Effect of steam explosion modified soluble dietary fiber from Tremella fuciformis stem on the quality and digestibility of biscuits

Steam explosion (SE) technology is an effective modification method for improving resource utilization of edible fungi processing by-products. In this study, the effect of SE-modified Tremella fuciformis (T. fuciformis) stem soluble dietary fiber (SDF) on the quality and digestibility of biscuits was investigated. The results showed that the addition of SE-modified T. fuciformis stem SDF (M-SDF) changed the gluten network structure and moisture distribution in the biscuits, which improved the spread ratio of the biscuits and resulted in attractive colors. Meanwhile, as starch was embedded, the starch hydrolysis rate (from 60.9 ± 0.90 % to 43.01 ± 0.78 %) and estimated glycemic index (from 84.10 ± 4.39 to 68.45 ± 3.15) of 12 % M-SDF biscuits were reduced. Furthermore, 8 % M-SDF received the highest sensory scores. These results demonstrate the potential applicability of SE-modified edible fungi processing by-product SDF as an additive in functional foods.

Modelling of perceived sweetness in biscuits based on sensory analysis as a new tool to evaluate reformulation performance in sugar reduction studies

Sugar reduction in foods is of global interest in food science and industry to limit excessive calorie intake for healthier nutrition. Therefore, a modified Weibull model-based approach is presented here to relate sweetness perception with sugar concentration for the first time. The model was tested by using sweetness perception data obtained from sensory analysis of biscuits (wholewheat flour, whey or hydrolysed pea protein, different sucrose forms, ethylvanillin, furaneol, phenylacetaldehyde) using a line scale and untrained panellists. Sweetness scores increased 56%, 59%, 41% by the addition of wholewheat flour, proteins, or aroma compounds at 17% sucrose containing biscuits, respectively. Wholewheat flour and proteins boosted Maillard reaction products imparting baked/caramel-like flavour. The Weibull model well fitted to the sweetness perception data with a sigmoidal curve and high predicting power. This approach allows to explain how much sugar reduction can be achieved to reach a targeted sweetness perception without performing further sensory analysis.

Sensory and physicochemical properties of biscuit produced from blends of whole wheat, soy okara and tigernut residue flours

Biscuits are popular ready to eat, cheap and convenient food products that are consumed globally. Supplementation of wheat flour with inexpensive staples from other cereals, legumes, roots and tubers will help in improving the nutritional quality of wheat products. Therefore, this study investigated the sensory and physicochemical properties of biscuits produced from blends of whole wheat, soy okara and tigernut residue flours. The sensory qualities of the twelve whole wheat, soy okara and tigernut residue flour biscuits at p < 0.05 ranged from 5.36 to 7.68 (color), 5.60-7.64 (appearance), 4.48-7.96 (mouthfeel), 4.28-7.76 (aroma), 3.96-8.32 (taste), 3.64-8.20 (crunchiness), 3.56-7.56 (crispiness), and 5.08-8.36 (overall acceptability). Physical, proximate and mineral analysis were carried out on the best five biscuit samples containing 100:0:0 (MVP), 60:20.98:19.02 (ISP), 50.75:39.25:10 (JAR), 53.79:22.57:23.64 (GEN) and 56.32:27.39:16.29 (XEC) whole wheat, soy okara and tigernut residue flours respectively. The physical analysis showed that diameter (38.13-38.17 mm), height (37.73-37.76 mm) and thickness (6.10-6.17 mm) were not significantly different, but the weight (7.30-7.73 g), spread ratio (5.73-6.10 mm) and breaking strength (600-643 g) significantly (p < 0.05) differed among the biscuit samples. The proximate composition of the biscuits ranged from; ash (1.70-1.90%), moisture (4.00-5.70%), fiber (7.00-11.30%), fat (16.20-17.30%), protein (6.50-12.00%), carbohydrate (56.94-59.20%) while mineral content ranged from; magnesium (122.00-134.00 mg/100 g), sodium (16.00-28.00 mg/100 g), calcium (12.00-24.00 mg/100 g), iron (2.30-3.50 mg/100 g) and phosphorus (100.00-121.00 mg/100 g). The study showed that substitution of wheat flour with soy okara and tigernut residue flour at a ratio of 60:20.98:19.02 yielded the most acceptable biscuits in all the sensory attributes assessed. This implies that biscuits produced from this composite blend contain sufficient amounts of protein, fat, fiber and carbohydrate. Hence, they can serve as relief for malnutrition.

Modified eggshell powder using thermal treatment and its application in Ca-fortified dog biscuits

Due to the high global consumption of eggs, eggshell has become as one of the top domestic, agricultural and industrial wastes. This study determined eggshell characteristics after boiling at 95 °C and steaming at 121 °C, with additional heat treatments using hot air at 200 °C, microwaving at 900 W and infrared at 1050 W. Boiling in water for 60 min inhibited spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms that was the equivalent of steaming at 121 °C for 15 min. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that heat treatments on dried eggshell power modified the pore size and the accumulation of particles on the powder surface. From the X-ray diffraction pattern, all eggshell powder samples presented a peak at 29.40° demonstrating a crystallographic lattice of calcium carbonate with crystallinity in the range 90.20-91.05%. The calcium releasability of the control sample was 205.17-208.40 mg/L. Further treatment using hot air for 10-20 min increased the calcium releasability of the boiled and steamed eggshell powders to 219.95-225.50 and 230.35-305.20 mg/L, respectively while the microwave treatment for 2 min increased the calcium releasability of the boiled and steamed eggshell powders to 230.85 and 244.60 mg/L, respectively. The infrared treatment did not improve the calcium releasability of the sterilized eggshell powders. Up to 2% eggshell powder could be added to the dog biscuit dough. The fortified calcium biscuits contained 507.12 mg calcium/100 g of biscuit, while the Ca-to-P ratio was 1.94:1, which is within the recommended range for dog food.

