Search

For the development of a high-quality functional bread, it is of crucial importance to find a compromise between improving the functional value of the product and impairing its quality. Therefore, the primary aim of this work was to define the effects of carob pulp powder (CP; 10–20% on flour basis) on the rheological behavior of dough and quality parameters of bread. The introduction of CP caused a major increase in dough resistance to extension while significantly decreasing dough extensibility, resulting in a lower volume with a denser crumb structure of the obtained bread samples. The negative effects of the CP on the dough and bread characteristics were partially compensated by the addition of dry sourdough (DS) as an improver at the level of 5–10% (flour basis). It was determined that by combining 15% CP and 10% DS, bread of very good sensory quality can be produced. The content of total dietary fiber (6.48 g), Mn (0.76 mg) and Cu (0.21 mg) per 100 g of the mentioned bread was sufficient for the nutritional claims "high in fiber", "high in manganese" and "source of copper". The obtained bread had a content of total phenols 10 times higher than the control and 5.5, 12 and 26 times higher antioxidant activity determined by FRAP, DPPH and ABTS tests, respectively. Moreover, microbiological tests confirmed the durability of the bread with 15% CP and 10% DS of up to seven days. Therefore, carob pulp powder can be successfully applied in the production of bread whose characteristics are adapted to modern trends in nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional properties of food products, in addition to enrichment with functional components, can also be achieved by reducing the content of certain components such as sugars and fats, that is, by reducing the energy content of the product. Thus, the development of functional food products is aimed at various low-energy products, especially products with a reduced fat content, which normally represent the most concentrated source of energy. Fat replacers should simulate the functional properties of the fat. Polysaccharide-based fat replacers include a variety of native starches, modified starches, maltodextrins, cellulose and cellulose derivatives, polydextrose, inulin, pectin, other dietary fibers, and hydrocolloids. Technological properties required for the application of carbohydrate-based fat replacers are water-holding capacity, a certain level of viscosity, required form and particle size, three-dimensional networking and gel-forming ability, sensory abilities such as spreadability, softness, greasiness feeling in the mouth, and other fat-like properties. These fat replacers are usually applied in combinations with the aim of achieving all desired properties normally provided by fats in foods. In the contemporary literature, there are many examples of their application in different food products, including baked goods, meats, dairy products, and emulsion food systems, successfully reducing the fat content with or without minor alterations in the rheology or sensory features of food products. In summary, polysaccharides-based fat replacers offer an effective method for fat reduction in different food products along with enhancing the health benefits of reduced-fat foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzed the influence of the addition of Zn- and Se-fortified wheat flour to corn extrudates on viscosity, total starch content, starch damage, and bioavailability of zinc and selenium. Fortified wheat flour was added to corn grits in 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 60:40 ratios at three extrusion temperature profiles: 140/170/170 °C, 150/180/180 °C, and 160/190/190 °C. Viscosity values decreased significantly at different extrusion temperature profiles and at different proportions of wheat. The extrusion process increased the starch content, regardless of the extrusion temperature, and decreased it by adding different proportions of flour enriched with zinc and selenium. The starch damage increased with extrusion, without significant changes with extrusion temperature increment. The addition of different proportions of Zn- and Se-fortified wheat flour reduced starch damage values proportionally to the added content of enriched wheat. Increasing the temperature and the proportions, the total zinc content in the extrudates increased. Zinc bioavailability increased with increasing extrusion temperature. As for selenium, the total content increased by proportion increment but decreased with an increase in the extrusion temperature, though there were no significant differences in selenium bioavailability regardless of changes in extrusion temperature or the proportion of enriched wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple pomace is a by-product of the apple processing industry and can be used for various uses such as animal feed, for composting, or to extract valuable compounds such as pectin or antioxidants. In recent years, it has also gained attention as a potential food ingredient due to its fibre content and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of three parameters: the percentage of wheat flour replaced by extrudate (5%, 10%, and 15%), the percentage of apple pomace in the extrudate (15%, 30%, and 45% based on the mass of corn grits), and the particle size of the extrudate (<250 µm; 250–1000 µm; 1000–2000 µm) on the properties of cookies, using the Box–Behnken experimental design. The addition of extrudates enriched with apple pomace significantly increased the total fibre and ash content of the cookies. The hydroxymethylfurfural content also increased, but not above the permitted limits (25 mg/kg). The sensory quality was strongly influenced by the particle size, especially the hardness, graininess, and appearance of the cookies. The addition of extrudate led to a darker colour of the cookies and a significant increase in the proportion of red tones, but generally had no negative influence on the acceptability of the cookies and their microbiological stability during the 6-month storage period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents relationship between the rheological properties of dough and individual polymer swelling properties in wheat flour mill streams. The swelling properties were measured by applying the Solvent Retention Capacities (SRC) tests. Significant correlation coefficients were determined for certain rheological parameters. In an effort to extract additional insights from the properties measured, a multivariate analysis was used to develop relationships between the studied parameters. To determine relevant relationships among the parameters, the data exploration step by the Principal Component Analysis was performed. Then, multivariate Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) models were developed, to predict certain empirical rheology parameters based on the SRC parameters. The processing of experimental data indicated the possibility of using SRC parameters for predicting rheological properties in conjunction with a suitable mathematical model. The presented approach may be useful for rapid prediction of wheat flour mill streams characteristics and for optimization of the end-flour performances.

