[Alfajores enriched with vitamin D: nutritional, physico-chemical aspects and sensory acceptability]

Introduction: vitamin D has a diversity of functions in the human body, participating in bone physiology and in the function of the immune system; however, in Colombia there is deficiency and insufficiency of this micronutrient in the adult population. Objective: to analyse the sensory, physico-chemical and nutritional characteristics of alfajores enriched with vitamin D. Methods: handmade alfajores were enriched with 10, 15 and 20 µg of vitamin D, and a control sample was provided. Subsequently, a quantitative cross-sectional analysis of a descriptive type was carried out; the sensory analysis was carried out by means of preference tests and hedonic-type scalars in a sensory panel with 50 students from the ECCI University in Bogotá, while the nutritional study was carried out on the ingredients used and the food composition tables of the Colombian population. Results: alfajores enriched with vitamin D have acceptable physical, chemical and nutritional characteristics according to the nature of the product, a weight of less than 40 grams, and a low contribution of proteins, calcium, iron, sodium and vitamin A with less than 5 % of the reference values; the contribution of carbohydrates, fat and vitamin D is not too high. From a sensorial perspective, there were no statistically significant differences between the products offered to the panel; however, alfajores enriched with 15 µg per serving were more accepted. Conclusions: alfajores enriched with vitamin D had good acceptability by consumers and at the nutritional level a significant contribution of vitamin D, fats and carbohydrates.