Abstract:
The growing consumer preference for healthier and functional confectionery products
had encouraged the development of nutrient enriched toffees using natural ingredients.
This study focused on developing and evaluating Cardamom flavored toffee enriched
with Red rice bran and Palm sugar as a value-added alternative to conventional sugar
based toffees. This sfudy was conducted to formulate toffees with varying levels of red
rice bran and to assess their physicochemical, nutritional, microbial, and sensory
properties to determine the most suitable formulation for consumer acceptability. Five
toffee formulations (Tr - Ts) were prepared by varying the percentage of red rice bran
(0% - 6.4%) while keeping other ingredients constant. Physicochemical analysis
revealed that increasing red rice bran levels significantly increased (p < 0.05) moisfure,
ash, and fiber content while slightly decreasing protein, fat, and total soluble solids.
Sensory evaluation was conducted by 30 semi trained panellists using a seven point
hedonic scale to evaluate color, flavor, texture, taste, and overall acceptability. The
results showed that the toffee containing 3.2oh red rice bran (T:) received the highest
preference scores due to its smooth texture, pleasant cardamom flavor, and balanced
sweetness. Microbial analysis indicated that all samples were within acceptable limits,
and T: showed the best stability with minimal bacterial and fungal growth. The study
concluded that cardamom flavored toffee enriched with red rice bran and palm sugar
provided an excellent balance of nutrition, functionaiity, and sensory appealIt served
as a promising functional confectionery product suitable for health-conscious
consumers and offered a sustainable avenue for incorporating underutilized
ingredients like red rice bran into value-added food products.
