Development of hypoimmunogenic muffins: batter rheology, quality characteristics, microstructure and immunochemical validation

A high demand exists for gluten free and
hypoimmunogenic products from gluten sensitive population.
The present study focuses on the development of
hypoimmunogenic muffins using a combination of the blend
(CB) consisting of modified (protease treated) Whole Wheat
Flour (WWF) and Pearl Millet Flour (PMF). The batter density
of CB was 0.97, and it varied between 0.91–0.93 and
0.97–0.99 g/cc with the use of emulsifiers and hydrocolloids
respectively. The volume of the muffin made using CB was
70 mL, and it increased to 120 mL with the combination of
additives (CAD) comprising of Carboxy Methyl Cellulose
(CMC) and Polysorbate-60 (PS-60). The muffins made of
CB+CAD had the lowest hardness (19.8 N) and gumminess
(6.6 N) values and highest springiness value (13.3 mm) indicating
that the texture was soft. Sensory characteristics of the
muffin made with CB+CAD were good and had an overall
quality score of 90.5 out of 100. Rheometer studies showed
that the incorporation of additives improved the visco-elastic
properties of muffin batters. Microstructure studies showed a
change in gluten matrix of muffins followed by treatments.
Immunochemical validation of muffins made using CB+
CAD showed that the immunogenicity reduced by 70.8 %
which may be suitable for patients with gluten sensitivity.