Temporal Texture Profile and Identification of Glass Transition Temperature as an Instrumental Predictor of Stickiness in a Caramel System

Sugar reduction methods and their application in confections: a review

Many American adults consume almost double the daily recommended amount of sugar. With excess consumption of sugar and consequential health problems arising, food manufacturers are investigating methods to reduce sugar while maintaining similar functional and sensory properties. The body of literature was searched for papers regarding sugar reduction, and the main methods of sugar reduction are summarized herein with a specific focus on high sugar products. Reducing sugar in confections is possible; however, the challenge is maintaining the balance between texture and sweetness perception. Texture plays a large role in the sweetness perception of confections, with firmer products often being perceived as less sweet. Depending on the method, 20-40% of sugar can be removed from confections without sacrificing sensory acceptance, often replaced with multiple ingredients. Further investigation is needed on confection models and how the emerging health trends set the foundation for sugar reduction.

Understanding stickiness in sugar-rich food systems: A review of mechanisms, analyses, and solutions of adhesion

Stickinessis an inherent textural property in many sugar-rich foods, which can be problematic to the processing of confectionery products. The adhesion between foods and contact surfaces during processing and consumption has not been well understood in academia or industry. The theories of adhesion were discovered by scientists in the adhesive field of study, some of which can explain the stickiness phenomenon of confections. This work reviewed these theories in the context of sugar-rich foods, followed by a survey on the sensory and instrumental analyses of stickiness. Furthermore, the contributions of ingredients, temperature, compression, and contact surfaces to sugar-rich food adhesion are highlighted.

Drying characteristics and quality attributes of apple slices dried by a non-thermal ultrasonic contact drying method

Drying is one of the most prevalent methods to reduce water activity and preserve foods. However, it is also the most energy-intensive food processing unit operation. Although a number of drying methods have been proposed and tested for the purpose of achieving a time- and energy-efficient drying process, almost all current drying methods still rely on thermal energy to remove moisture from the product. In this study, a novel use of power ultrasound was explored for drying of apple slices without the application of heat. The non-thermal ultrasound contact drying (US-CD) was performed in the presence of an air stream (26-40 °C) flowing over product surface to remove mist or vapor produced by the ultrasound treatment. The effects of the non-thermal US-CD, hot-air drying (HAD), and freeze drying (FD) on the changes in rehydration ratio, pH, titratable acidity, water activity, color, glass transition temperature, texture, antioxidant capacity, total phenols, and microstructures of the samples were evaluated. The moisture content of the apple slices reached below 5% (w.b.) after 75-80 min of US-CD, which was about 45% less than that of the HAD method. The antioxidant capacity and total phenol contents of the US-CD samples were significantly higher than that of the AD samples. The non-thermal ultrasonic contact drying is a promising method which has the potential to significantly reduce drying time and improve product quality.

Development of medicated chewing gum of taste masked levocetirizine dihydrochloride using different gum bases: in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop medicated chewing gum (MCG) formulation for taste-masked levocetirizine dihydrochloride (LCZ) that can provide fast drug release into the salivary fluid.Methods: Taste-masked LCZ was first prepared by two methods: cyclodextrin complexation using Kleptose or Captisol and formation of drug resin complex using Kyron T-154 or Kyron T-314 to overcome poor LCZ palatability. MCGs were then prepared using the taste-masked drug, gum base (Artica-T, Chicle, or Health In Gum (HIG), plasticizer (glycerol or soy lecithin at 6 or 8% of the final gum weight). The developed MCGs were evaluated for physical properties, content uniformity, and drug release. Best release MCGs were evaluated thermally to investigate the plasticizer effectiveness and for ex vivo chew out study to confirm adequate drug release. Drug bioavailability was determined for selected formula compared to commercial tablets.Results: Based on taste-masking efficiency, drug/Kleptose complex (1:3 molar ratio) was chosen for incorporation into chewing gums. Physical properties and drug release showed that gum base type, plasticizer type, and level affected not only physical properties but also drug release from MCGs. Thermal study showed decreased glass transition temperature (Tg) with increased plasticizer level. Chew out study confirmed almost complete drug release after a few minutes of chewing. Pharmacokinetic results showed shorter t_max (0.585 vs. 1.375 h) and higher C_max (0.113 vs. 0.0765 μg/mL) for MCGs than conventional tablets.Conclusion: Results provided evidence that MCGs could be a better alternative to conventional tablet formulations with improved bioavailability and enhanced palatability.

Phytochemical and physical properties of blueberries, tart cherries, strawberries, and cranberries as affected by different drying methods

The effects of hot-air drying (AD), freeze drying (FD) and Refractance Window drying (RWD) on the retention of anthocyanins, phenolics, flavonoids, vitamin C and B, and antioxidant capacity (ORAC) in blueberries, tart cherries, strawberries, and cranberries, as well as organic acids and proanthocyanins in cranberries and chlorogenic acid and catchins in blueberries were evaluated. Changes in color, glass transition, specific heat, and surface morphology of the dried fruits were also evaluated. The quality retention in the dried fruits was found to be product and drying method specific. The FD products exhibited a better retention of vitamin C, ORAC, anthocyanins, and phenolics than the AD and RWD fruits. The RWD produced samples with a less effective ORAC, anthocyanins, and phenolics retention, but a higher total vitamin B retention compared to the FD products. The AD-dried fruits displayed significantly lesser quality retention in most of the quality indexes measured in the study.