EFFECTS OF MALTODEXTRIN AS FAT REPLACER ON THE CHEMICAL AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF BARAZEQ, GHURIBEH, AND MA’AMUL

Ma'amul, Barazeq, and Ghuribeh are rich fat traditional sweet bakery products that are usually consumed in the Middle East. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of fat replacing with maltodextrin at various levels (i.e., 10, 20, 30, and 40%) on Ma'amul, Barazeq, and Ghuribeh chemical and quality characteristics. The maximum fat level that could be replaced in Ma'amul, Barazeq, and Ghuribeh were 40%, 30% and 20%, respectively. Fat and energy were significantly (P<0.05) reduced with the increase of maltodextrin level in these bakery products. Overall acceptance, flavor, color, and softness of Ma'amul, Barazeq, and Ghuribeh were not significantly affected by the replacement in a ratio ranging from 10-20% when compared to controls. Greater replacements (i.e., 30 and 40% maltodextrin) showed a significant reduction on sensory acceptability of the three products.