Sensory Analyses Driven Formulation of Fruit Cereal Bars Enriched With Arthrospira platensis Dried Powder

Cereal bars represent a fast source of nutrients and energy, instrumental in enlarging the functional foods market. Among the different bioactive components, Arthrospira platensis (spirulina) has gained great interest for application in functional food, thanks to its pigment phycocyanin, a high-value protein, with antioxidant properties. The bar's nutritional composition was planned to produce enriched fruit cereal bars with an increased protein content of up to 10%, with a 2% spirulina addition. Bars were prepared by mixing sugars, honey, puffed wheat, and dried fruits (candied orange and lemon, peanuts, and almonds) at 130°C. Finally, different concentrations of spirulina powder (0.2%, 1.0%, and 2.0%) were added by mixing with heating off. Sensory evaluation was conducted by a trained panel on the enriched bars at three different spirulina concentrations. Tests included Descriptive Analysis (DA), Check-All-That-Apply questionnaire (CATA), and Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS). Sensory analysis indicated that olfactory and flavor notes were essentially red fruits, raisins, and toasted and spicy odor at all spirulina concentrations, without any trace of off-odors or -flavors. In the 0.2% spirulina bar the attribute "citrus" was dominant during the whole taste analysis, while 1% and 2% bars showed the dominance of "red and dried fruit" flavors. Enriched fruit cereal bars with spirulina up to 2% showed increased levels of a high-value protein, without inducing undesirable changes in sensory parameters. These are encouraging data for successful spirulina-supplemented functional foods production.