Sensory profile and preference mapping of cookies enriched with medicinal herbs

Abstract

The sensory profile and acceptance of cookies enriched with medicinal herbs mixture “Vitalplant,” aimed at body weight regulation and metabolism enhancement, were evaluated. Seven cookies were prepared varying the content of powder and extract mixture (0, 2, 4, and 6 g/100 g flour basis, respectively). The descriptors used by an expert sensory panel (n = 8) that best separated samples were: appearance (shape, uniformity, surface, and color), texture (structure break, firmness, and chewiness), odor, and flavor. Preference mapping was assessed using multidimensional scaling on data obtained through an acceptability test (n = 64) with a 5-point hedonic scale. The hedonic responses showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between the cookies. The first three principal components captured 70.90% of the total variance, indicating the complex structure in consumer preference patterns. External preference mapping showed potential for predicting consumers overall acceptance of the cookies using five descriptive attributes that drove the preference of the six consumer clusters. The vector model was selected as the model of choice for most clusters. The addition of medicinal herbs in cookies is feasible, based on the sensory results, which may facilitate marketing of functional food with sensorial qualities equivalent to conventional products.