ACCEPTABILITY OF OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES BASED UPON APPEARANCE, TEXTURE AND TASTE USING PUREED BLUEBERRIES AS A FAT REPLACEMENT Alex Baah Blake Dwyer Matt Iorio Greg Olson

Introduction Percent of Obese (BMI > 30) in U.S. Adults Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and over 34% of Americans over the age of 21 are classified as obese. Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Over 2 billion cookies are consumed annually, that’s an average of 300 cookies a year per person. Oatmeal raisins cookies can be considered a “healthier” cookie however they still contain almost 3 grams of saturated fat per serving (28g). High saturated fat intake has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Our objective is to successfully lower the saturated fat and cholesterol content of the cookies while retaining or improving the level of acceptability.

Hypothesis  We believe by proportionally replacing the butter in Oatmeal Raisin cookies with a blueberry puree’ will create a product that is equally acceptable to the control, while increasing the antioxidant and nutrient content.  We feel that the all the ratios of fat replacement in the cookies will be accepted by the survey participants (a rating ≥3 across all categories)  Lastly we believe by replacing the butter with the blueberry puree we will significantly decrease the amount of cholesterol, fat content and calories.

Why Blueberries?  Antioxidant (Anthocyanins & Chlorogenic acid)  High in vitamins A,C, & E, & beta carotene  High in fiber  Rich in manganese, magnesium, & potasium  Low in calories  Fat Free

Methodology  Research Design:  We replaced the butter in an oatmeal raisin recipe with a blueberry puree  The blueberry substitution would provide similar qualities as the original and increase nutrient content. In order to test acceptability we broke our products into four different samples including a control.  Surveys were used to determine the acceptability of taste, texture, color, flavor and overall quality of all the test products. Four samples were used: a control and, a 25%, 50%, and 75% replacement of butter with blueberries. The blueberries were blended into a puree before they were added into the batter.

Methodology Cont. Ratios:  The fat (butter) was substituted in three different ratios with the use of a blueberry puree  Control: 100% butter (5 oz)  Sample 1: 75% butter (3.75 oz), 25% puree’ (1.25 oz)  Sample 2: 50% butter (2.5 oz), 50 % puree’ (2.5 oz)  Sample 3: 25% butter (1.25 oz), 75% puree’ (3.75 oz)

Variables and Sample  Dependent Variables: flavor, texture, color, appearance, and overall acceptability, and taste of the oatmeal raisin cookies  Independent Variables: the amount of blueberries added to the recipes and the percent of fat replaced in the oatmeal cookies  Sample: oatmeal raisin cookies

Procedures  A week prior to the experiment we practiced making the control group. We made the control cookies using the full fat recipe (only butter).  Once baked, we decided to cut the cookies into 2 inch diameter circles. We determined that a 2 inch diameter gave the cookies a good appearance, and an appropriate portion size.  The next week we baked the control and the three fat replacement products.

Procedures Cont.  The 25% recipe replaced 25% of the total butter with pureed blueberries. The 50% recipe replaced half the total butter with pureed blueberries. Lastly the 75% recipe replaced 75% of the total butter with pureed blueberries.  Once baked, we cut all of the cookies into equal portions. Samples were then placed on separate, designated plates.  We did not label the sample cookies so testers would not know which cookies corresponded to which recipe.

Recipe  We decided to use a recipe that was found in one of the peer reviewed articles we used when writing our abstracts.  By doing this we knew that the recipe had already been used in a previous experiment and would be beneficial to test. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ½ c sugar ¾ c brown sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract 5 oz butter 2 eggs 2 c oats ½ tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp cloves ¼ tsp nutmeg ¾ c raisins 1 ½ c all purpose flour

Survey  A likert scale was used to have the participants rate our products  Please mark the response that properly represented your perception on each statement for this product by using the following scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2= Disagree, 3= Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree  Q1: The taste (mouth feeling) is acceptable…………  Q2: The texture is acceptable…………………………  Q3: The color is acceptable …………………………  Q4: The flavor (mouth feeling + smelling)……………  Q5: The overall quality is acceptable…………………  If you don’t accept this product, Please specify the reason. _____________________________________

Survey Participants  24 fellow students in the food science class ranging from ages The professor was also a participant for our study. They all had some background on nutrition.

Survey Procedure  Cookies were placed randomly on separate plates labeled samples 1-4.  Participants were given a survey to evaluate the products taste, texture, color, flavor and overall quality.  They were able to rank each area from one to five, one being strongly disagree, 2 being disagree, 3 being neither agree nor disagree, 4 being agree and 5 being strongly agree.

Data Analysis

Data Analysis Cont. TasteTextureColorFlavorOverall quality Control Sample 2 (25%) Sample 3 (50 %) Sample 4 (75%)

Results  After completing the experiment we found out that two of the three of our hypotheses were correct.  The antioxidant and nutrient content were increased, and the amount of cholesterol, fat content and calories lowered.  Not all products were acceptable. Sample 4 (75% replacement) did not receive a 3 or higher across all of the categories.  We observed an inverse relationship between the butter and blueberries and total calorie content. When fat was replaced the nutritional grade increased. Replacing butter with blueberries made a good tasting product that’s healthier to the consumer.

Results Cont.  The taste was not affected by the addition of blueberries, even in the 75% substitution there was only a subtle taste of blueberry  The 25% and 50% products were considered acceptable (≥ 3 across all categories). The 75% replacement was not.

Nutrient Analysis

Nutrient Analysis Continued Based in a 36g serving (one cookie)

Nutrient Analysis Cont. Based on a 36g serving size (one cookie)

Nutrient Analysis Cont. Based on a 36g serving size (one cookie)

Discussions  Based on our findings from our surveys, our data shows besides the control, sample 3 with the 50 percent substitution was favored the most.  One reason that this sample had a slightly lower score was due to the blue-green color of the cookies due to the blueberry puree. Sample 4 possessed the lowest score due to the extreme blue color, loss of volume and offset texture. The texture was not as rigid due to the lack of structure that the fat (butter) would have provided.  Fats are known to serve many functions within baked goods. They improve tenderness, moisture, and volume along with playing a role in structure, flavor and color. Most of these characteristics were unaffected by the substitution of blueberries because of the fact that they have mild flavor, high moisture content and a tender structure. In this experiment the function of fat was to provide structure, moisture, tenderness and flavor. Therefore blueberries can be an acceptable means of replacing the fat.

Conclusion  After reviewing the results of the surveys, it was determined that sample 3 had the highest rating among most of the substitution samples.  Sample two ranked higher in color and had the same texture ranking.  The control had the best rating across all categories.

Recommended Recipe  50% Substitution Recipe  1 tsp baking soda  ½ tsp salt  ½ c sugar  ¾ c brown sugar  ½ tsp vanilla extract  5 oz butter  2 eggs  2 c oats  ½ tsp cinnamon  1/8 tsp cloves  ¼ tsp nutmeg  ¾ c raisins 1 ½ c all purpose flour

Application/Implication  This experiment could be useful in developing other foods or deserts to lower saturated fat, cholesterol, calories and sodium as well as having a better nutrient profile while retaining acceptability.  The use of blueberries can possibly be an acceptable fat replacement in other foods.  Future research should be implemented to find a way to keep a rigid structure while maintaining an acceptable color.  Future research should also be conducted to verify the results that we found to be true.

Limitations  The participants grew tired of eating cookies. They were required to taste over 15 different samples of cookies in a half hour period  Small sample size with the same type of background (24 college students ages ) and one professor  Limited practice trials

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