Functional biscuits with PUFA-ω3 from Isochrysis galbana

BACKGROUND: Sweet biscuits, a traditional and nutritious food, can be healthy and very attractive when redesigned to be prepared with the addition of a natural product, the microalgal biomass of Isochrysis galbana. This marine microalga is recognised as a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5ω3), and is a promising ingredient in the food and feed industries. The importance of PUFA-ω3 (an alternative to fish oils) in food, and the need to increase the daily intake of these substances to promote a healthier lifestyle is now well known. RESULTS: Traditional butter biscuits were enriched with I. galbana biomass (1% and 3%) and evaluated in terms of colour, texture and fatty acid profile, within 3 months of storage. I. galbana biscuits presented total levels of 100 mg 100 g^-1 and 320 mg 100 g^-1 of PUFA-ω3 (EPA + DPA (docosapentaenoic acid; 22:5ω3) + DHA (docosahexaenoic acid; 22:6ω3) for 1% and 3% I. galbana, respectively. CONCLUSION: The enhancement of texture properties, the high stability of colour and texture and the good profile of polyunsaturated fatty acids, with emphasis on EPA and DHA, of the biscuits obtained, reveal a new food market niche opportunity.