Cashew stalk flour (Anacardium Occidentale L.) as a sustainable alternative:

preparation and acceptability of cookies

Abstract

The cashew stalk is a potential source of nutrients and bioactive compounds wasted in the production cycle. The use of the pseudofruit as cashew flour shows promise when replacing wheat flour in items such as cookies. The objective was to obtain flour from cashew stalks to make cookies as a sustainable alternative for human consumption. Cashew flour was mixed with wheat flour at levels of 50% (Biscuit A), 75% (Biscuit B) and 80% (Biscuit C) to prepare the cookie dough. The products were subjected to sensory evaluation (hedonic scale of acceptance, preference and purchase intention). The sensory attributes evaluated were texture, aroma, softness, flavor, sweetness, appearance, color and overall quality by 76 untrained tasters. Data were analyzed using Stata® software version 14.0 (p<0.05). In the sensory analysis, the evaluation “I liked it moderately” predominated for biscuit A; “I liked it slightly” for cookie B, while cookie C alternated averages for “I liked it slightly” and “I liked it moderately”. The flavor attribute showed a significant difference between the cookies, with a higher average for cookie A (p=0.0114). Regarding the global acceptance rate, the three formulations presented a percentage >75% (biscuit A: 81.01%; biscuit B: 76.37% and biscuit C: 78.05%). The majority would buy all three types of cookies, with a predominance of cookie A, which was preferred by 56.58%. Thus, the cookies showed good acceptability and knowledge about the nutritional benefits of cashew flour places it as a good food alternative, being healthy and sustainable.