Study on the Introduction of Solid Fat with a High Content of Unsaturated Fatty Acids to Gluten-Free Muffins as a Basis for Designing Food with Higher Health Value

Background: Shortenings are high in undesirable nutritionally saturated fatty acids. The aim of the study was to produce gluten-free muffins (GFM) of increased health quality and available to people intolerant to gluten, in which the shortenings were replaced with solid oleogels, consisting of 95% rapeseed oil. Methods: The dough and baked products were subjected to physical, textural, and structural analyses. Moreover, the fatty acids composition, chemical quality of fats extracted from muffins, and color of the products were determined. The dough was also observed at 600× magnification in bright field and polarized light microscopy, and microtomographic analysis of the structure of GTM was performed. Results: There was no effect of the type of lipids on physical properties, including water content in gluten-free muffins. However, the baked products differed in total porosity and brightness, as well as intensity of red and yellow colors. The use of rapeseed oil oleogels, instead of shortening in the muffin recipe, resulted in a decrease in the dietary undesirable SFA in lipid fractions (by approximately 40%), an increase in the content of MUFA (by approximately 30%), and an increase in the content of PUFA (by approximately 15%), with acceptable chemical quality. Conclusions: Research confirms the possibility of obtaining products with increased nutritional value available to consumers on a gluten-free diet