Sfogliatella Riccia Napoletana: realization of a lard- and palm oil- free "ready to eat" product

Abstract

In the last years, demand for “ready to eat” (RTE) products has exponentially increased because of lifestyle changing and new technologies introducing, such as microwave. This reflects a trend by consumers towards less time and effort in the preparation of food. One of the most important sectors of the RTE product market is the baked confectionery segment. Sfogliatella Riccia Napoletana (SRN), recognized as Traditional Agri-food Product (Prodotti Agroalimentari Tradizionali - PAT) of Campania Region, is worldwide known and appreciated for its goodness. But its production is limited to local markets. In order to extend market area on an international basis, PhD research was divided into two steps focused on - Production of lard- and palm oil- free RTE-SRN Lard is traditionally used in SRN production for its technological properties and low cost, but there is a growing negative perception regarding the implication of animal fats on human health. Palm oil is widely used as a cheaper vegetable alternative to lard, because of the high thermal stability and oil yield, however, it is nowadays under discussion, mostly related to sustainability of its cultivation. So, the replacement of lard (traditionally used) in the formulation of SRN with palm oil- free vegetable blends was studied. Besides, alternative baking methods -microwave and/or infrared- as substitute to traditional one for the production of RTE-SRN were assessed. According to data, a combined baking based on electric-infrared-microwave allowed baking time halving, with the advantage of combining time and energy saving properties of microwave baking with browning and crisping properties of infrared and electric heating. The substitution of lard with palm oil-free vegetable blend, composed of shea butter, coconut oil and sunflower oil at different percentages, led to a reduction of oxidized compounds during cooking. - Storage evaluation SRN is characterized by high moisture and aw content, so its shelf life is limited by microbial spoilage, mostly due to moulds and staling. In order to achieve longer shelf life of RTE-SRN, frozen and refrigerated preservation combined with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) were employed. Results revealed that it is possible to obtain a RTE-SRN with a stable oxidative and moisture behaviour during prolonged frozen storage. Also substituting lard with palm oil-free fat, it is possible to obtain a product with sensory and textural qualities close to freshly baked SRN made with lard. Indeed, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) (CO2/N2 50/50) combined with refrigerated storage revealed an energy saving alternative preservation method, ensuring acceptable sensory, physical and chemical stability to RTE-SRN stored at 5 °C for 49 days, extending to three times the shelf life compared to air packaging. Palm oil-free RTE-SRN preserved a better oxidative stability for the whole storage time. The above findings can be applicable by baking industry to a large variety of confectionery bakery products.