Development of a composite flour based pasta product enriched with Bacillus coagulans GBI-30,6086

This study was conducted to develop a composite flour based pasta enriched with a probiotic: Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 and focus to select the appropriate flour blend, to determine the cooking quality of pasta, the viability of the probiotic and to determine the survival (%) of probiotic after cooking. Commercially available pasta was used as a control. Physicochemical properties (color and texture, water activity and cooking qualities: optimum cooking time, cooking lose, water absorption, volume expansion), proximate composition (moisture - 4.05 %, crude protein -13.00 %, crude fat - 5.66 %, ash - 3.45 %, crude fiber - 5.45 % and carbohydrates - 72.44 %), viability of probiotic Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 were determined during storage of one month at 30±1°C. Sensory evaluation was conducted with 30 semi-trained panelists using 7 point hedonic scale and color, appearance, odor, flavor, chewing properties, and overall acceptability were evaluated. The highest acceptability was achieved by pasta formulated from wheat (50 %), corn (20 %), semolina (20%) and pumpkin seed (10%) flours. Color, flavor, sensation of starch between teeth and tenderness of the developed pasta were significantly different (p>0.05) from commercially available pasta. Hence, this flour blend was selected for further analysis. Optimum cooking time was 10 minutes. The water activity of pasta was ranged between 0.30-0.35 and survival (%) of probiotic after cooking decreased from 91.7 % to 87.5 % during storage period. Viability of the probiotic has achieved the daily requirement of one billion colony forming units per serving (1×109 CFUs/serv) and the same was monitored for a period of one month.