Evaluation of the Yield, Sensory Characteristics, and Digestibility of Expanded Quinoa

Abstract

The effect of initial quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) seed water content and pressure on the yield and acceptability of the expanded quinoa was evaluated. A 22 factorial design was used, with a water content of 15 and 20% and expansion pressure of 140 and 160 psi. Sensory evaluation was performed using a 7-point hedonic scale with 32 untrained panelists. The study variables did not have a significant effect on yield, but their interaction affected the acceptability of the expanded quinoa. Through the Tukey test, treatment 3 (water content 15% and pressure 160 psi) was chosen; for having the highest acceptability (5.43 points) and its chemical composition was determined (per 100 g of sample): moisture (9.9 g), ash (1.9 g), protein (14 g), fat (5.3 g), fiber (2.05 g), and carbohydrates (68.9 g); total energy 379.3 kcal and digestibility 94.4 g/100 g. Expanded quinoa has a high digestibility and is especially recommended for infant feeding and as a breakfast cereal.