PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF EXTRUDED HIGH-FIBER BARLEY CEREALS

Fourteen blends of four barley cultivars (ground) and rice or wheat flour were extruded into a ready-to-eat cereal using a corotating twin-screw extruder. The raw blends and subsequent cereals were analyzed for soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, beta-glucan, alkaline viscosity, and other physical and chemical properties. Cereals produced from rice and five of the barley-rice blends were evaluated by a consumer sensory panel. Cereals produced by extrusion of 100% barley had limited expansion and high bulk densities. When blended with 50% rice, the bulk densities were reduced by 50%, and the appearance was similar to that of the 100% rice cereal. Extrusion resulted in increased alkaline viscosity and soluble fiber content of most cereals. Sensory panelists rated cereals extruded from four 50:50 barley-rice blends and a 65:35 Wanubet barley-rice blends higher than the 100% rice cereal for crispness and color and rated them similar to the rice cereal for flavor and overall acceptability. The total dietary fiber of the barley cereal ranged from 5.8-9.0%, with 2.0-4.7% soluble fiber. Barley is a suitable material for production of a ready-to-eat high-fiber cereal.