Nɛ-(carboxymethyl)lysine, Available Lysine, and Volatile Compound Profile of Biscuits Enriched with Grape by-Product During Storage

We investigated the changes in Nɛ-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and available lysine content, antioxidant properties, volatiles, and oxidation products of biscuits enriched with grape by-product (GP), stored for six months under a modified atmosphere of 0%/30%/70% O₂/CO₂/N₂ and in air. Fresh GP-formulated biscuits showed lower concentrations of CML (89%), available lysine (40%), and pyrazines (75%), but higher antioxidant capacities (~ sixfold), furans (12-fold), and lipid-derived compounds (three-fold) than the control. Although ~ 15% higher losses of Maillard-type volatiles were identified in the air atmosphere during storage, lipid oxidation was ~ 30% less pronounced in the modified atmosphere. A significant correlation of 0.994 between the reduction in CML and the available lysine suggest further CML reactions with the ɛ-NH₂ group of amino acids. Significant correlations (of -0.550 to -0.980) between oxidation products, antioxidant capacities, and changes in CML content during storage suggest that these parameters might be involved in the CML elimination mechanism.

Acrylamide content in starch based commercial foods by using high performance liquid chromatography and its association with browning index

The harmful effects of acrylamide (AA) are a major health concern for human beings. To find out the levels of AA content in commercial food products, 43 samples representing 3 important product categories (French fries, bakery biscuits, and branded biscuits) were procured from the local market in Allahabad, India. An assay of AA was done using HPLC-DAD. The LOD and LOQ for AA were 3.733 and 11.045 ng/μl, respectively. The AA recovery from ten standard solutions was 100.6 percent, indicating good extraction efficiency. Level of AA ranged between 144.35 and 781.17 μg/kg, 126.33-664.90 μg/kg, and 825.96-1143.15 μg/kg, in branded biscuits, bakery biscuits, and French fries, respectively. A strong and positive correlation of AA was found with HMF, a* value, BI and negatively with ΔE (P ≤ 0.01). It is concluded that a high browning index is significantly associated with AA content and can be used as a screening food to reduce the intake of AA in the diet.

Anchovy fish biscuits improve adolescents nutritional status

AIM

This study determines how giving fish anchovy biscuits (Stolephorus sp) improves nutritional status in Adolescent Girls at Vocational High School 01 Rangas, Mamuju Regency.

RESEARCH METHODS

It was a quantitative research Quasi Experiment by Nonequaivalent Control Group design where there are 2 test groups, namely the control group and the intervention group. The intervention group was given fish anchovy biscuits, while the control group was given Placebo biscuits. The dose given is four pieces of biscuits in a day for 12 weeks. The study population was all female teenagers in class XII Vocational High School 01 Rangas, Mamuju Regency. This research was conducted from January to April 2020. The sampling technique uses purposive sampling by considering inclusion and exclusion criteria to obtain a sample of 60 people. Nutritional status measurements were carried out twice before and after the intervention using a digital weighing instrument and height measurement. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test and the Mann-Whitney test.

RESULTS

This study shows that the statistical test results obtained values (p=0.001, p<0.05), which means that there is an influence of fish anchovy biscuits on improving the nutritional status of Adolescent Girls at Vocational High school 01 Rangas Mamuju Regency.

CONCLUSION

The results of data analysis and evaluation results on the Fish anchovy Biscuit intervention show a difference in improving the nutritional status after being given the fish anchovy Biscuit intervention on Young Women in Vocational High School 01 Rangas, Mamuju Regency.

Pilot scale production of functional foods using red palm olein: Antioxidant, vitamins' stability and sensory quality during storage

The objective of this research work was to produce acceptable quality functional foods, namely, extruded snacks, digestive biscuits and pan bread, on a pilot scale, using vitamin E and β-carotene-rich red palm olein (RPOL) and red palm shortening (RPS). These products were evaluated for their chemical composition and sensory quality along with the antioxidants and vitamin contents during the six months of storage at room temperature (22 ± 1 °C). Extruded snacks and digestive biscuits prepared with RPOL and RPS were found to be good sources of these antioxidant vitamins. The average β-carotene content of the control and test snacks at the end of six months of storage ranged from 26.8 to 56.1 mg/kg fat, and from 430.9 to 468.9 mg/kg fat, respectively. The total vitamin E content in control and test snacks made in Plant No. 1 decreased after six months of storage from 786.1 to 704.4 mg/kg fat, and from 765.1 to 695.4 mg/kg fat, respectively. As expected, the total tocotrienol content was four to five times higher than the total tocopherols in control biscuits. The RPOL containing 600–750 ppm of carotenes (mainly α- and β-carotenes), 710–774 ppm of vitamin E, was found to be suitable for industrial application in producing acceptable quality pan bread, digestive biscuits and snacks. These functional foods contained significant amounts of β-carotene and total vitamin E, indicating the possibility of producing such foods rich in these two of the important antioxidant vitamins coming from a natural source. The research findings strongly indicate that good-quality pan bread, extruded snacks and digestive biscuits can successfully be produced to offer healthier eating choices to the consumers of this region, thereby promoting better health and productivity among the population.

The role of sodium chloride in the sensory and physico-chemical properties of sweet biscuits

Salt is included in many foods which consumers do not regard as salty. This "hidden-salt" may offer functional benefits but is often overlooked in sodium reduction strategies. This study investigated its role in shortbread-like sweet biscuits (1.05 g NaCl/100 g). Sensory tests revealed significant flavour and texture differences after a salt reduction of 33% (0.86 g/ 100 g). This was explained by differences in the partitioning of hydrophobic aroma compounds into the headspace and a significant impact on structure. Texture analysis and X-ray-µCT measurements revealed a reduced hardness with larger and more air cells in salt-reduced biscuits. It is suggested that salt impacts on cereal proteins by altering their aggregation around flour particles and at bubble walls and that slower water loss occurs in salted matrices during baking. Hence, this study revealed the key properties significantly affected by salt reduction and proposes an explanation which will help to develop a targeted "hidden-salt" reduction strategy.

