Effect of the addition of fish protein isolate on biscuits’ physicochemical and sensory properties

Biscuits are among the most popular baked goods. However, traditional biscuits are frequently poor in protein and low in the content of the essential amino acids. Meanwhile, fish protein isolate (FPI) is proven to contain all the essential amino acids. The addition of FPI to biscuits can improve their nutritional value but may change their physicochemical and sensory properties. The present study was, therefore, conducted to investigate the effect of the addition of different levels of FPI prepared from trimmings of yellowfin tuna on the physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability of biscuits. The results showed that the moisture and water activity of biscuits with 1.6-5.4% FPI added significantly decreased compared with the control biscuits without FPI. The hardness of the biscuits with FPI added compared to the control biscuits, however, was not significantly different. The results of the sensory evaluation also showed that the appearance, texture, color, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability of the biscuits with FPI added and the control biscuits did not differ significantly, except for the color and aroma of the biscuits with 3.8-5.4% FPI added. The addition of 2.7% FPI to biscuits was found to have no negative impact on the biscuits’ quality. These findings suggest that FPI prepared from the trimmings of yellowfin tuna is a potential protein source that can be used to improve the nutritional value of biscuits. Keywords: Protein-enriched biscuit, Thunnus albacares, fish protein isolate, value-added products, malnutrition