Use of undersize bulgur in couscous production

There are three well-known couscous all over the world such as Turkish, African and short-cut pasta-like. Bulgur flour (undersize bulgur) is a by-product of bulgur production, which is a nutritionally valued product have a good potential as a couscous ingredient. In this thesis, the substitution of Triticum durum wheat semolina with undersize bulgur was made at various concentrations to develop nutritious and functional Turkish, African and pasta type couscous. The Influence of the ingredients on quality (protein, ash and cruder fiber contents, bulk density and weight increase), textural (hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness and resilience), functional (total phenol and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity) and sensory (color, odor, taste, hardness, chewiness and overall acceptability) characteristics of couscous products was determined. In this study, as a new method, couscous samples were dried by using of packed bed (60 and 80 °C) and microwave dryers (180 and 360 W). The results revealed that weight increase, total flavonoid content, protein, ash and crude fiber contents, hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness and resilience were significantly (p≤0.05) affected by bulgur flour substitution in contrast to springiness, bulk density, total phenol content and DPPH scavenging activity. It was found that the nutritional quality and properties of couscous can be improved by using bulgur flour and new drying techniques.