The Effect of Butter Spreads Enriched with Plant Sterols/Stanols or Omega-3 Fatty Acids on the Palatability, Texture, and Thickness of a Sugar Cookie

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1 The Effect of Butter Spreads Enriched with Plant Sterols/Stanols or Omega-3 Fatty Acids on the Palatability, Texture, and Thickness of a Sugar Cookie Elise Lindstrom and Danielle Hofmann FN 453 Group Project November 24, 2008

2 Abstract: According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Research shows that decreased consumption of saturated fats and increased consumption of poly-unsaturated fats has a positive effect on the reduction of risk factors contributing to cardiovascular disease (Harper, 2005). Studies show an increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids and/or plant sterols/stanols can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol levels (Kolanowski, 2001). Replacing butter in baked goods, such as sugar cookies, with Benecol and/or Smart Balance Omega-3 is potential method to reduce the incedence of heart disease. A basic sugar cookie recipe was followed. The only variable changed was the substitution of butter with Benecol and Smart Balance Omega-3. A texture analyzer with a cone probe was used to measure for hardness and penetration of each sample (butter, Benecol, Smart Balance Omega-3). The results for trial one measured Benecol at a value of grams, Smart Balance Omega-3 at grams, and butter at 871 grams. Trial two produced values of grams for Benecol, grams for Smart Balance Omega-3, and grams for butter. Trial three produced values of grams for Benecol, grams for Smart Balance Omega-3 and grams for butter. The rise of three stacked cookies from each sample and trial were measured using a ruler in centemeters. Benecol s average height was 5.85 cm, Smart Balance s average height was 6.17 cm and the butter s average height was measured at 4.3 cm. Additionally, a taste panel of 22 panelists filled out a score card based on a Hedonic Scale. On average Smart Balance Omega-3 was preferred the most, followed by butter and then Benecol was preferred the least. The results from all three tests shows the texture of the enriched butters needed more force to compress the cookies compared to butter. Also the enriched butters had a higher rise compared the butter. Finally the taste panel preferred Smart Balance Omega-3 over the other two samples. The results of the experiment show that substituting butter with an omega-3 butter substitute does not affect consumer preference negatively and potential could lead to a preferred product. A single change in baked goods like this along with other diet and exercise factors may reduce the incidence of heart disease in the United States.

3 Introduction: The American Heart Association reports heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. Research shows that decreased consumption of saturated fats and increased consumption of poly-unsaturated fats has a positive effect on the reduction of risk factors contributing to cardiovascular disease (Harper, 2005). Specifically, plant sterols/stanols and omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol when consumed on a daily basis. Unfortunately, consumption of these heart healthy fats is quite low in the typical American diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally found in fish. Americans tend to eat more poultry and red meat which are high in cholesterol. Plant sterols/stanol esters are present in small amounts in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. These food items tend are consumed less often in the American diet. Typically, the American diet includes the consumption of baked goods as snacks or desserts. In a typical American diet, baked goods are eaten more often than the foods that naturally contain omega-3 fatty acids and plant sterols/stanols. Plant sterols/stanols actively work by helping to block cholesterol from being absorbed into the digestive system, reducing LDL cholesterol levels while maintaining HDL cholesterol levels. Research supports the effectiveness of plant sterol/stanol in reducing LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol (Law, 2000). Ingestion of two grams of plant sterol/stanols a day is part of the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). A way of achieving increased intake of plant sterols and omega-3 fatty acids is through enriched food products such as butters. These enriched butters have been determined to have beneficial effects on blood lipid profiles. (Kolanowski, 2001). Plant sterols have shown to be beneficial in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease by reducing the absorption of cholesterol, which then lowers the LDL levels (Westrate, 1998). Research indicates omega -3 fatty acids reduce the occurrence of coronary heart disease, as well as aid in reduction of inflammation. (Harper, 2005). By replacing butter with one of the enriched butters in popular baked goods is one

