Background: Consumer's interest in healthy eating shifted towards the potential health benefits of specific foods and food ingredients. Flaxseed has a unique fatty acid profile. It is high in omega-3 fatty acid and calcium.
Objective(s): The purpose of this study was to highlight the nutritional quality of flaxseed and effect of fortification of biscuits on omega 3 and calcium content of products.
Methods: Different flaxseed concentrations (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) were used in the preparation of fortified biscuits. Proximate analysis of flaxseed and produced biscuits was performed to determine moisture, fat, total ash, crude protein, crude fiber and carbohydrate content. Sensory evaluation of produced biscuits was done to assess color, taste, odor, texture, over-all acceptability and residual after taste. Omega-3 and calcium content of flaxseed and produced biscuits was determined.
Results: In our study, the changes in chemical composition of biscuits fortified with flaxseed showed that the addition of flaxseed to wheat flour significantly increased protein, fat and ash content, meanwhile, decreased the content of carbohydrates. Biscuit samples made from substitution of wheat flour with flaxseed up to 20% were acceptable and gave nearly similar scores to the control. Our results indicated that flaxseed was rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (60.43 %) with omega-3 representing 47.22%. Biscuits fortified with flaxseed revealed that omega-3 content of flaxseed fortified biscuits was significantly higher than the control biscuits. In our study, the calcium content of the grinded flaxseed was 188.9 mg/100g. Control biscuits which were formulated from wheat flour contained 25.6 mg/100g calcium. Whereas, biscuits fortified with 10 %, 20% and 30% flaxseed exhibited significantly higher contents of calcium (168.3, 175.0 and 179.1 respectively).
Conclusion: The use of flaxseed in dietary products can be recommended as functional food. Substitution of wheat flour in biscuits with 20% flaxseed was acceptable by panelists. Enrichment of diets with flaxseed for better utilization of ω-3 fatty acids and calcium for better bone health is recommended.