Production and Quality Assessment of Breakfast Cereals from Blends of Broken Rice and Acha Flours Enriched with Crayfish

Study on the development and quality evaluation of breakfast cereals from blends of broken rice and acha flour enriched with crayfish was conducted using standard procedure. Four formulations were developed with varying ratios of broken rice, acha, and crayfish: 80:10:10 (A), 70:20:10 (B), 60:30:10 (C), and 50:40:10 (D). The samples were evaluated for functional properties, proximate composition, mineral content, and sensory attributes. Functional properties such as water absorption capacity (1.66–2.33 ml/g), oil absorption capacity (1.06–1.83 ml/g), and swelling capacity (64.67–74.67%) decreased with increasing levels of acha and crayfish, while bulk density (0.80–0.87 g/ml), foaming capacity (20.67–45.67%), and dispersibility (34.00–50.33%) increased. There were significant differences (p<0.05) among the samples, with sample A having the highest value in water absorption, oil, and swelling capacity, and sample D having the highest in bulk density, forming capacity, and dispersibility. Mineral content showed that potassium (63.12 – 115.22 mg/100g), calcium (33.93 – 94.26 mg/100g) and iron (1.84 – 2.66 mg/100g), increased significantly (p<0.05) with increased incorporation of acha and crayfish in the blends whereas (sodium (3.14 – 1.73 mg/100g), manganese (0.83 – 2.78 mg/100g), 18.52 – 22.35 mg/100g) decreased with increasing levels of acha and crayfish in the blends. There were significant differences (p<0.05) among the samples. Sensory evaluation revealed that the control sample (Golden Morn) was most preferred, likely due to consumer familiarity. However, the sample containing 50% broken rice, 40% acha, and 10% crayfish (Sample D) was rated second in preference and compared favourably with the commercial product, suggesting good consumer acceptability.