CEREAL BARS WITH PEANUT AND PUFFED AMARAN THUS - CHEMICAL-COMPOSITIONAND STABILITY IN ACCELERATED STORAGE

Three different cereal bars, CM3A - CM3B and CM3C were prepared follow ing the flow sheat of Escobar et al: different amount of oat, wheat ge rm, and puffed amaranthus were used: to stick them together, natural s weeteners and fats were added. Proximate analysis, were run on raw mat erials and snack bars. They were evaluated organoleptically to know th eir quality and acceptability. Bars were kept in accelerated storage a t 37-degrees-C during 15 days to know their stability. Every 5 days we re measured the water activity (Aw), moisture, and peroxides developme nt; also appearance of organoleptic randicity. Acceptability of bar CM 3B was 91.67% with 0,0% of rejection; CM3A and CM3C got the same accep tability (66,67%) and 8,33% of rejection. In accelerate storage, Aw an d moisture content decreased until reaching a value of 0.48 and 5.9 in the CM3B bar, respectively. Peroxide content of CM3B and CM3C increas ed gradually up to 12 and 17 meq/kg respectively at 15 days. Rancyd ar oma appearance was not the same in the bars, CM3A and CM3B had a decre asing at 15 days, while CM3C showed an increasing at the same time. In brief, CM3B showed the best sensory quality, the higher acceptability and the greater stability in accelerated storage.