Nutritional, physical and sensory characteristics of gluten-free biscuits incorporated with a novel resistant starch ingredient

Gluten-free (GF) biscuits were prepared by replacing part of a GF flour mix (GFM) with 0, 15, 30 and 45 g/100 g (total flour) with a novel resistant starch-rich ingredient obtained from annealed white sorghum starch (RSWS). The chemical composition, physical characteristics, in vitro starch digestion and sensory evaluation of biscuits were considered. The chemical composition of samples was influenced by the addition of the RSWS. The highest total dietary fibre and RS contents (p < 0.05) were measured in 45-RSWS biscuits. The starch hydrolysis index values decreased when the level of RSWS increased in the composite. With regard to quality parameters, the use of RSWS influenced the hardness of the biscuits, and the highest value obtained for 45-RSWS. Some of the selected sensory attributes, along with the overall acceptability score, were negatively influenced by the RSWS addition, even if all remained above the limit of acceptability. The use of RSWS in GF biscuit formulation can contribute towards the creation of food products likely having slowly digestible starch properties, and this can be achieved without drastically compromising on the quality and sensory attributes.

The sensory and physical properties of Shortbread biscuits cooked using different sucrose granule size fractions

A rich sugar diet has negative health implications so it is necessary to reduce sugar where possible. The objective of this study was to determine if different sugar size fractions could increase the sweetness intensity of Shortbread biscuits and therefore, permit sugar reduction. For this, the unground commercial sugar (Control, 102 to 378 µm) and two of its sieved separates, (Coarse (C), 228 to 377 µm and Fine (F), 124 to 179 µm) were investigated in biscuit formulation with the following content: Control 100% or 50%; (C), 100 or 50% and (F), 100 or 50% or its initial content. Biscuits were tested using sensory (hedonic and intensity), physical (dimensions, fracture properties, color), and compositional analyses. Trends showed that samples containing C-sugar with its 50% content were more preferable than samples containing the Control and F- sugar fractions at the same level without impact upon acceptability of the final product in all three sugar fraction sizes. As sweetness intensity scores correlated directly with flavor liking scores, these findings promote the use of this sugar fraction in the formulation of low-sugar baked biscuits. Sugar particle size manipulation could be used as a viable, cheap, technological approach to reduce sugar in baked goods and therefore promote consumer acceptable and commercially available baked biscuits products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In order to reduce sucrose content in products one of the approaches might be via the utilization of small sugar particles which has been shown to increase the intensity of sweetness in chocolate brownies, which has been previously shown by Richardson et al. in 2018. This study investigates the use of a clean label approach in sugar reduction of short bread biscuits. This approach involves decreasing the sugar particles size and demonstrates how reducing the content to half of its initial content formulation will affect the sensory perception and physical properties.

Cytotoxicity study of bakery product melanoidins on intestinal and endothelial cell lines

Melanoidins contribute to organoleptic properties of processed foods and exert benefits in health. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize melanoidins from baked products (common bread, soft bread and biscuits), evaluate their cytotoxicity and determine their suitability as functional additives. Extraction yield, spectrophotometric characteristics, colorimetric properties, antioxidant capacity, and cytotoxicity of melanoidins were assessed. Among the studied products, soft bread had the highest extraction throughput. Melanoidins from biscuit showed the highest antioxidant capacity, closely followed by those of soft bread. Melanoidins did not exert cytotoxic effects on Caco-2 and HUVEC cells (viability was >80%). Nevertheless, incubation of HUVEC cells with melanoidins from common bread and biscuit slightly decreased viability, whereas gastrointestinal digestion of such melanoidins softened the decrease in cell viability. This study point to soft bread as a safe and efficient source of melanoidins, that could be potentially used in the future as functional ingredient.

Chemical and microbial evaluation of biscuits made from wheat flour substituted with wheat sprouts

The aim of this work was to produce biscuits from wheat flour substituted with different amounts of wheat sprout powder (2.5-7.5%). The biscuits were subjected to chemical, phytochemical, and microbial evaluations. The crude protein, fat, and ash contents and the energy value of the biscuits increased with increasing percentage of wheat sprout powder. Adding sprouts resulted in higher values of phenolics, alpha-tocopherol, and antioxidant activity. There was no statistically significant difference in the contents of total phenolics and alpha-tocopherol between biscuits supplemented with 5% sprouts and biscuits substituted with 7.5% sprouts. The phenolic content in biscuits containing 7.5% sprouts was 245 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dm compared with 110 mg GAE/100 g dm in control biscuits. Antioxidant activity was the highest in biscuits substituted with 7.5% sprouts. All levels of substitution of wheat flour with wheat sprouts had an effect on the nutritional properties of biscuits, but the substitution level of 2.5-5% is recommended for the improvement of their sensorial properties. The biscuits produced had a low microbial load and were microbiologically safe. Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and sulfite-reduction clostridia were not detected in any sample during the period of investigation from 2 to 60 days of storage.

Arabinoxylan content and grain tissue distribution are good predictors of the dietary fibre content and their nutritional properties in wheat products

Wheat millstreams and wheat-based foods (pasta, biscuits and bread) enriched or not in dietary fibre with fractions extracted from wheat grains, have been characterized either for their total dietary fibre content (TDF) and their arabinoxylan (AX) content. A strong correlation (r² = 0.98) is observed between the AX and TDF contents indicating that AX can be used to estimate TDF content in wheat products. Moreover, by adding a previous step including enzymatic hydrolysis with a xylanase, a functional evaluation of DF is proposed based on the amount of AX released by the enzyme. Xylanase hydrolysable AX are likely also released by microbiota's enzymes in the gut and therefore an indicator for the proportion of fermentable DF in grain fractions and wheat-based foods (pasta, biscuits and bread). This assay opens the door for simple characterization of qualitative attribute of cereal DF.

