Physicochemical, sensory and storage stability evaluation of tarap (Artocarpus odoratissimus)-based breakfast cereal produced by drum drying

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to develop a tarap (Artocarpusodoratissimus)-based breakfast cereal using brewer’s rice as the cereal base and to evaluate the effects of tarap incorporation on its physicochemical properties, sensory acceptability, and storage stability after drum drying. Methods: Five cereal formulations containing 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% tarap pulp were prepared and processed using a twin-drum dryer. The resulting products were analysed for proximate composition, water absorption capacity, colour characteristics, and total dietary fibre. Sensory evaluation was carried out using a 9-point hedonic scale. The most acceptable formulation was further evaluated through a 28-day storage study under ambient conditions, during which moisture content, water activity (a_w), and colour stability (ΔE*ab) were monitored. Results: Tarap incorporation significantly affected several quality attributes of the cereal. Moisture content decreased from 9.61% in the control to 0.89% in formulation D, while ash and protein contents were higher in tarap-containing formulations. Total carbohydrate content ranged from 82.11% to 89.77%. Water absorption capacity ranged from 182.22% to 213.33%, with no significant difference among formulations. Increasing tarap levels also produced darker, redder, and more yellowish cereal flakes. Sensory evaluation showed that formulation D (20% tarap) achieved the highest scores for colour, taste, texture, and overall acceptability, with an overall score of 7.32 ± 1.24. During storage, both the control and formulation D maintained low a_w values (0.18–0.23), while formulation D showed lower moisture content and better colour stability at the end of storage. Conclusions: Tarap can be incorporated into drum-dried breakfast cereal to produce a sensory acceptable product with promising short-term physical stability under ambient conditions. However, microbiological safety, together with longer-term storage stability, must be verified before the product can be considered suitable for future food application or commercialization.

Keywords

tarap / Artocarpus odoratissimus / drum drying / brewer’s rice / breakfast cereal / physicochemical properties / storage stability

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