Development and quality evaluation of multivitamin fortified low-fat biscuits

Multivitamin encapsulated nanoparticles that were produced by using a lipid-based emulsion template were incorporated to fortify biscuits to obtain a low-fat nutrient-enriched food product. The present study involves the development of biscuits containing vitamins (A, D, B-9 and B-12) both in free (C1) and encapsulated form (C2). The quality attributes of the developed biscuits were further evaluated by determining their change in functional groups, textural properties, rheological characteristics and physical morphology. The storage modulus (G') was higher than loss modulus (G"), suggesting a viscous nature of the dough (C1 and C2); meanwhile, C2 had a harder and a crispier texture than C1 (hardness: 30.06 N > 15.84 N; fracturability: 15.84 > 26.18 N). FTIR spectra of C2 showed higher retention of nutritional attributes in baking conditions as compared to C1. SEM images demonstrate that C2 has a regular/spherical-shaped morphology (size: 8.3 mm) with minimal fissures sustaining the baking conditions than C1 (size: 6.7 mm). The cumulative release (%) for all the vitamins of biscuits containing encapsulated nanoparticles (C2) was relatively low (i.e. ca. 1.1-2.6 times), indicating a good bioavailability and thermal stability of the fortified food product.