DESENVOLVIMENTO E CARACTERIZAÇÃO DE BISCOITO COM ADIÇÃO DE CASCA OU FARINHA DE CASCA DE LARANJA

Abstract

Brazil has been the world's largest orange producer since 1980 and stands out globally as the largest supplier of orange juice. Both juice production by industries and domestic consumption of this fruit generate waste, which is mostly discarded. However, these waste materials have nutritional potential. Considering the need for better utilization of these waste products, this study aimed to develop orange peel flour (Citrus sinensis var. Navelina) and produce cookies with the addition of fresh orange peel or orange peel flour, in order to analyze the feasibility of producing these recipes for the industry, small-scale producers, and domestic use. Physical and chemical analyses (moisture, ash, proteins, sugars, lipids, pH, water activity, acidity), texture analyses (hardness and fracturability), color analyses (L*, a*, b*, C*, H*), phenolic compounds, tannins, antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS), and microbiological analyses (Salmonella, B. cereus, Staphylococci, Escherichia coli, molds, and yeasts) were conducted. The generated data were statistically analyzed using the XLSTAT software, subjected to analysis of differences using the Tukey test and the Student's t-test. The flour yield was 9.5%. Both the flour and the cookies met the microbiological standards established by regulations, and therefore were considered suitable for consumption. The developed products exhibited physicochemical, colorimetric, and textural characteristics that conferred quality to the product, particularly in relation to phenolic compounds, where the flour showed a high concentration (311.83±1.18) compared to the other samples. The cookie produced with orange peel flour had three times more phenolic compounds than fresh orange peel. Regarding antioxidant capacity, both the flour and the cookies had higher levels of compounds compared to fresh orange peel in all the analyses. However, the results obtained for phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity may have been influenced by the color of the samples, which can interfere with spectrophotometric readings. In terms of texture, both cookies exhibited crispness and the expected texture for this food matrix. According to the results, the flour showed nutritional potential, a high content of phenolics with potential antioxidant activity, allowing its application in various food formulations, such as cookies, which have the potential for reproduction in domestic and industrial settings.