Design of canihua-rice: Development and characterization of an analogue of rice by warm-extrusion of canihua<i> (Chenopodium</i><i> pallidicaule</i> Aellen) and rice<i> (Oryza</i><i> sativa)</i> flours

Abstract

Many countries have native crops with excellent protein quality that are not widely consumed because they have been displaced by introduced crops such as rice. This work proposes the design of food matrices combining the structural and physical qualities of rice with high canihua protein quality, a South America highlands ancestral crop. Different extruded canihua-rice mixtures were physically and microstructurally characterized and compared with those of brown and extruded-rice. Canihua-rice grains were treated by warm-extrusion process to give formulations of 10%-90% and 20%-80% of canihua flour and rice flour, respectively. Physicochemical analyses showed that protein contents resulting from addition of canihua-rice grains were 8.8% and 10%, respectively, compared to 7% of rice flour. Hardness of cooked canihua-rice grains was similar to extruded-rice and slightly lower than cooked brown rice, while color of these grains was between those of extruded and brown rice. Microstructural analyses (FESEM and micro-CT) showed that extruded canihua-rice mixtures had heterogeneous particles of canihua flour embedded in rice flour structure. Sensorial analysis showed that cooked canihua-rice from Cupi10 were similar to brown rice cooked. Finally, extruded canihua-rice mixtures constituted a novel food matrix that could be used to increase the nutritional levels for consumers of rice.