A gluten-free functional food as an alternative to the human diet.
Anacardium occidentale; Pisum sativum; Sustainable development; Gluten-free functional food.
The biotechnological development of new food products consists of the improvement of processes and methods in which natural resources are contemplated. In this sense, the vegetable Anacardium occidentale Linn stands out. (Anacardiaceae), popularly known as cashew tree and holds wide commercialization of the nut, the liquid of the nut shell and the cashew stalk. In Brazil, these products have great agronomic value and are significantly important for the agricultural sector. The main objective of this present work is the elaboration of a biomass based on A. occidentale (AO) that specifically consists of the use of cashew stalk bagasse supplemented with Pisum sativum (PS), to create a gluten-free nutraceutical food. The raw material AO was commercially purchased, sanitized with chlorinated solution, followed by cutting, drying in an oven with air circulation, crushing and sieving. Pea (PS) was purchased commercially in its frozen form. The bromatological analyses of the dehydrated biomasses AO and PS showed, respectively: 25.3% and 35.23% of moisture; 45.8% and 48.74% of carbohydrates, 15.8% and 7.5% of fibers, 6.3% and 7.9% of proteins, 4.3% and 0.7% of lipids, 2.5% and 0.53% of ashes, 74.7% and 65.37% of total solids. Based on these data the nutritional composition of the biomass AO was supplemented with pea (PS) in a 1:1 ratio (AO:PS), with a dietary profile rich in carbohydrates, fibers and proteins, with low lipid content. The resulting biomass AO:PS was utilized to prepare a hamburger so called CashewNutriMeat, aiming at a creation of a new line of gluten-free vegetarian product. The sensory characteristics of this new product, was carried out with 64 tasters and showed statistical acceptance in the order of 59.4%. In this sense, the CajuNutriMeat product proved to be nutritionally acceptable and together with the sensory acceptance, herein was considered suitable for the production of healthy food. So, the present research is inserted in the biotechnological field and represent an effective alternative in the development of new gluten-free functional food products.