BEE POLLEN AS A FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENT IN ARTISANAL BREAD

Pursuing a healthy lifestyle has encouraged the population to improve their dietary habits by searching for higher quality products, preferably with health benefits, rich in vitamins and bioactive compounds. In this context, rich in functional components, bee pollen can fulfill these expectations when incorporated into processed foods, revealing a potential as an ingredient in the food industry. This study assessed the physicochemical characteristics of artisanal bread containing bee pollen. Concentrations of 3%, 5%, and 8% of pollen were added to the bread doughs. Instrumental color measurements were taken for the crust and crumb one day after baking. For the texture profile analysis (TPA), the samples were analyzed 48 hours after storage at room temperature. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS methods) were determined in bee pollen and bread. The color of the bread changed according to the proportion of bee pollen added. The higher content of phenolic compounds, together with the Maillard reaction, resulted in darker breads, with higher intensity of red and yellow color in the formulation with 8% bee pollen. Regarding the structural properties, the addition of pollen led to changes in the TPA parameters of the bread. The formulation with 3% pollen exhibited the highest potential for application, as it led to a product with lower hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness while also having higher resilience, which can be a positive aspect when considering transportation. We can conclude that bee pollen is an interesting functional ingredient and that its incorporation in bread promoted a significant increase in the polyphenol content, as well as in the antioxidant potential of the final product.