Formulation of reduced-calorie biscuits using artificial sweeteners and fat replacer with dairy–multigrain approach

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BackgroundLifestyle modifications related to change in the eating quality and quantity along with mental stress led to the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Based on the consumers demand, food scientists are now focusing on developing low-calorie/high-fiber functional foods. A biscuit which includes variety of ingredients proved to be a prominent vehicle for incorporating functional ingredients like whole grains, dairy ingredients, fat replacer, artificial sweeteners, etc. Use of highly nutritious, under-utilized minor cereal like pearl millet, use of whole grains flours like wheat and Bengal gram along with dairy ingredients like skimmed milk powder and whey protein concentrate nutritionally complement and counterbalance each other to form a wholesome snack. Further incorporation of artificial sweeteners and fat replacer having functional properties not only decreases the caloric density but also aids in health benefits. MethodsWe investigated the formulation of multigrain flour through the level of substitution of whole wheat flour on (w/w) basis using Bengal gram flour and germinated pearl millet flour based on sensory evaluation. The prepared multigrain flour was then mixed with dairy ingredients to prepare dairy–multigrain flour. The sugar in the product was tried to replace maximally using blends of artificial sweeteners without affecting the sensorial perception. Two types of fat replacer were tried for their suitability in biscuits to maximally replace the fat from the product. The formulated product was evaluated for its proximate analysis and calorie density using bomb calorimetry. ResultsBengal gram flour (BGF) at 6% and germinated pearl millet flour (GPMF) at 6% were found suitable to replace part of the whole wheat flour (WWF) to make multigrain flour. Skimmed milk powder and whey protein concentrate-70 were added at the rate of 7.8 and 7.0% (on product basis), respectively, to form dairy–multigrain composite. Binary blend of Maltitol and FOS-sucralose in the ratio 3:1 was found suitable to replace 100% of the sucrose in the biscuits. Polydextrose (PD) at 30% was more suitable than Simplesse® for partial replacement of fat. The formulated biscuits had 15.98% lower energy and 30% less fat content than that of control. ConclusionThe study demonstrated that highly acceptable reduced-calorie biscuits can be produced by using dairy–multigrain composite flour with maltitol and FOS-sucralose (as sweetener) and PD (as fat replacer).