Nutritional composition, physical characteristics, and sensory attributes of wheat based biscuits enriched with bullet pear (Canarium schweinfurthii) fruit pulp

Fat is a major and important component of biscuits. The effect of substituting hydrogenated fat (HF) with bullet pear fruit pulp (BPFP) on quality characteristic of wheat biscuit was investigated. The pulp was prepared by soaking the fruit in warm water (65 °C) for 30 min, the black coat was scraped out and the pulp used in substituting HF at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% levels. Samples were analysed for physicochemical and sensory qualities. The result showed that moisture (5.68-7.0%), proteins (6.91-7.64%), crude fibre (0.47-0.84%) and ash contents (0.80-2.52%) increased (p < 0.05) with increase in BPFP substitution while 100% HF had highest (p < 0.05) score for fat (11.00%) and carbohydrate (76.39%). Result showed that weight (7.72-11.70 g), thickness (0.62-0.99 cm) and width (9.02-11.23 mm) of the biscuit samples significantly increased while spreading ratio and breakability decreased (p < 0.05) with BPFP substitution. Bullet pear pulp substituted biscuits had higher (p < 0.05) range value for vitamin C (2.36-13.15 mg/100 g) and vitamin E (4.07-8.78 mg/100 g). The minerals increased (p < 0.05) with increase in BPFP substitution and ranged from 8.54 to 18.13 mg/100 g (calcium), 6.46 to 25.68 mg/100 g (magnesium), 28.39 to 64.33 mg/100 g (phosphorus), 10.95 to 59.57 mg/100 g (potassium), 1.66 to 8.47 mg/100 g (iron) and 15.50 to 50.12 mg/100 g (sodium). The sensory results showed that 50% substitution of HF with BPFP had no significant difference (p > 0.05) from 100% HF biscuit in all parameters except for taste. Also all the samples were generally accepted by the panellist.

Glycemic Response in Diabetic Subjects to Biscuits Produced from Blends of Pigeon Pea and Wheat Flour

This study evaluated the glycemic response to pigeon pea (PP) - wheat flour (WF) composite biscuits by diabetic patients. Biscuits were produced from flour made from the mixture of WF and PP flour in the proportion of 100:0 (100 - PP), 75:25 (75-PP), 50:50 (50-PP), 25:75 (25-PP), and 0:100 (WF), 4.5% ginger was used as flavor. Sensory evaluation revealed that 100-PP (6.54 ± 0.05) had highest acceptability and palatability attributes (p < 0.05). Glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of the biscuits ranged from 100 - PP (41.36 ± 0.30) to CAB (79.89 ± 1.00) and 100-PP (10.57 ± 0.01) to CAB (30.70 ± 0.40), respectively. All the composite biscuits had low GI < 60 and GL < 20. Composite biscuit may suggest a cheap, adequate and safe supplementary diet for diabetic patients.

Study of the distribution of water within a biscuit during cooling; effect on the checking and the breakage

The fragility of biscuits yields checking (cracks) and eventually breakage, which originated mainly from heterogeneity in water distribution in the thickness dimension (surface vs centre) and also to the plan dimension (edge vs centre) of the product. The objective of the BRICE project is to study the impact of the distribution of water on the occurrence of checking and breakage (C&B) in biscuits, considering a round and thick biscuit and a rectangular and thinner biscuit presenting piercing points. C&B counting was performed over 15 days of storage (the time needed to reach stability). A higher C&B occurrence was observed in the round biscuits, while rectangular biscuits had a near-zero C&B rate. The Karl Fischer method was combined with an automated NIR imaging system to monitor the water distribution at the centres and surfaces of the products, as well as the apparition of C&B. The results confirmed that minuscule water gradients are involved.

Chemical and physical changes during storage of differently packed biscuits formulated with sunflower oil

Various innovative materials are already present on the market, but there is scarce knowledge on their performances when used in real food system. In this study, two innovative packaging materials were investigated for the evaluation during storage of biscuits formulated with sunflower oil and compared to a traditional one. To this aim, three different flexible and composite film containing a metalized plastic layer and a paper layer were used. The control included orientated polypropylene (OPP), while the innovative materials contained poly-lactic acid or OPP with a pro-oxidant additive, ethylene vinyl acetate. The physical (moisture, water activity, hardness/crispness) and chemical (peroxide value, conjugated dienes and trienes, and hexanal and nonanal formation) changes of biscuits were monitored during accelerated storage (35 °C and 50% of relative humidity for 105 days). Packaging materials did not have significant impact on textural quality of biscuits. Instead remarkable differences were observed during storage in the evolution of different lipid oxidation compounds, moisture content and water activity among differently packed biscuits. A new ecofriendly packaging showed the best performances in terms of physico-chemical quality of biscuits. The obtained results provide useful information for industrial application.

Bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and physical characteristics of wheat-prickly pear and banana biscuits

In this study, banana and prickly peel flours were oven dried at 60 °C overnight and incorporated at a maximum of 4% (w/w) levels in wheat flour for biscuit production. Wheat, banana, prickly pear and composite flours and biscuits were evaluated for functional, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities as well as physical properties. Functional properties analysis indicated that banana peel flour (BPF) and prickly pear flours (PPF) showed higher water holding capacity and oil holding capacity, ranging from 2.63 to 4.29 g/ml and from 1.15 to 2.0 g/ml, respectively. Total phenolic content ranged from 10.87 to 17.35 mg/g and from 11.21 to 11,44 mg/g in composite flour blends and total phenolic contents in biscuits improved from 11.365 mg/g to 11.81 mg/g with 4% BPF incorporation; and decrease to 10.92 mg/g with 4% PPF incorporation and 10.79 mg/g with 4% BPF and PPF, respectively. Total flavonoid content ranged from 15.78 to 23.19 mg/g in PPF and BPF, respectively and from 0.75 to 13.31 mg/g for control and composite flours. Moreover, results for Total flavonoid content of biscuits ranged from 17.0 to 33.74 mg/g. DPPH values ranged from 3.29 to 30.0% in flours and 8.12–9.69% in biscuits. FRAP values ranged from 0.57 to 1.51 mg/g for flours and 0.59–0.71 mg/g for biscuits. With regards to colour, incorporation of BPF and PPF resulted in decrease of L* value and b* values for composite flours and decreases in parameter L* and b* values for formulated biscuits. Spread ratio of biscuits showed an increase with addition of BPF and PPF, while diameter and height of biscuits decreased. Hardness of the biscuits increased with addition of BPF and PPF. Results suggest that by incorporating BPF and PPF, it is possible to enhance functional properties, colour parameters, antioxidant activity of the flours and biscuits.

