Flaxseed is an excellent source of bioactive compounds, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), which when added to food products enhance their functionality. However, when flaxseed is added to foods, overall acceptability and sensory properties can be affected, which may negatively affect the role of functional food in providing health benefits. This study was designed to determine the effects of adding milled flaxseeds (20g or 30g) and storage (1 month and 6 months) at - 200C in banana and cinnamon muffins on the sensory properties of muffins using both consumer acceptability evaluation and descriptive analysis, physical and chemical measurements, and ALA and SDG concentrations. Results were correlated using partial least square (PLS) to provide an explicit demonstration of association between overall acceptability of muffins and results from various measurements conducted. It was revealed that the addition of flaxseed reduced overall acceptability due to the enhancement of flax aroma and flavor, oil aroma and flavor, sour aroma and taste, brown color, and firmness., while storage had no impact. The negative influence of these sensory attributes was addressed by the addition of flavorings. Cinnamon flavoring reduced the presence of oil aroma and flavor, and sour aroma and taste while firmness decreased when pureed banana was added. But the intensities of flax aroma and flavor, and brown color were still pronounced in muffins even after the addition of the two flavorings. ALA and SDG concentrations were markedly increased in muffins when flaxseed was added. Storage did not significantly affect the levels of ALA in all muffins but prolonged storage increased SDG level, which can be associated with its role in enhancing extraction proficiency of SDG from the muffin matrix. Although results revealed that acceptability of muffins was significantly higher among clinical trial participants, the mean liking values had moderate deviation between consumers and clinical trial participants. This indicated that muffins fortified with flaxseeds can be acceptable by consumers with diverse wants. / May 2016

Graduation date: 1943

”Stödbricka för muffinsformar” är ett examensarbete som självständigt utförts av Sara Glanander och Rebecka Westerlund under vårterminen 2011. Det har genomförts vid Karlstads universitet, fakulteten för teknik- och naturvetenskap under innovations- och designingenjörsprogrammet. Siluett of Sweden AB i Kristinehamn är uppdragsgivaren för projektet och kontaktperson samt handledare på företaget är Bernt Rådberg, försäljnings- och marknadschef. Handledare av projektet vid Karlstads universitet är Monica Jakobsson, universitetsadjunkt och programledare för innovations- och designingenjörsprogrammet. Examinator är Fredrik Thuvander, universitetslektor och professor på Karlstads universitet. Siluett, som tillverkar bakformar och andra kartong- och pappersbaserade produkter för bageri- och konditorinäringen, har lagt märke till en ökad efterfrågan av monterade mönstertryckta formar hos sina kunder. Därför startades projektet i syfte att tillgodose detta behov. Då företaget redan lagt märke till kundbehovet genomfördes en mindre förstudie i form av korta intervjuer på ett tiotal bagerier i Karlstad och fyra massproducerande bagerier runt om i landet. Fokus låg på produktspecificeringen där de krav och funktioner som efterfrågades identifierades.  Under konceptgenereringen användes olika idégenereringsmetoder, både självständigt och i grupp. Projektgruppen märkte dock att de fick de enklaste och mest entydiga beskrivningarna genom att göra skissmodeller i papper och enklare kartongmaterial, vilket därför flitigt användes under projektets gång. Här studerades även stödbrickans fysiska ergonomi samt materialets värmebeständighet i form av laborationer. De framtagna koncepten utvärderades och utvecklades. I slutet av projektet återstod fyra koncept vilka presenterades för handledaren på företaget. Det bästa konceptet valdes ut och anpassades för tillverkning av konstruktören, Niklas Karlén, på Petersson Packaging i Norrköping. För närvarande pågår nyhetsgranskning av konceptet, vilket medför att det slutliga resultatet inte kan redovisas. Konceptets mest framstående egenskaper är dock att den är enkel att vika ihop, den är stapelbar och lätthanterlig, vilket var några av projektets mål. / ”Support tray for muffin cups” is a final thesis which was independently executed by Sara Glanander and Rebecka Westerlund during spring 2011. It was carried out through Karlstad University Faculty of Technology and Science in the study program of Innovation and Design Engineering. The employer of the project is Siluett of Sweden AB in Kristinehamn. The contact person and instructor at the company is Bernt Rådberg, sales and marketing manager. The supervisor at Karlstad University is Monica Jakobsson, lecturer and director of studies for the study program in Innovation and Design Engineering. Examiner is Fredrik Thuvander, lecturer and professor at Karlstad University. Siluett manufactures muffin cups and other cardboard- and paperbased products for the bakery- and patisserie industry. They have noticed an increase in demand from their customers for set up, patterned, muffin cups. The project was initiated to fulfill this need. Since the company had already noticed the need, only a smaller preliminary study was performed. The study was in the shape of short interviews at ten different bakeries in Karlstad and four mass-producing bakeries around the country. The focus was on the defining of the product where the inquired demands and functions were specified. Different methods were used during the concept generation, both individually and in group. The project team noticed that the easiest way to get understandable descriptions were by making small models in paper and cardboard. This method was diligently used throughout the project. Also the physiological ergonomics was studied and the heat resistance of the material was tested by laboratory experiments. The produced concepts were evaluated and developed. In the end, only four concepts remained and were presented to the instructor at the company. The best concept was chosen and later adjusted for manufacturing by Nicklas Karlén, a constructor at Peterson Packaging AB in Norrköping. For the present a novelty search is going on, which entails that the final result cannot be shown. The most eminent characteristic of the chosen concept is its simplicity. It is easy to fold, easy to stack and easy to handle, which was some of the goals of the project.