Comparison among gluten, maltodextrin, and soybean oil coatings as flavor carriers on pita chips

Dietary health concerns of consumers have prompted manufacturers to produce snacks with lower fat content. Reduced fat products need additional ingred ients to compensate for flavor loss. Gluten and maltodextrin coatings were compared with soybean oil as a carrier of cheese powder on pita chips. Coat ed pita chips were packaged with or without nitrogen and stored at 33C and 50% humidity for 60 days. Physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of the chips were evaluated Saturation index and hue angle were significantly different at 30 and 60 days for all treatments. instrumental texture analysis was inconclusive due to high standard deviations. Peroxide value for oil-coated chips increased significantly over time. Consumer acc eptance testing indicated a stronger cheese flavor for maltodextrin and glu ten treatments compared with oil. No off-flavors were detected from any chi ps. Microbial counts were low and did not differ significantly among treatm ents. Gluten and maltodextrin coatings may be alternative flavor carriers t o oil for reduced fat content in snackfoods.