USE OF AMARANTH FLOUR FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SALT CRACKERS (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Non-Conventional Food Plants (PANC) have edible parts and express nutritional indices equal to or greater than commonly used vegetables, roots and fruits. Among the several known species, the caruru (Amaranthus sp.) stands out, common in vegetable gardens and gardens. Thus, the objective of this research was to use amaranth (Amaranthus sp.), in the form of flour, for the preparation of savory biscuits. For this, two cookie recipes were elaborated, one standard, with wheat flour, and the other with the total replacement of wheat flour by amaranth flour. The results of the centesimal analysis showed differences between the standard biscuit and the biscuit with amaranth flour only in terms of moisture content, of 1.94% (± 0.18) and 8.80% (± 0.07), respectively. The other determinations of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, ashes and fibers were approximate between the samples. From this, the nutritional information of the two cookies was prepared, in which the standard cookie and the one with amaranth flour presented in the portion, respectively, 124 kcal and 114 kcal of energy value, 23g and 20g of carbohydrates, 3.2g and 2.9g of protein, 2.1g and 2.5g of total fat, 0.9g and 0.9g of saturated fat, 0.8g and 0.9g of dietary fiber, and 172mg and 175mg of sodium. These results showed that the two cookies presented approximate values in their nutritional composition. In a complementary way, the results of the sensorial analysis reinforced the approval of both biscuits, by the acceptance index. However, the standard cookie showed greater acceptance and purchase intention compared to the cookie with amaranth flour. Thus, the use of PANC amaranth (Amaranthus sp.), becomes an alternative for consumption and expansion of its culinary use, and can be easily incorporated into conventional preparations, contributing to the development of new food products, stimulating greater food variety.