Evaluation of Mineral, Microbial, and Sensory Properties of Gluten-Free-Ready-To-Eat Snacks Produced from Blends of Water Yam (Dioscorea Alata) and Lima Bean (Phaseolus Lunatus)

ABSTRACT Gluten-free-ready-to-eat snacks prepared by manual extrusion and baking from blends of water yam slurry and lima bean flour were subjected to standard analytical methods to determine the mineral composition and microbial load; sensory evaluation was done using the 9-point hedonic scale. Sodium (Na)-ranged 13.80–72.78 mg/100 g and potassium (K)-ranged 12.74–69.26 mg/100 g occurred as the most abundant elements with standard (<1) Na/K values of 0.85 and 0.81 in samples C and E, respectively. The highest concentration of calcium (92.7 mg/100 g) was observed in sample A; sample C was significantly (p < .05) highest (0.09 mg/100 g) in phosphorus. The TVBC ranged from 1.0 × 103–3.0 × 103 CFU/g implies the safety of the products. The mean score for sensory attributes were at acceptable ranges for color-(5.87–6.73), aroma-(5.73–7.00), texture-(6.27–7.13), taste-(5.53–6.60), and overall acceptability-(6.20–7.27) with sample C being the most preferred. The snacks are nutritious and will be a good alternative to wheat-based snacks for celiac-disease patients.