Effects of different baking techniques on the quality of walnut and its oil

The baking conditions of walnut kernels were optimized based on different cultivars and baking methods. The influence of the different baking techniques on the chemical properties of walnut oils was determined. The results showed that acid value, peroxide value and induction period (IP) all significantly increased in the baked samples compared to the unbaked ones. The highest increase in IP was from 6 to 17 h indicating that baking can improve the oxidative stability of walnut oils and prolong their shelf-life. Several aroma components increased after baking. However, among the different baking conditions, the strongest aroma in walnut oil was observed after baking was done for 20 min with sucrose (107%) at 153 ℃. Nevertheless, baking had little effect on the fatty acid composition of walnuts.

Baking Optimization as a Strategy to Extend Shelf-Life through the Enhanced Quality and Bioactive Properties of Pulse-Based Snacks

Food processing optimization can enhance the nutrient bioavailability, storage time, and stability of convenience foods. Baking is a heat and mass transfer process with a high impact on the shelf-life of the obtained product; a small variation in the parameters during baking can lead to significant changes in the end baked product, as it significantly affects the food nutrient profile and bioactive compounds. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for mapping a response surface over a particular region of interest of baking conditions. The combined effect of the two factors (baking temperature and time) on the selected quality and bioactive parameters as dependent factors was evaluated in order to predict the optimal baking conditions which can facilitate the extended shelf-life of the product through maximizing the antioxidant bioactive properties. This design was used to develop models to predict the effect of the temperature and time baking profile and select those conditions where the quality and bioactive parameters reached a balance to obtain pulse snacks with a high quality, enhanced bioactive properties, and thus a longer shelf-life. Simultaneous optimization by the desirability function showed that a maximum temperature of 210 °C and a time of 14 min were the optimum conditions to produce a pulse-based snack with high antioxidant-antihypertensive activity and nutritional quality.