Development of protein rich pregelatinized whole grain cereal bar enriched with nontraditional ingredient: Nutritional, phytochemical, textural, and sensory characterization

This study was aimed to use extrusion cooking as a pretreatment for non-conventional seeds (Indian horse chestnut flour) to blend them with whole grain flours (whole wheat flour, whole barley flour, and whole corn flour) for the development of a pregelatinized cereal bar (PCB). In this study, date paste (7.5–17.5%) and walnut grits (2.5–12.5%) were incorporated at varying levels to prepare PCB. The PCB was evaluated for its nutritional, color, textural (both three-point bending test and TPA), antioxidant activity, and sensory attributes. The flexural modulus, rupture stress, and fracture strain of PCB increased with the incorporation of a higher proportion of date paste. The protein and fiber content in PCB increased from 7.74 to 9.13% and 4.81 to 5.59% with the incorporation of walnut grits and date paste, respectively. The DPPH, total phenolic content, and water activity of PCB were determined, which progressively enhanced with increased levels of walnut grits and date paste. The correlation between sensory attributes and instrumental texture on PCB was also investigated. The correlation results showed a significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation between texture analysis and sensory hardness, springiness, adhesiveness, and negatively correlated to instrumental and sensory cohesiveness. For sensorial attributes, all PCB samples presented average scores of 7/10 and 4/5 for buying intention. Therefore, whole grain extrudates, date paste, and walnut grits can be efficiently used to develop PCB with improved nutritional, nutraceutical, and economic values

Recent advances in non-thermal processing technologies for enhancing shelf life and improving food safety

Emerging non-thermal technologies for enhancing shelf life and food safety have revolutionized the food processing sector. Adopting different non-thermal techniques like supercritical carbon dioxide, high hydrostatic pressure, cold plasma, and ozone technology can improve food quality and enhance the storage life of foods by reducing spoilage and wastage. Evidence shows that these emerging innovative technologies not only ensure the freshness of the food but also keep the nutritionally heat-sensitive materials intact in the foods. Moreover, these can serve as alternatives to conventional heat processing methods resulting in hygienic and safe foods, retention of bioactive compounds, decontamination of microorganisms, and limited changes in the nutritional and sensory attributes. In this review, the basic principles of non-thermal technologies and their effect on the quality parameters of foods are reported. Also, the potential applications and benefits of these technologies as alternative processes for food preservation and to eliminate contamination and infection from food samples are discussed

Physical, Textural, Rheological, and Sensory Characteristics of Amaranth-Based Wheat Flour Bread

In this study, the chemical composition, colour analysis, and antioxidant properties of flour and bread were analysed. We also examined the rheological properties of dough and proximate, colour, textural, and organoleptic properties of amaranth wheat bread. Wheat flour was replaced by amaranth flour (AF) at 0-15% levels (100 : 0, 95 : 5, 90 : 10, and 85 : 15, respectively). AF supplementation increased the moisture (31.06 to 33.24%), ash (0.92 to 1.51%), protein (12.17 to 13.11%), fat (2.16 to 2.77%), and crude fibre content (1.11 to 1.72%) of the bread while the nitrogen-free extract and alkali water retention capacity decreased from 52.58 to 47.65% and 136.00 to 112.02%, respectively. The antioxidant activity evaluated by DPPH, FRAP, and total phenolic content was reduced with increased levels of AF. A significant impact on the physical properties like the weight of bread (increased from 474.00 to 489.30 g), height (went down from 80.00 to 74.33 cm), loaf volume (decreased from 1580.00 to 1518.30 cm3), and specific volume (reduced from 3.32 to 3.10 cm3 g-1) was observed with the replacement of wheat flour. Textural measurement depicted that hardness, chewiness, gumminess, springiness, and cohesiveness increased with the substitution of amaranth flour. Rheological parameters like complex viscosity, loss modulus, and storage modulus were also observed in all dough samples. Bread samples with 5%, 10%, and 15% of AF showed lower yellowness (b∗) and higher lightness (L∗) and redness (a∗) values for crust colour while lower L∗ and higher a∗ and b∗ values for crumb colour. The bread prepared by replacing 5% and 10% of AF is nutritionally as well as sensorially acceptable