Moringa Oleifera supplemented biscuits: Nutritional values and consumer segmentation

Abstract Moringa oleifera is a nutrient-rich plant, known as a miracle tree, and commonly used as a food supplement. Despite its popularity, there are scant empirical findings on its real nutritional benefits and acceptance among consumers when added to food. To fill this gap, we added Moringa Dried Leaves (MDL) to biscuits. A consumer test was implemented to study the sensory properties of the biscuits. Nutritional properties, including in vitro protein digestibility, and physical properties were also investigated. Global liking indicates the segmentation of consumers into two clusters and confirmed heterogeneity. Cluster 1 consumers disliked the supplemented biscuits and cited dark green color and texture as the main reasons for dislike. Conversely, cluster 2 consumers, who were much younger, liked the supplemented biscuits due to their adventurous taste for novel products. Nutritional analysis revealed that the incorporation of MDL to biscuits increased their iron and proteins but led to incomplete protein digestion especially for biscuits with high supplementation. In addition, vitamin A derived from MDL was degraded during baking. The biscuit with the highest acceptability and digestion (C1) would increase protein intake only slightly but provide essential amino acids, which are deficient in wheat flour. These findings, confirm that there is a limit to further increasing the amount of MDL added to foods in order to provide more nutrients. In addition, it is recommended that Moringa supplemented products should be advertised with caution in order not to mislead the consumers.