Physicochemical and Sensory Parameters of “Petipan” Enriched with Heme Iron and Andean Grain Flours

Enrichment is the addition of nutrients to a food that does not contain them naturally, which is conducted in a mandatory manner and in order to solve a nutritional deficiency in the population. Enriched petipan are products that contain heme iron. The objective of this research was to evaluate the physical, chemical, mechanical and sensory characteristics of petipan produced with Andean grain flours and heme iron concentrate. A completely randomized design (CRD) with five experimental treatments was used with different levels of heme iron. The results show the direct influence of the heme concentration level on the chromatic, mechanical and textural characteristics of petipan. As the heme concentrate increases, its mechanical properties are considerably affected, with there being a correlation between the color intensity and a considerable reduction in its porosity. Samples without heme iron (T0) and 1% heme iron concentrate (T1) present the best mechanical and sensory characteristics; however, the incorporation of heme concentrate directly influences its nutritional, textural, and mainly chromatic components.