An Apple and Acáchul Berry Snack Rich in Bioaccessible Antioxidants and Folic Acid: A Healthy Alternative for Prenatal Diets.

A fruit leather (apple and acáchul berry) oriented toward women of reproductive age was developed. The snack was supplemented with an ingredient composed of folic acid (FA) and whey proteins (WPI) to ensure the required vitamin intake to prevent fetal neural tube defects. In order to generate a low-calorie snack, alternative sweeteners were used (stevia and maltitol). The fruit leather composition was determined. Also, an in vitro digestion process was carried out to evaluate the bioaccessibility of compounds with antioxidant capacity (AC), total polyphenols (TPCs), total monomeric anthocyanins (ACY), and FA. The quantification of FA was conducted by a microbiological method and by HPLC. The leather contained carbohydrates (70%) and antioxidant compounds, mainly from fruits. Bioaccessibility was high for AC (50%) and TPCs (90%), and low for ACY (17%). Regarding FA, bioaccessibility was higher for WPI-FA (50%) than for FA alone (37%), suggesting that WPI effectively protected the vitamin from processing and digestion. Furthermore, the product was shown to be non-cytotoxic in a Caco-2 cell model. The developed snack is an interesting option due to its low energy intake, no added sugar, and high content of bioactive compounds. Also, the supplementation with WPI-FA improved the conservation and bioaccessibility of FA.

Sensory, physicochemical, and functional stability of freeze-dried blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) Snacks. Effect of sweeteners.

The objective of this work was to develop two freeze-dried snacks from blackcurrant and different sweeteners: honey/isomalt (HI) sweetened with honey/isomalt, and isomalt/stevia (IS) sweetened with isomalt/stevia. Both snacks showed high bioactive compounds retention (>75%) and no significant changes in several physicochemical properties after 6 months storage. Fresh snacks were hard and crunchy, and the perception of consumers within liking categories was: HI: 43%, and IS: 72%. After storage HI snack showed higher acceptance by consumers (75% within liking categories) while IS snack showed a decrease in their acceptance (63% within disliking categories). The penalty analysis showed that the sensory shelf-life of both snacks would be limited by the changes produced in texture and color during storage. HI snack could reach six storage months, while IS would be stored up to 3 months. The use of diverse sweeteners allowed obtaining two different products which could be incorporated into a healthy diet.

Sensory characterization, acceptance, and stability studies on low calories fruit jelly candies.

The objective of this work was to characterize and evaluate the sensory acceptance and stability of jelly candies with flavor of orange (OJC) or raspberry (RJC), and alternative sweeteners (isomalt, maltitol syrup, and stevia). A qualitative sensory study showed that among potential buyers (70% of 200 participants), the main associations were related to taste, sensations/feelings, health, and appearance. A sensory panel (80 participants) performed the rating of liking, and the sensory intensity assays, which showed that both candies were rated within liking categories by more than 70% of consumers, and that the taste attributes were categorized at the right point. Color and gumminess were rated in the just point for RJC, while for OJC, these variables deviated from the expected. Regarding sensory stability, a penalty study advised that bitterness/sweetness ratio, and color attributes should be improved in order to extend the candies´ sensory shelf life. Additionally, a trained sensory panel evaluated the textural changes during storage of the jelly candies. The sensory studies carried out on the novel jelly candies showed substantial interest from consumers, therefore, they could be considered an alternative to replace traditional sweets, offering a nutritional contribution from fruits, without artificial preservatives and added free sugars. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05747-7.

Development of healthy gummy jellies containing honey and propolis.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this work was to develop gummy jellies containing honey and propolis, keeping the natural antioxidant principles of the beehive ingredients and satisfying consumer requirements. RESULTS: A gummy jelly containing honey and propolis (HPGJ) was developed. A sensory study with consumers (n = 74) performed an intensity level evaluation test analyzing color, hardness, adhesiveness, gumminess, sweet taste and honey taste. A penalty analysis indicated that HPGJ was too hard. However, in the global acceptance study, more than 90% of consumers gave liking categories. Regarding the potential functional properties, the antioxidant capacity (AC) of HPGJ was 8.17 ± 0.55 mmol Trolox equivalent kg-1 , and up to 40% AC was retained after in vitro digestion. Additionally, AC of HPGJ was up to ten times higher than that of similar commercial products. A storage study at 25 °C showed that color and AC increased significantly over 90 days owing to the development of Maillard reaction. Storage under darkness allowed keeping low values of global color change for up to 45 days. Another positive facet was that the addition of propolis delayed fungal growth during storage. CONCLUSION: An organoleptically palatable gummy jelly was obtained. Among the positive features, it showed higher AC than similar commercial candies. Additionally, HPGJ offered a high bioaccesible AC input detected upon in vitro digestion. Overall, HPGJ could be considered an interesting, appetizing and healthier alternative to regular gummy jellies available in the market. Adequate packaging should be considered in order to extend HPGJ shelf life, reducing browning reactions. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.