Fat type and baking conditions for cookies recipe: a sensomic approach

Fat replacement is a particular challenge for food technologists as it determines changes in the rheological properties, which could be translated into a reduction of the consumer’s acceptability. In this context, a sensomic approach has been applied to cookies obtained by using different fats and baking conditions for orienting product development towards end-consumers’ expectations. The approach included instrumental analyses, gas-chromatography-mass-spectrometry, high-performance-liquid-chromatography, qualitative-descriptive-analysis, consumer’s acceptability test, and Multivariate data analysis. Preference map was applied by combining the analytical with the hedonic sensory data. Cookies made of different fats were characterised by a typical sensory profile which was influenced by the baking conditions; the amount of the aroma volatile and dicarbonyl compounds also distinguished the different cookies samples. The approach allowed to verify the sensory interactions among the different studied chemical compounds and how these influence sensory properties and the main sensory features on which consumers focus their preferences.