Development of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) and Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Snacks using Different Cooking Methods

The research objectives were: to evaluate the quality of a pea snack prepared using four different methods of cooking, namely, frying, baking, steaming and microwave; to determine the effect of blending dried green pea with chickpea dhal on the quality of a fried pea snack. Green pea and chickpea snacks were prepared according to a traditional Mauritian recipe by using dried green pea and chickpea dhal respectively. Instrumental colour (CIE L*a*b*) and texture (shear force) were measured. Moisture content was determined by the air-oven drying method and fat content was quantified by the soxhlet extraction method. Quantitative Descriptive Analysis was performed by 7 experienced assessors of CFTRI using 15 cm line scales. The fried green pea snack obtained highest score for “crispy” and lowest score for “moist” texture attributes compared to the nonfried snacks (p<0.05). Higher instrumental shear force values were recorded for fried snacks than those which were cooked by other methods (p<0.05). Shear force was lowest for the steamed green pea snack (4.33±0.07 N) and highest for the fried green pea snack (20.89±0.93 N) (p<0.05). The CIE L* (lightness) values of the snack surface showed that the fried snacks were darker than the non-fried snacks (p<0.05). The fried snacks were characterised by positive CIE a*, representing red colour, with the highest value obtained for the chickpea snack (9.77±0.18) (p<0.05). On the other hand, the CIE a* results for the nonfried snacks were negative, representing green colour, with the lowest value noted for the steamed green pea snack (-2.33±0.44) (p<0.05). The fried pea snack was found to have much higher fat content than the non-fried snacks: fried snack (27.94 % w/w, wet weight basis); non-fried snacks (1.20-2.75% w/w/, wet weight basis). The reverse trend was observed for the moisture content data: fried snack (39.86% w/w, wet weight basis); non-fried snacks (45.56-68.10% w/w, wet weight basis). The sensory scores for the snack prepared with equal proportion of green pea and chickpea radiated a picture which was intermediate between the trends for the fried green pea and fried chickpea snacks. Sensory scores for “fried oil” and “onion” flavour characteristics were highest for the fried green pea snack while the fried chickpea snack obtained highest score for “pulsey” flavour and lowest score for “greenish inner core” (p<0.05). Significant correlations were established between sensory scores for colour and texture, as well as colour and flavour characteristics. Correlations between instrumental and sensory data for colour and texture parameters were also significant. The fried and non-fried snacks were comparable in terms of overall quality scores given by assessors.Keywords: green pea, chickpea, snack, frying, steaming, baking, microwave cooking, sensory characteristics, qualit

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Activity of Citrus Flavedo Extracts in Food Systems

The worldwide trend to avoid the use of synthetic antioxidants has motivated scientists to unveil and exploit new sources of natural antioxidants. In this study, the antioxidant potential of the flavedo extracts of two locally grown citrus fruits namely, Mandarin fizu and Pamplemousse kaopan, was investigated in mayonnaise prepared from unstripped soybean oil and in bulk unstripped soybean oil. The antioxidant activity of the mandarin extract at two concentrations (0.2% (m/m) and 0.4% (m/m)) was compared to 0.02% (m/m) BHT. Hydroperoxide formation was monitored during storage at 45oC by measuring peroxide value (PV) and conjugated diene value (CD). PV values showed that the mandarin extract was as effective as BHT (p>0.05) and more effective than Pamplemousse kaopan extract (p<0.05) in retarding lipid oxidation in mayonnaise during storage. After 12 days of storage, the CD values of the mayonnaise samples increased in the following order: mandarin extract < BHT < control < pamplemousse extract. Increasing the concentration of the flavedo extract of Mandarin fizu to 0.4% did not increase the effectiveness of the extract in controlling lipid autoxidation in mayonnaise (p>0.05). In unstripped soybean oil, mandarin extract at 0.4% (m/m) was found to be less effective than BHT but more effective than the extract at 0.2% (m/m) (p<0.05). A similar picture was noted for the conjugated diene data. The findings of this research point to the value of Mandarin fizu flavedo extracts as potential sources of natural food additives.Keywords: Flavedo, Mandarin, Pamplemousse, Mayonnaise, Soybean Oil, Peroxide Value, Conjugated Diene Value, Antioxidant