Confectionary gels are considered as composite gel systems composed of high amount of sugar and gelling agent such as gelatin or starch. d‐Psicose is classified as a type of rare sugar, which is a C‐3 epimer of fructose and has 70% of the sweetness of sucrose with a caloric value of 0.39 kcal/g. Utilization of d‐psicose in food products is gaining particular interest due to its low caloric value. In this study, gelatin‐based soft candies were formulated, and the effect of d‐psicose substitution was explored on the quality of the products. For characterization of the soft candies, moisture content, water activity, color, hardness, and glass transition temperature of samples were investigated. X‐ray diffraction analysis was also performed to explain the crystallization tendency of jelly candies. Results showed that, the softest sample with the highest moisture content and the smallest crystallization tendency was the sample that included the highest amount of d‐psicose. Time domain (TD) NMR relaxometry experiments were also conducted on gel samples, and three distinct proton populations were observed in the relaxation spectrum for all formulations. Spin–lattice relaxation times obtained through monoexponential fitting (T1) were also obtained to explain some quality parameters.

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Emulsification effect of gum tragacanth (GT) obtained from Astragalus species is gaining particular interest in recent years. In this study, stabilization effect of GT, xanthan gum (XG), and sucrose monopalmitate (SMP) was investigated by keeping their concentration constant (0.5% w/v) for the oil-in-water emulsions containing 20% (v/v) sun flower oil and 2% (w/v) whey protein isolate. Emulsification was achieved by using high shear homogenization. Particle size and T 2 (spin-spin relaxation time) measurements were performed for the characterization and repeated over the course of 28 days. Emulsion stability index (ESI [%]) was measured and rheological characterization was also performed. The lowest particle size was found for the XG emulsions and this was attributed to the pseudoplastic behavior of xanthan compared to GT (n Xanthan = 0.188 â n GT = 0.721). Xanthan emulsions thinned out dramatically when sheared during homogenization, and consequently, floccules formed could have been disrupted more resulting in smaller particle size. Result of rheological experiments showed that SMP emulsions were fit to Newtonian model, while XG and GT showed shear thinning behavior and fit to a power law model. Apparent viscosity of XG emulsions was found significantly higher than the GT ones. The most stable emulsions were the ones prepared by XG and they remained stable during 28 days. Although GT emulsions could not protect their stability during 28 days, ESI (%) results were found similar with XG indicating promising emulsification effect of GT.

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Although glutaraldehyde (GLU) has been frequently preferred to improve some characteristics of bio-degradable food packages, it is regarded as a hazardous chemical.Therefore, in this study, the possibility of replacement GLU with citric acid (CA) a non-toxic compound was questioned in a film formation. Different ratios of GLU and CA on faba bean flour, chitosan, and curcumin film were examined. To determine the most favorable film composition, water solubility (WS), swelling degree (SD), water contact angle (WCA), water vapor permeability (WVP), and mechanical properties of the films were examined. In addition, the effects of crosslinking agent and their ratios on crystallinity (XRD), thermal properties (DSC and TGA), and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS) were also studied. Time Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR) relaxometry was also employed to explain distribution and mobility of the protons in faba bean flour, chitosan, and curcumin films. At the end of the analysis, it was concluded that CA and GLU reduced SD by 75% and 13% compared to the films without cross-linker, respectively. Incorporation of crosslinking agent increased the WCA from 77.22 to 99.41 and caused formation of more hydrophobic surfaces.Increasing both crosslinking ratios restricted the permeance drastically which was more than 110%. Furthermore, the lowest WVP was measured for the films containing CA at 1.5% w/v ratio (FC-1.5C). While GLU improved the tensile strength (TS) of the film, lower elongation of the films caused formation of brittle character which limited the utilization of the films. At the end of the analysis, it was concluded that FC-1.5 had more feasible character with respect to the other films and CA was suggested as a crosslinking agent instead of GLU for faba bean-chitosan films.