Evaluation of cranberry tarhana in snack product form: Biscuit enriched with cranberry tarhana

The health benefits of the cranberry fruit have been noted by many researchers, and it is known to be rich in natural antioxidants and minerals. Cranberry tarhana, a traditional food product made from nutrient-rich cranberries, possesses a geographical indication specific to the province of Bolu. This product is prepared by mixing cranberry pulp with salt and wheat flour and drying it in a sun-free environment. The growing consumer awareness towards nutrition has heightened interest in healthy foods, thus promoting the development of food products with healthier contents. In this context, the addition of cranberry tarhana to biscuit formulations has been aimed to develop a new biscuit formulation. Preliminary trials conducted in this study resulted in the incorporation of 20% cranberry tarhana into the biscuits produced. The physicochemical properties such as energy, moisture, ash, protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, water activity, fat, and texture, along with sensory properties of the biscuits, have been analyzed in detail. According to the analysis results, the energy value of the biscuits enhanced with cranberry tarhana has been measured at 502.39 kcal. This value indicates a higher energy level compared to other biscuit varieties documented in the literature. The moisture and ash contents have been found to be 4.60% and 2.81% respectively; these findings suggest that the inclusion of cranberry tarhana influences the moisture and ash content of the biscuits. The protein content was measured at 6.08%, below 10%, suggesting that cranberry tarhana might reduce the protein content in biscuits. The carbohydrate content was determined to be 58.63%, which, based on literature, indicates that cranberry tarhana could have a reducing effect on carbohydrate levels in biscuits. Dietary fiber and fat contents were measured at 3.68% and 27.88% respectively, delineating the potential impacts of cranberry tarhana addition on these nutritional factors in biscuits. The water activity of the biscuits stood at 0.45, within an ideal range, while texture analyses calculated the brittleness at 1494.90 g.sec and hardness at 650 g.sec. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the utilization of cranberry tarhana in biscuit production can offer an innovative approach by blending traditional products with modern nutritional requirements. Biscuits enhanced with cranberry tarhana could present an appealing alternative for consumers seeking healthy snack options. However, the market potential and consumer acceptance of the product require further detailed investigation. Such analyses are anticipated to represent a significant area for future research.