Quality changes in high hydrostatic pressure treated enriched tomato sauce.

BACKGROUND: Use of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) with reduced processing times is gaining traction in the food industry as an alternative to conventional thermal treatment. In order to enhance functional benefits while minimizing processing losses, functionalized products are being developed with such novel techniques. In this study, changes in quality parameters for HHP treated enriched tomato sauce were evaluated, with the aim to assess its viability as an alternative to conventional thermal treatment methods. RESULTS: HHP treatments at 500 MPa, 30 °C/50 °C significantly increased the total phenolic and lycopene content of the sauce samples, achieving 6.7% and 7.5% improvements over conventionally treated samples. The antioxidant capacity of the HHP-treated samples was also found to match or be better than conventionally treated samples. Furthermore, a T2 relaxation time study revealed that pressure-temperature processing treatments were effective in maintaining the structural integrity of water molecules. Microbiological analyses revealed that 500 MPa/50 °C 5 min treatment can offer 8 logs reduction colony formation, matching the results of conventional thermal treatment. CONCLUSION: Combined pressure-temperature treatments improve results, reduce time consumption. 500 MPa/50 °C treatments provided retention of quality parameters and significant reduction in microbial activity. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Hard Candy Production and Quality Parameters: A review.

Hard candies are sugar confections comprising mainly water and sucrose. Corn syrup, colorants and flavors are also usually added to hard candy formulations. The production of hard candy requires heating of the ingredients to very high temperatures to reduce moisture content and subsequent cooling to obtain a solid matrix. Cooling of the mixtures achieves the final, well known glassy state of the products. In this glassy state, the system is kinetically stable and molecular mobility is restricted, providing longer shelf life to hard candies. There are, however, several factors affecting the final quality and consumer acceptance of hard candies. Production methods and parameters, initial formulations as well as storage conditions all play a crucial role in the physicochemical, textural and sensory properties of hard candies. Addition of colorants and flavors also plays a vital role in the final quality. Although hard candy production is a simple process with few production stages, even small changes in the method of production and process parameters may induce substantial changes in the final product characteristics. Additionally, storage conditions such as temperature and humidity can change the product properties leading to graining and stickiness which are the two major problems for hard candies during storage. Both production and storage conditions should therefore be carefully chosen and controlled for desirable hard candy properties. This review addresses the general production methods and considers process parameters and quality parameters of hard candy products. Moreover, a comprehensive review of the related hard candy literature is also presented. The majority of hard candy reviews focus on specific methods and processes, but this review will present a more general frame on the subject.

Universal 1H Spin-Lattice NMR Relaxation Features of Sugar-A Step towards Quality Markers.

1H fast field-cycling and time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry studies have been performed for 15 samples of sugar of different kinds and origins (brown, white, cane, beet sugar). The extensive data set, including results for crystal sugar and sugar/water mixtures, has been thoroughly analyzed, with a focus on identifying relaxation contributions associated with the solid and liquid fractions of the systems and non-exponentiality of the relaxation processes. It has been observed that 1H spin-lattice relaxation rates for crystal sugar (solid) vary between 0.45 s-1 and 0.59 s-1, and the relaxation process shows only small deviations from exponentiality (a quantitative measure of the exponentiality has been provided). The 1H spin-lattice relaxation process for sugar/water mixtures has turned out to be bi-exponential, with the relaxation rates varying between about 13 s-1-17 s-1 (for the faster component) and about 2.1 s-1-3.5 s-1 (for the slower component), with the ratio between the amplitudes of the relaxation contributions ranging between 2.8 and 4.2. The narrow ranges in which the parameters vary make them a promising marker of the quality and authenticity of sugar.

Synergistic quantification of mixed insulin preparations using time domain NMR techniques.

