Acta Chimica Slovaca (ACS) publishes papers on fundamental and applied aspects of chemistry, biochemistry, chemical technology, chemical engineering and process control, biotechnology and food technology. Welcome are also topics which include chemical aspects of materials, physical chemistry and chemical physics, analytical chemistry, macromolecular chemistry and biomedical engineering.

Analysis of the physical-chemical and sensorial properties of Maria type cookies

Daniela Pereira, Paula M. R. Correia a, Raquel P. F. Guiné *

Departamento de Indústrias Alimentares, ESAV, Quinta da Alagoa, Estrada de Nelas, Ranhados, 3500-606 Viseu, Portugal
a CI&DETS, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Av. Cor. José Maria Vale de Andrade, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal

E-mail: * raquelguine@esav.ipv.pt

Abstract: Given the importance of the cookies of type Maria worldwide, and considering the absence of any scientific study setting out their main features, it becomes important to identify the differentiating characteristics of several commercialized brands, in particular related to the chemical, physical and sensory characteristics. In this way, the aim of this work was to study and compare eight different brands of cookies of type Maria. The elemental chemical analysis (moisture, ash, protein, fat, fibre and carbohydrates contents), determination of physical parameters (volume, density, texture and colour) and sensory evaluation of studied cookies were performed. Multivariate statistical methods (Pearson correlation, principal component analysis and cluster analysis) were applied to estimating relationships in analysed data. The results for the elemental analysis showed that the samples were very similar in terms of some components, like for example ashes, while quite different in terms of other components, such as moisture and fat contents. With respect to texture and colour the samples showed, in general, some important differences. In terms of sensory evaluation, the sample C was the one that in most sensory tests gathered the preference of the panellists. The cluster analysis showed that the sample A was much different from the other samples. The results of principal component analysis showed that the main component explains 32.6 % of the total variance, and is strongly related to variables associated to colour.

Keywords: Maria cookies, physical-chemical characterization, texture, colour, sensory analysis.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: acs_0175.pdf

Acta Chimica Slovaca, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2013, pp. 269—280, DOI: 10.2478/acs-2013-0040