Galletas tipo soda elaboradas con sustitución parcial de harina de trigo por harina de maíz nixtamalizado y garbanzo / Soda-type crackers with partial replacement of wheat flour with nixtamalized corn and chickpea flour

Introducción: En el Perú, el 90% de trigo es importado y su alta cotización internacional (390 dólares TN-1) implica la necesidad de encontrar sustitutos principalmente en productos de panificación que en su mayoría son formulados a base de trigo. Las harinas provenientes de frijol garbanzo y maíz amarillo, pueden mostrarse como alternativas potenciales y contribuir a mejorar el valor nutricional y sensorial del alimento. Objetivo: Desarrollar y evaluar nutricionalmente y sensorialmente una galleta tipo soda sustituyendo parcialmente la harina de trigo (HT) por harina de maíz amarillo (Zea mays) nixtamalizado (HMN) y garbanzo (Cicer arietinum) (HG). Materiales y métodos: Se realizaron tres formulaciones, F1: 70% HT, 20% HMN y 10% HG, F2: 70% HT, 10% HMN y 20% HG y F3: 50% HT, 20% HMN y 30% HG, la muestra control contenía 100% harina de trigo. Se determinaron contenido de proteínas, grasa y carbohidratos por análisis proximal, así como sabor y textura en el análisis sensorial. Resultados: F3 presentó mayor contenido de proteínas (11,88%), grasa (3,70%), y carbohidratos (71,08%), mientras que F2 fue percibido por los panelistas con un sabor moderadamente salado y de textura crujiente. Conclusiones: Se concluye que una sustitución mayor al 50% de harina de trigo por harina de leguminosa y harina de maíz nixtamalizada permite obtener galletas con alto contenido proteico y de textura similar a una galleta tipo soda comercial(AU)

Introduction: In Peru, 90% of wheat is imported and its high international price ($390 per TN) implies the need to find substitutes mainly in baking products that are mostly formulated with wheat. Flours from chickpeas and yellow corn can be shown as potential alternatives and contribute to improving the nutritional and sensory value of the food. Objective: Develop and nutritionally and sensorially evaluate a soda cracker partially substituting wheat flour (HT) with nixtamalized yellow corn flour (Zea mays) (HMN) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum) (HG). Material and methods: Three formulations were made, F1: 70% HT, 20% HMN and 10% HG, F2: 70% HT, 10% HMN and 20% HG and F3: 50% HT, 20% HMN and 30% HG, the control samplecontained 100% wheat flour. Protein, fat and carbohydrate content were determined by proximal analysis, as well as flavor and texture were determined in sensory analysis. Results: F3 presented a higher content of proteins (11.88%), fat (3.70%), and carbohydrates (71.08%), while F2 was perceived by the panelists as having a moderately salty flavor and crunchy texture. Conclusions: It is concluded that a substitution of more than 50% of wheat flour by leguminous flour allows obtaining crackers with high protein content and a texture similar to a commercial soda cracker(AU)

The Effect of Co-Fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum HLJ29L2 and Yeast on Wheat Protein Characteristics in Sourdough and Crackers.

Sourdough fermentation has been widely used in food products. However, there has been limited study of the effect of co-fermentation with lactic acid bacteria and yeast on the dough and cracker products. In this study, the influence of co-fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum HLJ29L2 (LP HLJ29L2) and yeast on wheat protein digestibility of cracker was studied, and the mechanism of the protein changes in sourdough during fermentation was further explored. Co-fermentation with LP HLJ29L2 and yeast (DN-1) strongly improved the protein digestibility of cracker. At the same time, the content of free amino acids in DN-1 crackers increased by 20%. Co-fermentation also had significant effect on the sourdough during fermentation. The SDS-soluble protein content in sourdough was increased, and large molecule proteins were significantly reduced in the DN-1 sourdough. This was due to the fact, that LP HLJ29L2 grew rapidly during co-fermentation and produced more organic acids, which led to an increase in protease activity in sourdough and promoted the degradation of protein by proteases. The results of this study provide an important theoretical basis for the application of lactic acid bacteria and yeast co-fermentation in crackers.

Assessment of the Bioaccessibility of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. Flour and Its Use in Cracker Formulation.

