Evaluation of Infrared Roasting on Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Wheat Saviq (Triticum aestivum) Using Fuzzy Logic Modeling

Najafi, Vahid; Taghizadeh, Masoud

doi:10.22034/jrmam.2026.15069.775

Evaluation of Infrared Roasting on Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Wheat Saviq (Triticum aestivum) Using Fuzzy Logic Modeling

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Vahid Najafi

Masoud Taghizadeh

Food Science and Technology, Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/jrmam.2026.15069.775

Abstract

Wheat Saviq, a traditional product obtained from roasting wheat grains, possesses notable nutritional value and functional properties. This study investigated the effect of infrared roasting on the physicochemical characteristics and sensory attributes of Wheat Saviq. To evaluate the influence of roasting power and time and to optimize the process, a Box–Behnken experimental design and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were applied. The measured responses included moisture content, color indices (L*, a*, b*, ∆E), water-holding capacity (WHC), and sensory evaluation. Additionally, fuzzy logic was employed to model the relationship between sensory attributes (color, aroma, taste, and texture) and overall product acceptance. The results indicated that increasing power from 250 to 450 W reduced moisture content from 4.65% to 2.09%. Color indices significantly increased with both higher power and longer roasting times. WHC initially improved with increasing power and time but declined at higher levels. Sensory evaluation revealed that medium power levels and intermediate roasting times yielded the highest overall acceptance. The optimal conditions were predicted at an infrared power of 365.24 W and a roasting time of 18.28 min, resulting in predicted values of 3.39% moisture content, L*=81.57, a*=13.57, b*=16.84, ΔE=9.77, WHC=204.69%, and an overall sensory score of 8.27. Overall, infrared roasting a* and b* values increased, while L* and ΔE changed significantly depending on power and time, maintained desirable sensory characteristics, and improved WHC, leading to the highest overall sensory acceptance. Fuzzy logic analysis highlighted that taste and texture are the most influential factors affecting consumer acceptance, while an appealing color and suitable aroma can compensate for minor textural deficiencies. The fuzzy logic-based predictive model showed strong agreement with experimental results. These findings suggest that infrared roasting is an effective method for improving the quality and consumer acceptance of Wheat Saviq and could be a viable approach for commercial production in the wheat product industry.

Keywords

Infrared

Wheat Saviq

Response surface methodology

Fuzzy logic

Subjects

Postharvest Technology

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