Were you here looking out for the biggest-ever muffin in the world? If yes, then no this article isn’t about the biggest one in the world, but about the one which is going to be the healthy one in a world of unhealthy muffins. How? How could a muffin and health be under one roof? In a world of people going health-conscious by the minute, educating themselves about the ever-growing list of health risks, it was high time, don’t you think?
The super muffin is named Roselle after a plant extract is added to it. The calyx extract of Hibiscus Sabdariffa (commonly called Roselle) is added to the muffin. A lot of us have grown up with Hibiscus in our backyards, using it in our household more often than not.
The flowers of Hibiscus give the muffins a luscious red color, also bringing a lot of beneficial effects of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, hibiscus acid, and betaine. The calyx of the plant has an acidic flavor with a tint of tartness. These components are usually used to develop functional foods. A muffin created as a product of this has shown to have a shelf life of 6 days, at room temperature, which is comparable to the muffins in the market, with the added health benefit.
A lot of studies have been conducted on the health benefits of this muffin, under the Re-FOOD project and INTPART project. This is currently funded by the Research Council of Norway. This project is a part of the collaboration between Norway and India Research, education, and innovation. It is conducting a study on this muffin, as a part of its principles of the complete utilization of resources in our Food Value Chain. It is also actively interested in the study of plant extracts in food, and hence this muffin is a promising study under this project.
For long the study of antioxidants has cited evidence of neutralization of free radicals, curing chronic illnesses. This muffin also keeps artificial coloring at bay. Roselle can yield a red, pink, blue, or violet color with water, avoiding the use of concerning amounts of artificial dyes in our food products.
Of course, with a New Product Development, comes into the picture, the expectations of a good-tasting response. The first study conducted in this arena involved 30 people testing 17 variants, focusing on consumer likability, nutritional aspects, and a preservative-free product. The main characteristics studied using Response Surface Methodology were color, texture, appearance, chewability, elasticity, and freshness as with any other muffin. The nutrition studies pointed towards a product with higher antioxidants. In layman's terms, substances which play an important part in protecting one’s cell membranes and genetic structure. Naturally occurring phenols (one such antioxidant) occur in fruits, tea, coffee, flax seeds, and the list goes on.
Formulations of the Experiment
In terms of likability, with control of standard vanilla muffins, Roselle muffins scored 8.3 for acceptability – the highest amongst others, on a scale of 9, where 7 or more is deemed as an extremely acceptable sensory quality. It could easily fit into the view line of Food Manufacturers. The highest score was given to the variant, containing 45.37 ml extract, citric acid 1.11 g, and sodium bicarbonate 1.67 g. Some panelists were able to identify a note of sourness in the muffin, which may be from the high organic acids, predominantly, Hibiscus acid found in the calyx. In the nutrition study segment, it contained lower fat and protein, and a similar carbohydrate content. Ascorbic acid was studied as 12.1 mg/100 g. A high ash content was observed in the Roselle muffin, pointing towards high calcium, fiber and iron from Roselle Calyx.
The but factor? Even though it may be considered healthy for one who eats muffins, it also contains other ingredients, like sugars, fats, and white flour, and we all know where that story leads. So comparatively speaking it would be healthier, chances of it falling into the health segment in the superstore still seem slim. Such foods, in a culture where baked goods play a major role in the diet, would of course, be a better option, but could still move in a positive direction, with replacements of sugar, fats, and white flour.
Moving on to the third aspect of the study – preservation, these high moisture products are more prone to attacks by bacteria, fermentation, and mold. But, here is the catch, these Roselle muffins, have ascorbic acid contributing to some good shelf life (6 days at room temperature) naturally.
It would be some time before these muffins enter the baked goods market, but when and if they do, would you hop on to the ride?
References:
“Nutritionally Enriched Muffins from Roselle Calyx Extract Using Response Surface Methodology” by Sengnolotha Marak, Nutan Kaushik, Alexander Dikiy, Elena Shumilina and Eva Falch, 8 December 2022, Foods. DOI: 10.3390/foods11243982
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