In this study, in vitro digestion of polyphenols of oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) flour (OF) and the potential use of OF in cracker production were studied. The results showed that 21.90 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry matter (DM) of total polyphenol (TP), 28.15 mg rutin equivalent (RE)/g DM of total flavonoid (TF) and 7709.13 mmol ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE)/100 g DM of antioxidant capacity (AC) were found in OF. The bioaccessibility and content of the OF polyphenols and their AC during in vitro digestion varied depending on the digestion stage. The stability of the OF polyphenols was higher in gastric stage (41.92%) than intestinal one (34.01%). OF was used to replace flour in the cracker formulation at the levels of 5, 10 and 15% (w/w) and increased the TP contents and AC of the crackers compared to the sample without OF (control). The addition of OF to the cracker dough increased the bioaccessibility of the cracker polyphenols. After digestion, bioaccessibilities of enriched crackers (107.90-126.81%) were found higher than that of control sample (93.73%). However, as the level of OF in cracker increased, bioaccessibility of polyphenols decreased. The results generally indicated that oleaster has a good potential for the enrichment of foods.

Anthocyanin Content of Crackers and Bread Made with Purple and Blue Wheat Varieties.

Purple and blue wheats contain anthocyanins in the outer layers of the wheat kernel, and therefore purple and blue wholemeals can be a source of anthocyanins when developing processed cereal products. However, cereal processing is anticipated to cause significant anthocyanin losses. In this study, the anthocyanin content of crackers and bread made from one purple and three blue wholemeals was measured during processing and after baking. LC-MS/MS was used to confirm the presence of anthocyanins, and to tentatively identify them. Mixing and baking steps significantly decreased the anthocyanin content, whereas resting and fermentation steps did not. Purple and blue wholemeal samples reacted differently, indicating that the starting anthocyanin content, localization and composition may have some impact on anthocyanin retention. Additionally, dough systems with decreased pH were more protective of anthocyanins during intermediate processing steps, as were high-temperature, short-time baking procedures. This research provides insights into the processing steps that cause significant anthocyanin losses, and proposes some modifications to formulation and processing conditions which can further reduce losses.

Effect of heat-moisture treated brown rice crackers on postprandial flow-mediated dilation in adults with mild endothelial dysfunction.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is an early pathophysiological feature and independent predictor of a poor prognosis in most forms of cardiovascular disease. We evaluated the effect of brown rice crackers (BR-C) on endothelial function. Methods: Effect of heat-moisture treated (HMT) -BR-C on postprandial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in adults with mild endothelial dysfunction was compared with that of BR-C and white rice crackers (WR-C) in 12 adults with mild endothelial dysfunction (less than 7.0% of FMD) by a randomized, single-blind, three-treatment three-period crossover trial (UMIN 000034898). Since we considered that the FMD increase was associated with the treatment of HMT-BR-C, we examined the effect of three possible factors: postprandial glucose levels, polyphenol content, and polyphenol release from the food matrix. Results: Mean pre-intake baseline FMD values of HMT-BR-C, BR-C, and WR-C were 4.9%, 5.1%, and 4.9%, respectively, and those values 1 h post-intake were 6.3%, 5.1%, and 4.8%, respectively. There was no difference in intergroup comparisons of FMD using Dunnett's multiple comparison test. There was a significant increase in FMD only in HMT-BR-C in intragroup comparisons (P = 0.042 by paired-t test). In comparison with BR-C, no significant difference was noted in the postprandial glucose level nor in the content of total polyphenols and ferulic acid derivatives in HMT-BR-C. However, the 70% ethanol extracted from HMT-BR-C contained a significantly larger amount of free and bound ferulic acids than from BR-C. Conclusion: HMT-BR-C intake increased the postprandial FMD response.

Lycopene-rich watermelon concentrate used as a natural food colorant: Stability during processing and storage.

A lycopene-rich watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) concentrate was incorporated into snack cracker, fusilli pasta, and extruded snacks for coloring purposes. Changes in the L* and a* color coordinates and in the lycopene content were evaluated before and after thermal processes and monitored through 90 days of storage at ambient temperature. The products with the maximum lycopene degradation during processing were snack cracker and extruded snack (between 30 and 45%) whereas no degradation was observed in the fusilli pasta, except during cooking into boiling water (reduction up to 41%). The change in color during processing varied substantially depending on the product, but, in general, thermal treatments applied reduced the a* values (less reddish). The degradation kinetics of the lycopene and the color during storage followed first-order kinetics, with a half-life time of 25 to 315 days for lycopene content and 65 to 210 days for a* coordinate. Snack cracker was the most stable and had more than a 4-month period before losing half of the pigment content.

Nutritional Composition and In Vitro Starch Digestibility of Crackers Supplemented with Faba Bean Whole Flour, Starch Concentrate, Protein Concentrate and Protein Isolate.

