Physical-sensory evaluation of a cereal bar with quinoa: a preliminary study

The consumption of cereal bars has increased in recentyears because it is a quick and practical way to eat. Cereal bars are products obtained by blending dry ingredients and binder components which complement each other by conferring the sensory properties to the bars. Quinoa is considered a functional food, since in addition to providing basic nutrition, it has attributes with a direct positive effect on health and well-being. This study focuses on the evaluation of white quinoa and red quinoa bars, without added sugar or additives, suitable for use as healthy snacks. The effect of quinoa type and processing conditions on sensory properties of cereal bars was studied. Five different processing methods (baking and/or drying and/or heating) were evaluated. Bars with higher preliminary sensory scores were selected for further evaluation by a consumer panel and instrumental evaluation of texture and color (CIELab) . This work suggests that quinoa is an interesting functional ingredient to develop new cereal bars as an alternative to the conventional commercial products, with desirable physical and sensory proprieties.