Evaluation of Whole Pigweed Stalk Meal as an Alternative Flour Source for Biscuits

In this study, one of the main problems related to the development of new foods and the improvement of existing staple foods is examined. The effect of stalk pigweed flour in relation to the main raw material, wheat flour, at levels of 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% was evaluated with respect to key characteristics of flour mixtures, dough, and biscuits with this additive. A selection of informative features was made, revealing that out of the 39 studied parameters, covering sensory, physicochemical, geometric, colorimetric, and spectral characteristics, only 19 proved to be informative. Principal component analysis showed that the relationship between amaranth green powder (AGP) concentration and the first two principal components explained up to 99% of the variance. The optimal addition level of 7.17% AGP was identified based on the convergence of biscuit characteristics. pH decreased from 6.55 to 6.28, electrical conductivity increased from 1075 to 3759 µS/cm, and sensory scores for aroma and taste peaked near 7% before declining at higher concentrations. It was demonstrated that the relationship between the amount of amaranth in biscuits and the first two principal components can be described with up to 99% accuracy. It was determined that the optimal amount of amaranth flour in biscuits is +7.17%. The results obtained provide a basis for further research into the rapid automated analysis of biscuits with added pigweed flour, which will contribute to the development of new foods with improved characteristics. It is suggested to carry out more research to study the effect of flours from other amaranth types, enhancing different varieties and cultivated in diverse ecological regions. This work also explores the viability of pigweed as a nutritious and sustainable flour alternative while providing a multivariate approach in view of newly developed bakery formulations.