Diabetes patients often rely on tailored insulin therapies, necessitating precise blends of various insulin types to achieve optimal pharmacokinetic profiles, including the quantity and action duration of insulin absorption into the bloodstream. This study aimed to develop an accurate quantification method for mixed insulin preparations, consisting of Insulin-NPH and Insulin Regular in ratios varying between 0:100-100:0. Time Domain NMR (TD-NMR) techniques, T2 relaxation times, and T1T2 maps were used to analyze the mixtures. Individually, neither technique provided a reliable determination of insulin ratios. However, the integration of both methods through chemometrics has been proven to be a synergistic approach, yielding a robust quantification technique suitable for quality control in the assessment of mixed insulin drugs. This innovative combined TD-NMR method is non-invasive, cost-effective, and user-friendly, offering at the same time a significant potential for preventing health complications associated with improper insulin dosing. Furthermore, our work elucidates the broader applicability of converging multiple TD-NMR techniques for analyzing intricate mixtures.

Physicochemical and sensorial properties of tomato leathers at different drying conditions.

Tomato leather as a healthy alternative to traditional fruit leathers was formulated. A tray dryer with changing temperature (50, 60, and 70°C) and relative humidity (5%, 10%, and 20%) was used to achieve the best product in terms of color, water distribution, lycopene content, mechanical, and sensorial properties. Color change was the highest at 70°C due to the Maillard reaction. Lycopene content was also the highest at 70°C. Time domain-NMR relaxometry showed that water distribution of all samples was homogeneous and similar to each other. Processing conditions affected mechanical properties significantly. The highest tensile strength was observed at 70°C, possibly due to the denatured proteins. Sensory analysis indicated better flavor development at 70°C, whereas overall acceptability of samples was higher at 50°C. The results of this study showed the main processing parameters of tomato leather with a minimal amount of ingredients, with acceptable mechanical and sensorial properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Tomato leather was produced by using minimal amount of ingredients. Taste of the leather was found acceptable, as a salty snack food. Therefore, this product can be produced economically and it has a high potential to be consumed as an alternative to conventional fruit leathers.

Textural, rheological, melting properties, particle size distribution, and NMR relaxometry of cocoa hazelnut spread with inulin-stevia addition as sugar replacer.

This study investigated the influence of substituting 60, 80, and 100% of the sugar in traditional cocoa hazelnut paste (control) formulation with inulin-stevia (90:10, w/w) mixture on textural and rheological characteristics, melting behavior, water activity (aw), particle size distribution (PSD), and color. Textural, rheological, melting properties, and color of samples were analyzed after 1, 2, and 3 months of storage at 11°C. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry experiments were also performed to understand the interaction of new ingredients with oil. Replacement of sugar with inulin-stevia gave darker color, reduced Casson yield stress, and changed the textural parameters and melting profile of the samples depending on the level but did not create a remarkable effect on PSD and Casson plastic viscosity. Increasing inulin-stevia content yielded lower aw and higher T2a values indicating decreased mobility of water. Complete removal of sugar caused low spreadability. The results showed that an 80% replacement level yielded a product with similar textural parameters and fat-melting mouth feeling compared to control sample. Cocoa hazelnut spreads prepared with inulin and stevia showed good textural stability during storage.

Effect of microwave-vacuum drying on the physicochemical properties of a functional tomato snack bar.

BACKGROUND: Tomato is an indispensable ingredient of the Mediterranean diet. Reformulation of traditional Mediterranean products to increase the adherence of consumers is becoming popular. In this study, a tomato snack bar enriched with olive powder and pea protein was developed by using microwave-vacuum drying. Formulations also included tomato powder (TP) and low-methoxylated pectin (LMP) as a structuring agent. RESULTS: The moisture content of microwave-vacuum-dried samples varied in the range 13.6-19.8% and water activity (aw ) values were ~0.6. LMP and TP concentrations affected the color of microwave-vacuum-dried samples. However, the color mainly changed in conventionally dried samples due to browning. In microwave-vacuum-dried samples, lycopene content decreased with increasing LMP, but increased with increasing TP. Textural properties of microwave-vacuum-dried snack bars increased with increasing LMP and TP. CONCLUSION: Both texture and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results indicated that there was a network formation due to the contribution of protein and pectin; however, the type of interaction was highly dependent on the drying mechanism. Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry data showed that microwave-vacuum-dried samples had a more uniform water distribution. Besides its time and energy efficiency, microwave-vacuum drying improved the color and textural properties of tomato snack bars compared to conventionally dried ones. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Water Dynamics in Dextran-Based Hydrogel Micro/Nanoparticles Studied by NMR Diffusometry and Relaxometry.

