Optimization of wheat flour, pumpkin flour and cranberry pomace blend formulations based on physicochemical properties of value-added cookies

Abstract EN

The objective of the study was to optimize wheat flour, pumpkin flour and cranberry pomace powder blend formulations for developing value-added cookies using RSM combining with CCRD to replace wheat flour with pumpkin flour and cranberry pomace powder to increase nutritional health benefits.

Twenty different cookies for 15 formulations based on CCRD were developed and physicochemical properties (moisture content, water activity, L value, total color difference, spread ratio, piece density and hardness) of the cookies were determined.

Regression models, response surface models, numerical optimization based on a desirability function to determine an optimum formulation and graphical optimization by superimposing all contour plots of response surface models to visualize an optimum region were developed using a Design Expert software.

The regression models were able to predict the physicochemical properties of cookies as a function of factors with an accuracy of 59-99% depending on the responses.

The factors wheat flour, pumpkin flour and cranberry pomace affected the physicochemical properties of cookies significantly (p<0.05).

The numerical and graphical optimization revealed that the mixture of wheat flour (45-50%), pumpkin flour (30-35%) and cranberry pomace (24-27%) was the optimum formulation which improved the physicochemical properties of cookies.

This optimum formulation can be used for commercial production of value-added cookies.