Effects of carrot pomace powder and a mixture of pectin and xanthan on the quality of gluten-free batter and cakes.

Carrot pomace powder (CPP) is a valuable by-product of carrot processing containing nutrients and fiber and can be utilized for enrichment of gluten-free products. The main purpose of this study was to determine the effects of various levels of CPP (0, 10, 20, and 30%) and a mixture of hydrocolloids (HC) including pectin and xanthan (1.5% of each) on the quality of batter and gluten-free cakes. With increasing the level of CPP and inclusion of HC the viscosity of the batter increased significantly from 87 mPa s for the control to >7000 mPa s for 30%CCP + HC sample. The density of the control batter was 1.2 g/cm3 which reduced significantly to 0.899 g/cm3 for HC sample. The pH of the cake reduced from 7.23 to 6.78 with addition of CPP but increased slightly with inclusion of HC. The density of the cake reduced from 0.510 g/cm3 for the control to 0.395 g/cm3 for 20%CCP + C sample. The texture of the cakes became softer, more springy and chewable with addition of CPP, CPP + HC, and HC. The control sample had the lowest uniformity index (0.178) which improved with addition of CPP and CPP + HC and a highly uniform cake with a uniformity index of 0.045 was obtained for the 30%CCP + HC cake. Addition of CPP increased the dark color of the cakes while inclusion of HC had no effect on the appearance of the cake and color. It was concluded that inclusion of maximum 30%CCP and 20%CPP + HC promoted the quality and sensory attributes of gluten-free cakes.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Although different types of gluten-free products are available in the market, most of them contain insufficient amount of fiber and nutrients. Despite popularity, gluten-free cakes are poor in fiber and nutrient contents. Therefore, improving the nutritional value of these products has received an increasing attention by the food industry. Carrot pomace powder (CPP) is an available source of fiber and nutrients and hence can be utilized for enrichment of gluten-free products. This study showed that the inclusion of up to 30% CPP or 20% CPP with a mixture of xanthan and pectin (3%, 1:1) improved the quality and sensory attributes of the cakes. Industrial implications of this study may lead to new product development and improved marketing due to the enhancement of quality, sensory attributes, and nutritional value of the products.