Pasta is a widely consumed food in all over the world. Coarse semolina obtained from durum wheat and water are the main ingredients of conventional pasta products. The amount of gluten and quality level of durum wheat, are two important factors for the superiority of finished pasta. Market price of durum wheat is higher than the common wheat and it contributes no more than 5% of the world wheat production. Thus, to come across the challenge of emerging pasta consumption, new field of research that is dealing with the incorporation of nonconventional ingredients to the conventional formula of pasta has initiated. The compositions of raw materials which are used for pasta preparation directly affect the physical, chemical, and textural properties of the product. Therefore, incorporation of nonconventional ingredients can lead to a contradictory effect of pasta quality. This review will focus on the various types of nonconventional ingredients that are being incorporated in pasta products and their effect on the quality attributes of different pasta products.

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A beetroot beverage with Lactobacillus casei 431 as the probiotic microorganism was tested for sensory acceptability at 3 fermentation periods of 2, 4 and 6 hours at 37 o C. The beverage fermented for 2 hours yielded the highest overall sensory acceptability. L. casei 431 grew well and reached nearly 10 8 CFU/ mL after 2 hours of fermentation at 37 o C. Although the lactic culture in the fermented beetroot beverage gradually lost its viability during cold storage, viable cell count of lactic acid bacteria remained at 10 6-10 8 CFU/mL after 4 weeks of cold storage at 4 o C. Titratable acidity increased significantly from 5.5±0.05 to 3.45x10 8 (P≤ 0.05) during storage. This study concludes that this beetroot-based synbiotic fermented beverage could be developed as a ready-to-drink product and kept for 6 weeks under refrigerated storage, meeting the standard 10 8-10 10 CFU/mL of a functional drink.

Spices have been a major influence on Sri Lankan cuisine since times immemorial. Spices are identified as one of the most distinctive ingredients for their indigenous flavor, aroma, and medicinal properties. In this study, coconut milk-based spicy ice cream was developed in compliance with the Sri Lankan standards to introduce a new perception of flavor using spices to the ice cream industry. Although coconut ice cream is commercially available in the local market, spicy flavored coconut ice cream is not yet available. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and white pepper (Piper nigrum) are the spices used in the preparation of the ice cream as they are freely available and used as complementary spices in Sri Lanka. Physicochemical characteristics and sensory attributes of coconut milk-based spicy ice cream were compared with the existing normal coconut ice cream. In preparation of the ice cream, the same ice cream manufacturing process was followed with some modifications. Three different formulas (0.010%, 0.018%, and 0.025%) were developed by changing the percentage of spices added. The 0.018% spice-added sample was selected as the most acceptable ice cream with desired sensory attributes. pH ( 6.33 ± 0.01 ), titratable acidity ( 0.33 ± 0.05 % ), moisture ( 61.86 ± 0.33 % ), ash ( 0.41 ± 0.25 % ), total solids ( 38.02 ± 0.14 % ), overrun ( 66.76 ± 1.44 % ), protein ( 4.18 ± 0.16 % ), and fat content ( 11.66 ± 0.60 % ) were evaluated as physicochemical properties. Total phenolic content of the ice cream was expressed as 0.093 ± 0.002  mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per gram of sample in dry weight (mg/g). DPPH radical scavenging activity was 60.39 ± 0.02  mg ascorbic acid equivalents per gram of sample in dry weight (mg/g), and total antioxidant capacity was expressed as 0.36 ± 0.04  mmol ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE)/g of dry weight. Physicochemical properties of spicy coconut ice cream were more or less similar to that of normal coconut ice cream and in compliance with the Sri Lankan standards. Coconut milk-based spicy ice cream could be introduced to the market as a potential marketable nondairy product with spicy flavor, aroma, and smooth texture.

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Cassava flour has a high potential to contribute as a raw material in the food industry. This study was aimed at characterizing flours from Sri Lankan cassava varieties with a view to explore the potential in food applications. Flours prepared from five cassava varieties, namely, Kirikawadi, MU51, Swarna, Shani, and Suranimala, were analyzed for proximate composition and physicochemical, functional, and antioxidant properties using standard methods. Flours from tested cassava varieties contained <1% crude fat and <2% crude protein. Flour from MU51 contained the highest amount of HCN (48.05 mg/kg) while flour from Suranimala contained the lowest (4.85 mg/kg). Total starch and amylose contents of flours were significantly lower ( p < 0.05 ) than those of commercial wheat flour. Flour from Suranimala contained approximately similar amylopectin content as commercial wheat flour. Water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, water solubility index, swelling power, emulsion activity, and emulsion stability of flours from five cassava varieties were significantly higher ( p < 0.05 ) than those of commercial wheat flour. Swarna was identified as the richest source of phenolic compounds (4.44 mmol GAE/100 g dry weight) among the five varieties. Results showed the promising application potential of flours from these five cassava varieties in different food applications such as weaning foods, bakery foods, and edible films.

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Lactobaccilus casei 431® is a probiotic microorganism, intentionally introduced into fruits and vegetable juices due to its great activity and survivability. Carrot is comprised with many functional food components such as vitamins (A, C, D, and K) minerals (calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and iron) and prebiotic compounds (Fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS)