Resumen

ESTEVEZ A., Ana María; ESCOBAR A., Berta  y  UGARTE A., Viviana. Utilización de cotiledones de algarobo (Prosopis chilensis (Mol) Stuntz) en la elaboración de barras de cereales. ALAN [online]. 2000, vol.50, n.2, pp.148-151. ISSN 0004-0622.

Use of mezquite cotiledon (Prosopis chilensis (Mol) Stuntz) in the manufacturing of cereal bars. Cereal bars with peanut and walnut has shown to be snack foods of good organoleptic characteristics and high caloric value, due to their content of protein, lipids and carbohydrates. Cotiledons of mezquite seeds have a high protein content which biological quality improves with thermal processing like toasting, microwave or moist heat under pressure. The purposes of this research were to study the use of mezquite cotiledon (Prosopis chilensis (Mol) Stuntz) in cereal bars with two different levels of peanut or walnut; and to determine the effect of two thermal treatment applied on the cotiledon upon the bar charactesistics. Twel ve different kind of bars were developed through the combination of two levels of peanut or walnut (15% and 18%); the use of mezquite, cotiledon (0% and 6%); and the application of two thermal processing, to the cotiledon (microwave and toasting). Cereal bars were analysed for chemical, physical and sensory characteristics: moisture, water activity, proximate chemical composition. sensory quality and acceptability. Moisture content of bars with peanut ranged between 10.4% and 10.9%; and for those with walnut, between 10.5% and 12.3%. Protein content was higher in the bars with mesquite cotiledon, being higher those with peanut. Thermal processing did not have any effect on the chemical composition. Bars with mezquite cotiledon treated by microwave showed a higher acceptability.

Palabras clave : Toasting; microwave treatment; protein; Cereal bars.