Quality of bulgur wheat in relation to storage.

摘要

Bulgur preparation is not common in India, despite it being known as man's first processed food. Therefore, by making a stable nutritious product from wheat, i.e. bulgur, value can be added to the consumer diet. Potential utilization of rain affected wheat can also be achieved by converting it into bulgur. The main purpose of this study was to standardize the process of bulgur preparation and to assess the suitability of wheat class/variety for bulgur production. Wheat of three different classes (durum, aestivum, triticale) were used for preparation of bulgur by soaking for 3.5 h at 60 degrees C followed by pressure cooking at 15 psi 15 min-1 and drying to 10% moisture at 40 degrees C. Pearling (8% degree of polish) and cracking operations were carried out to yield coarse, medium and fine bulgur. Sensory quality data revealed that bulgur of all fractions remained highly acceptable up to 6 months of storage at 37 degrees C with respect to different sensory attributes. Microbial load in terms of total plate count remained well within limits during storage. The lower moisture content, ERH values and absence of aflatoxins collectively supported the increased shelf-life of bulgur. Among coarse, medium and fine fractions of bulgur from different wheat classes, the fine fraction was highly liked followed by the medium and coarser ones.