The nutritional quality of common wheat-based foods can be improved by adding flours from whole pulses or their carbohydrate and protein constituents. Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a pulse with high protein concentration. In this study, prepared faba bean (FB) flours were added to wheat based baked crackers. Wheat cracker recipes were modified by substituting forty percent wheat flour with flours from whole faba bean, starch enriched flour (starch 60%), protein concentrate (protein 60%) or protein isolate (protein 90%). Baked crackers were ground into meal and analyzed for their macronutrient composition, starch characteristics and in vitro starch hydrolysis. Faba bean supplemented crackers had lower (p ≤ 0.001) total starch concentrations, but proportionally higher protein (16.8-43%), dietary fiber (6.7-12.1%), fat (4.8-7.1%) and resistant starch (3.2-6%) (p ≤ 0.001) than wheat crackers (protein: 16.2%, dietary fiber: 6.3%, fat: 4.2, resistant starch: 1.2%). The increased amylose, amylopectin B1- chain and fat concentration from faba bean flour and starch flour supplementation in cracker recipe contributed to increased resistant starch. Flours from whole faba bean, starch or protein fractions improved the nutritional properties and functional value of the wheat-based crackers. The analytical analysis describing protein, starch composition and structure and in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis advance understanding of factors that account for the in vivo benefits of faba bean flours added to crackers in human physiological functions as also previously shown for pasta. The findings can be used to guide development of improve nutritional quality of similar wheat-based food products.

Whole Wheat Crackers Fortified with Mixed Shrimp Oil and Tea Seed Oil Microcapsules Prepared from Mung Bean Protein Isolate and Sodium Alginate.

Shrimp oil (SO) rich in n-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin, mixed with antioxidant-rich tea seed oil (TSO), was microencapsulated using mung bean protein isolate and sodium alginate and fortified into whole wheat crackers. SO and TSO mixed in equal proportions were emulsified in a solution containing mung bean protein isolate (MBPI) and sodium alginate (SA) at varied ratios. The emulsions were spray-dried to entrap SO-TSO in MBPI-SA microcapsules. MBPI-SA microcapsules loaded with SO-TSO showed low to moderately high encapsulation efficiencies (EE) of 32.26-72.09% and had a fair flowability index. Two selected microcapsules with high EE possessed the particle sizes of 1.592 and 1.796 µm with moderate PDI of 0.372 and 0.403, respectively. Zeta potential values were -54.81 mV and -53.41 mV. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images indicated that microcapsules were spherical in shape with some shrinkage on the surface and aggregation took place to some extent. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses of samples empirically validated the presence of SO-TSO in the microcapsules. Encapsulated SO-TSO showed superior oxidative stability and retention of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to unencapsulated counterparts during storage of 6 weeks. When SO-TSO microcapsules were fortified in whole wheat crackers at varying levels (0-10%), the crackers showed sensorial acceptability with no perceivable fishy odor. Thus, microencapsulation of SO-TSO using MBPI-SA as wall materials could be used as an alternative carrier system, in which microcapsules loaded with PUFAs could be fortified in a wide range of foods.

Physicochemical characteristics and sensory acceptability of crackers containing red ginseng marc.

Red ginseng marc (RGM), a by-product from ginseng industry, still contains bioactive compounds such as ginsenosides and dietary fibers. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of baking conditions and formulations on physicochemical and sensory characteristics of crackers in which RGM was incorporated. The sum of ginsenoside Rb1, Rg1 and Rg3 (58.69 ± 2.93 mg/100 g, dry basis) and dietary fibers (7.52 ± 1.22 g/100 g) were the highest in the crackers baked at 120 °C for 60 min. The crackers with 5% replacement of wheat flour with RGM scored the highest in taste and overall acceptability. The baked crackers still contained relatively high amounts of ginsenoside Rb1 (7.62 ± 0.34 mg/100 g), Rg3(R) (7.51 ± 0.99 mg/100 g) and Rg3(S) (8.65 ± 0.77 mg/100 g) and dietary fiber (2.59 ± 0.17 g/100 g). The results suggest that low temperature-long time may be a suitable baking condition to retain bioactive ginsenosides in RGM and using proper amount of RGM in bakery products may improve not only nutritional quality but also sensory properties.

Development and Characterization of Crackers Substitution of Wheat Flour With Jellyfish.

