Sensory impact and consumer acceptance of quinoa-enriched protein bars

Quinoa, recognized for its high nutritional and functional properties, presents formulation challenges related to texture, flavor, and overall acceptability. This study investigated the impact of adding different quinoa levels (0, 1.5, and 3%) on the sensory properties and consumer acceptance of protein bars. The findings revealed that adding quinoa did not significantly affect the evaluated sensory attributes. However, compared with the commercial reference bar, quinoa-enriched samples received lower acceptance scores, indicating that consumers perceived them as neutral rather than highly appealing. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that butteriness, crispiness, and hardness were positively associated with consumer acceptance, whereas dryness and sandiness were negatively associated. These results highlight that quinoa can be incorporated into protein bar formulations without compromising major sensory characteristics, but further optimization is required to improve texture characteristics and enhance consumer liking. Overall, this work contributes to the understanding of how quinoa addition influences sensory perception and provides insights for developing nutritious, high-protein snack products with improved market potential. • Quinoa bars showed lower consumer acceptance than the commercial reference. • Dryness and sandiness negatively influenced acceptance of quinoa bars. • Butteriness, crispiness, and hardness were key drivers of consumer liking. • Quinoa bars require formulation optimization to improve sensory appeal