Optimization of mixture flakes and nuts to formulate ready to eat breakfast bar using response surface methodology

A breakfast cereal is a food made from more or less processed grains often but not always eaten with the first meal of the day. Cereal flakes are cheapest source of energy and protein in human diet. For the present study the mixture of flakes such as (rice flakes, oats flakes, corn flakes and wheat flakes), groundnut and chocolate chips are selected and used to prepare Ready To Eat (RTE) breakfast bar and analyzed the physiochemical properties and nutritive value of the raw flakes and developed breakfast bar and determining the optimal levels of mixture flakes, groundnuts and chocolate chips using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied for optimization, the multiple regression was used to get optimum levels and it was found that desirable values of weight (25.23g), diameter (4.12cm), width (1.15cm), calorie (423.1kcal), protein (8.65g), fat (14.14g), carbohydrate (51.4g) and over all acceptability (8.31) for a 100g was obtained with the corresponding optimum condition of 24g of mixture flakes, 11g of groundnut, 8g of chocolate chips and 48g of the rest of the breakfast bar ingredients. Hence it is concluded that RSM was used successfully to optimize the level of mixture flakes, groundnut and chocolate chips for the development of Ready to Eat (RTE) breakfast bar.