Acrylamide Reduction Strategy in Combination with Deoxynivalenol Mitigation in Industrial Biscuits Production

Acrylamide is formed during baking in some frequently consumed food products. It is proven to be carcinogenic in rodents and a probable human carcinogen. Thus, the food industry is working to find solutions to minimize its formation during processing. To better understand the sources of its formation, the present study is aimed at investigating how acrylamide concentration may be influenced by bakery-making parameters within a parallel strategy of mycotoxin mitigation (focusing specifically on deoxynivalenol-DON) related to wholegrain and cocoa biscuit production. Among Fusarium toxins, DON is considered the most important contaminant in wheat and related bakery products, such as biscuits, due to its widespread occurrence. Exploiting the power of a Design of Experiments (DoE), several conditions were varied as mycotoxin contamination levels of the raw materials, recipe formulation, pH value of dough, and baking time/temperature; each selected treatment was varied within a defined range according to the technological requirements to obtain an appreciable product for consumers. Experiments were performed in a pilot-plant scale in order to simulate an industrial production and samples were extracted and analysed by HPLC-MS/MS system. Applying a baking temperature of 200 °C at the highest sugar dose, acrylamide increased its concentration, and in particular, levels ranged from 306 ± 16 µg/Kg d.m. and 400 ± 27 µg/Kg d.m. in biscuits made without and with the addition of cocoa, respectively. Conversely, using a baking temperature of 180 °C in the same conditions (pH, baking time, and sugar concentrations), acrylamide values remained below 125 ± 14 µg/Kg d.m. and 156 ± 15 µg/Kg d.m. in the two final products. The developed predictive model suggested how some parameters can concretely contribute to limit acrylamide formation in the final product, highlighting a significant role of pH value (correlated also to sodium bicarbonate raising agent), followed by baking time/temperature parameters. In particular, the increasing range of baking conditions influenced in a limited way the final acrylamide content within the parallel effective range of DON reduction. The study represents a concrete example of how the control and optimization of selected operative parameters may lead to multiple mitigation of specific natural/process contaminants in the final food products, though still remaining in the sensorial satisfactory range.

Economic sustainability of food supply chains: Life cycle costs and value added in the confectionary and frozen desserts sectors

The confectionary and frozen desserts sectors are important parts of the food industry but have received relatively little attention from a life cycle cost perspective. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to evaluate the life cycle costs (LCC) and value added (VA) in these sectors in the UK, focusing on four major product categories: biscuits, cakes (ambient and frozen), chocolates and ice cream. In total, 18 products are considered along their life cycles, including the raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, retail, consumption and waste management stages. The results suggest that cakes have the highest LCC (£1.52-2.64/kg) and the biscuits the lowest (£0.72-0.91/kg). The LCC of chocolates and ice cream fall within a similar range (£1.16-1.46/kg and £1.03-1.30/kg, respectively). Divergent trends are noted between LCC and VA: for instance, 'premium' ice creams have only 18% higher costs than their 'regular' counterparts, but a four-fold higher VA. For all the products, raw materials contribute most to the costs (43%-95%), followed by packaging (1%-29%) and manufacturing (1%-14%). The annual LCC at the sectoral level are estimated at £3.455 billion, to which biscuits contribute 42%. The share of chocolates and cakes is 24% and 19%, respectively, with ice cream contributing the remaining 15%. By contrast, chocolates contribute more than 50% of the total sectoral VA, which is five-fold higher than that of ice cream. The study also demonstrates how LCC can be used to evaluate the eco-efficiency of products and sectors. With respect to global warming potential, whole cakes are the most eco-efficient and vanilla regular ice cream the least efficient products. Overall, the confectionary sector is nearly 60% more eco-efficient than the frozen desserts sector. These results can be used for benchmarking and to drive innovation towards more economically-sustainable and eco-efficient confectionary and frozen desserts supply chains.

Changes on physicochemical and rheological properties of biscuits substituted with the peel and alcohol-insoluble solids (AIS) from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica)

Cactus pear fruit consists of the peel, seeds and pulp. The peel is a major waste in cactus pear pulp based products accounting about 37.72% of the fruit weight. The aim of this study was to utilized and characterized the physicochemical and rheological properties of biscuits substituted with extracted cactus pear peel (CPP) and alcohol-insoluble solids (AIS) from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica). To prepare AIS, peels were shredded and dropped in ethanol (70%) for 15 min. The mixture was boiled at 70 °C for 30 min, filtered and washed with ethanol 70% and the washing repeated until no sugars. The residue was washed and dried at room temperature. Changes in physiochemical and rheological properties of extracted CPP and AIS from cactus pear to qualify determine their use in the production of them to produce a fiber-rich food product. The water-holding capacity was 3.7 ml/g for the peel and 1.5 ml/g for the AIS, and the oil-holding capacity was approximately the same for both the CPP and AIS. The protein content was 3.5% for the CPP and 3.72% for the AIS. The CPP and AIS contained little fat (1.22% and 1.44%, respectively). Potassium and calcium in the AIS had the highest concentration, at 21.49 g/kg and 44.04 g/kg, respectively, and these minerals were found at 22.07 g/kg and 16.66 g/kg, respectively, in the CPP. The dominant phenolic compounds found in the CPP were pyrogallol, catechol, catechin, and alpha-coumaric acid. The results showed that the AIS contained pyrogallol (61.67 ppm), benzoic acid (10.68 ppm), vanillic acid (7.66 ppm), catechin (4.65 ppm) and salicylic acid (4.51 ppm). The CPP was rich in glucose (25.95%) and fructose (21.36%) compared to the AIS. The sensory evaluation indicated that 7.5% dried cactus pear peel or 7.5% AIS can be successfully used in substitution of wheat flour biscuits. It could be conducted cactus pear as major by-product can be important for the industrial utilization.

Preparation of Doum fruit (Hyphaene thebaica) dietary fiber supplemented biscuits: influence on dough characteristics, biscuits quality, nutritional profile and antioxidant properties

The increasing demand for functional foods has boosted up the food industry to produce fiber-enriched products. In this study, dietary fiber (DF) was isolated from Doum fruit by exploiting the combination of microwave reactor technique and superfine grinding technology. The isolated Doum dietary fiber (DDF) possessed a high content of total dietary fiber, essential minerals and total polyphenols with good antioxidant activity. Biscuits were prepared by substituting wheat flour with DDF at different levels (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10%) and assessed for dough mixing properties and biscuit quality. The results showed that an increase of DDF in the flour affected physical parameters of biscuits by increasing the biscuits hardness and reducing the diameter, thickness and spread ratio. Supplementation of biscuits with DDF improved the nutritional value in terms of DF contents and essential minerals. Improvement in total phenolic contents (TPC) and antioxidant activities of the biscuits were also noted as a result of DDF supplementation. Biscuits supplemented with 7.5% DDF showed overall better sensorial characteristics. Conclusively, this study has shown that supplementation of wheat flour with DDF improved nutritional profile, antioxidant properties and overall consumer acceptability of biscuits. The present findings will be helpful regarding the development of functional foods enriched with DDF.

