Determination of the Glycemic Indices and Sensory Properties of Snack Bars Produced from the Blends of Acha, Breadfruit and Cocoa Powder

Background: This study envisaged the production of snack bars from blends of Acha, breadfruit, and cocoa powder and the determination of the glycemic index and sensory properties of the produced snack bars. A snack bar is defined as “versatile product often developed from fruits, nuts, thus, an ideal food format to provide healthy nutrients, bioactive components, and dietary fibers to the final consumers. Different blends of Acha, breadfruit, and cocoa were produced and subjected to glycemic response testing and sensory evaluation using a 9-point hedonic scale. Methods: The processing of Acha grains involved handling methods such as harvesting, threshing and winnowing, cleaning, washing, drying, dehulling, milling of acha grains into fine flour using an attrition mill and sieving through a 250 μm mesh, and packaging. Breadfruit seeds were thoroughly cleaned in potable water to remove any dirt. They were further soaked in water for 4h to enhance processing. The soaked breadfruit was boiled at 100ºC for 15 min and dried in a cabinet drier at 70 ºC for 1h to enhance the removal of the hulls by winnowing. The dehulled seeds were toasted at 65ºC for 10 min and coarsely milled to obtain granules of breadfruit. Cocoa powder, serving as a flavor enhancer and source of antioxidants, was added during formulation. Different blends of flours were prepared in varying ratios, and the resulting composite flour samples were used to produce snack bars. Results: The produced snack bars underwent various analyses, such as glycemic response and sensory properties. The glycemic response was used to determine the glycemic index of the snack, which showed that the snack bar samples’ value ranged from 48.70-68.70 , thus,recorded by sample SAB and control, respectively. The sensory parameters include taste, texture, mouthfeel, appearance, and general acceptance. The taste of the different samples ranged from 6.25(SCS) to 7.60(SAS). The texture of the produced nutrient-dense snack bar samples ranged from 6.20 (SDS) to 6.70(SAB), and the commercial sample SAS had a value of 7.30. The mouthfeel value ranged from 6.25(SDS) to 7.00 (SAB). The appearance values of the samples ranged from 6.00(SES) to 7.60(SAS). The sample SAS had the highest general acceptance with 8.25%. Sample SES had the least acceptance with a mean score of 6.60%. There were no significant differences in each of the sample SABs and others. Conclusion: The most acceptable formulation was found to be the blend containing 80% Acha, 15% breadfruit, and 5% Cocoa powder, offering a balance of nutritional value and sensory appeal.