Creating and Testing Cookies Enhanced with Grapefruit Peel Powder

Jenn Hoskins
4th August, 2024

Creating and Testing Cookies Enhanced with Grapefruit Peel Powder

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Key Findings

  • Researchers at the University of Sargodha found that adding grapefruit pomace powder to cookies significantly boosts their nutritional and antioxidant properties
  • Cookies with up to 15% grapefruit pomace powder had higher fiber, ash, and fat content but lower protein content, enhancing their health benefits
  • Despite changes in physical properties, cookies with 10% grapefruit pomace powder were highly rated for taste and overall acceptability, making them appealing to health-conscious consumers
Grapefruit pomace, often considered a waste byproduct, has been identified as a rich source of health-promoting and functional components. Researchers at the University of Sargodha have undertaken a study to explore the potential of grapefruit pomace flour in enhancing the nutritional profile of cookies[1]. This study aims to assess the effects of incorporating grapefruit pomace powder into cookie formulations at varying levels (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) and to evaluate the resultant changes in physical, bioactive, chemical, textural, and organoleptic properties. The grapefruit pomace powder prepared by hot air drying was found to contain 8.25% fiber, 9.63% ash, 8.96 mg/g total phenolic content, 3.64 mg/g total flavonoid content, 2.05 mg/g total carotenoid contents, and exhibited 42.12% antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay. These bioactive compounds are known for their health benefits, such as reducing oxidative stress and potentially lowering the risk of chronic diseases. The study revealed significant changes in the chemical and bioactive composition of cookies with the addition of grapefruit pomace powder. Fiber content increased from 1.58% to 3.10%, ash content from 0.58% to 1.25%, and fat content from 20.19% to 22.05%, while protein content decreased from 6.79% to 5.20%. These changes suggest that grapefruit pomace flour can enhance the nutritional profile of cookies by increasing fiber and bioactive compounds, which are beneficial for digestive health and may offer protective effects against diseases. Bioactive contents and antioxidant activity of the cookies also increased significantly with higher levels of grapefruit pomace powder. The antioxidant properties are particularly noteworthy as they help in scavenging harmful free radicals in the body, thus preventing cellular damage. This finding is in line with previous studies that have highlighted the strong antioxidant activity of citrus by-products[2]. Physical properties of the cookies were also affected. The diameter and thickness of the cookies decreased, while their hardness increased with higher levels of grapefruit pomace powder. Despite these changes, cookies containing 10% grapefruit pomace powder received significantly high scores in terms of taste and overall acceptability. This indicates that a moderate level of incorporation can improve the nutritional profile without compromising sensory attributes, making it an appealing option for health-conscious consumers. This study builds on previous research that has explored the potential of citrus by-products. For instance, earlier studies have shown that citrus peel powders possess strong antioxidant activities due to their high flavonoid content[2]. Additionally, methods to extract dietary fiber from citrus peel pomaces have been explored to enhance their physicochemical properties and expand their applications in food packaging[3]. The current study extends these findings by demonstrating the practical application of grapefruit pomace powder in a commonly consumed food product, thereby offering a sustainable way to utilize citrus waste. In summary, the incorporation of grapefruit pomace powder into cookies can significantly enhance their nutritional and antioxidant properties. The findings from the University of Sargodha suggest that grapefruit pomace, a byproduct often discarded as waste, can be repurposed to create functional foods with added health benefits. This not only provides a valuable use for citrus waste but also offers consumers healthier food options.

FruitsNutritionHealth

References

Main Study

1) Development and quality evaluation of cookies enriched with various levels of grapefruit pomace powder

Published 3rd August, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1007/s44187-024-00148-x

Related Studies

2) Isolation and identification of an antioxidant flavonoid compound from citrus-processing by-product.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.4402

3) Dietary fiber extraction from citrus peel pomace: Yield optimization and evaluation of its functionality, rheological behavior, and microstructure properties.

https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.16702


Related Articles

An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