To improve the nutritional value of bread, as well as to satisfy consumers whose awareness of the importance of nutrition to preserve health is growing significantly, it is desirable to enrich bread and bakery products with functional components. Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is an evergreen tree that is widely distributed in the Mediterranean region and belongs to the legumes group. As carob pulp contains a unique combination of polyphenolic compounds and dietary fibre, it can be a useful raw material for the production of enriched bakery products. In this work, the possibility of applying carob extract as a potential natural preservative and functional additive in the production of bread was investigated. With this aim, 0.5, 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5% of powdered carob extract (CP) were added to bread dough and the quality characteristics of the bread were examined. The microbiological quality of bread was significantly better in samples with the addition of CP, which was confirmed by the lower values of the total number of bacteria and the absence of the Bacillus cereus. The addition of up to 3.5% carob extract had no negative effect on the sensory quality of the bread. The brightness of the bread samples decreased (L*), while the proportion of the red tone (a*) increased, and the intensity of the yellow tone (b*) decreased with an increase in the proportion of CP. The amount of total phenols (0.27 mg GAE/g) for the sample with 3.5% CP in bread was significantly higher compared to the control sample (0.12 mg GAE/g). The total antioxidant activity also increased significantly with the increase in the proportion of CP. Therefore, the present study proves that powdered carob extract can be successfully included in the production of a healthy functional food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthy diet and development of proper dietary habits in adolescence combined with sufficient physical activity are recognized as the key factors of a long-term health. This study was conducted to gain an insight into the dietary habits, the frequency of meal intake and physical activity of the young population by applying a survey. Surveyed participants were Hungarian nationality students who attended elementary and high schools in the province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The total number of participants was 525 (42.5% males and 57.5% females) most of which were from the rural area. To address the nutritional status and risk for overweight among the young population, body mass index (BMI) of the participants was determined. The majority of participants had normal range nutritional status (70.48%) followed by overweight (19.81%) and obese (7.62%). Overweight and obese nutritional statuses were more common among male participants. Increasing number of participants with overweight nutritional status was noticed in the 7th grade of elementary school (25.81%). Insufficient physical activity and irregularities in meals intake were also noticed within the studied population which is an indicator of potential obesity development in adulthood.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of puff pastry margarine with reduced content of trans isomers in production of puff pastry with enhanced nutritional value. Experiments were carried out on the basis of 32 factorial design, wherein the independent variables were the amount of puff pastry margarines (30, 40 and 50%, on flour weight) and number of margarine layers formed during the dough processing (108, 144, and 256). In order to determine the optimum values of independent parameters, the study was focused on defining of relevant qualitative indicators of the final product. By investigation of influence of the type of puff pastry margarine (ML1 and ML2) on the quality of puff pastry, it was determined that physico-chemical properties of margarine ML1 were not optimal for puff pastry production. Margarine ML1 had lower hardness by 50-60%, lower SFC by 20-35% and worse thermal characteristics compared to margarine ML2. Only by application of the maximum amount of margarine ML1 and 144 margarine layers a satisfactory quality of puff pastry was obtained: the lift of 2.89, hardness of 17.7 kgs, volume 83.6 cm3 and the total number of points of 14.8. Because of its better technological characteristics, margarine ML2 is favorable for making puff pastry. Significantly better physical properties and excellent pastry quality was obtained in samples with margarine ML2 in an amount of 50% of margarine and 256 layers: higher lift by 45%, volume by 25% and the total number of points by about 20% compared to sample ML1 with the best quality.