The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of using jellyfish (Lobonema smithii) for the production of nutritionally improved crackers. In this study, ground jellyfish were incorporated into different levels (20, 30, and 40%) to replace wheat flour in cracker formula. Physicochemical characteristics (linear expansion, hardness, and color) and sensory quality of the developed crackers were examined and compared with control crackers. The crackers with jellyfish were found significantly darker, with more brittleness, and less consumer accepted than the control samples (p < 0.05). Moisture content, a w, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)-values of jellyfish crackers increased while the hardness of the jellyfish crackers decreased with increasing the storage time for both crackers stored at 35 and 45°C. The substitution of wheat flour with jellyfish led to high protein content in the crackers. The cracker with 30% of jellyfish gained characteristics of cracker, liking scores, as well as the subjective quality of the final product and had good physical and chemical conditions, being able to be consumed for 12 weeks stored at 35°C.

Energy and Environmental Assessment of Steam Management Optimization in an Ethylene Plant.

Steam crackers (ethylene plants) belong to the most complex industrial plants and offer significant potential for energy-saving translated into the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Steam export to or import from adjacent units or complexes can boost the associated financial benefit, but its energy and environmental impact are questionable. A study was carried out on a medium-capacity ethylene plant using field data to: 1. Estimate the energy savings potential achievable by optimizing internal steam management and optimizing steam export/import; 2. Quantify the associated change in air pollutant emissions; 3. Analyze the impact of the increasing carbon price on the measures adopted. Internal steam management optimization yielded steam let-down rate minimization and resulted in a 5% (87 TJ/year) reduction in steam cracker's steam boiler fuel consumption and the associated cut of CO2 emissions by almost 4900 t/year and that of NOx emissions by more than 5 t/year. Steam import to the ethylene plant from the refinery proved to be purely economic-driven, as it increased the net fuel consumption of the ethylene plant and the refinery complex by 12 TJ/year and resulted in an increase of net emissions of nearly all considered air pollutants (more than 7000 t/year of CO2, over 15 t/year of NOx, over 18 t/year of SOx) except for CO, where the net change was almost zero. The effect of external emissions change due to the associated backpressure electricity production surplus (over 11 GWh/year) was too low to compensate for this increase unless fossil fuel-based electricity production was considered. The increase of carbon price impact on the internal steam management optimization economics was favorable, while a switch to steam export from the ethylene plant, instead of steam import, might be feasible if the carbon price increased to over 100 €/tCO2.

Sources and Level of Rare Earth Element Contamination of Atmospheric Dust in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Rare earth element (REE) composition of atmospheric dust has recently been used to trace potential sources of dust pollution. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to determine the sources of atmospheric pollution in the study area using REE patterns and determine their level of pollution. METHODS: Twenty-five (25) atmospheric dust samples were collected in the study area, with five samples each from an industrial area, traffic area, dumpsite area, residential area and remote area in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria. In addition, five (5) topsoil and two (2) rock samples (granite gneiss) were collected for comparison. Concentrations of REE were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULTS: The ratio of lanthanum/cerium (La/Ce), especially in some locations in industrial area (1.5), traffic area (1.5) and to some extent dumpsite area (1.1) was higher than in soil (0.2), upper continental crust (0.5) and the minimum value of fluid catalytic crackers (1.0). Generally, the respective average values of the ratios of La/praseodymium (Pr), La/neodymium (Nd) and La/samarium (Sm) in industrial area (32.1, 7.8 and 52.6) and traffic area (14.9, 4.4 and 26.8) were higher than their respective averages in soil (4.4, 1.1 and 6.2), rock (5.7, 1.9 and 14.1), upper continental crust (4.4, 1.1 and 6.6) and the minimum value in fluid catalytic crackers (5.8, 3.7 and 37.0). Meanwhile, their corresponding value in the dumpsite area, residential area and remote area were lower or similar to the geological background levels. DISCUSSION: The contamination factors of REEs in the atmospheric dust of the industrial area and traffic area were classified as heavily contaminated, especially with light lanthanoid elements in REE. The degree of contamination of REEs in the atmospheric dust of industrial area (30.9) and traffic area (18.8) fell within the considerable contamination category. The high values of the light lanthanoid ratio and the contamination indices were attributed to their emission from the fired-power plant and vehicular exhaust. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the composition of the atmospheric dust was sourced from the local geology of the study area as observed in the residential area and remote area, while the contamination in the industrial area and traffic area was attributed to human activities. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

The Application of an R Language-Based Platform cRacker for Phosphoproteomics Data Analysis.

