Research: Effect of adding Sacha Inchi to a prototype of convenience food draft, on the nutritional composition and sensory acceptance

Research:  Effect of adding sacha inchi to a prototype of convenience food draft, on the nutritional composition and sensory acceptance

Author:

• Luis Fernando Restrepo-Betancur Docente Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Universidad de Antioquia. Grupo Giser. Carrera 75 Nº 65-87, Bloque 44 Ciudadela Robledo, Medellín, Colombia.
• Luz Amparo Urango-Marchena Docente Escuela de Nutrición y Dietética, Universidad de Antioquia. Grupo ICAS. Carrera 75 Nº 65-87, Bloque 44 Ciudadela Robledo, Medellín, Colombia.
• Luis Fernando Restrepo-Betancur Docente Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Universidad de Antioquia. Grupo Giser. Carrera 75 Nº 65-87, Bloque 44 Ciudadela Robledo, Medellín, Colombia.

Publish: Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, Article Number – 34B41A859722 Vol.10(29), pp. 435-441, August 2016

Conclusion:

Sacha inchi plant is a plant native to the Amazon región, it is known by various names, such as “Gold Inka”, “IncaInchi” o “Inca peanut”, is a plant of the Euphorbiaceous family  and volubilis species is a climbing plant, semi- ligneous, fruits in capsule,  with  4  seeds  oval  and  dark brown (Manco 2006). The flour and oil from the seeds are commonly used by the Peruvian natives. The seeds contain approximately, on average, 48% oil and 27% proteins that are rich in essential amino acids (Maurer et al., 2012). The nutritional  composition  of  sacha  inchi  is characterized by high levels of essential fatty omega 3 (ω-3) and omega 6 (ω-6),), which have been documented to have effects on the human health by preventing various diseases like arthritis , coronary heart disease , diabetes, hypertension , attention deficit hyperactivity, and inflammatory skin diseases.(Hanssen and Schmitz-Hübsch, 2011) (Gogus and Smith, 2010), according to this context , the use of almonds extracted from the seeds of Sacha inchi has a high potential for nutraceuticals industry (Guillén et al., 2003).

The development, design and innovation of products to help the world population, have spurred the search for alternatives to the production of food with functional properties; hence, the seeds of Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) was proposed for use in the oil and cosmetic industries, with little use in the manufacture of food products for human consumption (Guillén et al., 2003), several authors have reported the development of foods with added Sacha inchi as sausage type Frankfurt  (Romo, 2015), beverage with cake Sacha inchi   (Cárdenas, 2015) and energy bar with addition of seed. (Baéz and Borja, 2013 a). The United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO, 2008) has recommended increasing the intake of fatty acids (ω-3) to the general population, and to comply with this recommendation, they enriched a variety of food products such as eggs, yogurt, milk, and spreadable foods (Riediger et al., 2009). Developed countries currently have among other challenges for the populations, the offer to consumers who have little time to prepare their food, through options of healthy processed foods ready for consumption, known as food ready to-eat or convenience (Dutcosky et al., 2006), that are oriented to the trend of snack foods; that are characterized by having a higher energy density and sodium, with high content of carbohydrates and significant sensory characteristics such as taste and texture.

On the basis of the interest of consumers to purchase foods that have a positive impact on human health, in Colombia, they are developing foods from new sources of nutrients with foods considered promising, low production costs and cultivated with few agronomic requirements (Peralta, 2010), This is the case of the seed of Sacha inchi  from the biodiversity of Latin American countries, with high nutritional potential (Guillén et al., 2003). The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of adding Sacha inchi seeds, to a prototype of convenience food draft, on the nutritional composition and sensory acceptance.