The link between dietary fibers and prevention of non-communicable diseases is well documented in the existing scientific literature. Despite that, most of the population still do not have enough knowledge about fibers and their presence in certain food. This study intended to make an insight in the knowledge of the Serbian young population about dietary fibers and bioactive compounds through a questionnaire survey. A survey was conducted to a sample of 173 individuals, (37% male and 63% female) randomly selected among students from elementary, high school and university in the Novi Sad municipality. Topics covered by the questionnaire included knowledge of the term dietary fiber, fiber content in different bread types, the relationship between fibers and health and bioactive compounds sources in food. The results for each of the particular topics addressed varied among studied groups, but generally level of knowledge was related to the education level. The highest overall knowledge about dietary fibers and bioactive compounds was expressed by the university students, although elementary and high school students showed a considerable level of knowledge on the subject. Male participants appeared as more familiar with the questions related to bioactive compounds, while females were more informed on questions regarding dietary fiber. This survey revealed that young population in Serbia is well informed about the contribution of dietary fiber and bioactive compounds in promoting health. However, further expansion of existing knowledge will be beneficial in order to improve general health of the entire community.

The aim of this work was to improve the quality of gluten-free bread made with high content of soy flour and enriched with sugar beet molasses by incorporating ingredients with a potential to simultaneously enhance the nutritional quality of the breads. The following ingredients were used: pea protein isolate, pea fibre and chia seeds. The chosen ingredients exerted positive effects on bread quality. They promoted volume increase and crumb softening. In this respect, the most effective ingredients were pea protein isolate (at 1% supplementation level), pea fibre (at up to 2% supplementation level) and chia seeds (at 1% supplementation level). The sensory analysis revealed that pea fibre and chia addition at 1 and 2% supplementation level provided bread with higher scores regarding overall acceptance, crumb texture and taste. At 1% supplementation level, there was not found statistically significant difference in sensory attributes of bread supplemented with pea protein isolate in comparison to the control. However, pea protein isolate was found to strongly diminish bread taste at 4% supplementation level due to presence of beany taste.

Pasta is a low-cost and easy-to-prepare food product. By using fresh pasta, the drying process is omitted, which represents significant energy and financial savings, but the durability of such pasta is very limited. The addition of plant materials (parsley, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, nettle, spinach, and carob) to the dough affects the microbiological stability and thus the durability of the fresh pasta, which can then be stored longer in the refrigerator without the need to freeze the product. With significant energy savings due to the omission of the drying and freezing processes, extending the shelf life of the pasta will contribute to the reduction of food waste and thus contribute to a more sustainable production system. The aim of this work was to examine the possibility of producing fresh pasta with the addition of plant materials from the perspectives of technological and sensory quality, as well as microbiological composition. The incorporation of plant materials (10 g/100 g) decreased water absorption and had no effect on optimal cooking time. Thyme-enriched pasta had significantly lower (p < 0.05) cooking loss (3.34%) than the control sample (4.12%). In cinnamon-, spinach-, and parsley-enriched pasta, an appealing colour and pleasant smell and taste were achieved. Cinnamon and carob proved to have the most favourable effect on the microbiological quality (reduction in mesophilic, Enterobacteriaceae, and yeast counts), followed by spinach (reduction in mould count). For cinnamon-enriched pasta, the best technological (optimal cooking time of 3.23 min; cooking loss of 4.41%; firmness of 531.94 g) and sensory and microbiological quality were achieved; thus, cinnamon proved to be the preferred natural preservative for the production of enriched pasta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of functional additives (carob flour and sugar beet fiber) on empirical rheological dough performance and bread quality was examined. Also the microbiological quality of bread was investigated during 16 days of storage. The study included 5 samples: control (CON), with preservative calcium propionate (CONP), with carob flour (CON-CAR), with sugar beet fiber (CON-SBF) and with a combination of carob flour and sugar beet fibers (CON-SBF-CAR). Samples with functional additives had a higher water holding capacity (2-10%) and extended dough development time due to the presence of dietary fiber. Dough resistance of these samples was significantly increased, especially in CON-CAR, in which the time of final fermentation is remarkably prolonged (20% in comparison to CON). The addition of the functional ingredients (due to hydration properties of dietary fiber) improved texture and sensory characteristics of bread. In sample CON-SBF crumb firmness was significantly reduced (by 70%) while elasticity was increased by 25% compared to CON. Positive effect of addition of sugar beet fiber was proved by improving the elasticity of the crumb and finer crumb structure (sample CON-SBF) in comparison with the addition of carob flour (sample CON-CAR). In bread sample with carob flour there was no microbiological contamination for 16 days of examination, which confirms the fact that carob flour can be used as a natural preservative.

