Articles
Fruit and vegetable bar antioxidant contents and texture optimization with prebiotic fiber addition
Article number
1407_17
Pages
129 – 137
Language
English
Abstract
The value-adding of fruits and vegetables (F&V) of tropical and subtropical origin is essential to guarantee the sustainability of these ecosystems and crops in the area.
Simple processing operations as pulping, mixing, and drying may combine the properties of various F&V into nutrient-dense snacks that promote health or even treat deficiencies.
Considerations must be made, however, on the acceptability of fruit bars made from F&V blends, and texture is particularly relevant for consumer acceptability when additives like sugar are avoided.
This study aimed to develop sugarless fruit and vegetable snacks, assessing their antioxidant capacity and optimizing texture with fiber sources.
Four different hydrocolloids were used separately and in combination to choose a formulation, based on physicochemical quality indicators such as water activity, total soluble solids, pH, and acidity, along with instrumental texture.
All of the treatments showed differences (p<0.05) in quality attributes, but texture was the major determinant.
Antioxidant capacity by FRAP assays was lower than that of other reported fruit leathers.
Meanwhile, TEAC, carotenoid content, and phenolic compounds were higher than both natural high sources and other fruit bars.
The texture was successfully optimized by the addition of prebiotic fiber from natural and synthetic sources, and accepted by an untrained consumer panel.
The development of vegetable and fruit snacks are proposed as a pleasant, practical way to include important nutrients in current lifestyles.
Simple processing operations as pulping, mixing, and drying may combine the properties of various F&V into nutrient-dense snacks that promote health or even treat deficiencies.
Considerations must be made, however, on the acceptability of fruit bars made from F&V blends, and texture is particularly relevant for consumer acceptability when additives like sugar are avoided.
This study aimed to develop sugarless fruit and vegetable snacks, assessing their antioxidant capacity and optimizing texture with fiber sources.
Four different hydrocolloids were used separately and in combination to choose a formulation, based on physicochemical quality indicators such as water activity, total soluble solids, pH, and acidity, along with instrumental texture.
All of the treatments showed differences (p<0.05) in quality attributes, but texture was the major determinant.
Antioxidant capacity by FRAP assays was lower than that of other reported fruit leathers.
Meanwhile, TEAC, carotenoid content, and phenolic compounds were higher than both natural high sources and other fruit bars.
The texture was successfully optimized by the addition of prebiotic fiber from natural and synthetic sources, and accepted by an untrained consumer panel.
The development of vegetable and fruit snacks are proposed as a pleasant, practical way to include important nutrients in current lifestyles.
Authors
S.V. Medina Lopez, M.S. Hernandez, J.P. Fernandez-Trujillo
Keywords
fruit bar, fiber, antioxidants, vitamin A, texture
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