Effects of Wheat Bran and Polydextrose on the Sensory Characteristics of Biscuits

Cereal Chem. 67(6):545-547 Rolled biscuits were prepared with wheat bran replacing 0, 14, 28, more crumbly, drier, and chewier as bran level increased. Aftertaste and and 42% of the flour and with polydextrose replacing 0, 20, 40, and wheat flavor were greater in biscuits that contained wheat bran. Panelists 60% of the hydrogenated shortening in the formula. In all, 16 different scored biscuits made with polydextrose as more moist but no more chewy combinations were evaluated. Response surface methodology was used or cohesive than biscuits made without polydextrose. Polydextrose apto illustrate sensory characteristics of the biscuits. Panelists rated biscuits peared to overcome some of the effects of wheat bran in biscuits. Several researchers have successfully used wheat bran to enhance the nutritional quality of baked products such as cookies, cakes, yeast breads, and muffins. Often, the addition of wheat bran affects the physical and sensory properties of the baked products. Wheat bran supplemented cookies (Jeltema et al 1983, Vratania and Zabik 1980), cakes (Brockmole and Zabik 1976, Shafer and Zabik 1978, Springsteen et al 1977), and breads (Cadden et al 1983, Pomeranz et al 1977) all had physical properties that differed from the control. In the majority of studies reviewed, most sensory attributes of baked products were not affected adversely by the addition of wheat bran. This held true for cookies (Jeltema et al 1983, Vratania and Zabik 1980), cakes (Shafer and Zabik 1978, Springsteen et al 1977), yeast breads (Cadden et al 1983), and muffins (Polizotto et al 1983). Reduction of fat in baked products has proven to be more challenging and less frequently addressed than addition of wheat bran. Ways to reduce the fat content of baked products have been explored (Berglund and Hertsgaard 1986, Bruinsma and Finney 1984, Harnett and Thalheimer 1979, Kamel and Washnuik 1983, Neville and Setser 1986, Smith 1984). Studies have been conducted to determine optimum levels of fat rather than optimum reduced levels (Abboud et al 1985, Finney et al 1950, Matthews and Dawson 1966). Of the studies that investigated optimum reduced levels of fat achievable in baked products, only three used lower calorie substitutes for the fat (Kamel and Washnuik 1983, Neville and Setser 1986, Smith 1984). The researchers who worked with low-calorie fat substitutes were able to reduce the levels of fat and calories in baked products more than researchers who only decreased the quantity of fat. In addition, the lowcalorie fat substitutes used, N-Flate and polydextrose, produced cakes that were more similar to control cakes in terms of physical and sensory characteristics than cakes with decreased quantities of fat. A fat substitute with the same functional characteristics as the fat it is replacing is needed; otherwise, a reduced-fat baked product will differ significantly from a standard baked product. The objective of this study was to examine sensory properties of rolled biscuits prepared with varied levels of wheat bran and polydextrose. The objective was accomplished through the use of response surface methodology. MATERIALS AND METHODS A four-by-four treatment combination was used with a randomized incomplete block design. Four randomly selected rolled biscuit treatments were prepared each day over a 12-day period for a total of three replications of each treatment. Wheat bran (Mennel Milling Company, Charlotte, NC) was substituted for