Wine lees used to produce functional biscuits.
Recovering and enhancing the value of wine-making by-products, using them as carriers of bioactive and functional molecules in bakery products, is a potentially interesting strategy for the food industry.
This is related to the need to improve the nutritional profile of traditional biscuits, which are generally made from refined flours, sugars and fats that provide high calories but low fiber content. Therefore, in a recent study, carried out by a group of Italian researchers (Caponio et al., 2024), wheat flour was replaced with 10% (F10) and 20% (F20) of wine lees flour – a wine-making by-product rich in phenolic substances and fibers – to produce biscuits.
The purpose of this test was to assess the impact of this by-product on the chemical-physical, nutritional, structural and sensory properties of the product compared to the control (F0). The comparison showed that fortified biscuits have higher values of fibers, proteins, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. The HPLC analysis showed a predominance of ellagic acid, malvidin-3-glucoside and malvidin-3-acetyl-glucoside. In addition, the volatile profile showed a reduction of the major lipid oxidation markers in F10 and F20.
A potential increase in oxidative stability was also observed due to the antioxidant activity of polyphenols which, together with fibers, contribute to a significant lowering in glycemic index and starch hydrolysis in F20. Finally, the sensory analysis showed an increase in astringency, bitterness and acidity directly proportional to the amount of wine lees added to the biscuits, which requires further study by means of a consumer acceptance test.
Utilization of fruit and vegetable residues for the enrichment in dietary fibers of wheat flour biscuits.
In a recent study by a group of Bangladeshi researchers (Sayem et al., 2024), the possibility of using fruit and vegetable residues (banana peel, broccoli and cauliflower stem in powder) was evaluated for the formulation of biscuits with enhanced properties. The results show significant differences in the moisture, ash, protein, fat and carbohydrate content of powders, which have different influence on the final product composition.
In particular, broccoli stem fiber powder demonstrated the highest water-holding capacity of 11.43% and oil-holding capacity of 6.36%. Biscuits formulated by substituting 15% of wheat flour with broccoli stem fiber powder showed an optimally soft texture with increased elasticity. In general, while colour, texture, taste and flavour qualities of the samples varied somewhat, according to sensory evaluations, the biscuits’ overall taste remained high.
Samples formulated with 5% and 15% broccoli stem powder, as well as those incorporating 10% cauliflower stem fiber, showed higher acceptability ratings. In conclusion, the authors point out that the results of this study are useful for the industry as they support the development of fiber-enriched bakery products with enhanced nutritional profiles, meeting consumer preferences for healthy and well-balanced dietary options.
References
G.R. Caponio et al., Convegno Nazionale di Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari, Bari, June 12-13, 2024, 26; A.S.M. Sayem et al., Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 15, 2024, 101077.