Phosphoproteomics has drawn great attention of biologist since phosphorylation is proven to play an important role in regulation of proteins. Mass spectrometry technology has helped with the development of phosphoproteomics due to its ability in generating large amount of detailed information after analyzing the phosphoproteome samples. However, interpreting the phosphoproteome data deprived from mass spectrometry can be time-consuming. Here, we introduced a free R language-based platform which can be used in accelerating phosphoproteome data analysis. This platform has integrated different functions and methods which are popularly used in phosphoproteome data analysis, so users can customize their analysis according to their demands.

Physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of gluten-free riceberry-cheese cracker under simulated gastrointestinal transit.

This study aimed to develop a gluten-free cracker by substituting wheat flour (WF) with riceberry flour (RB) combined with cheese's milk proteins to replace gluten. The effect of substitution of WF with RB at 50 and 100% (RB50 and RB100, respectively) on cracker properties were evaluated. The results showed that water activity, hunter colour value (L*), hardness, and thickness decreased with an increase in the RB content. This related to a compact structure and a weaker crystallinity of RB cracker when compared with WF-based cracker. The substitution of WF with RB50 and RB100 in cracker significantly (P < 0.05)increased the phytochemical content resulting in increased antioxidant properties.The synergistic effect of the bioactive compound of RB and the bioactive peptides originating from cheese's milk proteins on antioxidant capacity was observed under simulated GI digestion. The greatest increase in the ABTS•+ radical scavenging activity and reducing power was observed in the RB100 cracker at the intestinal digestive phase with the values of 15.74 ± 0.27 and 3.70 ± 0.06 mg Trolox eq./g sample, respectively. The results suggest that the substituted 100% RB combined with cheese's milk proteins have a potentiality to be developed into a novel gluten-free product with enhanced antioxidant properties.

Impact of Oral and Swallowing Function on the Feeding Status of Older Adults in Nursing Homes.

BACKGROUND: To date, there have been few guidelines proposed for adjustment of the food consistency, particularly to match the oral function of older adults, which will guide clinicians and caregivers in appropriately modifying food. OBJECTIVE: We investigated how oral, swallowing, and cognitive conditions of older adults who required daily nursing care in a nursing home were associated with different dietary food consistencies. METHODS: Clinical examinations to record dentition status, swallowing, and cognitive functions were performed, and the feeding status, including the food consistencies and need for assistance at lunchtime, was evaluated in 37 older residents in nursing homes. The swallowing function was assessed by performing a modified water-swallowing test, and food swallowing was tested using pudding and rice crackers. The χ2 test was used to determine the relationships among the parameters. RESULTS: No participants were able to take cooked rice, nor regular and soft side dishes. There was no significant relationship between dentition status and feeding status. Of the participants, 95% ate pudding without any problems and 49% ate rice crackers without any signs of swallowing difficulty such as coughing or stopping chewing. There was a significant relationship between the food test score using a rice cracker and the level of food consistencies, and between the same test score and the level of mealtime assistance, whereby the better the score of the food test using a rice cracker, the better was the level of food consistencies including use of a thickening agent and the better was the level of mealtime assistance. CONCLUSION: The results strongly suggest that the food test using a rice cracker was associated with the level of food consistency and mealtime assistance for older adults in nursing homes.

Laser-Induced Tar-Mediated Sintering of Metals and Refractory Carbides in Air.

Refractory metals and their carbides possess extraordinary chemical and temperature resilience and exceptional mechanical strength. Yet, they are notoriously difficult to employ in additive manufacturing, due to the high temperatures needed for processing. State of the art approaches to manufacture these materials generally require either a high-energy laser or electron beam as well as ventilation to protect the metal powder from combustion. Here, we present a versatile manufacturing process that utilizes tar as both a light absorber and antioxidant binder to sinter thin films of aluminum, copper, nickel, molybdenum, and tungsten powder using a low power (<2W) CO2 laser in air. Films of sintered Al/Cu/Ni metals have sheet resistances of ∼10-1 ohm/sq, while laser-sintered Mo/W-tar thin films form carbide phases. Several devices are demonstrated, including laser-sintered porous copper with a stable response to large strain (3.0) after 150 cycles, and a laserprocessed Mo/MoC(1-x) filament that reaches T ∼1000 °C in open air at 12 V. These results show that tar-mediated laser sintering represents a possible low energy, cost-effective route for engineering refractory materials and one that can easily be extended to additive manufacturing processes.

Age-related changes in functional adaptation to bolus characteristics during chewing.

