Formulation and Sensory Evaluation of Gluten-Free Muffins Containing Flax

Abstract

Celiac disease is characterized by a reaction to gluten that causes inflammation of the small intestine and can lead to malabsorption and malnutrition. Gluten-free products are being developed that meet dietary needs of individuals with celiac disease. However, these products often lack whole grains and fiber. Fortification of gluten-free products with flax (Linum usitatissimum) can increase nutritional value and alleviate inflammation. Sensory analysis was conducted to evaluate the acceptability of gluten-freemuffinswithmoderate (3.8%) and high (7.4%) amounts of added flax. Consumers (N 152) preferred (p 0.05) the control (0% flax) and high-flaxmuffinswhen compared to the moderate-flax muffin. The high-flax and control treatments were both rated 6.7, which was between “like slightly” and “like moderately” whereas the muffins from the moderate-flax treatment were rated 6.4 on the 9-point hedonic scale. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering was used to separate panelistswho liked at least onemuffin treatment into four groups. Cluster one (14.3%) preferred (p 0.05) muffins from the high-flax and control treatment over the control. Panelists fromcluster two (52.7%) liked allmuffin treatments between “like moderately” and “like very much.” Cluster three (17.7%) preferred (p 0.05) the control muffins over the flax treatments, and panelists from cluster four (6.8%) liked muffins more as flax percentage increased. Results indicate that 92%of these panelists fromcluster analysis liked the control muffin, 81% liked the high-flax treatment, and 57% liked the moderate-flax treatment. This indicates that a high percentage of the consumers liked muffins from the control or high-flax treatment.