Quality characteristics and antioxidant capacity of rice cookies fortified with red yeast rice powder

With declining rice consumption, developing value-added rice-based processed foods is increasingly important. Red yeast rice has garnered interest as a functional ingredient owing to its bioactive properties. Rice-based cookies fortified with red yeast rice powder (RYRP) at 0, 3, 6, and 9% were formulated, and their physicochemical and sensory properties were assessed. With increasing RYRP, moisture content and pH decreased, likely owing to the water-binding capacity and organic acids of fiber. RYRP markedly altered the color parameters: lightness (L*) decreased from 82.7 (RP0) to 31.96 (RP9) and yellowness (b*) from 28.3 to 8.52. The total polyphenol content significantly increased with RYRP addition, and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity peaked at 3% substitution (RP3). Sensory evaluation indicated that RP3 achieved a relatively high overall acceptability score, whereas RP9 reduced appearance and color scores. Overall, 3% RYRP exhibited a favorable tendency in balancing antioxidant potential and sensory quality in rice-based cookies.