4 way of increasing the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and plant sterols/stanols in the American diet. Typically, the American diet includes the consumption of baked goods as snacks or desserts. They are typically consumed more often than foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids and plant sterols/stanols. The purpose of this experiment is to create a sugar cookie that uses an enriched butter substitute instead of regular butter to add nutritional value by increasing the consumption of plant sterols or omega-3 fatty acid while continuing to have no change or preferred change in palatability. The independent variable is the type of butter. The dependent variables measured are palatability, firmness, and thickness of the product. Methods: The overall design for this experiment follows the recipe Easy Sugar Cookies found on allrecipes.com. The recipe calls for the addition of 225g of butter, 345 g of all-purpose flour, 5g baking soda, 2g baking powder, 300g white sugar, 1 egg, and 5 ml vanilla extract. The procedure to make the sugar cookie mixture is to first combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. In a separate large bowl cream butter, Smart Balance, or Benecol with sugar and cream together with a mixer on medium setting for 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla to mixture and use electric mixer until blended. Once egg is incorporated into mixture, begin adding the remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and baking powder) no more than 1/3 of dry ingredients at a time, until all ingredients are fully mixed (around 3 minutes). This recipe was repeated twice substituting Smart Balance Omega-3 or Benecol for butter. Each batch should produce approximately 4 dozen cookies. Use a size 10 (69mm) scooper, leveled off to produce uniform size cookies. Place cookies in rows of three for a total of nine cookies per baking sheet. Each cookie should be approximately 1 to 2 inches apart. The baking sheet is placed into a preheated oven at 1900 C for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Baking sheets were removed from oven with pot holder. Allow cookies to stand for two minutes before removing cookies with spatula from baking sheet to wire cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool for another eight minutes. Remove 7 cookies on

5 to a paper plate and cut in half. Set plate out for taste panel testing. Remove after 6 to 10 subjects have tried cookies or after 20 minutes have passed. Allow subjects to fill out survey during testing. (A sample of the scorecard can be found in the appendix.) Repeat method two more times for three trials. Replication is done to confirm the results are accuracy and precision. Once surveys are complete, combine three of the cooled cookies per trial and measure the height. Use one cookie per trial to test with the texture analyzer using the cone probe. Set the texture analyzer for the cookie option, not allowing the cone to penetrate through the cookie. Record results in a table, and repeat for each trial. In order to control for other variables, use the same utensils at room temperature. Remove egg promptly from refrigerator when needed in recipe. To check the accuracy of the oven, use a thermometer to measure the temperature before and after baking. All butters are to be softened by letting them sit out at room temperature for one hour prior to their use. Randomize the samples for taste test. Results were recorded in a lab notebook. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel for graphs and standard deviation. The statistical analysis was completed using the program SPSS 15.1 to find the p-values and significance. Discussion: Omega-3 fatty acids and plant sterols are found to reduce the risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause for death in the United States. Research shows that decreased consumption of saturated fats and increased consumption of poly-unsaturated fats has a positive effect on the reduction of risk factors contributing to cardiovascular disease (Harper, 2005). Triacylglycerol is a significant variable for heart disease. Butter contains a large concentration of Triacylglycerol especially when ingested orally (Mattes 2001). Butter also has large amounts of triglycerides, which are associated with elevated LDL cholesterol levels. High LDL cholesterol levels increase a person s risk for developing coronary heart disease. Benecol is a butter substitute enriched with plant sterols. Each 1 tablespoon serving contains 0.85 grams of plant stanol esters.

