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Evaluation of Some Physicochemical Parameters of Commercial Baby Foods Products

M.A. Elbagermi, H.G.M Edwards, A.I Alajtal and N.A Alsedawi

The nutritive value of ten baby foods commonly used in Libya was evaluated chemically including pesticide residues and bacterial contamination. The protein and fat content differed significantly in the examined baby foods and ranged from 7.5 % to 13.4% and 7.9% to 13.2%, respectively. The actual protein and fat contents were lower than those that declared on the manufacturer’s labels for all the baby foods studied here. The crude fiber content was in the range of 5.68 – 15.73 % for the fruit pulps and from 13.85 – 20.45 % for the dried fruits and vegetables; all samples in this study were low in ascorbic acid and also in total dissolved solids content and could not meet Libyan standard specifications. However, the data presented show that in general all of the pesticide residues monitored are in concentrations below the limit of detection (LOD). All products analysed during the study did not contain any bacterial contamination.