The Effect of Milk Protein Concentrate and Fermented Grain By-Products on Dough Texture, Physicochemical Properties and Quality of Crackers

In the modern age, consumers are increasingly focused on healthy eating and are seeking new products, as they prioritize nutritionally enriched foods. Whereas bakery products have good nutritional profile, sensory characteristics, and texture, due to growing consumer demands for convenience foods, such as crackers, they represent one of the fastest growing segments of bakery products. Milk proteins are among the most popular and valuable ingredients, designed to improve the quality of food products, as they have important nutritional, technological and sensory properties that can be exploited in the development of new nutritious products. This study aims to develop cracker recipes with milk powder concentrate and fermented cereal by-products, to evaluate the texture and physicochemical properties of the dough, and to evaluate the sensory analysis of consumer acceptance and quality of protein-enriched crackers. Crackers made from fermented and non-fermented composite flours containing oat milk by-products, milk protein concentrate powder, and egg whites or flaxseed gel as a binder. The dough and cracker samples were assessed for physiochemical properties (color coordinates, moisture, pH, total titratable acidity, texture) and sensory properties (overall acceptability, appearance, taste, flavor, smell, crispiness). Overall, the results showed that fermentation and binder type significantly affected dough properties such as color coordinates, texture, moisture and acidity. Texture profiling showed that fermentation has effect on hardness and elasticity of dough, with egg-based crackers, fermented and non-fermented which exhibiting softer textures than their flaxseed-based counterparts. Total titratable acidity increased in fermented samples, suggesting improved shelf-life stability. Sensory evaluation revealed that both fermented crackers made with flaxseed gel and egg white were the most acceptable, particularly due to their taste and texture, making them a promising, protein-rich alternative. The results indicate that functional crackers with enhanced protein profiles can be successfully developed using composite flours.