In addition to colour, one of the most important qualities of a snack-type product is its crunchy texture. A freeze-dried fruit snack is characterised by its low water content, which creates the problem of a loss of crunchiness related to its low glass transition temperature (Tg). In this sense, a common technique with which to increase the Tg of these types of products is to add different biopolymers. However, these compounds can, at the same time, affect the colour and texture of the product. In this study, different biopolymers have been tested in order to discover their similarities or differences in terms of hygroscopicity, antiplasticising character, colour and impact on the mechanical properties of a freeze-dried orange snack formulated from their different mixtures. Gum Arabic, maltodextrin, starch modified with octenylsuccinic anhydride, pea fibre, bamboo fibre and native corn starch have been selected as biopolymers. The impact of any of them on the studied properties can be confirmed, without any of them being more or less effective than the others.
An alternative as to offer higher stable and easy handling than fresh fruit is in powdered form, as long as the process used to obtain it ensures a high quality product. The objective of this study was to compare the bioavailability of the vitamin C of a juice prepared from powdered grapefruit obtained by freeze-drying and by spray-drying. A trial was conducted with 11 healthy volunteers. A relative increase of 1,4 – 25,8 % of blood serum vitamin C concentration was quantified after juices intake, with no significant differences (p>0.05) due to the process used to obtain the powder. Keywords: vitamin C; bioavailability in humans; grapefruit powder; freeze-drying; spray-drying.
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