Articles
Cactus pear baked cracker snacks: sensory analysis of crackers made with liquid nopalitos pulp and dried nopalitos powder
Article number
1452_45
Pages
341 – 350
Language
English
Abstract
In response to the effects of climate change, i.e., prolonged droughts, water scarcity, and increasing temperatures, food scientists are compelled to look closer at climate-smart and sustainable food sources.
Nopalitos, the young cladodes of cactus pear plants, are ingredients showing promising results as functional foods.
The developed nopalitos baked crackers consisted of the young cladodes as an ingredient in different forms, either dried or as liquid pulp.
Cracker samples were formulated, consisting of varying contents of nopalitos as 0% nopalitos cracker (control) (CC), 9.48% nopalitos powder cracker (NPC), and 37.39% liquid pulp cracker (LPC). The cracker ingredients included rolled oats, nopalitos powder or liquid pulp, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, salt, rosemary, coconut oil and water.
Ninety-five consumers tasted all the samples.
The sensory analysis of the three cracker samples was based on the flavour, mouthfeel, taste, and appearance.
The sensory properties examined were starchy, sour, crunchy, and coarseness with the use of the Just-about-right (JAR)-scale.
Nopalitos powder cracker (NPC) scored lowest (4.46) on consumer acceptability and differed significantly (p≤0.05) from the control cracker (CC=6.11) and liquid pulp cracker (LPC=6.11). The correlation matrix (α=0.05) regarding overall liking for sample CC revealed two weak positive correlations: one between flavour and mouthfeel (0.261) and another between mouthfeel and appearance (0.220). This suggests that improving mouthfeel and appearance would enhance the JAR%. Sample NPC showed three weak positive correlations with flavour, namely taste (0.252), mouthfeel (-0.388), and appearance (-0.235). Sample LPC resulted in a moderate positive correlation on the mouthfeel, involving the appearance (0.519). All three samples had no JAR attributes and are in need of reformulation.
When nopalitos were introduced, variations occurred in the colour, pH, minerals, fat, fibre, crude protein, and antioxidants.
The nopalitos powder cracker (NPC) had the highest values for most of these parameters due to its concentrated nature.
The most preferred samples according to the JAR sensory analysis were control cracker (CC) and liquid pulp cracker (LPC).
Nopalitos, the young cladodes of cactus pear plants, are ingredients showing promising results as functional foods.
The developed nopalitos baked crackers consisted of the young cladodes as an ingredient in different forms, either dried or as liquid pulp.
Cracker samples were formulated, consisting of varying contents of nopalitos as 0% nopalitos cracker (control) (CC), 9.48% nopalitos powder cracker (NPC), and 37.39% liquid pulp cracker (LPC). The cracker ingredients included rolled oats, nopalitos powder or liquid pulp, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, salt, rosemary, coconut oil and water.
Ninety-five consumers tasted all the samples.
The sensory analysis of the three cracker samples was based on the flavour, mouthfeel, taste, and appearance.
The sensory properties examined were starchy, sour, crunchy, and coarseness with the use of the Just-about-right (JAR)-scale.
Nopalitos powder cracker (NPC) scored lowest (4.46) on consumer acceptability and differed significantly (p≤0.05) from the control cracker (CC=6.11) and liquid pulp cracker (LPC=6.11). The correlation matrix (α=0.05) regarding overall liking for sample CC revealed two weak positive correlations: one between flavour and mouthfeel (0.261) and another between mouthfeel and appearance (0.220). This suggests that improving mouthfeel and appearance would enhance the JAR%. Sample NPC showed three weak positive correlations with flavour, namely taste (0.252), mouthfeel (-0.388), and appearance (-0.235). Sample LPC resulted in a moderate positive correlation on the mouthfeel, involving the appearance (0.519). All three samples had no JAR attributes and are in need of reformulation.
When nopalitos were introduced, variations occurred in the colour, pH, minerals, fat, fibre, crude protein, and antioxidants.
The nopalitos powder cracker (NPC) had the highest values for most of these parameters due to its concentrated nature.
The most preferred samples according to the JAR sensory analysis were control cracker (CC) and liquid pulp cracker (LPC).
Authors
I. Tom, C. Bothma, A. du Toit, M. de Wit
Keywords
baked products, cactus pear, crackers, sensory analysis, snacks
Groups involved
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