EFFECT OF SWEETENERS AND NON-TRADITIONAL FLOURS ON SENSORY ACCEPTABILITY AND GLYCEMIC INDEX OF BISCUITS

Nowadays, food manufacturers are trying to include alternative sweeteners in their product formulations because they are perceived by consumers as preferable to sugar, which plays an important role in the development of civilisation diseases such as diabetes and obesity. One possible indicator of the suitability of a food regarding the prevention and treatment of these diseases may be the glycemic index value, which in bakery products may also be influenced by the type of flour used. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different types of sweeteners (sugar, aspartame-acesulfame, Stevia) and non-traditional flours on the sensory acceptability and glycemic index of biscuits. Both quantitative and hedonic descriptors were assessed by panellists (n = 14). Using quantitative descriptive and hedonic analysis, it was found that the use of alternative flours was only appropriate up to 15% replacement of wheat flour. Biscuit samples sweetended by sugar performed above average in the overall evaluation. The results also showed that flaxseed flour was rated better than hemp flour, which in addition showed the least suitable combination with stevia sweetener. The use of flaxseed flour in combination with the sweetener aspartame-acesulfame appeared to be less acceptable. The glycemic index was determined using the GOPOD test kit and the results showed that none of the flax and hemp flour additions had a significant (p > 0.05) effect on the glycemic index value, nor did the sweeteners used.