Defining quality indicators for sugar pasteswith demineralized whey during storage

Abstract

This paper considers the changes in quality indicators of sugar pastes with dry demineralized whey and glycerin during storage in order to establish their technological shelf life. Based on the results of studying changes in the mass fraction of moisture of sugar pastes over 30 days, a decrease in this indicator in the control sample was established, by 80 %, and in the experimental one – by 30 %. Examining the sensory characteristics of consistency according to the devised descriptors has made it possible to establish that the control sample of sugar pastes onday 10 of storage is technologically unsuitable. Its consistency is characterized as too dense, hard, brittle, not uniform, with lumps. Accordingly, the molding ability, which received 3.45 points, decreases. The prototype, even on day 30 of storage, has acceptable consistency characteristics: moderately hard and dense, softish, homogeneous with the presence of barely perceptible small inclusions. A high molding ability is retained, which received 4.3 points. Experimental studies of the fractional composition of the solid phase and the dispersion of sugar pastes are consistent with studies into the sensory characteristics of the consistency. It was established that on day 10 of storage, in the control sample the fractional composition of particles with a size of 21 to 30 µm prevails, the content of which is 62 %, which characterizes the structure as coarse crystalline. In the prototype on day 30 of storage, thecontent of particles the size of 11 to 20 µmwas 72 %, which preserves the quality of the paste and characterizes its structure as finely crystalline. The results of the study made it possible to establish a tendency to slow down the build-up of solid particles of the developed sugar pastes, and their growth to a critical size of 22.6 µm.The data obtained have made it possible to establish the technological shelf life of the developed sugar pastes, which was 30 days, which is 3 times more than that of the control. Consequently, the introduction into the formulation composition of sugar pastes of demineralized whey at a concentration of 50 % and glycerin at a concentration of 5 % makes it possible to extend their technological shelf life. This is important from a practical point of view and solves the problem set.