Martins Sabovics

Protein Bread Fortification with Cumin and Caraway Seeds and By-Product Flour

Malnutrition continues to be a key health problem in developing regions. The valorization of food waste appears as an ideal way to prevent malnutrition and improve people’s access to food. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) and caraway (Carum carvi L.) oilseeds are commonly used for cuisine and medicinal purposes. However, remaining cakes after oil extraction are usually underutilized. In order to assess the usefulness of these by-products in food applications, this study investigated the effect of their addition to protein bread formulations. Different levels (2, 4 and 6%) of whole seeds and cakes flour were used in the study. Fortified protein bread samples were compared to control protein bread and evaluated for their sensory, color, moisture, hardness properties, nutritional values as well as their biological activity. Results indicated that bread fortification shows a significant effect on bread properties depending on fortification level. A higher acceptability was observed specially for bread fortified with by-products flour. Increased tendencies of color darkness, moisture content, bread hardness, nutritional values as well as total phenolic content and radical scavenging activity compared to control bread were observed as the percentage of fortification increased in both cases. The overall results showed that the addition of cumin and caraway seeds and by-product flour can improve the antioxidant potential and overall quality of protein bread.

Evaluation of Nutritional and Technological Attributes of Whole Wheat Based Bread Fortified with Chia Flour

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effect of wheat bread fortification with varied levels (2%, 4%, and 6%) of chia seed powder (full fat) and cakes (defatted, residue after oil extraction). Chia flour was added to whole wheat bread rich in vital wheat gluten for the first time. The breadcrumbs were assessed for their antioxidant activity, nutritional content, textural properties, color, and sensory profiles. The addition of chia seed powder, particularly in high levels, was more effective in improving antioxidant activity compared to bread fortified with chia cakes. Bread supplementation with chia flour improves its nutritional value, especially in the case of chia cakes. A higher moisture content and lower hardness were observed after bread fortification, the influence was more evident with the defatted cake than with seed powder. Fortification with chia flour led to darker breads without significantly affecting their global acceptability. However, the fortified bread showed better values than control in terms of sensory profile. These results suggest that the addition of chia seed powder and defatted cake can enhance the overall whole wheat bread quality. Our results also highlight that bread making could be an unconventional alternative for the exploitation of defatted chia seed.