Profiling the production process, nutrient content and shelf stability of Lawinya; An Acholi traditional snack
Abstract
Lawinya is a traditional food among the Acholi community comprising groundnut paste, sim-sim paste and honey. It is a snack that is presented to visitors and also served to replenish energy after tedious activities like digging. It is often eaten with boiled sweet potatoes, millet bread or posho. This study was carried out to profile the production process, the nutrient composition and stability of Lawinya. The honey, groundnut and sim-sim seeds were obtained from Gulu main market. The groundnuts and sim-sim seeds were sorted and roasted in an oven at 175℃ for 15 minutes and 10 minutes respectively while no further processing was done on honey. The roasted sim-sim was ground into a paste and the roasted groundnuts were manually dehulled to remove the seedcoat, winnowed and ground into a paste. The ratios formulated in the study were 4:1:2, 1:0:1, 0:1:3 and 1:5:3 which included groundnut paste, sim-sim paste and honey respectively. The Lawinya ratios formulated were based on recommendations from the respondents in Gulu main market. The formulations were analysed to determine their nutrient composition and their stability using standard methods. The moisture content in the samples varied between 12.31- 19.73%, the ash contents ranged between 1.02- 2.21% and the crude fibre was between 1.66-16.06%. The crude protein varied between 6.97-22.52%, the fat content was between 8.33-38.42% and the carbohydrate content ranged between 11.42- 62.56%. The energy content in the samples was between 4.14-6.52 Kcal/g. The acid value ranged between 0.97-2.00 mgKOH/g while the peroxide value varied between 0 and 2.68 mEq/kg. The Lawinya formulation with the highest proportion of groundnuts had the highest crude protein (22.52%) and fat (38.42%) content but had the least moisture (12.31%) and carbohydrate content (11.42%). The formulation with the highest proportion of sim-sim had the highest ash (2.21%) and crude fibre content (16.06%). The formulations with all the three ingredients were better sources of energy, fats, fibre, minerals and proteins compared to formulations with only honey and either groundnut or sim-sim. The products remained stable at two weeks from production. Further investigation should be carried out to determine the stability of Lawinya over an extended period of time.