We investigated how the physical properties of food affect chewing kinematics, and examined the effects of aging on behavior. Twenty young and 21 older volunteers were asked to freely chew rice crackers and spit the food out at their average chewing duration. We compared chewing characteristics among the conditions (age × rice cracker), and examined the area of rectified masseter and suprahyoid electromyographic bursts per chewing cycle. We also evaluated temporal changes in those values. In addition, the bolus properties at the end of chewing were compared. The harder/larger the rice cracker, the longer the chewing duration and the greater the number of chewing cycles. These values also increased with age. Chewing cycle time was not affected by age and rice cracker properties, except in one condition: for the rice cracker with the lowest hardness and density, the chewing cycle time was longer than for the other rice crackers. Chewing cycle time decreased at the middle stage of chewing, followed by an increase, with increasing suprahyoid electromyographic activity at the late stage. The physical properties of the bolus at the end of chewing did not differ between age groups, and depended on the initial properties. The water absorption rate of the bolus was significantly greater for the rice cracker with the lowest hardness and density compared with other rice crackers. The results demonstrated that not only hardness, but also other factors, such as density, significantly affected chewing behaviors.

Effects of single ingestion of rice cracker and cooked rice with high resistant starch on postprandial glucose and insulin responses in healthy adults: two randomized, single-blind, cross-over trials.

Rice with double mutation of starch synthase IIIa and branching enzyme IIb (ss3a/be2b) has much higher amounts of apparent amylose and resistant starch (RS) than usual varieties. In this study, we conducted two randomized, single-blind, crossover trials to investigate the effect of single ingestion of two processed foods composed of ss3a/be2b mutant rice on postprandial blood glucose and insulin response in healthy adults, compared to those of usual cultivar. In trial 1, of ingestion of rice crackers, the incremental area under the curves of glucose (IAUCglc) and insulin (IAUCins) in RS group was significantly lower than in the control group. In trial 2, of the ingestion of cooked rice, IAUCglc in the RS group was significantly lower than in the control group. These results showed that the ss3a/be2b-mutant rice cracker and cooked rice having high RS can attenuate postprandial blood glucose and insulin response.

Development of healthy gluten-free crackers from white and brown tef (Eragrostis tef Zucc.) flours.

This study evaluated the effect of inclusion of two types of tef flours (white and brown) at different levels (25, 50 and 100 %, total flour) on the nutritional (proximal and mineral composition), in vitro bioactive (antioxidant capacity and starch digestibility) and sensory properties of rice-tef crackers. The aim was to formulate a gluten-free product with nutritional and healthy benefits, and acceptable for consumers. Results showed than crackers enriched with white tef had a significant (p ≤ 0.05) higher concentration of all the minerals tested, except for calcium and manganese, compared to brown tef. Iron content of white tef was almost twice that of brown tef, and copper and magnesium increased from 0.12 mg/100 g and 39.2 mg/100 g in control crackers to 0.56 mg/100 g and 197 mg/100 g in white tef crackers (WT 100%), respectively. Moreover, white tef flour and crackers showed significantly higher antioxidant activity than rice or brown tef counterparts. Formulation with tef flour significantly contributed to a reduction of the rapidly available glucose and rapidly digestible starch of crackers.

Nutritional Quality and Acceptability of Brown Rice Ice Cream Sandwich.

Processing adds value to agricultural products, making them more nutritious and economically competitive. Brown rice, by its unremoved bran, contains substantial amounts of protein, dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins; while buffalo's milk has higher protein and calcium and lower cholesterol than other dairy milks. These were suitable ingredients to develop healthy and nutritious value-added product. An ice cream sandwich was developed using brown rice flour (BRF) substituted at 0, 40, 50 and 60% (wt/wt), and fresh buffalo's milk. Acceptability of the product was determined through a consumer survey (n=100; 15 to 30 y old). Consumer sensory evaluation showed that cracker substituted with 50% BRF complemented with buffalo's milk-based ice cream produced an acceptable ice cream sandwich. This resulted in a brown rice cracker ice cream sandwich (BRICS) that has 164 kcal, 8 g fat, 5.7 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates and key minerals. Product testing revealed that taste, mouthfeel, and aroma were the top attributes considered by respondents in buying ice cream products, and BRICS achieved high acceptability rating in these attributes. BRICS obtained an overall acceptability rating of 8.9 in a 9-point hedonic scale. Eighty eight percent (88%) of the respodents were willing to buy BRICS at PhP15-20. Therefore, BRICS is a convenient, nutritious, and marketable value-added product made from BRF and buffalo's milk.