Physico-chemical properties of some commercial lines of Iranian cultivated wheat flour and their effects on sensory attribute of biscuit

Biscuits are the most common bakery product after bread in Iran and have a long shelf-life. The technological properties of Iranian wheats used to produce biscuits have not been investigated so far. The objective of this study was to investigate the physico-chemical properties of 20 Iranian wheat flours and the sensory properties of biscuits produced from them. Twenty Iranian wheat cultivars released by the Seed and Plant Improvement Institute (SPII), Karaj, Iran were studied. The wheat grains were milled using the Quadrumate Senior Mill. The physicochemical characteristics of the resulting flours were determined according to AACC (2000) methods. Biscuits were then baked from each flour and their organoleptic characteristics determined by trained panelists. The physical and chemical characteristics of the wheat flours differed significantly due to differences in genetic make-up and environmental factors. Sensory evaluation showed no significant differences between the colors and tastes of the biscuits. However, significant differences were found among them with regard to texture, shape and surface and overall acceptability. Further analysis of the data showed that the sensory characteristics of the biscuits were statistically negatively correlated with their protein and gluten contents, gluten index, and SDS sedimentation. Biscuits produced from Golestan, Moghan, Prishtaz, and Omid wheat cultivars had the highest quality and acceptability. The Moghan cultivar was found to give the highest yield of flour, so it is the most suitable cultivar for biscuit production.