Arthrospira platensis as protein source for healthier gluten free fermented foods

Gluten free foods, designed and marketed for the needs of people who are unable to metabolize gluten, in recent years have aroused a growing interest that has led to the conquest of important market segments, with a strongly growing trend. Given the low protein content of standard gluten-free flours, it is particularly important to study the enrichment of protein concentration. In this work the protein enrichment of "gluten free" baked goods was done with the addition of Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) flour to generate a dough with at least 12% of energy derived from protein that can be claimed "protein source". Two different flours mixtures were compared: corn/rice to corn/rice/spirulina. These were fermented traditionally and with sourdough, including Lb. sanfranciscensis Bb12, Lb. plantarum 98a, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae LBS. After 6 or 18 hours of fermentation, the doughs were baked, and the end products subjected to "consumer's tests" to obtain information on the sensory aspect and the general appreciation.