Water dynamics in mesoporous dextran hydrogel micro/nanoparticles was investigated by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. High-resolution 1H NMR spectra and pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR diffusometry measurements obtained on swollen state dextran micro/nanogel revealed the existence of different fractions of water molecules based on their interaction with the gel matrix. In addition to the translational diffusion of bulk water, two more diffusion processes characterized with self-diffusion coefficients 1 and 2 orders of magnitude smaller than that of bulk water were identified. 1H spin-lattice relaxation dispersion profiles obtained for a broad range of Larmor frequencies using fast field cycling (FFC) and conventional NMR relaxometry techniques allowed us to further clarify the mechanisms of molecular motion. According to the water proton pool fractions and associated self-diffusion coefficients, it is shown that the relaxation contribution associated with reorientation-mediated translational motions (RMTDs) dominates the relaxation dispersion observed at intermediate frequencies. At very low frequencies, the spin-lattice relaxation rate is dominated by the slow solid-gel dynamics probed by the water molecules interacting with the pores' surface hydroxyl groups due to the rapid chemical exchange between surface hydroxyl groups and free water. The correlation time for the thumbling-like motion of the dextran gel was found to be in the submillisecond range. The values of the self-diffusion and coherence lengths associated with motion of water molecules interacting with the solid-gel particles are consistent with the particle size and pore size distributions obtained for the studied dextran gels.

Effects of deacetylation degree of chitosan on the structure of aerogels.

Chitosan aerogels, obtained by (supercritical) CO2 drying of hydrogels, are novel adsorbents because of their large surface area and high porosity. Intrinsic properties of chitosan such as molecular weight (MW) and degree of deacetylation (DDA) had large impacts on the characteristics of chitosan aerogels. Although there are a few studies about the effects of solely DDA or MW on aerogel structure, none of them has focused on the mutual effects. The study aims to investigate the combined effects of MW and DDA of chitosan on aerogel properties. Hydrogels were produced in beads form by physical gelation of the chitosan solutions (2 % w/v in acetic acid of 1 %, v/v) in an alkaline environment (NaOH, 4 N). Supercritical CO2 dried aerogels were examined with respect to the bulk density, diameter as well as pore characteristics, and surface area by Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) methods, respectively. Morphologies of aerogels were also examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images and structural changes of aerogels were observed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Additional to BET-BJH analysis, proton relaxation dispersion was measured by Fast Field Cycling NMR (FFC-NMR) to determine the pore volume of the aerogels. Compact structures were obtained for higher MW chitosan and lower MW chitosans with higher DDA increasing the aerogel diameters. All types of aerogels obtained by different chitosan characteristics (MW and DDA) showed a porous structure and the highest DDA with the lowest MW caused the minimum bulk density with the highest water absorption rate. Although different N2 adsorption-desorption profiles were obtained in terms of pore volumes; all aerogels had Type IV isotherms with Type H1 hysteresis curve. FFC-NMR experiments showed that the coherence length values were associated with the pore volumes and FFC-NMR experiments were found to be meaningful as supportive experiments for the characterization of aerogels.

Alternative methods for RuBisCO extraction from sugar beet waste: A comparative approach of ultrasound and high voltage electrical discharge.

