Effect of cocoa bean shells granulometries on qualitative properties of gluten-free bread during storage

Abstract

Cocoa bean shells (CBS) are by-products of cocoa processing. Their rich chemical composition makes them interesting ingredients to improve the overall quality of gluten free bread. The addition of different dimensional fractions (F1, 1.00–1.99 mm; F2, 0.50–0.99 mm; F3, 0.355–0.49 mm) of CBS to gluten-free bread was investigated in terms of volume, moisture content, crumb grain, texture and colour during 3 days of storage. No significant differences in moisture content were observed among fractions, but protein, fat and fibre content resulted influenced by the dimensional range. With reference to water absorption indexes, F2 showed the highest water binding capacity (WBC) and water holding capacity (WHC), having instead the lowest water solubility index (WSI), in comparison with the other fractions, and confirming a good retention of the fibres’ structure. Results on bread showed that CBS addition modified crumb grain leading to a lower specific volume, especially for F2. The presence of CBS accelerated significantly the crumb staling process in comparison with the control, resulting; however, F1 softer than control at the end of the storage period. Finally, colour was improved by the presence of CBS becoming darker, with F3 showing the highest impact on L* and a*.