Storage stability determination of calorie deficit gluten‐free biscuit: Taguchi concern

In this study, optimal process parameters were assessed for selection of storage‐specific packaging material for gluten‐free biscuit by means of Taguchi’s, L₂₇ orthogonal array (Qualitek‐4). An optimized blend of minimally preprocessed foxtail millet, amaranth, and copra meal flour were baked to biscuits, packed in metalized biaxially oriented polypropylene, co‐extruded polypropylene as test, and high‐density polyethylene as control sample. Physicochemical (% moisture content and % free fatty acid content), sensory (texture and mouthfeel, aroma and flavor, and overall acceptability), and microbiological characteristics (total viable and yeast and mold count) were assessed for wholesomeness up to 84 days with priority of selection of biscuits stored at 30°C than for the samples placed at 40°C. Sensory factors are on foremost concern regarding choice of stored biscuit sample that contributed maximally in terms of overall acceptability (73.97%) followed by texture and mouthfeel (11.56%), moisture (10.20%), and aroma (1.52%). Hence, Taguchi helped in logical studying the interactive effect for different parameters. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Biscuit is among the baked commodity whose quality diminishes with advancement of rancidity in fats and sogginess through moisture migration while storage days. It needed to be monitored with vast number of features to prove worth storage of the same. Type of packaging material, thickness of packaging material, temperature of storage, and number of advancement of storage days are continuously monitored in reference to the physicochemical (% FFA and % moisture content), sensory (aroma and flavor, texture, and mouthfeel and overall acceptability), and microflora count. To counter this huge range of experimental setup and wise interpretation for all of them only be feasible through Taguchi modeling to get effect of each factor individually.