fungal count and coliform count showed no viable count during storage, total via count for Okro soup ranged from 1.00-5.19 (4 weeks) while the fungal count ranged from 1.11-4.32 (4 weeks), However, for Oha soup 1.16-4.82 (week 4) and the fungal count ranged 1.16-4.82. It showed that bacterial loads kept increasing during this period. Nevertheless, increase presents no risk in terms of food safety. The result of the amino acid showed that all the essential amino acid that were present valine 2.80 ml, leucine 5.10 ml, lysine 11.60 ml, iso-leucine 3.0 ml, threonine 4.07 ml, phenyalanine 8.43 ml, methionine 5.90 ml and histidine 4.30 ml, tyrosine 2.38 ml while non-essential amino acids present are arginine 7.97 ml, cystein 5.40 ml, aspartic acid 7.00 ml, glutamic acid 14.00 ml, alanine 3.84 ml, glycine 5.00 ml, proline 8.00 ml, serine 4.35 ml. The phenomenal study revealed that the addition of larva to these soups intensely boosted the nutritional content of these soup samples as the control, OK9 (100% Okro soup) and OH9(100% Oha soup) had least nutritional content when compared to the rest of the samples. OK7 (larva 45: vegetable 55) and OK9(100%) while, OH3(larva 30: vegetable 70) were the most preferred among the other samples and most acceptable. Consumption of westwood larva should be promoted in order to increase dietary variety, nutrient intake, and general human health.