Development and Characterization of Muffins Formulated with Bigel and Oleogel as Alternatives to Commercial Vegetable Fat

Fats play important roles in food products, contributing to characteristics such as texture and flavor. However, high consumption of saturated fats is associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases, driving the search for healthier alternatives. In this context, oleogels and bigels have been studied as technological innovations to replace conventional fats, due to their potential to improve the lipid profile without altering the sensory and technological characteristics of foods. The objective of this study was to develop muffin formulations incorporating bigel and oleogel as substitutes for commercial vegetable fat. Three formulations were developed: a control (containing vegetable fat), a formulation containing oleogel (canola oil and carnauba wax), and a formulation containing bigel (canola oil, carnauba wax, and gelatin hydrogel). The samples were evaluated over a four-week period for the following parameters: moisture content, color assessment (Chroma and Hue), and texture analysis. Regarding moisture content, all formulations showed a gradual decline over the 28 days of storage. The formulation with the bigel-based substitute demonstrated greater similarity to the water loss behavior of the vegetable fat standard, as the hydrogel structure promoted gradual and controlled water loss during the period, demonstrating efficiency in retaining moisture in the product matrix. Regarding color, no significant differences were observed among the formulations for the hue parameter, remaining stable in the range of 80° to 83° throughout the study, which demonstrates that the substitutes were able to reproduce the characteristic yellowish color of the standard. Chroma also remained similar between bigel and the control for most of the study, no significant changes among the treatments. In the texture analysis, the formulation containing bigel exhibited intermediate behavior and was statistically similar to the vegetable fat standard during the first few weeks in terms of texture profile. However, starting in the third week, a significant difference was observed between the formulations, specifically for the parameters of hardness and chewability. It is concluded that Bigel, due to the structure of its network, helped maintain the physical and visual properties, proving to be the most viable alternative and the one closest to the behavior of vegetable fat during the four weeks of follow-up.