Development of Spirulina Chocolate Cookies with Recycled Breadcrumbs

Loh, Kai Xin (2025) Development of Spirulina Chocolate Cookies with Recycled Breadcrumbs. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Spirulina, a nutrient-dense ingredient with high content of essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and antioxidants, has not been widely utilised for functional food production. Bread is a common food waste due to its short shelf-life. This study focused on developing functional cookies using spirulina with the addition of recycled breadcrumbs. The control cookies were made with all purpose flour, cocoa powder, margarine, chia seeds, sugar and vanilla extract. In Formulation 1 (F1), all purpose flour was partially substituted with 7.5% spirulina powder and 7.5% recycled breadcrumbs. In Formulation 2 (F2), all purpose flour was substituted with 15% spirulina powder and 15% recycled breadcrumbs. F2 contained 56.68% carbohydrates, 25.86% fat, 11.38% protein, 6.59% dietary fibre, 2.87% ash, and 3.71% moisture. The protein content of the F1 (9.54%) and F2 (11.38%) samples was significantly higher than that of the control (8.06%). The dietary fibre content of F1 and F2 increased by 1.5-fold and 2.3-fold compared to the control (2.87%). With >10% protein and >6% dietary fibre, F2 sample met the “high protein” and “high fibre” nutritional claim. F1 and F2 samples exhibited DPPH radical scavenging activity of 29.28% and 38.47%, respectively, both significantly higher than that of the control (24.4%). The sensory qualities (appearance, colour, aroma, taste, texture, overall acceptability) of the cookies were evaluated by 50 panellists using a 7-point hedonic scale. F2 sample was the most preferred cookie with an acceptance index of 85%. In conclusion, spirulina powder and recycled breadcrumbs demonstrated their functional food potential and could be utilised to enhance the nutritional values of cookies. This project supports the sustainable development goals - promoting good health and reduction of food waste. Future studies on the development of other functional foods incorporating spirulina and recycled breadcrumbs are proposed to further optimise their nutritional benefits and applications in food.