Valorization of Defatted Black Sesame Cake in Noodle Products: A Sensory Evaluation Study

Theophane Venard School of Food Biotechnology and Innovation, Assumption University of Thailand

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Abstract

Reducing food waste through the valorization of agro-industrial by-products has become an important challenge in sustainable food systems. At the same time, functional noodles have attracted increasing attention as a convenient staple food platform for delivering added nutritional and health-related benefits. In this study, defatted black sesame cakes, a by-product generated after oil extraction, was repurposed as an ingredient in noodle formulations to evaluate its sensory feasibility. Three different common carbohydrate-based noodle sources were studied to examine the applicability of defatted black sesame cake in different noodle matrices. Sensory evaluation was conducted with 15 panelists, and the data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods (Kruskal–Wallis test), followed by appropriate post hoc comparisons. Based on sensory evaluation, the preferred level of defatted sesame was 5% in wheat-based noodles, 10% in rice-based noodles, and 5% in semolina-based noodles, with mean liking scores of 7.67±0.98, 6.00±1.51, and 6.87±1.68, respectively, on a 9-point hedonic scale. Significant differences among formulations were observed for selected sensory attributes, with color (P<0.01) and overall liking (P<0.05) showing particularly strong variation across samples. Overall, the results suggest that defatted black sesame cake can be incorporated into noodle formulations without compromising sensory acceptability. The variation in optimal substitution levels across noodle types further highlights the importance of matrix-specific formulation strategies, supporting its potential application in sustainable and functional noodle products.