Evaluation of Physicochemical Properties, Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant Activity, Mineral Content, and Sensory Characteristics of Crackers Fortified with Olive Pomace

Olive pomace (OP), a by-product of olive oil production, is a rich source of various bioactive compounds. OP can be used as a value-added product for the development of functional food. The research aimed to produce functional crackers incorporating different levels of OP powder (ranging from 0% to 20%). Subsequent analysis involved evaluating the physicochemical and phytochemical compositions, antioxidant activity, mineral content, and sensory characteristics of all samples. In light of the findings, the samples containing OP powder are rich in phytochemicals (total phenolic and flavonoid contents), with higher antioxidant activities (total antioxidant content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS radical scavenging activity, and ferric reducing power), as well as a high amount of minerals compared to the control sample (P<0.05). Moreover, as the concentration of OP increased, there was a decline in the moisture content, water activity, and color values of the crackers. Conversely, the ash, fat, total flavonoid, total phenolic, and mineral contents, as well as antioxidant activity and hardness values, exhibited an increase. Sensory analyses revealed that the addition of 10% OP powder produced highly acceptable crackers compared to the higher concentration of OP (15 and 20%). Overall results indicated that functional crackers can be produced by the addition of powder and a maximum of 10% OP powder fortification is recommended for consumer acceptability.