Reuse of spent espresso coffee as sustainable source of fibre and antioxidants. A map on functional, microstructure and sensory effects of novel enriched muffins

To discover and to use sustainable source of nutrients and functional compounds is an urgent problem to tackle for the modern societies. We have utilized the spent espresso coffee grounds (SECG) to replace - in muffins formulation - mass fractions of 15% and 30% of wheat flour and we have analyzed the changes in texture, microstructure, phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant capacity, fibre and sensory properties. The volume of the enriched muffins didn't change significantly but their microstructure varied considerably. Using SECG, the TPC increased from 2 to 4 times than traditional muffins, whereas the gain of dietary fibre covered the 12-20% of the recommended daily intake and allow meeting the EU claim of 'high in fibre'. Sensory properties were scored greater than 3.5 in a scale of 5, proving that SECG could be used as ingredients for a more sustainable food sector.