Supplementation of biscuit using rice bran and soybean flour

The cost of animal protein is increasing every day, thus making it unavailable for most people in developing countries. This unavailability has resulted into looking for other alternatives protein sources. Gradual shift away from fiber in diets calls for development of recipes, formulae and products that would restore the levels of dietary fiber. Snack foods such as biscuits and crackers offer several important advantages including; wide consumption, relatively long shelf life, good eating quality, highly palatable and acceptable in most countries. These characteristics make protein rich biscuits attractive for the research work. Wheat, soybean and rice bran flour blends were used for the formulation of biscuits in these ratios; (100% wheat flour), (70% wheat, 20% soybean, 10% rice bran flours), (50% wheat, 30% soybean, 20% rice bran flours), (30% wheat, 40% soybean, 30% rice bran flours), (10% wheat, 50% soybean, 40% rice bran flours). Width, thickness, spread ratio, sensory attributes (colour, texture, taste, odour and general acceptance), and proximate compositions (protein, fiber content, fat, ash and moisture content) of the formulations were analysed using AOAC standard methods. Widths of the biscuit samples ranged between 36.75 - 43.3 mm. Increase in width were noticed with increase in level of substitution. Similar trend was recorded on spread ratio. However, biscuit thickness decreased with increase in level of substitution. At p ≤ 0.05, most preferred composite sample (wheat 70%, soybean 20%, rice bran 10%) showed no significance difference with control (100% wheat) in general preference of sensory ratings. Sample E (10 % wheat, 50% soybean, 40 % rice bran) was the least generally preferred sample. Proximate compositions of best-rated composite flour biscuit were protein (16.28 ± 0.41%), fiber (1.90 ± 0.17%), fat (12.13 ± 0.67%) and moisture (4.37 ± 0.18%). It is possible to produce biscuit from composite of wheat, full fat soybean and stabilized rice bran from parboiled rice flours. Adoption of this technology of biscuit manufacture will result in production of better protein and fiber enriched biscuit to the ever-increasing number of consumers.