Physical and textural properties of biscuits containing jet milled rye and barley flour

The biscuit-making performance of flour depends on both its botanical source and particle size. Several quality parameters of biscuits produced by partial replacement of wheat flour by barley and rye flours at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% were measured. Moreover, in order to investigate the effect of particle size, a commercial and two jet milled finer samples of both rye and barley flours were used. For most of the composite flours, the level of substitution was not statistically significant for the weight and the spread ratio of the biscuits. Biscuits with composite flours were softer and darker than the control biscuit (100% wheat flour). In addition, their total phenolics content and antioxidant activity were greater. Among composite flour biscuits, the finer barley flour biscuits were harder than those with the commercial flour. Moreover, as rye flour is darker than wheat and barley flours, rye biscuits were the darker of all. Porosity, bulk and true densities were affected by the particle size of the substitute flours.

Formation and elimination reactions of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural during in vitro digestion of biscuits

This study investigated the possible formation and elimination reactions of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) with amino and sulfhydryl groups in commercial biscuits during simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. At the end of gastric phase, significant increase was observed in HMF contents of biscuits (p<0.05). By high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analysis, it was confirmed that sugar dehydration products such as 3-deoxyglucosone and 3,4-dideoxyglucosone accumulated in biscuits during baking were converted to HMF under gastric conditions. However, reactions of HMF with amino acids proceeded with the progress of digestion. HRMS analysis in both HMF-amino acid model systems and in biscuits confirmed that formed HMF reacted with amino and sulfhydryl groups through Michael type addition. In addition, formation of Schiff base during intestinal phases led to a significant decrease in the concentrations of HMF (p<0.05).

A comparative study between natural and synthetic antioxidants: Evaluation of their performance after incorporation into biscuits

Currently, the food industry is focused in replacing the use of synthetic by natural antioxidants. The present study focused on the use of fennel and chamomile extracts, rich in phenolic compounds, as natural antioxidants in biscuits and compared their performance with a synthetic antioxidant widely used, the butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA). The complete nutritional profile, free sugars, fatty acids and antioxidant activity were determined immediately after baking and also after 15, 30, 45 and 60days of storage. The results showed that the incorporation of natural and synthetic additives did not cause significant changes in colour or in nutritional value of biscuits when compared with control samples. Both natural and synthetic additives conferred similar antioxidant activity to the biscuits. Therefore, natural additives are a more convenient solution for consumers who prefer foods "free" from synthetic additives. Additionally, natural additives were obtained by aqueous extraction, an environment friendly and safe process.

The change of fatty acids composition of Polish biscuits during storage

Commercially available Polish biscuits were stored for 10months under different storage conditions i.e. in temperatures of 5°C and 20°C. The chemical quality alteration caused by chemical reactions occurring within biscuits were studied in terms of change of composition of fat extracted from studied samples in one-month intervals. Correlation of data from standard methods e.g. gas chromatography or classic titration with FT-IR spectroscopy, was followed by calculation of four statistical models that accurately predicted peroxide value, oxidative stability, polar fraction content and unsaturated trans fatty acid content in any samples. On the basis of data obtained, scheme of chemical reactions involved in oxidation process was suggested. A critical time of storage was proposed as an indicator of the period of the highest rate of chemical changes. Among factors considered to influence oxidative stability, the following had the greatest impact: initial water content, initial fat content, and time of storage.

Moisture adsorption behaviour of biscuit during storage investigated by using a new Dynamic Dewpoint method

The changes in moisture adsorption isotherms of commercial biscuits during storage were investigated by means of a rapid Dynamic Dewpoint Isotherms (DDIs) method. Moreover, the relationships between the changes in moisture content and some quality characteristics of biscuits (moisture, aw, peroxide value - PV and texture) were studied during 92 days of storage at 35 °C. GAB model was used to fit the experimental sorption behaviours. During storage, moisture content and aw of biscuits increased and the obtained isotherms showed modifications in behaviour and shape. Significant changes were observed in PV values and texture, particularly during the first 40 days of storage. The monolayer moisture content, obtained by the BET equation, significantly increased during storage from 1.473 to 2.080 g water 100 g db(-1), probably because of the increase in the active sites for water binding due to the chemical and physical changes of the main components, induced by product ageing.

In vivo effects of Maillard reaction products derived from biscuits

The antioxidant activity, antihypertensive effect and prebiotic activity of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) derived from biscuits were investigated in Wistar rats. Animals were fed the following diets for 6 weeks: control (AIN-93 diet); Asc-diet (AIN-93 diet with ascorbic acid in the drinking water); HT-B diet (containing high amount of MRP derived from biscuits) and LT-B diet (containing negligible amounts of biscuit MRP). Serum antioxidant activity (FRAP, ABTS), as well as lipid peroxidation (TBARS) were determined at the end of the experiment. Results showed that dietary MRP reduced the food efficiency, increased the antioxidant activity of serum, increased the ratio between lactic and total aerobic bacteria, increased water-holding capacity of faeces and reduced blood pressure, but did not reduce mineral absorption. Therefore, the biscuit MRP functional claims could be demonstrated by an in vivo study.

May biscuits contribute to iron balance? An observation in children with juvenile idiopatic arthritis

Within an observational open study on the effects of a scheduled dosage of biscuits with iron, children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis were either supplemented with biscuits supplying iron fumarate (median 3.6 mg per day) or left to their customary dietary habits. After 4 months, supplemented children showed a more favourable percentage change of blood haemoglobin, while ferritin levels (markers of inflammation) remained stable. We conclude that the supply of iron with available dietary products may contribute to an adequate iron status in children with chronic inflammatory disorders in a stable situation.

