Fiesta Flax

A healthy cracker alternative

Jennifer Axford
Jenny Chau
Megan Sealy
Christopher Penaflor

Product Description and Importance

Flaxseeds are considered an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (an
omega-3 fatty acid) which has been associated with significantly improved lipid
profiles by lowering total cholesterol, LDL-C and triglycerides and increasing
HDL-C in hyperlipidemic patients (Mandasescu 2005). Additionally, flaxseeds are
the richest source of the plant lignin secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), and
high in the lignans matariecinol and pinoresinol. These lignans are converted into
the mammalian lignans enterodiol (ENL) and enterolactone (END) by intestinal
flora. These estrogen-like compounds have been shown to have a direct affect on
hormonal balances in humans and research has shown they may reduce the risk of
certain hormone-related cancers such as breast, prostate and colon cancers
(Patterson 2011). Additionally, flaxseeds contain the water soluble, gel-forming
fibers arabinoxylan and galactoxylan. These natural gums help to prevent rapid
emptying of the stomach into the small intestine, which improve absorption of
certain nutrients in the small intestine (Hutchins 2001). Furthermore, the mucilage
formed by arabinoxylans and galactoxylan gums act as chelating agents, binding
with heavy metals such as mercury, helping the body rid itself of these harmful
agents. The studies indicating the positive effects of the compounds in flax seeds on
cardiovascular health, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, chelating
capabilities and cancer prevention are numerous. This is why we created a cracker
whose main ingredient is ground and whole toasted brown flax seeds.
Over the past ten years there has been a substantial increase in consumers
who consider themselves healthy snackers, transitioning from 29 million to 41
million (4% increase). This segment of consumers include a market that is
motivated by ideas of health and wellness and seek out snacks that consist of more
healthy ingredients such as grains, high protein, legumes, vegetables and seeds
(SAS 2015). Consumer interest in healthier snack options is due in part by the
alarming statistic of 17.3 million deaths from cardio vascular disease in 2008,
public awareness of the risks associated with high consumption unhealthy snacks
and the continued demand of convenience foods and snacks (WHO 2013). Because
of the well-documented benefits of the components of flaxseed and the convenient
form of a snack-sized cracker, we feel our Fiesta Flax fits the bill for this
increased need.

Product Formulation and Ingredients

The intention of Fiesta Flax was to make a snack product whose main ingredient
was a combination of ground and whole flaxseed for its many healthful benefits. In order
to reach the broadest market possible due to increasing health concerns of the average
consumer, we formulated a cracker that is vegan, gluten free, non GMO, and contained
no preservatives. The intended flavor is savory, with a hint of spiciness, and is South
American in flavor profile with the addition of chipotle, cilantro and garlic.
Table 1: Fiesta Flax Formulations
Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Trial 4

3 T Garlic

3 T Garlic

3 T Garlic

3 T Garlic

4 oz Raw Cashews

4 oz Raw Cashews

4 oz Raw Cashews

4 oz Raw Cashews

7 T Sun Dried
Tomatoes

7 T Sun Dried
Tomatoes

7 T Sun Dried
Tomatoes

7 T Sun Dried
Tomatoes

1 Cup Flax Seeds

1 Cup Flax Seeds

1 Cup Flax Seeds

1 Cup Flax Seeds

C Nutritional
Yeast

C Nutritional
Yeast

C Nutritional
Yeast

C Nutritional
Yeast

C Cilantro
Leaves

C Cilantro
Leaves

C Cilantro
Leaves

C Cilantro
Leaves

tsp Salt

tsp Salt

tsp Salt

1 tsp Liquid
Aminos

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Turmeric

tsp Black Pepper

1 T Olive Oil

1 T Olive Oil

1 T Olive Oil

1 T Olive Oil

1 T Chipotle in
Adobo

1 T Chipotle in
Adobo

1 T Chipotle in
Adobo

1 T Chipotle in
Adobo

After four different formulas, the result is an attractive, slightly crunchy, savory and
mildly spicy cracker.

