Impact of Sucrose Replacement on Physicochemical Properties of Whole-Wheat Biscuits

In recent years, consumers have become increasingly aware of the health implications of diets high in sugar. This has prompted the baking industry to engage in the development of low-calorie biscuits while preserving the sensory and technological properties typically provided by sucrose. The present study evaluated the use of five polyols (erythritol, isomalt, maltitol, sorbitol, and xylitol), trehalose, and fructose (included because of its lower postprandial glycemic response compared with sucrose) as sucrose replacers in whole-wheat biscuits by assessing their physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability. The results demonstrated that the isomalt, maltitol and trehalose were able to preserve or improve the structural characteristics of the biscuits. Such an outcome was mainly associated with their ability to promote adequate dough spreadability and to produce biscuits with desirable crispness. Moreover, the biscuits formulated with isomalt and trehalose achieved the highest sensory appreciation, likely due to their high content of 2,4-decadienol, 2-acetatone and 2-pentanone, compounds associated with roasted and buttery flavour notes. Overall, the study demonstrated the feasibility of a complete replacement of sucrose in the production of reduced-calorie biscuits that could be highly acceptable by the consumers, utilizing polyols or low-digestibility sugar such as trehalose.