Effect of incorporation of soy flour to wheat flour on nutritional and sensory quality of biscuits fortified with mushroom

The research study was conducted to evaluate the quality characteristics of soy-mushroom-enriched biscuits which could be used as a protein supplemented cereal snack food. In this study, wheat flour was replaced with soy flour at different levels that is 20% (T3), 15% (T2), and 10% (T1) and without soy flour was kept as control (To). Mushroom was added in both biscuits. Biscuits were analyzed for chemical and sensory parameters. Protein content of soy flour-supplemented biscuits increased from 11.07% to 17.86% as compared to control along with a significant increased in fat (17.36-20.89%), fiber (0.48-0.92%), iron (1.56-1.99 mg/100 g), and energy value (463-485 Kcal/g). Ash content also increased but not significantly. Results from chemical analyses and organoleptic evaluation indicate that good quality biscuits can be prepared by substituting wheat flour with 15% soy flour and addition of mushroom powders may affect the backing quality. Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) of the Bangladeshi population can be reduced through the development of biscuits in this way.

Production and characterization of functional biscuits obtained from purple wheat

Purple wheat contains higher levels of anthocyanins than conventional wheat cultivars. The aim of this work was to produce anthocyanin-rich biscuits from purple wheat, and to characterize the final product. Control biscuits, having the same formulation but obtained from a non-pigmented wheat cultivar, were used for comparisons. Purple biscuits showed a level of total anthocyanins of 13.86 mg/kg cyanidin 3-O-glucoside and exhibited higher antioxidant activity than control. The volatile compounds profile of purple biscuits showed lower levels of lipid-derived carboxylic acids and higher levels of alcohols and aldehydes than control biscuits, indicating a lower oxidative degradation of the lipid fraction. In particular, the ratio (lipid-derived alcohols+aldehydes)/acids accounted for 5.9 in purple and 3.0 in control biscuits. The sensory score for friability and the spread ratio of purple biscuits accounted for 2.6 and 6.0, respectively.

Formulation and characterization of functional foods based on fruit and vegetable residue flour

Fruits and vegetables are extensively processed and the residues are often discarded. However, due to their rich composition, they could be used to minimize food waste. This study aimed to develop food products based on the solid residue generated from the manufacture of an isotonic beverage. This beverage was produced based on integral exploitation of several fruits and vegetables: orange, passion fruit, watermelon, lettuce, courgette, carrot, spinach, mint, taro, cucumber and rocket. The remaining residue was processed into flour and its functional properties were evaluated. The fruit and vegetable residue (FVR) flour was incorporated with different levels (20 to 35 %) into biscuits and cereal bars. The proximate composition, microbiological stability until 90 days and consumer acceptance were analyzed. The FVR flour presented a higher water holding capacity than oil holding capacity, respectively 7.43 and 1.91 g g(-1) of flour, probably associated with its high levels of carbohydrates (53 %) and fibres (21.5 %). Biscuits enriched with 35 % of FVR flour presented significantly higher fibre, ranging from 57 % to 118 % and mineral contents, from 25 % to 37 % than when only 20 % was added. Cereal bars presented about 75 % of fibres and variable mineral contents between 14 % and 37 %. The incorporation of FVR did not change the fat content. The microbiological examinations are within acceptable limits according to international regulation. The incorporation of FVR flour did not impair consumer acceptance, the sensory attributes averaged around 6. The chemical, microbiological and sensorial results of the designed products attested for an alternative towards applying and reducing agro-industrial wastes.

Influence of bamboo shoot powder fortification on physico-chemical, textural and organoleptic characteristics of biscuits

Bamboo shoot has attracted significant research and a commercial interest due to its many health-promoting bioactive compounds as well as its effectiveness in decreasing blood pressure, cholesterol and increasing appetite. As availability of fresh shoot is limited due to its seasonality there is need of incorporation of nutrients of shoot to any common food product which is easily available throughout year. Shoots of Bambusa balcooa variety were taken and edible parts were separated. Slices of shoot were boiled, dried, powdered, sieved, analysed for nutritional status and used for biscuit making. Bamboo shoot powder (BSP) was added in 0 % (control), 5, 10, and 15 % level in dry ingredients by replacing wheat flour and other ingredients were kept constant. Dough prepared are firstly analysed for basic characteristics. Then biscuits were prepared and analyzed for moisture, water activity, protein, fiber, fat, ash, phenolics, antioxidant activity, dimension, hardness, color and sensory acceptability. Variations were observed for fiber, antioxidant activity and phenolics from 1.08 to 1.97 %, 3.50 to 17.85 % and 0.45 to 4.19 mg/100 g respectively. Results showed that up to 10 % fortification level the biscuits were acceptable with improved functional and neutraceutical properties compared to the control.

Occurrence of Acrylamide in breakfast cereals and biscuits available in Italy

INTRODUCTION

Acrylamide, produced during thermal processing of carbohydrate-rich foods, is classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine acrylamide levels in biscuits and breakfast cereals considering the widespread use of these products for all ages.

METHOD

Acrylamide determination was carried out in 56 samples by HPLC-UV technique.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results showed a considerable variability in the contents of acrylamide in the samples analysed, most likely due to differences in industrial processing and ingredients. The percentages of contaminated samples tested were very high (95.5% of the biscuits and 75% of the breakfast cereals) with a wide range of contamination: from 30 μg/kg to 940 μg/kg. Our results showed that 22.7% of biscuits and 33% of breakfast cereals exceeded the indicative values recommended by EC 2013/647 set at 500 μg/kg and 200-400 μg/kg (according to the composition) respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest concern about the risk for human health.

Prediction of acrylamide formation in biscuits based on fingerprint data generated by ambient ionization mass spectrometry employing direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source

The objective of this study is the evaluation of the potential of high-throughput direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) fingerprinting and multivariate regression analysis in prediction of the extent of acrylamide formation in biscuit samples prepared by various recipes and baking conditions. Information-rich mass spectral fingerprints were obtained by analysis of biscuit extracts for preparation of which aqueous methanol was used. The principal component analysis (PCA) of the acquired data revealed an apparent clustering of samples according to the extent of heat-treatment applied during the baking of the biscuits. The regression model for prediction of acrylamide in biscuits was obtained by partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis of the data matrix representing combined positive and negative ionization mode fingerprints. The model provided a least root mean square error of cross validation (RMSECV) equal to an acrylamide concentration of 5.4 μg kg(-1) and standard error of prediction (SEP) of 14.8 μg kg(-1). The results obtained indicate that this strategy can be used to accurately predict the amounts of acrylamide formed during baking of biscuits. Such rapid estimation of acrylamide concentration can become a useful tool in evaluation of the effectivity of processes aiming at mitigation of this food processing contaminant. However, the robustness this approach with respect to variability in the chemical composition of ingredients used for preparation of biscuits should be tested further.

