Acceptability of a gluten-free chicken croquette made with peach palm (bactris gasipaes h.b.k.) Coconut

Celiac disease is a condition in which genetically predisposed people have an autoimmune reaction to gluten proteins found mainly in wheat. Celiac disease patients have few and expensive options of gluten-free food products. The aim of this study was to create a gluten-free alternative to the wheat chicken croquette, a food largely consumed in Brazil. The main raw material used for the elaboration of gluten-free croquette was peach palm coconut, a cheap and quite available raw material, which has farinaceous texture, formation of alloy in the process of manipulation and when cooked results in a soft mass easy to model. This product was compared to the wheat traditional version by means of a sensory analysis, considering general aspect, consistency, flavor and aroma. General aspect and aroma did not differ significantly between the two products. The consistency of the traditional product had a higher rate than that of the gluten-free one. However, flavor was more favorable to the gluten-free coconut croquette. These results validate the gluten-free product regarding its sensory acceptability. This product can be an attractive alternative to celiac disease patients.