Sensory profile and evaluation of the degree of acceptability of bread produced with inulin and oligofructose

<div><p>Abstract Homemade bread was produced with 4.4 and 4.45 g of total fructans per 50 g serving to meet Brazilian standards for prebiotic claims. The bread samples were characterized for their sensory profiles using descriptive analysis and for their sensory acceptability using hedonic and just-about-right scales for sweetness intensity. The sensory profiles of the breads were similar and sweetness was the term that discriminated the bread samples obtained, since the intensity decreased from the bread formulated with oligofructose/inulin to the bread formulated with inulin and finally to the standard bread formulation. Comparing the crust colour of the standard bread with the crust colour of the bread with inulin, the bread with inulin was more beige, while the bread with oligofructose/inulin had smaller bubbles and was not as soft. The bread with oligofructose/inulin had a higher degree of acceptability with respect to flavour and overall acceptability than the standard bread, but the bread with fructans was preferred as compared to the standard bread in terms of appearance, aroma, texture, flavour and overall acceptability. In conclusion, the addition of fructans to bread formulations is promising and may promote the elaboration and consumption of new prebiotic products in the bakery line.</p>