Sensory assessment of cookie type biscuits produced with eggplant flour (solanum melongena, l.)

Eggplant flour (Solanum melongena, L.), rich in fiber, minerals, and vitamins, is a viable alternative for food enrichment, since its processing allows the maintenance of important nutritional characteristics, leading to benefits to consumers of its products. This study’s objective was to evaluate the sensory acceptance of cookie type biscuits manufactured with eggplant flour in different concentrations. Eggplant flour was produced in laboratory and incorporated in cookies dough, in substitution of oat flour, in the percentages of 5, 10 and 15%; a control formulation was also made, without addition of eggplant flour. The cookie type biscuits were evaluated through sensory assessment by affective acceptance test, for aroma, color, taste, and appearance attributes. The results were statistically evaluated by the linear regression method at 5% of probability and demonstrate, by the analysis of variance, that the biscuits differed significantly, however, the color and aroma did not have mathematic models adjusted, showing consistency between the formulations produced. For taste, quadratic model was adjusted, with higher scores for the biscuit with a portion of 15% of eggplant flour in substitution of oat flour. The appearance presented a cubic model, with interference of non-standardization of the biscuits. The use of eggplant flour in food products with the purpose of formulations enriching was shown to be viable from a sensorial perspective, and should be an alternative to increase daily intake of dietary fiber.