Addressing new functional fillo products through nutrition and healthy ingredients: Hi omega-3 fatty acids and phytosterol esters

摘要

Today, more than 100 million adults in the U.S.-nearly one third of the population-have high cholesterol. Athens Foods, has cooperated with the Nutrition & Health Department of several food companies to provide sterol esters for producing functional fillo dough which will help diminish the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing the absorption of cholesterol, thus lowering blood cholesterol levels. Thus, a line of health and nutrition fillo dough products has been introduced at Athens Foods with plant sterols as a functional ingredient for health claim as provided by U.S. FDA for cholesterol reduction “Foods containing at least 0.40 grams per serving of vegetable oil sterols, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 0.8 grams as part of diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease”. Hi Flaxseed Oils and other microencapsulated Hi Omega-3 marine oriented products are excellent sources of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), including Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid), Omega-6 (linoleic acid) and Omega-9 (oleic acid). Athens Foods has launched an Omega –3 fortified fillo dough aimed at health and wellness oriented customers with the following health claim as defined for foods containing any level of EPA and DHA which meet the qualifying criteria. Texture profile analysis (TPA) values (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and resilience) revealed that fillo products with added omega-3 fatty acids and phytosterol esters had similar (P>0.05) textural properties when compared to fillo pastry products without anything added. Finally there was no difference (P>0.05) in shear strain between the tested samples ranging from 0.93 to 1.1 confirming the TPA cohesiveness values since shear strain is a measure of gel cohesiveness. Fundamental torsion test confirmed that fortified fillo dough products had generally similar texture, but were firmer (P<0.05) than normal fillo dough products. Finally all products with or without neutraceuticals had similar Kramer shear force (P>0.05) averaging approximately 140 N/g. Finally fortified fillo pastry products were awarded overall scores for sensory acceptability 4.6 out of 5.0 compared to 4.2 for the control. Proximate analysis showed that the moisture content, protein, fat and carbohydrates of the control fillo dough were similar (P>0.05) to the fillo dough with added neutraceuticals.