Incorporación de harina de amaranto para la obtención de bocaditos de carne con bajo contenido de grasa

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of incorporation of amaranth flour into meat snacks with low fat content by sensory analysis and nutritional value. For this, a control and three formulations were developed, varying the way in which the amaranth flour was incorporated. Samples units were molded into 50 ± 0.50 g snacks and cooked in an electric oven until reaching an internal temperature of 72 oC in the thermal center of samples to guarantee microbiological quality. Sensory evaluation of the samples was carried out immediately after cooking process, using a 5-point hedonic scale. The attributes evaluated were odor, color, flavor, tenderness, juiciness, general acceptance and purchase intention. In addition, cooking yield and proximal composition of the elaborated products were analysed being the nutritional information compared with the obtained from a commercial product. The different formulations developed were well accepted by the evaluators, who also stated the purchase intention, which results from the general appreciation of each sample. The method in which ingredients were incorporated affected cooking yield and proximal composition of formulations, which can be attributed to a greater or lesser retention of fluids during cooking, in consequence cooking yield should be increased. The snacks produced also had lower fat and sodium content compared to a commercial sample, which makes them healthier.