Physicochemical and sensory properties of reduced‐fat cookies made from gluten‐free flour incorporated with glucomannan.

BACKGROUND: The food industry faces an important challenge in the reformulation of food products to reduce fat at the same time as retaining crucial properties, such as acceptable appearance, texture and mouthfeel. In the present study, a fat replacer from glucomannan was incorporated in cookies prepared from fermented cassava flour (FCF) and soy protein concentrate (SPC), and its effect on physicochemical and sensory properties was analyzed. The samples included cookies made from FCF and SPC with fat substitution levels of 0% (CS100: FCF‐SPC, 100% fat), 20% (GM80: FCF‐SPC‐medium glucomannan, 80% fat) and 30% (GH70: FCF‐SPC‐high glucomannan, 70% fat). Fat replacement in GM80 and GH70 cookies was achieved through incorporation of glucomannan and water. The cookie made from wheat flour was selected as the gold standard. RESULTS: Cookies with fat replacement levels of 20% (GM80) and 30% (GH70) had lower fat and higher dietary fiber content than the control samples. The addition of glucomannan improved the spread ratio of GM80 and GH70 cookies. No significant difference was observed between the sensory acceptance of GH70 and CS100 cookies in terms of aroma, texture, taste and overall acceptability (P > 0.05). In addition, no significant difference was detected in the fat taste intensity among GH70, GM80 and CS100 cookies. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that glucomannan can be used to replace fat in cookies prepared from FCF and SPC. Glucomannan enhanced the nutritional properties of cookies. Fat replacement by glucomannan maintained the product's physical properties, sensory acceptance and fat mouthfeel. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]