Evaluation of the use of spirulina in tarhana within the scope of new product development through sensory analysis

Nutrition is one of the most fundamental and indispensable needs of human life. Throughout history, humans have consumed the foods they need to sustain their lives and maintain their health. Additionally, they have turned to various foods to regain their health when needed. Due to the increasing global population and related environmental changes, accessing to healthy foods is becoming increasingly difficult. In recent years, consumers have demanded more healthy food products from businesses due to pandemics and the rise in disease diversity. In this context, spirulina, rich in nutrients, was added to the traditional tarhana recipe in two different forms (fresh and dried), and its contribution to the nutritional value was examined through chemical and color analyses. Among the samples, the highest rates of protein, moisture, and fat were found in powdered tarhana coded 855, while the highest ash content was observed in tarhana coded 456. In the color analysis, the L* value represents the brightness level, ranging from black (0) to white (100). The a* value indicates red when positive and green when negative. Similarly, the b* value signifies yellow when positive and blue when negative. The highest result in the color analysis was obtained from tarhana coded K. For sensory analysis, 33 trained panellists were first served tarhana soup coded K, followed by tarhana soups coded 855 and 456 at 70°C simultaneously. As a result of the sensory analysis, tarhana coded 456 received the highest score in the smell/aroma quality criterion, with a significant difference identified compared to tarhana coded 855. According to the questions in the sensory analysis form, 93.9% of the panellists expressed a demand for new product development, 93.9% stated they would prefer tarhana prepared with different ingredients, 78.8% said they prefer homemade tarhana, and 57.6% reported their tarhana consumption frequency as "sometimes." Among the reasons for consuming tarhana, 60% highlighted "nutritional richness" as the primary factor. Additionally, 66.7% of the panelists selected the option "I like trying new products." In the general feedback section, the differences between the two products were evaluated. As a result, while the panelists did not give significantly low scores to tarhana coded 855, the tarhana coded 456 emerged as the most preferred soup.