Quality of muffins enriched with upcycled defatted sunflower seed flour

Abstract

There is an increased interest and need to valorise food industry by-products by reincorporating them into the food chain. Defatted sunflower seed flour (DSSF), obtained from a by-product of the sunflower industry, has an attractive nutritional profile. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of incorporating DSSF at 15% and 30% in muffins as replacement for wheat flour. Proximate composition, physical analyses and sensory quality through Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) were explored and compared to a control DSSF-free recipe. DSSF in muffins led to increased protein and ash content and decreased carbohydrate content. DSSF did not affect bake loss, it increased muffins’ height and pore density, and decreased their springiness. DSSF had an effect on colour, making muffins darker and less yellow than control. QDA results showed that muffins containing 15% DSSF had a profile closer to control than those containing 30%. DSSF could be potentially exploited as an ingredient in cakes and muffins since its addition mainly led to neutral or positive physico-chemical changes. Future reformulation work could focus on optimising the sensory quality of DSSF fortified muffins with inclusion up to 15%, masking some of the atypical colours, aromas and flavours, and evaluating consumer acceptance.