Effect of Incorporation of Ripe Pumpkin Flour on the Quality Characteristics of Crackers

Crackers were formulated by different proportions of refined wheat and pumpkin flour i.e. 100:0, 95:5, 90:10, 85:15, 80:20 and 75:25, respectively. Prepared crackers were packed in polypropylene bags and stored at room temperature and subjected to chemical and sensory evaluation at an interval of one month for a period of 3 months. The highest mean crude protein of 8.93 per cent, crude fat of 20.97 per cent, crude fibre of 1.25 per cent, energy of 428.79 Kcal/100g and β-carotene of 11.28 g/100g, recorded in treatment T₆ (75:25:: refined wheat flour: pumpkin flour). In general, decreasing trend was observed in crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, energy and β-carotene content while as moisture and carbohydrate content increased with the advancement of storage period. Sensory evaluation of crackers revealed that 15% pumpkin flour recorded highest mean score for overall acceptability (6.07).