Development of crackers with the addition of olive leaf flour (Olea europaea L.): Chemical and sensory characterization

Olive leaves (OL) are by-products of olive cultivation that are usually discarded, but due to the presence of bioactive compounds beneficial to health, they could be used. Thus, the objective of this paper is to develop a cracker from an olive leaf flour (OLF) and to verify the sensory effect of its use. Crackers were made from 5 formulations: F0 (without OLF), F3 (1,7 g/100 g), F5 (2,8 g/100 g), F7 (4 g/100 g), and F9 (5,1 g/100 g). In addition to OLF, the crackers had refined and whole wheat flour and almond flour. Oleuropein quantification, macronutrients, and sensory analysis were performed using Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), as well as consumer acceptance and preference, in addition to purchase intent. The amount of oleuropein found in the cookies was 1.30 mg/g to 1.80 mg/g. The addition of OLF does not change the macronutrients composition of the crackers. However, in the analysis of oleuropein, F9 showed a higher concentration of such compound (p