6 Smart Balance Omega-3 is a butter substitute containing 500mg ofomega-3 fatty acids per 1 tablespoon serving. These enriched butters have been determined to have beneficial effects on blood lipid profiles. (Kolanowski, 2001) Results from this experiment, refer to figures 1-4, indicate that Smart Balance Omega-3 is an acceptable substitute for butter in sugar cookies. The Smart Balance Omega-3 variable was favored as most palatable in the objective sensory tests. Butter rated second for preference, while the Benecol treatment was least favored. It is important to note there were several possible sources for error and bias in the design of this experiment. The rise of the cookies also had an effect. Refer to table 8 and figure 6. Cookies prepared with enriched butters tended to have a higher rise in all three trials than butter. The rise of this product may have been significant to the difference in the texture analyzer. Refer to table 9 and figure 5. The texture analyzer needed more force to penetrate the enriched butters, possibly due to the higher rise of these products. The results from these tests and the procedure followed may have affected the outcome results due to error. One source of error that could have skewed the results pertains specifically to trial 2. The cookies treated with Smart Balance Omega-3 served to the sensory panel before they were allowed to cool for 8 minutes. Panelists potentially could have favored the warmer, softer cookie texture over the other two treatments that were served at a cooler temperature. Another potential source of error was the fact the two different ovens were used during the baking of all variable and trials. The potential difference in heat distribution, temperature, and rack placement inside of the over could affect the finished cookie product. Human error played a role as cooking time for each trial and method were not exact (they varied per direction between 8 and 10 minutes, until golden brown) which yielded slightly different subjective and objective products. There are many potential areas for future research involving the use of butter substitutes in cooking. Cookies themselves are high in sugar as well as fat and this experiment could be reproduced using a different medium such as mashed potatoes or a bread product that are lower in

7 sugar. It would also be interesting to analyze the exact amount of omega-3 fatty acids or plant sterolstanols that are in each serving of the finished product produced. However, regardless of the medium, replacing regular butter with enriched butter substitutes is an effective way to increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids and plant sterols to help decrease potential heart disease risk, without significantly sacrificing palatability of the finished product.

8 References: Cleghorn CL, Skeaff CM, Mann J, Chisholm A. Plant sterol-enriched spread enhances the cholesterol-lowering potential of a fat-reduced diet. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2003;57: Harper CR, Jacobson TA. Usefulness of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and the Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease. Am J Cardiol 2005;96: Kolanowski W, Swiderski F, Lis E, Berger S. Enrichment of spreadable fats with polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 2001;52: Law M. Plant Sterol and Stanol Margarines and Health. BMJ 2000;320: Mattes R. Oral exposure to butter, but not fat replacers elevates postprandial triacylglycerol concentration in humans. Journal of Nutrition 2003;131: Weststrate JA, Meijer GW. Plant sterol-enriched margairines and reduction of plasma total and LDLcholesterol concentrations in normalcholesteraemic and mildly hypercholesterolaemic subjects. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1998;52:

9 Sensory evaluation: Please taste all three samples Rate sample 745 by checking the appropriate box. extremely very much moderately slightly Neither like or dislike slightly moderately extremely very much Rate sample 128 by checking the appropriate box. extremely very much moderately slightly Neither like or dislike slightly moderately extremely very much Rate sample 639 by checking the appropriate box. extremely very much moderately slightly Neither like or dislike slightly moderately extremely very much Rank the samples in order of preference. (1 being the one you like most and 3 being the one you like least.) Comments:

10 Table 1: Trial data from taste panel scorecards for sample 745: Dis Ex Dis VM Dis M Dis S Neither S Mod VM Ex Total Trial Trial Trial Total Average Table 2: Trial data from taste panel scorecards for sample 128: Dis Ex Dis VM Dis M Dis S Neither S Mod VM Ex Total Trial Trial Trial Total Average Table 3: Trial data from taste panel scorecards for sample 639: Dis Ex Dis VM Dis M Dis S Neither S Mod VM Ex Total Trial Trial Trial Total Average

11 Table 4: Trial 1 data from taste panel scorecards rankings of samples with 1 being most preferred and 3 being least preferred Table 5: Trial 2 data from taste panel scorecards ranking of samples with 1 being most preferred and 3 being least preferred Table 6: Trial 2 data from taste panel scorecards ranking of samples with 1 being most preferred and 3 being least preferred Table 7: Trial 2 data from taste panel scorecards ranking of samples with 1 being most preferred and 3 being least preferred

12 Table 8: Rise of 3 Cookies Stacked Measured in Centimeters TRIAL Benecol Smart Balance Butter (Control) Average: Table 9: Texture Analysis Measured in Grams TRIAL Benecol Smart Balance Butter (Control) Average

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