Phytochemical composition and sensory acceptability of macarons supplemented with carrot pomace

Abstract

The root vegetable known as carrots (Daucus carota L.) is renowned for its exceptional nutritional value, due to its chemical composition which consists in bioactive substances such as antioxidants, carotenoids, vitamins, and dietary fibers. Despite its high nutritional content, carrot pomace, a by-product of carrot juice processing, is often underutilized. This research aimed to improve the nutritional content of macarons by incorporating carrot pomace powder into their formulations at varying concentrations (10% and 20% by weight). Furthermore, it is designed to evaluate the impacts on phytochemicals and physicochemical composition, as well as on texture, color, sensory characteristics, and consumer acceptance. The inclusion of carrot pomace powder led to a notable enhancement of dietary fibers and bioactive compounds levels (total carotenoids: 18.30-35.20 mg/g DW). Antioxidant activity (31.60-52.50 %) was also improved proportionally with the quantity of added carrot pomace. The results of the sensory evaluation indicated that macarons with a maximum of 10% carrot pomace exhibited desirable flavor and texture characteristics while having a negligible effect on consumer acceptance. Nevertheless, the 20% inclusion level led to a noticeable change in texture and was less preferred. The study revealed that the addition of carrot pomace powder into desserts is not only a feasible approach but also facilitates the incorporation of food by-products, hence enhancing sustainability in the area of food processing.