Ultrasound (US) and high voltage electric discharge (HVED) with water as a green solvent represent promising novel non-thermal techniques for protein extraction from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. altissima) leaves. Compared to HVED, US proved to be a better alternative method for total soluble protein extraction with the aim of obtaining high yield of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase enzyme (RuBisCO). Regardless of the solvent temperature, the highest protein yields were observed at 100% amplitude and 9 min treatment time (84.60 ± 3.98 mg/gd.m. with cold and 96.75 ± 4.30 mg/gd.m. with room temperature deionized water). US treatments at 75% amplitude and 9 min treatment time showed the highest abundance of RuBisCO obtained by immunoblotting assay. The highest protein yields recorded among HVED-treated samples were observed at a voltage of 20 kV and a treatment time of 3 min, disregarding the used gas (33.33 ± 1.06 mg/gd.m. with argon and 34.89 ± 1.59 mg/gd.m. with nitrogen as injected gas), while the highest abundance of the RuBisCO among HVED-treated samples was noticed at 25 kV voltage and 3 min treatment time. By optimizing the US and HVED parameters, it is possible to affect the solubility and improve the isolation of RuBisCO, which could then be purified and implemented into new or already existing functional products.

Application of segmented analysis via multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares to 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to identify different sugar sources.

The different types of sugar employed in the food industry exhibit chemical similarity and are mostly dominated by sucrose. Owing to the sugar origin of and differences in production, the presence of certain minor organic compounds differs. To differentiate between sugars based on their botanical source, geographical origin, or storage conditions, commercial brown sugars and sugar beet extracts were analyzed by 1H NMR spectroscopy applying a segmented analysis by means of multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). Principal component analysis and partial least squares-discriminant analysis yielded excellent differentiation between sugars from different sources after the application of this preprocessing strategy; without loss of chemical information and with direct interpretation of the results. By applying a segmented analysis via MCR-ALS to 1H NMR sugar data, similar spectroscopic profiles could be differentiated. This improved the selectivity of 1H NMR spectroscopy for sugar source differentiation which can be useful for industrial sugar authentication purposes.

Proteomics Approach to Differentiate Protein Extraction Methods in Sugar Beet Leaves.

Interest in alternative plant-based protein sources is continuously growing. Sugar beet leaves have the potential to satisfy that demand due to their high protein content. They are considered as agricultural waste and utilizing them as protein sources can bring them back to the food chain. In this study, isoelectric-point-precipitation, heat-coagulation, ammonium-sulfate precipitation, high-pressure-assisted isoelectric-point precipitation, and high-pressure-assisted heat coagulation methods were used to extract proteins from sugar beet leaves. A mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach was used for comprehensive protein characterization. The analyses yielded 817 proteins, the most comprehensive protein profile on sugar beet leaves to date. Although the total protein contents were comparable, there was a significant difference between the methods for low-abundance proteins. High-pressure-assisted methods showed elevated levels of proteins predominantly located in the chloroplast. Here we showed for the first time that the extraction/precipitation methods may result in different protein profiles that potentially affect the physical and nutritional properties of functional products.

Classification and quantification of sucrose from sugar beet and sugarcane using optical spectroscopy and chemometrics.

Sucrose, obtained from either sugar beet or sugarcane, is one of the main ingredients used in the food industry. Due to the same molecular structure, chemical methods cannot distinguish sucrose from both sources. More practical and affordable methods would be valuable. Sucrose samples (cane and beet) were collected from nine countries, 25% (w/w) aqueous solutions were prepared and their absorbances recorded from 200 to 1380 nm. Spectral differences were observable in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) region from 200 to 600 nm due to impurities in sugar. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA), classification and regression trees, and soft independent modeling of class analogy were tested for the UV-Vis region. All methods showed high performance accuracies. LDA, after selection of five wavelengths, gave 100% correct classification with a simple interpretation. In addition, binary mixtures of the sugar samples were prepared for quantitative analysis by means of partial least squares regression and multiple linear regression (MLR). MLR with first derivative Savitzky-Golay were most acceptable with root mean square error of cross-validation, prediction, and the ratio of (standard error of) prediction to (standard) deviation values of 3.92%, 3.28%, and 9.46, respectively. Using UV-Vis spectra and chemometrics, the results show promise to distinguish between the two different sources of sucrose. An affordable and quick analysis method to differentiate between sugars, produced from either sugar beet or sugarcane, is suggested. This method does not involve complex chemical analysis or high-level experts and can be used in research or by industry to detect the source of the sugar which is important for some countries' agricultural policies.

