Characterization of consuming habits regarding bakery products and acceptance of new products incorporating whey residue

In the Centre of Portugal the Serra da Estrela Cheese assumes great economic and social importance, and many small and medium enterprises depend on the income obtained from the herds or the cheese production. For these medium size enterprises, the generation of liquid effluents is a problem and, therefore, this study intended to explore the possibility of using whey residue to prepare new bakery products with improved characteristics and at the same time providing economic and environmental advantages. For that, a questionnaire survey was undertaken on a sample of 299 participants, residing in the Centre of Portugal. The results showed that about 80% eat bread on a daily basis, being the preferred types of bread fresh and homemade. The results further indicated that wheat or mixture breads are preferred, unlike whole cereal, rye or corn breads, which are not much valued by the participants. Also, the breads with a reduced salt content are valued only by 10% of the participants. Regarding cookies, they are consumed by approximately 56% of the participants, who consume them mainly between meals and 2 or 3 times/week. The preferred types of cookies include simple formulations, without fillings or flavourings. Again, it was verified that cookies without sugar are preferred only by 11% of the participants. When asked about the possibility of consuming bakery products made with whey residue from sheep milk, about 60% of the participants admitted they would, and the reasons that contributed for this decision included higher protein content followed by environmental advantages.