COMPOSITION OF SOME COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE BISCUITS

Twenty five brands of glucose biscuits and seven other varieties of bi scuits were analysed for moisture, fat, proteins, total sugars, ash, p eroxide value, free fatty acids, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, man ganese, copper and zinc concentrations. Total sugars in glucose biscui ts varied from 23.25-31.25% whereas in other varieties, it varied from 17.26-40.42%. Protein content varied between 5.46-8.9%. The concentra tions of sodium, potassium, iron and calcium ranged between 800-4950 m g/kg, 450-1720 mg/kg, 38-230 mg/kg and 120-1800 mg/kg, respectively. D ifferen-ces in the levels of copper, manganese and zinc were not large , ranging between 1-7 mg/kg, 3.5-10.4 mg/kg and 8.2-25.5 mg/kg respect ively. Peroxide value and free fatty acids are known to change during storage. The brands having very low fat levels (<5%) invariably had ve ry high peroxide and free fatty acid values. Total fat contents in var ious biscuits ranged between 1 and 24.6%, while total energy values ra nged between 365 and 501 K calories.