DEVELOPMENT OF INFANT FORMULAS BASED ON Lactobacillus heliveticus OR Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 BACTERIA AND BARLEY

The present work was designed to prepare fermented porridge by (Lactobacillus heliveticus or Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12) as baby food with high nutritional value from malt flour, rice flour, skim milk powder, honey and carrot with different percents. Prepared diet were chemically, microbiologically biologically and sensory evaluated directly after fermentation and after storage period (21days) at (4-5 ^oC). The results indicated that the protein, ash, lactic acid, and acetic acid in all treatment increased during storage period, while fiber, carbohydrate, glucose and fructose values were decreased. The pH values varied according to the growth of  both strain, L heliveticus recorded a higher decreasing effect on pH values (pH 4.12). The viable count of L heliveticus reached maximum growth after storage period 7 days in all treatments, then slightly decreased till the end of the storage period, while Bifidobacterum lactis Bb12 increased during the storage up to 15 days, and then gradually decreased. All samples had highest values of calcium,  phosphorus, magnesium, thiamine and riboflavin to meet Recommended Dietary Allowances (R.D.A) requirements. Sensory evaluation showed that the best formula for infants were samples treated with carrot and both strain  . The biological study of fermented porridge by rats indicated that rats`body weight gain significantly increased   compared to the control with no effect on relative liver and spleen weights. Also, in comparison with the control group, rats fed the fermented porridge resulted in a considerable increase in their intestinal fecal content of L heliveticus and Bifidobacteria, however the count of staphylococci and coliforms significantly reduced.