Influence of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) and extra virgin olive oil addition on nutritional properties of salty crackers

This research was aimed to establish the optimum formulation of crackers based on buckwheat and rye flour, chia seed and extra virgin olive oil and subsequently examine the nutritional value of final products. The addition of chia seeds significantly affected the content of alpha-linolenic fatty acid, influencing the nutritional value of crackers, which led to the remarkable reduction in the omega-6/omega-3 ratio in both rye (2.5:1) and buckwheat crackers (2.4:1). Most of the amino acids (except serine, alanine, cystine) were not significantly (p < 0.05) affected by the share of chia seeds, as well as the type of flour used. Due to high dietary fiber and protein content, the investigated cracker may have a claim "source of fiber" and "source of protein". Sensory evaluation of crackers showed that all examined samples of crackers exhibited excellent quality, implying that the presence of chia did not diminish, but rather improved some sensory attributes, such as texture.