SENSORY EVALUATION OF GLUTEN-FREE BAKERY PRODUCTS USING ALTERNATIVE FLOURS

The increasing demand for gluten-free bakery products has encouraged researchers and food manufacturers to explore alternative flours that can replace conventional wheat flour while maintaining desirable sensory characteristics. This study focuses on the sensory evaluation of gluten-free bakery products prepared using alternative flours such as rice, sorghum, millet, buckwheat, teff, and quinoa. The study aims to evaluate consumer responses to the sensory characteristics of different gluten-free bakery formulations, including appearance, colour, aroma, taste, texture, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability. A quantitative research approach with an experimental research design is proposed. Different bakery products will be prepared using selected gluten-free flour formulations, while a control formulation may be included for comparison. Sensory evaluation will be conducted using a structured nine-point hedonic scale involving selected sensory panelists. The collected data will be analysed using descriptive statistics, mean scores, standard deviations, and appropriate statistical tests such as one-way ANOVA. Previous research demonstrates that flour type and substitution level can significantly influence flavour, texture, volume, colour, and consumer acceptance. For example, sorghum, teff, and yacon combinations have produced gluten-free bread with favourable sensory characteristics, while recent work has also demonstrated consumer acceptance of gluten-free products prepared with buckwheat and other alternative flours. The study is expected to contribute to the development of acceptable, nutritious, and commercially viable gluten-free bakery products.