FORMULATION OF PROTEIN & IRON-RICH CRACKERS USING BIOWASTE AND THE STUDY OF IRON BIO-ACCESSIBITLITY IN THE SNACK

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and anemia are the major health and nutritional problems in India. Not only they are an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality but also leads to permanent impairment of the physical and mental growth of those who survive. A considerable amount of biowaste is generated while processing foods in the form of peel, seed and inedible pulp material, which can be re-used for edible purposes after appropriate processing because of the nutrient density. Two variations of crackers were developed using sattu flour & soy flour along with other ingredients (seeds, vegetable peels). Nutritional composition was analysed, Moisture sorption isotherm, iron bioaccesibility, organoleptic evaluation (9 point hedonic scale) was studied. The results of the present study demonstrated that the protein content of the crackers ranged from 12.65 to 27.02%, the total dietary fibre ranged from 32.56 to 46.93%, the iron content was high among the developed crackers 7.08±0.56 and 6.06±0.66mg/100g compare to the control crackers. Overall, both the products developed (Sattu & Soy crackers) had better acceptability compared to control crackers. The in-vitro iron bioaccessibility of sattu crackers and soy crackers was 6.27% and 6.35% respectively. The products developed were good sources of protein and iron. Therefore the waste part of fruits and vegetables, having high iron content, can be used as a natural source to improve the iron bioaccessibility by the nutraceutical industries, so this will not only act as value-added but also helps in reducing environmental problems.