Evaluation of some physical and sensorial properties of Maria biscuits from different brands

Abstract

Maria biscuit is a very popular type of biscuit made with wheat flour, sugar, oil and vanilla essence. It features a round shape, with the name "Maria" engraved on the surface and intricate designs on the edge. The biscuit Maria is very popular among children, being consumed especially by infants, after dissolution in milk, for example, being also used in the confection of recipes. The low moisture content of bakery products such as biscuits or crackers, associated to their thinness, gives them a hard and crispy texture, very much appreciated upon eating [1]. The objectives of the present work were to compare different brands of Maria biscuits in terms of some physical properties, namely texture and color, as well as in sensorial terms. For evaluation of color a colorimeter was used (Chroma meter CR 400 from Konica Minolta) and textural parameters were calculated from the Texture Profile Analysis performed with a Texturometer (TA.XT.Plus, from Stable Microsystems). In terms of sensorial analyses the following attributes were evaluated: appearance, color intensity, toast, hardness, crispness and global appreciation. Regarding some of the textural attributes evaluated, hardness, chewiness and elasticity sowed some variability among the different brands, while cohesiveness showed some homogeneity between the eight samples studied. As to color, there were some differences, and these were also detected by the sensorial panel