CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, PHYSICAL AND SENSORY QUALITIES OF ACHA-GUAVA FLOUR BLEND BISCUITS

This study investigated the chemical, phytochemical composition, physical and sensory qualities of acha-guava flour blends and biscuit.  Flour blends were produced by substituting guava flour into acha flour at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 %. Proximate, chemical (vitamin, vitamin and phytochemical) composition, pasting functional properties of the flour blends and the physical and sensory qualities of the produced biscuits were determined.  The carbohydrate and protein decreased from 81.60to 77.30 and 8.32to 7.70%, respectively while the moisture, fat, fibre and ash content of the flour blend increased from 8.08to 8.44, 1.28to 2.63, 0.21to 2.5and 0.20 to 1.62%, respectively, with increase in the added guava flour (5-25%). Water absorption, foaming, and swelling capacity of acha-guava flour increased from 2.35to 2.83, 4.13to 7.65 and 5.75to 7.74ml/g, respectively while the bulk density and oil absorption capacity decreased from 0.89to .85/cm 3 and 2.10 to 1.81 ml/g respectively, with increase in the added guava flour (5-25%). The peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown, final viscosity, and setback decreased from 2336.83 to 1107, 1535to 935, 801 to 172, 3719.8to 1863, and 2186.0 to 928RVS, respectively, with increase in the added guava flour. Iron, carotenoid, vitamin C and total phenol increased from 4.0 to 25.0ppm, 5.36 to 14.17, 1.94 to 7.96, and 0.22 to 0.86mg/100g respectively, while phosphorus decreased from 1110.10 to 814.3ppm with increase in percentage of added guava flour. There was an increase in break strength and spread ratio of the biscuit from 1.35 to 2.64kg and 4.53 to 5.15, respectively, as a result of the increase in level of guava-flour substitution. The reverse was observed for the thickness, diameter, volume and weight of the biscuit which decreased from 0.88 to 0.60cm, 4.34 to 4.13cm, 13.05 to 8.00cm 3 , and 11.50 to 10.70g respectively. The average means scores of colour, texture, taste, odour, crispiness, and general acceptability of the biscuits ranged from 4.60 to 7.65, 5.50 to 6 to 6.85, 6.10 to 7.45, 5.80 to 6.85, 5.55 to 6.85and 6.20 to 7.95. The sample, 95:5 % acha-guava blends is the most preferred and acceptable with average mean score of 7.95 with corresponding increment of 0.28, 2.22, 79.38, and 1.3% of ash content, protein, fat and crude fibre, respectively.