Effect of Processing Methods on the Proximate and Mineral Compositions in Groundnuts for Consumption

The proximate and some essential mineral compositions of groundnuts processed by different methods for consumption were determined. The parameters were analyzed using standard methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 2005) and Greenfield and Southgate, 2003. From the results obtained, it was found that the proximate compositions (%) of the groundnuts boiled with the pods were – moisture content (18.77 0.02), crude protein (22.93 0.06), crude fat (38.94 0.03), crude fiber (1.75 0.02), ash (3.90 0.04) and carbohydrate (13.73 0.04). Groundnuts roasted with the pods had– moisture content (2.91 0.04), crude protein (29.73 0.08), crude fat (50.11 0.04), crude fiber (4.36 0.03), ash (5.14 0.03) and carbohydrate (7.76 0.05) while those of the groundnuts roasted without pods were – moisture content (2.88 0.04), crude protein (26.64 0.06), crude fat ss(49.04 0.02), crude fiber (4.26 0.03), ash (4.73 0.02) and the carbohydrate (11.50 0.04). The mineral compositions (in (mg/kg) of the groundnut sample boiled with pods were Na (0.23), K (0.67), Ca (0.11), P (0.38), Mg (0.16) and Fe (41.5). Groundnut samples roasted with the pods were Na (0.38), K (0.98), Ca (0.17), P (0.47), Mg (0.27) and Fe (61.2), while the mineral compositions (in (mg/kg) of the groundnut samples roasted without the pods were Na (0.27), K (0.82), Ca (0.16), P (0.42), Mg (0.25) and Fe (53.6). This study revealed that the proximate and the mineral contents in the roasted samples were generally higher than those of the boiled sample except for the moisture and the carbohydrate contents.