Global experts use orange peel powder to fortify bakery products

In a collaborative study from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, a group of scientists evaluated the effect of substituting wheat flour at 5, 10, 15 and 20 per cent with orange peel powder on the physicochemical, antioxidants and organoleptic properties of cookies. The use of synthetic antioxidants has been applied for several foods but has had its restrictions as a result of its side effects. A new trend in food processing is the use of natural antioxidants from plant source or wastes of food processing to be good alternatives of synthetics antioxidants, in addition to their added values as providing bioactivity in biscuits to introduce a new functional food. According to the research team, orange peels are a rich source of dietary fibre, phenolic compounds and have effective antioxidant activity. Therefore, they can be used as a natural source in fortifying bakery products. The researchers concluded that incorporation of up to 15 per cent of orange peel powder in cookie manufacturing improved the physicochemical, nutritional quality with respect to sensorial characteristics of cookies.