[Development of a soup pasta based on the taste and nutritional requirements for aged people]

The objective of this project was to elaborate a soup paste product based on cereal/leguminous mixture by cold extrusion method according to the preferences and limitations of the senescent population. Formulas were obtained by a computation food mixtures program; the limitations applied were: protein quantity and quality. Selected mixtures has to contain protein values over 13.2 g/100 g and a chemical assessment of leucine, lysine and methionine-cistein not lower than 75% of the FAO/OMS 1973 recommendations, because they are the limitant aminoacids of the amaranth, the wheat and the beans, respectively. Chemical, physical, microbiological, farinografics and sensorial tests were applied to evaluate the characteristics of the mixtures. The selected mixture was made up of: 70% wheat semolina (Triticum durum), 20% beans (Phaseoulus vulgaris L) and 10% amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus). The manufactured paste allowed 20% of the nutritional requirements of the elderly people of protein, carbohydrates, calcium, iron and vitamins A, B1 and C; it was highly accepted (95%) by the elderly people and was microbiologically stable for 12 weeks period at 25 degrees C and 55% RH in cellophane packages. We can conclude that the soup paste may be a vehicle to add substances and deficient nutriments to the habitual diet of the elderly people in our country.