Andean purple maize to produce extruded breakfast cereals: impact on techno-functional properties and sensory acceptance

BACKGROUND Andean purple maize (APM) is an ancient crop widely used as a natural coloring in traditional Peruvian cuisine. However, it has been little explored within the food industry. The present study assessed how APM impacts on techno-functional properties and sensory acceptance of breakfast cereals. Extruded samples formulated with 100, 75, 50, and 25% APM, and complemented with yellow corn grits (YCG), were analyzed for their techno-functional and sensory properties. RESULTS Increases in bulk density, as well as reduction in the expantion and porosity were observated for extrudates containing >= 50% APM, accompanied by an increase in purple color intensity. Increase in milk absorption index, reduction in milk solubility index and decrease in cereal hardness with increase in APM were also observed. Despite this, APM extented the cereal bowl-life. High sensory scores of overall liking (6) and color (7) were obtained for extruded formulations containing >= 50% APM and low values for extrudates with 25% APM. Aroma, flavor, and texture scores did not present significant differences. CONCLUSION APM is an ingredient with the potential to be used to produce breakfast cereals since it improves their techno-functional characteristics and sensory acceptance, at the same time, it leads to the production of healthy, nutritious, and sustainable food. (c) 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Automated summary

This study assessed the impact of Andean purple maize (APM) on breakfast cereals and found that adding 50% or more of APM can improve the bulk density, color intensity, and milk absorption index of the cereals, while reducing the expansion, porosity, and hardness. Furthermore, the addition of APM can extend the shelf life of the cereals. In terms of sensory acceptance, high scores were obtained for overall liking and color. This suggests that APM has the potential to be used in the production of healthy, nutritious, and sustainable food.