Development of expanded quinoa bars of high nutritional value and suitable for celiacs

Abstract

Chenopodium quinoa Willd, known as quinoa or quínoa, is a nutritionally well-balanced pseudo-cereal that stands out for the quality of its proteins (with a high content of essential amino acids), low fat content and the presence of bioactive compounds with various functional properties. It is a versatile gluten-free food that can be consumed in various forms by customers, including celiac people. The aim of the present work was to produce gluten-free expanded quinoa bars (EQB) with a superior nutritional value than a commercial cereal quinoa bars (CQB), evaluating its acceptability.

Seeds were conditioned, and the expanded quinoa was produced in a continuous rotary oven. The design of experiment was performed with Stat-Ease Inc. statistical software using the Design-Expert methodology to combine different formulations. Final formulations were tested on: Chemical-nutritional composition (content of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, ashes, fiber and total caloric value) and acceptability evaluation with a sensory panel of untrained judges (n: 100) using a hedonic scale. ANAVA test with DGS test (α = 0.05) was used for the comparison of quality while Chi-square test was used for the sensory evaluation analysis. Infostat statistical software was used.

An EQB suitable for celiac was obtained with an acceptance of 87% and a purchase intention of 74%. The nutritional composition obtained was lower in calories and lipids than commercial bars (EQB: 392 Kcal and 8.5% vs CQB: 409 Kcal and 16.5%). The produced bar was higher in carbohydrates, proteins, ashes and fiber (63%, 16%, 3% and 6.7 respectively for EQBvs. 56%, 9.8%, 1.7% and 2.6% respectively for CQB). These differences were statistically non-significant (p = 0.333).

The expanded quinoa bar produced has an acceptable nutritional profile. The EQB has a higher protein content and so, higher amount of essential amino acids. It also showed higher content of complex carbohydrate and less fat than the CQB. The obtained formulation was accepted in terms of its organoleptic attributes and showed a good purchase intention