Elaboración de snacks horneados a partir de harina de melloco blanco (Ullucus tuberosus Loz) y maíz (Zea mays) precocido, fortificados con cúrcuma (Curuma longa)

Abstract

Currently, the trend towards fast food consumption is increasing, which has generated a greater demand for healthy snacks; however, this phenomenon faces a critical challenge; malnutrition, especially invulnerable populations, the problem is aggravated by the high consumption of processed foods that lack nutritional value, with this background, the present work proposes to develop nutritious snacks to offer a healthy alternative and good sensory characteristics. The development process included the creation of three baked snack formulations, which were subjected to sensory analysis to identify the most acceptable; physicochemical and microbiological analyses were carried out to guarantee the quality of the final product, the ingredients were selected and processed under controlled conditions, ensuring a safe and nutritious product, the best formulation has 60 percent of white melloco flour and 40 percent of pre-cooked corn flour, which obtained the best sensory acceptance in terms of taste, texture and colour and a yield of 72. 31 percent, the physicochemical analysis revealed a significant content of protein, fiber, and complies with quality standards. In conclusion, the snack produced is healthy and nutritious for consumption and can bring benefits to the consumer, it also contributes to the state of the art by incorporating local and underutilised ingredients, thus promoting food safety and public health in Ecuador.