Molecular Dynamics of Jelly Candies by Means of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry.

1H spin-lattice Nuclear Magnetic Resonance relaxation studies have been performed for different kinds of Haribo jelly and Vidal jelly in a very broad frequency range from about 10 kHz to 10 MHz to obtain insight into the dynamic and structural properties of jelly candies on the molecular level. This extensive data set has been thoroughly analyzed revealing three dynamic processes, referred to as slow, intermediate and fast dynamics occurring on the timescale of 10-6 s, 10-7 s and 10-8 s, respectively. The parameters have been compared for different kinds of jelly for the purpose of revealing their characteristic dynamic and structural properties as well as to enquire into how increasing temperature affects these properties. It has been shown that dynamic processes in different kinds of Haribo jelly are similar (this can be treated as a sign of their quality and authenticity) and that the fraction of confined water molecules is reduced with increasing temperature. Two groups of Vidal jelly have been identified. For the first one, the parameters (dipolar relaxation constants and correlation times) match those for Haribo jelly. For the second group including cherry jelly, considerable differences in the parameters characterizing their dynamic properties have been revealed.

Physical characterization of chocolates prepared with various soybean and milk powders.

The physical characterization of chocolate products is vital in manufacturing, and the chocolate's processing time and composition directly influence physical properties, such as rheology and melting. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of processing time and the ingredient types on the physical properties of milk chocolates containing soy milk powder and soy protein isolate. Characteristics of skimmed milk chocolate (SMC) and whole milk chocolate (WMC) were compared to soy milk chocolate and soy protein chocolate (SPC). Rheological data of chocolate products were fitted to Casson, Herschel-Bulkley, and Bingham models. The highest viscosity was observed for SPC samples, whereas yield stress was the highest for SMC samples after 2 hr of processing. The increase in milk and soy fats in the formulation softened the texture and decreased the whiteness index significantly (p < .05). PSD results show that SPC had the highest D90 (40.1 µm) and the lowest specific surface area (893 m2 /kg) after 6 hr of processing. SPC samples had the narrowest particle size distribution observed by the span values. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that all the samples had the desired Form V, crystal form. The differential scanning calorimetry thermogram was used to determine phase transitions and melting behaviors. At the end of processing, melting enthalpies (ΔHmelt ) were significantly lower (p < .05) in milk chocolates.

Effect of Different Syrup Types on Turkish Delights (Lokum): A TD-NMR Relaxometry Study.

Turkish delights were formulated by using sucrose (control) and different types of corn syrups (having varying glucose/fructose ratios) and allulose syrup. 30% allulose syrup and 30% sucrose-containing Turkish delights were found to exhibit an amorphous structure. Time-domain NMR relaxometry experiments were also conducted on delights by measuring T 2 relaxation times, and two distinct proton populations were observed in all formulations. The use of different syrup types at different substitution levels led to significant changes in the relaxation times (T 2a and T 2b) of the samples, indicating that the relaxation spectrum might be used as a fingerprint for Turkish delights containing different types and amounts of syrup types. Second moment (M 2) values which were measured from the signal acquired using a magic sandwich echo pulse sequence were also found to be an effective and promising indicator to detect the crystallinity of Turkish delights.

Non-Conventional Time Domain (TD)-NMR Approaches for Food Quality: Case of Gelatin-Based Candies as a Model Food.