Final Recipe

3 tsp. Garlic Cloves

4 Oz Cashews, soaked
7 T Sundried Tomatoes (rehydrated and water reserved)
1 C Toasted Brown Flax Seeds (separated)
C Nutritional Yeast
tsp Turmeric Powder
C Packed Cilantro Leaves
1 T Chipotle Pepper in Adobo
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp Liquid Aminos

Directions
Prep the following in advance: Soak cashews in filtered water for 1 hour then
drain. Rehydrate sundried tomatoes in hot filtered water (approximately 5 minutes), toast
flax seeds in a dry skillet on medium heat until the seeds start to make a snapping sound
and a nutty odor emerges, being careful to toss seeds frequently to prevent burning. This
process takes approximately 5 7 minutes. Set 1/3 cup flaxseed aside.
Next add all ingredients except olive oil and 1/3 cup flax seeds to a food
processor and process until a sticky dough is formed. You may need to add a bit of the
sundried tomato water to get things moving. Once the dough forms a solid ball, it is done
processing. Transfer dough to a medium-sized bowl and add whole reserved flax seeds.
Mix well with a rubber spatula.
Coat jellyroll sheets with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil and smooth
approximately C of the flax dough on the jellyroll sheet with fingertips and finish with
a rubber spatula. Dip fingers in water if the dough begins to stick. Repeat this process of
pressing and smoothing on jellyroll sheets until all the dough is used (approximately 6
sheets). Score the dough with a bench scraper or the dull end of a knife to create 1
squares. Dehydrate at 109* for 16 hours, or until dry. Once completely dry, carefully
separate the squares. Makes approximately 80 - 1 squares.
Functional Ingredients
Flaxseeds serve many functions in Fiesta Flax. Their high alpha linolenic acid
content makes them an ideal choice for a cracker whose purpose is to provide a healthier
snack option (Mandasescu 2005). In addition, the mucilage formed by the gums
arabinoxylan and galactoxylan create a natural binder that would usually be
accomplished by egg proteins, Xanthan gum, guar gum or other well-known binders
(Patterson 2011). Toasting the flax seeds before adding them to the other ingredients
removes some of their stickiness and density and therefore increases their crunchiness.
Cashews are a common ingredient in vegan and raw cuisine. When soaked and
pureed in a food processor or blender, they add creaminess to dishes that would
traditionally call for heavy cream, milk or cheese. In addition, they are a good source of

fiber. In Fiesta Flax, they serve as the foundation of the cracker dough and act as a
binder for the other ingredients.
Sundried tomatoes add tanginess to Fiesta Flax that resembles a sharp cheddar
cheese. In addition, they add a rich, vibrant color and when paired with garlic, create a
savory, complex flavor. Garlic is also well known for its antibiotic and cholesterollowering abilities (Fonseca 2011). Soaking the sundried tomatoes allows them to be
processed more smoothly.
From the kingdom Fungi, nutritional yeast is an inactive form of yeast that is used
by many vegetarians and vegans to impart a cheesiness similar to cheddar to dishes
without the use of dairy. Nutritional yeast is one of the only vegan sources of vitamin
B12 (Norris 2012).
Turmeric gives Fiesta Flax a bright yellow hue that is intended to resemble
Nabisco brand Doritos. Additionally, there has been much research in the past several
years touting turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory, which may relieve joint pain due
to arthritic conditions and perhaps even reducing the risk of certain cancers (Ramadan
2011).
In order to accomplish a Latin-American flavor profile, chipotle pepper in adobo
sauce and cilantro were added. The chipotle pepper adds heat that is common in Latin
America, and the adobo sauce contributes to smokiness, further elevating the flavor of
Fiesta Flax. Cilantro is commonly added to Latin dishes either as an ingredient in a recipe
or as a garnish or accompaniment. The bright green color also adds vibrancy to the
recipe, especially when added in the last few seconds of processing.
Finally, Liquid Aminos, which is a gluten free soy sauce alternative, was used in
place of salt to enhance the flavor of Fiesta Flax. Liquid Aminos impart an umami flavor
that plain salt cannot accomplish.
Because Fiesta Flax are dehydrated instead of baked or fried, as traditional
crackers are, most ingredients remain in their raw state and therefore contain live
enzymes.
The nutrition fact panel and recipe card are included in the appendices.

Product Performance
The texture force was the primary characteristic tested for the fiesta flax crackers.
No other commercial cracker was similar to the ingredient base of the fiesta flax crackers
therefore any alternative texture tests would be unreliable and incomparable. The
machine used to analyze the texture force was the Texture Technologies TA.XT Plus
Machine. The TA.XTPlus Texture Analyzer, measures texture and quantifies the
hardness, brittleness, fracturability, adhesiveness, stiffness, elasticity, Bloom strength,
ect., according to the Texture Technologies Corp (1998-2003). In the context of this
study, the texture analysis was used to evaluate the elasticity of our product to determine
if there was consistent texture throughout the product.
The results indicated that the fiesta flax crackers required a typically lower
amount of force for penetration compared to the competitive standard of the Marys Gone
Crackers. Mean values for force of penetration were 8798.7 g for the fiesta flax crackers
(Figure 1). Results suggest that the recipe formula for the fiesta flax bars produces a soft
texture cracker compared to the other commercial flax cracker, which generally have a
firmer texture. Due to the lack of similarity of ingredient formula for any commercial
crackers the data lacked a reliable comparison therefore, results were not reliable for
texture analysis. This may have been a result of creating a new original recipe for the
fiesta flax cracker. Reliability could have been improved by using a larger sample size to
help account for the variability in texture for the crackers or by altering the ingredient
formula of fiesta flax to be more like Marys Gone Crackers.

Penetration Force
25000
20000
15000

Force (grams)
10000
5000
0
Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Sample 4

Sample 7

Sample 8

Sample 9

Sample 10

Sample 5

Figure 1: Values for penetration force for Fiesta Flax crackers.

Market Potential

Sample 6

As humans are becoming more health conscious, there are so many different
options for consumers, and there's no lack of healthier snacking products since the market
has expanded (White-Sax 2010). Consumers are now swapping out high fat and high
sodium content snacks for healthier alternatives. Consumers want snacking to be an
opportunity to fulfill nutritional requirements, such as a whole grain serving due to their
busy and hectic lifestyles (White-Sax 2010). However, major manufacturers continue to
fill their products with cheap fillers, preservatives and chemicals. When comparing
crackers already on the market, it is apparent that consumers are looking for a savory
alternative to a traditional style cracker that also provides healthful benefits. Our product
not only provides a savory flavor and natural crunch, but contains ingredients such as flax
seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic, cashews and herbs which provide additional nutritional
benefits
Sensory Testing
The sensory test was conducted at San Diego State University in the Food Science
Laboratory in West Commons and in the Nutrition 401 classroom of the Professional
Studies and Fine Arts building. There were 37 participants between the ages of 18 31
with 88% of the participants being female. All the participants are undergraduates and did
not smoke. Those participants who had nut allergies were asked not to participate in the
sensory test. For more information on the participants see Appendix A.
Each participant was given a sensory questionnaire located (see Appendix B),
filtered water and a sample. Before starting the sensory test each participant was asked
not to talk to other participants and to follow the instruction stated on the sensory
questionnaire. The sensory questionnaire consisted of eight questions in regards to the
sample. The participants were asked to rate the product using a scale from 1 7, 1 being
strongly dislike and 7 strongly like on the following: texture, appearance, taste, and
overall likability. The last two questions asked if the participants would purchase this
product and if this product made health claims would that increase the likeliness to
purchase the product. Once the participants were finished, the sensory questionnaires
were collected.
The results were recorded and entered in an Excel spreadsheet. Results can be
seen in the figures provide below. It was shown from the sensory testing the texture of
our product majority of the participants disliked a little (Figure 1). Participants did not
enjoy the texture of the product due to lack of crisp and thickness.

Figure 1. The Texture of the Fiesta Flax

In figure 2, the participants rated the taste of the product. Thirty per cent of the
participants rated neither which means they did not like nor dislike the taste of the
product. Participants liked the spicy flavor of the product.

Figure 2. Percentages Selected on Taste of the Product

Figure 3. reflects that 43% participants neither liked nor disliked the appearance of the
product. Some participants compared our product to beef jerky and while other found the
product appealing to eat.

Figure 3. Appearance

Participants were asked about the overall likeability of the Fiesta Flax. Forty-eight per
cent of participants reflected that they neither liked nor disliked the product overall.
Results are reflected in figure 4.

Figure 4.
Participants were asked the likeliness of purchasing Fiesta Flax (Figure 5). Fifty-six
percent of the participants voted yes and 44% voted no.

Figure 5.

If our product contained health claims what would be the likelihood of purchasing Fiesta
Flax (Figure 6). Sixty-two percent of participants voted scored yes while only 38%
scored no.

Figure 6.

Shelf Life Estimated

Fiesta flax is made of fresh ingredients with no preservatives. Water activity was
assessed using a hydroscope that uses sensors to measure humidity. The results of the
hydroscope analysis indicated that the average water activity measured 0.471 Aw, a direct
indicator that that fiesta flax is a low risk for contamination for bacteria or molds. The
results suggest that the dehydration methods used is an effective method of preservation
and increased shelf life for Fiesta Flax. Fiesta Flax has a similar water activity to many
commercial cracker products on the market.
We hypothesize that using similar packaging as Marys Gone Crackers (the most
similar product to Fiesta Flax available) our product will have the same shelf life of
approximately 6 months when stored at room temperature.
Results of Aw analysis are demonstrated in figure 7 below.

Water Activity
0.6
0.5
0.4

Water Activity (0-1)

0.3
0.2
0.1
0

Fiesta Flax
Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Figure 7. Values for water activity evaluation

Trail 4

Trail 5

Regulatory Stipulations
The 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) provides the FDA with
regulations authorizing health claims may be used on a label or in labeling for a
conventional food or dietary supplement. According to these regulations, Fiesta Flax is a
gluten free product and is high in protein and fiber. It is also a good source of Omega 3
fatty acids. The FDA states that a product to be considered high in fiber must contain 5
grams per serving (FDA 2013). Our product contains 5.14g of fiber per serving. For a
product to be considered as a good source of a certain nutrient the FDA states that the
product must be 10-19% of the Daily Value (DV) per reference amount customarily
consumed (RACC). With the being said, our product is considered a good source of
folate. Generally, the recommendation for protein is 10-35% of your daily calories. The
protein in our product is 6.42 grams, which considering the portion size is significantly
high. The American Heart Association (AHA 2015) recommends that adults should
consume omega-3 fatty acids (AHA 2015). According to AHA, flaxseeds are a good
source of omega 3 fatty acids because it contains -linolenic acid. The FDA labeling
regulation states that a gluten free product must contain <20 ppm, and must not contain
wheat, rye or barley. The lab did not have equipment that measures the amount of gluten
per ppm. However, our product does not contain wheat, rye, or barley.
FDA Standards are included in Appendices.
Product Cost
All of the ingredients that were used to make the fiesta flax crackers were
purchased at Windmill Farms located on Del Cerro Boulevard, San Diego, CA. included
flax seed, cashews, sundried tomatoes, garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, turmeric, cilantro,
chipotle pepper in adobo, liquid aminos and extra virgin olive oil. The total cost of the
ingredients for several trials and the final product was approximately $70. The price per
recipe, which makes about 1 serving for $3.15. The final product would be sold at $6.00
per box (1 serving). Although the price of fiesta flax and Marys Gone Crackers are
nearly the same the ingredients are very different which would explain the difference in
profit over the long run. Fiesta flax ingredients are more expensive that the recipe base of
Marys Gone Crackers which was brown rice flour.

Package Suggestions
Our newly developed product is made from fresh ingredients and no artificial
flavors or preservatives are added. All ingredients are combined using a food processor
and stored in a dehydrator for at least 12 hours to eliminate water content and decrease
the likelihood of microbial growth. Dried foods are susceptible to insect contamination,
moisture reabsorption and must be properly packaged and stored immediately after
production (Andress 2015). With a water activity of 0.471 Aw, microbial growth and mold
are at a very low risk of developing. Our product will be scored into bite size pieces and
packaged into biodegradable chip bags. These compostable bags will be made from a
plant-based material called polylactic acid. This biodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic
polyester is derived from natural resources, such as cornstarch, tapioca root, and
sugarcane. Flaxseeds and cashews contain lipids, which are highly oxidizable, therefore
opaque chip bags will ensure protection from ultraviolet rays. One packaged bag will
constitute six servings (30g each serving) and can be sold per package. Individual, easy
to open plastic bags can ensure Fiesta Flax is portable and accessible at any time of need.

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