The effects of feeding resistant starch on apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility, faecal characteristics and faecal fermentative end-products in healthy adult dogs

The benefits of whole grain consumption have been studied in human subjects, but little research exists on their effects in dogs. The objective of the present study was to test the effects of resistant starch (RS) in the diet of healthy adult dogs. Twelve adult Miniature Schnauzer dogs (eight males, four females; mean age: 3·3 (1·6) years; mean body weight: 8·4 (1·2) kg; mean body condition score: D/ideal) were randomly allotted to one of three treatment groups, which consisted of different amounts of RS supplied in a biscuit format. Dogs received either 0, 10 or 20 g biscuits per d (estimated to be 0, 2·5 or 5 g RS per d) that were fed within their daily energetic allowance. A balanced Latin square design was used, with each treatment period lasting 21 d (days 0-17 adaptation; days 18-21 fresh and total faecal collection). All dogs were fed the same diet to maintain body weight throughout the study. Dogs fed 5 g RS per d had lower (P = 0·03) fat digestibility than dogs fed 0 gRS per d, but DM, organic matter and crude protein digestibilities were not affected. Faecal fermentative end-products, including SCFA and branched-chain fatty acids, ammonia, phenols and indoles, and microbial populations were not affected. The minor changes observed in the present study suggest the RS doses provided to the dogs were too low. Further work is required to assess the dose of RS required to affect gut health.

Selenium determination in biscuits and pasta: development of chronopotentiometric stripping determination by using a sulphide as an internal standard

Being common in chromatographic techniques internal standard method is rarely applied in electrochemical stripping determinations. One of the reasons for such rare use of this elegant quantification method is because optimal conditions of accumulation at the electrode for individual compounds producing a reproducible signal may vary significantly. These criteria are much stricter when selenium is in question due to very complex mechanism of its accumulation at mercury electrodes which implies simultaneous cathodic mercury dissolution and chemical reaction. Elements that are in the analytical step stripped cathodically from mercury electrodes are rare, further limiting the application of the internal standard method when electrochemical selenium determination is in question. In this work the possibility of using sulphide for selenium quantification by chronopotentiometric stripping analysis was investigated. Optimal experimental parameters were defined in two-component systems. Dimensionless factors defining the ratio of proportionality constants of the two elements were calculated for different selenium concentration ranges at different sulphide contents. Sulphide content that was chosen as adequate for selenium concentrations reasonably to be expected in food samples was 500 µg/dm(3). Determined detection limit of chronopotentiometric stripping determination of selenium by using a sulphide as an internal standard was 0.04 µg/dm(3) (RSD=7.6%; n=5). Defined quantification method was confirmed by analysing spiked standard solutions and standard reference material. The method was used for selenium determination in biscuit and pasta samples. Calculated contents were statistically compared with those obtained by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

Optimization of composite flour biscuits by mixture response surface methodology

Biscuits were produced from blends of pigeon pea, sorghum and cocoyam flours. The study was carried out using mixture response surface methodology as the optimization technique. Using the simplex centroid design, 10 formulations were obtained. Protein and sensory quality of the biscuits were analyzed. The sensory attributes studied were appearance, taste, texture, crispness and general acceptability, while the protein quality indices were biological value and net protein utilization. The results showed that while the addition of pigeon pea improved the protein quality, its addition resulted in reduced sensory ratings for all the sensory attributes with the exception of appearance. Some of the biscuits had sensory ratings, which were not significantly different (p > 0.05) from biscuits made with wheat. Rat feeding experiments indicated that the biological value and net protein utilization values obtained for most of the biscuits were above minimum recommended values. Optimization suggested biscuits containing 75.30% sorghum, 0% pigeon pea and 24.70% cocoyam flours as the best proportion of these components. This sample received good scores for the sensory attributes.

Quality of gingernut type biscuits as affected by varying fat content and partial replacement of honey with molasses

Gingernut type biscuits were prepared with varying fat content (10, 20, and 30 % w/w flour basis) and with sugar beet molasses replacing 0, 25, and 50 % w/w of the honey in the formulation. To evaluate the effects of these modifications, dough properties, and the physical, and sensory properties, and chemical composition of the biscuits were determined. Dough properties were significantly affected by the fat content; higher fat gave softer dough with reduced adhesiveness, cohesiveness and springiness. Biscuit height and diameter were also significantly affected only by the fat content. The tested biscuit variants showed no difference with respect to hardness and fracturability. During storage, hardness, fracturability and brittleness of the biscuits significantly increased but significant differences within the biscuits variants were observed after two months of storage in terms of fracturability which was least impaired in the biscuits with 30 % fat. Higher fat content also contributed to better flavour keeping during storage. Substitution of honey with molasses resulted in products with darker colour, less yellow and more red tone. Molasses also contributed to better nutritive value of biscuits by increasing significantly the content of proteins, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron.

Application of peanut butter to improve fatty acid composition of biscuits

Biscuits prepared with different levels of hydrogenated fat (vanaspati) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) butter (PB) (100:00, 75:25, 50;50, 25;75, 00:100) were evaluated for their fatty acid composition and textural property. Saturated fatty acids like myristic, palmitic, stearic acids were higher in control biscuits (100% vanaspati), which decreased with increasing proportion of PB in the experimental biscuits. Oleic acid and linoleic acid were lowest in control biscuits and it gradually increased upon incorporation of PB. The hardness of biscuits also increased with increasing proportion of PB. Overall sensory quality of experimental biscuits improved when 50% vanaspati replaced by PB in the standard biscuits recipe. Biscuits prepared with 50% supplementation of PB had better fatty acid composition with balanced oil quality and also had a greater acceptability by sensory evaluation panel.