The TD-NMR technique mostly involves the use of T1 (spin-lattice) and T2 (spin-spin) relaxation times to explain the changes occurring in food systems. However, these relaxation times are affected by many factors and might not always be the best indicators to work with in food-related TD-NMR studies. In this study, the non-conventional TD-NMR approaches of Solid Echo (SE)/Magic Sandwich Echo (MSE) and Spin Diffusion in food systems were used for the first time. Soft confectionary gelatin gels were formulated and conventional (T1) and non-conventional (SE, MSE and Spin Diffusion) TD-NMR experiments were performed. Corn syrups with different glucose/fructose compositions were used to prepare the soft candies. Hardness, °Brix (°Bx), and water activity (aw) measurements were also conducted complementary to NMR experiments. Relaxation times changed (p < 0.05) with respect to syrup type with no obvious trend. SE/MSE experiments were performed to calculate the crystallinity of the samples. Samples prepared with fructose had the lowest crystallinity values (p < 0.05). Spin Diffusion experiments were performed by using Goldman−Shen pulse sequence and the interface thickness (d) was calculated. Interface thickness values showed a wide range of variation (p < 0.05). Results showed that non-conventional NMR approaches had high potential to be utilized in food systems for quality control purposes.

Challenges in dried whey powder production: Quality problems.

Whey is a high nutritional value by-product of the dairy industry. It is generally produced in large quantities and its disposal as wastewater poses environmental risks. For this reason, whey streams are used for the production of value-added products such as dried whey powders. However, there are several challenges related to whey processing that lead to low powder yield and quality, especially caking. These challenges can be addressed by optimization of product formulation and processing parameters. In this review, we discuss the effects of dried whey protein powder production stages and process parameters on the quality of the final powder product. The initial composition of whey used for dried whey powder production affects the final quality of the product. Generally, a high mineral and/or lactic acid content is not desirable since these constituents cause lactose-containing whey particles to adhere to the drying equipment surfaces, thereby reducing the powder yield. An effective lactose pre-crystallization is essential since high amorphous lactose content increases the stickiness of the dried-whey powder particles and induces caking during storage. Therefore, whey should undergo filtration and lactose pre-crystallization before spray drying. Studies show that it is possible to retard caking and improve the quality attributes of dried whey powders by optimizing the product formulation and processing operations.

Investigation of the Hydration Behavior of Different Sugars by Time Domain-NMR.

The hydration behavior of sugars varies from each other and examining the underlying mechanism is challenging. In this study, the hydration behavior of glucose, fructose, allulose (aka rare sugar), and sucrose have been explored using different Time Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR) approaches (relaxation times, self-diffusion, and Magic Sandwich Echo (MSE)). For that purpose, the effects of different sugar concentrations (2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) (w/v) and hydration at different times for 1 day were investigated by T2 relaxation times and self-diffusion coefficients. Crystallinity values of the solid and hydrated sugars were also determined with MSE. Change in T2 relaxation times with concentration showed that the fastest binding with water (parallel with the shortest T2 values) was observed for sucrose for all concentrations followed by glucose, fructose, and allulose. Furthermore, dependency of T2 relaxation times with hydration time showed that sucrose was the fastest in binding with water followed by glucose, fructose, and allulose. The study showed that allulose, one of the most famous rare sugars that is known to be a natural low-calorie sugar alternative, had the lowest interaction with water than the other sugars. TD-NMR was suggested as a practical, quick, and accurate technique to determine the hydration behavior of sugars.

Water Dynamics in Starch Based Confectionery Products including Different Types of Sugar.

Starch-based confectionery products were prepared using different types of sugar. In addition to using different sugar, starch was replaced with soy protein isolate (SPI) in some of the products. 1H NMR spin-lattice relaxation experiments were performed for the collection of products in a broad frequency range from 4 KHz to 30 MHz to get insight into the influence of different sugar types and SPI on the dynamics of water in composite gel systems. The relaxation data have been decomposed into relaxation contributions associated with two different pools of water molecules characterized by different mobility. The translation dynamics of water molecules has been quantitatively described in terms of a dedicated relaxation model. The influence of the sample composition (the type of sugar and/or the presence of SPI) on the water mobility was thoroughly discussed. The results indicate that the addition of soy protein does not affect water dynamics for samples including sucrose. In addition, as the complementary measurements, physical properties of the products, such as the moisture content, water activity and texture, were investigated in terms of X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis.