Foods 2022, 11, 2577. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11172577 www.mdpi.com/journal/foods Article Development of High-Fibre and Low-FODMAP Crackers Kristina Radoš, Nikolina Čukelj Mustač *, Katarina Varga, Saša Drakula, Bojana Voučko, Duška Ćurić and Dubravka Novotni Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia * Correspondence: nikolina.cukelj@pbf.unizg.hr Abstract: Since there are no products in the European market labelled as low-FODMAP (low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols), patients with irritable bowel syndrome and non-celiac wheat sensitivity often consume gluten-free products. These natu- rally contain little FODMAP, but have poorer sensory properties and lower nutritional value. This study aimed to develop sensory attractive crackers with high-fibre and low-FODMAP content. Var- ious gluten-free flours (wholemeal buckwheat and millet, white maize), pumpkin seed meal, chia seeds, flax seeds, rice protein, sweet potato, sourdough, and spices were used to develop nine for- mulations. Using a nine-point hedonic scale and ranking test, four best-scored products were se- lected for which descriptive sensory analysis was performed and nutritional value and fructan con- tent were determined. Crackers made from maize and millet flour mixtures (ratio 1:2.5) with sour- dough and with chia or flax seed addition were rated highest for overall impression (8.2 and 7.0, respectively). Generally, high-fibre content, hardness, chewiness, dark colour, and bitterness lower the acceptability of crackers, but the addition of spices and sourdough can improve their accepta- bility and marketability. The crackers could be labelled as “gluten-free”, “low-FODMAP” (<0.12 g/100 g), “naturally high-fibre” (7–10 g/100 g of which 17–23% are soluble), and “high in protein” (24–26 g/100 g). Keywords: wholemeal formulations; low fructan; sensory analysis; ready-to-eat; oilseeds; spices; sourdough; gluten-free 1. Introduction Non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are the growing metabolic disorders for which an adapted and individualised diet is usually rec- ommended as an integral part of the treatment. Low fermentable oligosaccharide, disac- charide, monosaccharide, and polyol (FODMAP) diets show the best effect in alleviating the symptoms of IBS and NCWS. FODMAPs are important natural prebiotics and their intake affects the structure and function of the gut microbiota. However, they are also characterised by poor absorption in the small intestine, fermentability, and high osmotic activity, which can cause digestive problems in sensitive individuals. In fact, reducing FODMAPs is cited as more likely to improve symptoms in NCWS than eliminating glu- ten-containing products [1]. An important principle of the low-FODMAP diet is the replacement of intolerable high-FODMAP foods with nutritionally equivalent low-FODMAP foods. This is a major challenge as avoiding FODMAP can easily lead to low intake of dietary fibre and micro- nutrients, which, if not compensated by suitable alternative sources of fibre, can lead to undesirable changes in the gut microbiota [2]. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the development of tasty functional ready-to-eat products with balanced nutrient com- position but with low-FODMAP content [3]. Ready-to-eat products, such as snacks, have become an important part of the diet in the fast-paced modern world. Commonly, cereal snacks are high in saturated fats, simple sugars, or sodium [4], while low in fibre. How- ever, for people suffering from NCWS, adequate intake of fibre (21 to 38 g per day) is Citation: Radoš, K.; Čukelj Mustač, N.; Varga, K.; Drakula, S.; Voučko, B.; Ćurić, D.; Novotni, D. Development of High-Fibre and Low-FODMAP Crackers. Foods 2022, 11, 2577. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/foods11172577 Academic Editors: Theodoros Varzakas and Maria Papageorgiou Received: 25 July 2022 Accepted: 22 August 2022 Published: 25 August 2022 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neu- tral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institu- tional affiliations. Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Li- censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and con- ditions of the Creative Commons At- tribution (CC BY) license (https://cre- ativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).