The optimization of technological factors during production of hummus spread

The traditional hummus spread is obtained of cooked and grinded chickpeas, blended with susame paste (tahini), olive oil, lemon juice and spices. Hummus spread is a rich source of dietary fibers, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A, E and C, folate, minerals Mg, K and Fe. During production of such kind of spreadable food product, many factors can have influence on product behavior trough the all phases of production and to the final product quality. In this work, the influence of different technological factors on rheological, textural and sensory properties of hummus spreads made by certain recipes were examined, in the aim to achieve the maximum quality of final product. The way of preparation of raw materials, the composition of the spreads and the amount of water phase have been varied in the aim to define optimal rheological and textural parameters, to increase the production efficiency and in order to obtain desired sensory properties of final spread product.