European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety

Extracting oil from mango seeds presents a sustainable approach to utilising by-products from the mango processing industry. This study investigated the potential of extracting oil from mango seeds using mechanical extraction methods and then incorporated it into cookies. The oil was substituted for traditional fats such as butter in cookie formulations to assess its impact on texture, flavour, and overall product quality. The sensory evaluation of cookies enriched with mango seed oil was carried out through sensory panels to determine acceptability. The sensory qualities in terms of colour, flavour, texture, and aroma were assessed by a panel of judges with a 9-point hedonic scale. In the trials, mango seed oil replaced fats at levels of 40% and 60%. Cookies with 40% mango seed oil had better acceptance than those with 60%. The use of mango seed oil made the sensory parameters of cookies more acceptable to the panellists. Trial 1, using 40% mango seed oil, was rated higher in appearance, texture, taste, and overall acceptance. When the mango seed oil level increased to 60%, the cookies received lower sensory scores. The proximate composition of the yam fasting snack indicated a moisture concentration of 3.6%, indicating effective drying that improves shelf durability while decreasing microbial activity. Recent research found similar moisture levels (2.8-7.3%) in yam-oat snack bars. The protein level of 4.9% in the current study, while lower than the 8-12% range reported for raw yam tubers, is nonetheless much greater than that found in yam-oat snack bars (0.21-0.89%). The results suggested that mango seed oil was a viable, sustainable, and healthy alternative fat source in cookie production, offering a unique flavour and improved nutritional profile, while also contributing to waste reduction in the mango industry.