Impact of Processing Method on AQF Functionality in Bakery Items

Aquafaba (AQF) has the unique ability to foam like egg whites and is a waste product of cooked chickpea that is not currently utilized by the food industry. Thus, the goal of this research was to concentrate the solids by reverse osmosis (cAQF) followed by drying. Dried AQF was prepared by cooking chickpea in excess water. After removal of the chickpea, the liquid AQF was subjected to reverse osmosis followed by freeze, tray, or spray drying. The resulting AQF products were incorporated into standard cake mix and sugar cookie formulas. Hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of cakes made with eggs were significantly higher compared to the cakes made with AQF. Spread factor was significantly greater for cookies made with AQF compared to eggs while hardness was significantly lower in cookies with AQF. Higher flavor and overall acceptability scores were observed in cookies made with AQF compared to cookies made with egg. However, sensory characteristics were generally not different among cakes. In general, cAQF and spray-dried AQF tended to produce cakes and cookies with the best quality and sensory characteristic. This research supports the use of RO and drying methods in producing AQF ingredients for baking applications.