Effect of Gluten Composition in Low-Allergy O-Free Wheat Flour on Cookie-Making Performance Compared with Flours with Different Gluten Strengths

The increasing demand for allergen-free and reduced-allergen foods has led to an investigation into the potential use of O-free wheat, a low-allergy wheat cultivar, in cookie production. This study focused on assessing the gluten composition of O-free flour and comparing its suitability for cookie making in comparison to flours with varying gluten strengths. Several analyses were conducted, including gluten composition, solvent retention capacity (SRC), thermal and pasting properties, dough-mixing characteristics, and cookie-making performance. The gluten composition of O-free flour by SDS-PAGE confirmed the absence of ω-gliadins and the reduced levels of low-molecular-weight glutenins and γ-gliadins. The SRC values of O-free flour fell between the flours with weak and medium gluten strengths. While thermal and pasting properties showed significant differences in sucrose solution but not across flour types, indicating similar starch structures, mixograms displayed distinct variations influenced by both sucrose solution and flour type, highlighting the importance of gluten quality and composition. Cookies made with O-free flour demonstrated similarities to those produced with weak gluten flour, known for their favorable cookie characteristics. This study emphasizes the significant influence of flour gluten composition on cookie-making performance and advocates for the adoption of O-free flour in the development of allergy-friendly cookies.