Textural Characteristics of Food Confectionery Gels Using Sweeteners

Abstract

Polymer gels are commonly referred to such a state of their aggregated solution, when molecular polymers chains, connected to each other by functional groups of ionic, hydrogen or dipole bonds, form a continuous solid phase, while maintaining the solvation degree (electrostatic interaction between solute and solvent particles) due to polar atomic groups remaining free for interaction. The aggregation conditions of food polymer solutions, the aggregation nature and the physico-mechanical properties of gels largely depend on the chemical polymers and solvents nature, the polymer molecules structure, technological production modes and the presence of other functional components in the food system that affect the nature and intensity of intermolecular forces. The aim of the work is to study the textural characteristics of food confectionery gels using sweeteners. The researchers developed the food confectionery gels replacing sugar with natural sweeteners, studied the textural characteristics of the confectionery gels. The study results demonstrated that sugar exclusion from the food system led to a change in the confectionery gels texture. A man can improve the textural properties of confectionery gels with the additional food composites inclusion in the gel matrix, which, in turn, will lead to an improvement not only in textural properties, but also in the nutritional value of finished products.