Gluten-free breakfast cereal prepared with agroindustrial by-products: physical, chemical, microbiological aspects and sensory acceptance

Abstract

Develop foods that meet the needs of athletes and individuals with celiac disease and that serve as an alternative for the use of unconventional raw materials. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to develop and characterize a gluten-free breakfast cereal formulated with rice, passion fruit and milk by-products and to test whether its physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics and sensory acceptance are adequate for commercialization. The experimental gluten-free cereal exhibited an expansion index of 2.56, specific volume of 1.6mL g -1 and chromaticity coordinate a* of 7.06. It is also a source of protein (7.55 g 100 g -1 ), has a low lipid content (0.97 g 100 g -1 ),and is rich in dietary fiber (6.12 g 100 g -1 ),a third of which is soluble, providing functional value to the product. In the sensory analysis, the developed product scored average on acceptance, remaining above "I neither liked nor disliked it" and "I moderately liked it", which is considered as accepted, scoring higher than 4 in all attributes and 52% on purchase intention. The use of rice, passion fruit and milk by-products was found to be an alternative for the preparation of gluten-free extruded breakfast cereal, producing a final product with high nutritional value. The cereal met the recommended daily intake (RDI) requirements for six essential amino acids according to the FAO standards and contained 85.29, 0.78 and 39.65% of the RDI for the amino acids threonine, histidine and lysine, respectively. In addition to containing no trans-fatty acids and 20% of the mono-unsaturated fatty acid requirement, one portion of the cereal meets the Fe and Zn RDI requirements for adults.