Development of Low-Fat Soft Dough Biscuits Using Carbohydrate-Based Fat Replacers.

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Nutritional Science
• Baking Science

Background:

• Rising consumer demand for healthier food options necessitates the development of low-fat baked goods.
• Traditional biscuit formulations are high in fat, contributing to adverse health outcomes.
• Carbohydrate-based ingredients offer potential as effective fat replacers in baked products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a low-fat soft dough biscuit formulation using maltodextrin and guar gum.
• To determine the optimal levels of sugar, fat, maltodextrin, guar gum, ammonium bicarbonate, and water for low-fat biscuit production.
• To evaluate the impact of ingredient variations on key biscuit characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a central composite rotatable design for experimental optimization.
• Systematically varied ingredient concentrations including sugar, fat, maltodextrin, guar gum, ammonium bicarbonate, and water.
• Analyzed the effects of ingredient levels and their interactions on biscuit physical properties like diameter, spread ratio, and hardness.

Main Results:

• Optimal ingredient levels were determined: sugar 31.7g, fat 13.55g, maltodextrin 21.15g, guar gum 0.3g, ammonium bicarbonate 2.21g, and water 21mL per 100g flour.
• The optimized low-fat biscuit formulation contained 8.48% fat, a 62.5% reduction from the control (22.65% fat).
• Increased sugar significantly decreased biscuit diameter and stress-strain ratio, while higher water content reduced the spread ratio.

Conclusions:

• Successful development of a low-fat soft dough biscuit using maltodextrin and guar gum is feasible.
• The optimized formulation significantly reduces fat content while maintaining desirable product characteristics.
• Further research can explore the sensory attributes and shelf-life stability of these low-fat biscuits.