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This paper focuses on the quality characteristics of steamed and boiled blue whiting fish (Micromesistius poutassou) cracker, with the aim of encouraging and promoting the use of this small pelagic inexpensive, readily available fish in food production and reducing post-harvest losses of the fish.

The blue whiting fish cracker was developed using boiling and steaming methods. Minced blue whiting fish meat was mixed with cassava starch in the ratio of 50:50, and other ingredients were incorporated. The dough obtained was divided into two and stuffed into two different muslin cloths. One of the stuffed dough was steamed (100°C for 15 min), whereas the other was boiled in water for 90 min. The boiled and steamed doughs were cooled at 4°C for 12 h, sliced at 2 mm thickness and oven dried at 50°C for 12 h to obtain non-expanded blue whiting fish crackers. The non-expanded blue whiting fish crackers were fried in vegetable oil to obtain expanded blue whiting fish crackers. The quality characteristics of the expanded crackers were determined using standard methods, and data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance; the mean scores were compared using Turkey’s (HSD) test. The sensory evaluation was done using 25 untrained panellists, and results were analysed statistically.

The study revealed the steamed fish cracker has significantly higher nutritional composition in terms of the proximate, mineral, fatty acid and amino acid compositions. Potassium was the most predominant mineral in the crackers, and copper was the least predominant mineral. The saturated fatty acid contents were 43.2 per cent (steamed) and 48.6 per cent (boiled), whereas the unsaturated fatty acid contents were 55.5 (steamed) and 48.5 per cent (boiled). The n6/n3 ratio obtained for steamed and boiled fish cracker was 4.0. The steamed fish cracker had a higher L* value, whereas the Brown index (100 − L*) of the steamed fish cracker was lower (33.4) than that of the boiled fish cracker. The linear expansion was higher for the boiled blue whiting fish crackers (41.8 per cent). The boiled blue whiting fish cracker had higher expanded starch structure than the steamed blue whiting fish cracker. The aroma and taste were highly correlated with overall acceptability.

The paper reports the quality characteristics and overall acceptability of steamed and boiled blue whiting fish crackers.

This paper aims to focus on the antioxidant properties and consumer acceptability of biscuits produced from pearl millet (PM)–tiger nut (TN) composite blends, with the aim of encouraging the use of these under-utilised food crops in producing value-added products with nutraceutical potential.

PM grains and TN seeds were processed into flour and blended at ratios: 15:85 (A), 20:80 (B), 25:75 (C), 30:70 (D), 35:65 (E), 40:60 (F), 45:55 (G), of PM to TN using response surface methodology. The antioxidant properties of the biscuits produced from the flour blends were determined using standard methods, and data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA); differences of means were separated using Duncan multiple range test. The biscuits were subjected to sensory evaluation using 50 untrained panellist and results statistically analysed.

The total phenolic content (TPC-mg/GAE) of PM–TN flour blends ranged from 2.65-4.95 (A-G), with an average TPC of 3.85. In PM–TN biscuits, total phenolic values ranged from 1.20-3.42 (A-G), with an average of 2.39. The 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging activities (μmolTEAC/g) of PM–TN flour blends ranged from 26.7-36.4 (A-G), and the values for biscuits ranged from 28.5-38.6 (A-G). There was a highly significant correlation, r = 0.811(p < 0.001) and r = 0.913 (p < 0.001) between phenolic content and antioxidant activity for flour and biscuit, respectively. The effect of in vitro digestion of biscuits on the antioxidant assays viz-a-viz: TPC and ABTS radical scavenging activities were also investigated. The order of phenolic release was enzymic > aqueous > ethanolic digest for TPC, while for ABTS, the order of release was enzymic > ethanolic > aqueous. The highest values for antioxidant properties were found in the simulated in vitro enzyme digested biscuits. Consumer acceptability revealed that the overall acceptability scores of the biscuits were not significantly different except for biscuit sample G.

The paper has demonstrated the antioxidant potentials and consumer acceptability of PM–TN biscuits. It also shows the effect of in vitro digestion on the antioxidant activities of the biscuit and its potential health benefit, as a source of antioxidant.