Use of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) mucilage gel to reduce fat in pound cakes

- Chia mucilage gel substitutes 25 g/100 g fat unaltering cake technological properties.
- Substitution of fat over 25 g/100 g may cause alterations in cake color and texture.
- Chia mucilage gel appears as a promissory fat replacer in bakery products.

Overweight indices have increased in the recent years, and thus the occurrence of non-communicable diseases related to them. The recommendation of fat reduction in food may contribute to reduce the risk of these diseases. Attention has focused on bakery products, such as pound cake, which contains up to 17 g fat/100 g product. A novel ingredient, chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.), has been studied for its high water-absorbing and viscous mucilaginous external layer, in order to evaluate its potential as fat substitute in bakery products. We investigated the effects of the replacement of 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/100 g of vegetable fat by chia mucilage gel (CMG) on the technological properties of pound cakes. CMG was produced by rehydration with water of lyophilized chia mucilage (LCM). Replacement of vegetable fat by CMG did not significantly alter the specific volume, symmetry, uniformity, moisture and water activity (aw) of the cakes. Color parameters, as well as crumb firmness of cakes, were influenced by higher levels of fat replacement with CMG. We concluded that the replacement of up to 25 g/100 g of fat by CMG is technologically feasible in pound cakes, with no significant alterations on their quality characteristics.