DEVELOPMENT OF A FOOD FORMULATION BASED ON SUSTAINABLE ANDEAN GRAINS

Quinoa is of great importance in the production of extruded foods due to its functional properties and its availability in the market. Flours derived from sprouted quinoa are useful ingredients for enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of cereal-based foods. The objective of the research was to characterize the nutritional and thermal properties of the snack extruded with quinoa sprouts of varieties (white Junín, black Ccollana and pasankalla). Analyses of chemical composition, protein digestibility and exposure index were performed through the AOAC method, thermal transition enthalpy and decomposition by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TGA). The germinated varieties had a protein content (11.86 to 12.48%) and carbohydrates (68.04 to 72.44%). The extruded products had a low fat content and a balanced protein profile. The expansion rate was reduced in extruded snacks with high levels of protein digestibility (92%). The extrusion presented an endothermic event with an average decomposition temperature variation of 154 ºC and an endothermic enthalpy of 2,789 ∆H(J/g). The quinoa seed sprouts in the extruded ones presented high nutritional contents with potential use as a food ingredient in cereal-based products.