EFFECT OF FORMULATION AND PROCESSING ON THE ENZYMATIC DIGESTION OF COMMON CEREAL PRODUCTS

Twenty-six commonly consumed cereal products, including six breads, ei ght breakfast cereals, six pasta products, and six whole-grain dishes, were evaluated for their carbohydrate digestibility using an enzymati c method. Reducing sugars, expressed as milligram of maltose equivalen ts per gram of product on a dry-weight basis, were determined after 0, 15, 30, and 60 min of digestion. Breads containing simple sugars in t heir formulation produced an average of 236 mg of maltose equivalents per gram before enzymatic digestion and an average of 326 mg/g after 6 0 min. Breakfast cereals contained 11-88 mg of maltose equivalents per gram before enzymatic digestion. Rapid digestion of breakfast cereals resulted in levels of reducing sugars similar to those of breads at t he end of 60 min of digestion, averaging 291 mg of maltose equivalents per gram. Pasta products and whole cooked grains had low levels of re ducing sugars initially as well as after 60 min of digestion-2.2-7.7 a nd 63-119 mg of maltose equivalents per gram, respectively.