Fortification of vegetable fat with natural antioxidants recovered by bergamot pomace for use as an ingredient for the production of biscuits

Modern consumers are increasingly interested in eating healthy food and paying attention to the reduction of synthetic preservatives and the increased use of natural preservatives. For this reason, the aim of this work was to assess the effect of the addition of natural antioxidants extracted from Bergamot Pomace on the fortification of vegetable fat to improve its functional and qualitative characteristics. Furthermore, vegetable fat of neo formulation was used as an ingredient for the formulation of baked products (biscuits). The main physicochemical, microbiological, sensorial and antioxidant properties were evaluated for the different samples (fats and biscuits) to define the possible application of antioxidant compounds recycled from citrus waste. The effect of the fortification was demonstrated by the good results obtained regarding the enhancement of the oxidative stability; indeed, the addition of antioxidants to the biscuits protected them against the oxidation that could happen during the baking process. The antioxidant and preservative effects of the flavonoids resulted in an increase of the oxidative stability of the biscuits with a potential extension of shelf life.