Defatted Rice Bran as an Acceptable Dietary Fiber Source

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: To examine the acceptability of foods containing defatted rice bran as a dietary fiber source.For metabolic diet studies, the food products must be acceptable or adherence to the diets will suffer. This is especially true for foods that contain a “unique” ingredient. Similarly, if the ingredient is found to be beneficial, the food products must be tasty if they are to be well received by consumers. In a study that examined the effects of defatted rice bran on blood lipids, the defatted rice bran was used as the main fiber source. Twenty-four food products were developed for inclusion in the menus. Prior to the study, products with and without defatted rice bran were taste tested in-house for overall acceptability by a maximum of 31 people. On a scale of 1-9 (l=dislike extremely, 9=like extremely), overall acceptability for the products without rice bran averaged 7.02 while products with rice bran averaged 6.34. Acceptability of the food products then were monitored during two cohorts of the eight-week feeding study. A total of 26 volunteers participated. Food acceptability questionnaires were distributed to the participants several times during the study. Although the foods containing defatted rice bran received somewhat lower scores than their control counterparts, the foods were rated as acceptable. The foods were developed with the intention of incorporating the highest amount of fiber recommended. Our results indicate that the products were acceptable to taste testers and study participants. However, for increased consumer acceptability, optimal amounts of defatted rice bran still need to be established. Supported by LEQSF (1994-97)-ENH-PLEX-03.