Turning Wastes into Resources: Red Grape Pomace-Enriched Biscuits with Potential Health-Promoting Properties

The life-long adherence to a dietary pattern able to provide a high amount of polyphenols demonstrating beneficial cardiometabolic effects is demanding for the general population. In this study, red grape pomace (GP) was used as an ingredient to increase the daily polyphenols’ intake. The incorporation of crude crushed GP at 20 and 30% (w/w) in a control (CTR) biscuit formula improved the nutritional profile by increasing the fiber and reducing lipid and energy content while providing up to 540 mgGAE of polyphenols per 100 g. Besides anthocyanins, GP contains flavonoids and grape-seed procyanidins, contributing to the remarkable antioxidant capacity of 20- and 30-GP biscuits. Upon in vitro gastro-duodenal enzymatic digestion, the concentration of reducing sugars for 20-GP and 30-GP compared to the CTR biscuits dropped significantly, meaning that the combined action of GP fibers and polyphenols could delay the intestinal absorption of glucose. Overall, 60 volatiles were detected in biscuits. All in all, the content of Maillard reaction products was lower in GP than in CTR biscuits, possibly due to the free radical scavenging ability of polyphenols. Despite the high rates of GP utilized, the sensorial attributes and the overall liking of the GP biscuits—especially the 20-GP ones—were not substantially affected. These findings will support nutritional studies to assess the potential role as functional foods of GP biscuits, and, afterwards, the large-scale production of a food mainly based on a waste ingredient turned into a resource.