Substitution of Gluten and Egg Ingredients in Blueberry Muffins with Non-Allergenic Alternatives By: K. Hamilton, A. Smith, J. Willet. Standard: Photo, Recipe, and Nutrition Facts Modified: Photo, Recipe, and Nutrition Facts ¾ cup milk ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 large egg 2 cups all purpose flour ½ cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup frozen blueberries 1 cup LactAid ® ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ cup applesauce 2 tsp xantham gum 2 cups rice flour ½ cup sugar 3 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup frozen blueberries ABSTRACT Allergies to foods and ingredients in foods are increasingly prevalent and often very severe in certain individuals. In the United States, though few are diagnosed with food hypersensitivity, many children and adults show mild allergy-related symptoms from eating certain foods. Modifying existing recipes to reduce and/or remove their allergen content is, therefore, an important task. The purpose of this experiment was to modify a blueberry muffin recipe to be free of the gluten and egg allergens while retaining most quality characteristics of a traditional blueberry muffin. This was done by substituting appropriate allergen-free ingredients according to recommended cooking substitutions. Quality characteristics of each recipe including loaf height, firmness, flavor, color, texture, and general impression were ranked and compared by both objective and sensory evaluation. While the control recipe was judged to be more pleasing than the variation, further modifications to the variation recipe could yield a palatable muffin alternative for people with egg and/or gluten allergies. Original Muffin Loaf Height (cm) Modified Muffin Loaf Height (cm) Muffin 1: 4.60Muffin 1: 3.50 Muffin 2: 4.50Muffin 2: 3.40 Muffin 3: 4.60Muffin 3: 3.20 Avg. Muffin Height: 4.57 Avg Muffin Height: 3.37 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The experimental objective was to determine effectiveness of replacing white all-purpose wheat flour with gluten-free white rice flour and replacing egg with applesauce in a standard blueberry muffin recipe. The goal was to achieve similar results as measured by both sensory and objective evaluations of the standard and modified recipes. METHODOLOGY The two muffin recipes were prepared according to the same steps and baked at 400 degrees F for ~ 25 minutes, or until toothpick came out clean. In each, wet ingredients were combined followed by dry ingredients, blueberries were folded in, and the batter was distributed among 12 muffin cups greased with Crisco ® in metal cooking pans, filling each to ¾ capacity. The original recipe, containing white flour, egg, 2% milk, vegetable oil, baking powder, sugar, salt, and blueberries, served as the control. For the variation, white, enriched wheat flour and egg were replaced with non- allergenic substitutes. White rice flour and 2 tsp. of xantham gum (1 tsp per cup of rice flour) replaced wheat flour, with xantham serving as a binding agent for rice flour. 1 large egg was replaced with ½ cup of applesauce and an extra tsp. of baking powder (total amount = 3 tsp), serving as thickening agents. Objective measurements of average loaf height and tenderness were conducted. For the loaf height, a toothpick was inserted into the center of 3 fully baked muffins from each recipe to the bottom of the pan, and marked at the muffins’ highest points. Averages of these muffin heights, in cm, were determined and compared. To determine tenderness, 3 fully baked muffins from each recipe were tested with a penetrometer and averages of these values were determined for each type of muffin. Sensory evaluation was conducted by 25 panelists with sensory scorecards rating muffin flavor, color, and texture, and general impression of the product. Flavor, color, and texture were rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 3 representing the most desirable quality and/or the most similar to that of a normal blueberry muffin. General impression was rated on a different scale, with 1 representing the least desirable and 5 representing most desirable. DISCUSSION The modified muffins showed differences in flavor, color, texture, and rising ability compared to the control, however, they were judged to be a somewhat acceptable product. Their flavor was slightly blander than that of the regular muffins probably due to the lack of egg, the replacement applesauce, and/or the complete replacement of enriched white wheat flour with rice flour, but still retained some of the original muffin taste. The color was noticeably more blue than that of the regular muffins, but did not significantly reduce general impression rating since the muffins maintained eye appeal. The bluish color of the modified muffin could have resulted from its thicker batter, requiring more agitation to incorporate the blueberries. The blueberries might have been crushed and more juice would have dyed the batter. The shorter loaf heights, increased density, and firmer, chewier texture in the modified muffins most likely occurred due to lack of eggs. Eggs whipped in a flour mixture increase its volume by bringing in air bubbles;. protein in eggs preserves the tender structure of the product; steam from the egg liquid helps to raise the muffin dough upon heating. It is also possible that too little xantham gum was added to sufficiently increase the volume of the modified product. CONCLUSION The modified recipe was overall less pleasing than the original allergen-containing recipe. Different ratios of ingredients could improve flavor and texture, which in turn may also improve color and general appeal. Some possible improvements would include adding more liquid, like milk, for thinner batter consistency, using an egg replacer or a fruit puree mixture other than applesauce to improve flavor, adding more leavening agent to increase loaf height, and/or using a mixture of rice flour and another gluten free flour to reduce the graininess and denseness of the batter. If all rice flour is kept in the recipe, more xantham gum may be needed to improve its volume as well. With these changes, the modified blueberry muffins could be a satisfactory alternative to the original recipe for individuals with gluten or egg allergies. Table 1: Individual and Average Loaf Heights of Original and Allergen-free muffins References Available Upon Request