Optimization of bread dough formulation with defatted wheat germ (DWG) in terms of dough rheological properties was the objective of this study. Fractional factorial design 2 V 5 − 1 was applied in order to investigate influence of DWG granulation (<150 µm and 150−1000 µm), DWG content (10 and 20%), addition of gluten (0 and 5%), ascorbic acid (0.004 and 0.008%) and combined improver (0.1 and 0.3%) on farinograph and extensograph parameters. Responsive variables were water absorption and the degree of softening, obtained by farinograph, and resistance to extension and extensibility as well as their ratio, obtained by extensograph analysis. Gluten addition expressed dominant positive effect on water absorption and the degree of softening. The most pronounced negative effect on dough resistance exhibited DWG content (contribution of 57%). The combination of DWG with smaller particle size and 5% of gluten addition increased both resistance and extensibility, but R/E ratio was not affected. The optimal values for DWG granulation, DWG content, gluten content, ascorbic acid content and combined improver content were: < 150 µm, 14.24%, 4.83%, 0.004% and 0.1%, respectively, while predicted values for desired responsible variables were: water absorption 65.90%, degree of softening 84.05 FU, resistance 301.30 EU, extensibility 108.55 mm and R/E 2.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, carob pulp flour (CF) extract was characterized as a high-value antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. CF extracts were obtained using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and optimization of the MAE process was accomplished using response surface methodology. The studied processing parameters of MAE were the liquid/solid (L/S) ratio (10–30 mL/g), extraction time (15–35 min), and ethanol concentration (40–80% w/w). The efficiency of the extraction of valuable compounds from CF was evaluated by the determining extraction yield (Y), total phenolic(TP), total flavonoid (TF) content, and antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS). The optimized MAE parameters for maximizing the yields of target compounds and antioxidant activity were the L/S ratio 30 mL/g, extraction time 35 min, and ethanol concentration 40%. The experimentally obtained values for TP, TF, DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS were 1609.92 GAE/100 g, 271.92 CE/100 g, 99.02 µMTE/g, 50.45 µM Fe2+/g, and 110.55 µMTE/g, respectively. The optimized CF extract was compared with the CF extracts obtained by conventional solid–liquid extraction (S/L) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and was found to be more beneficial due to a 30% higher yield of TP and TF and 30–80% higher antioxidant activity. The phenolic profiles of the three extracts were quite similar. The microdilution method confirmed the antibacterial activity of MAE and S/L extracts while the antifungal effect was not observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puff pastry has delicate and flaky texture which comes from unique combination of fat and dough. These bakery products are made from many thin layers of dough which are separated by alternate fat layers because of which they are considered to be high fat food. Properties of puff pastry depend mostly on the quality of flour, which must be specifically tailored for this purpose. The most commonly used flour in the production of puff pastry is refined wheat flour. Lately, the requirements of consumers for healthy bakery products have a great response in the baking industry. On the market there are new products made with ingredients which have high nutritional value. This paper presents an optimization of the composition of puff pastry made of spelt flour by varying the amount of ingredients such as: margarine, ascorbic acid and enzyme transglutaminase. The optimal ratio of these ingredients has been based on the consideration of their major and interaction effects. During the optimization of spelt puff pastry quality, the following goals were set: maximum volume, minimum firmness and maximum overall acceptability. The optimal solutions were in the concentration range from 3.60 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg for ascorbic acid, from 0.03 mg/kg to 3 mg/kg for transglutaminase and from 29.84 to 30% for margarine on dough basis. It is recommended that the composition of spelt puff pastry involve: 10 mg/kg ascorbic acid, 0.03 mg/kg transglutaminase and 30 % margarine on dough basis to provide the desired product characteristics.

Starch sweeteners are commonly used in many confectionery food products. Usually, considering the trend of producing low-energy and low-fat products, these products include fat mimetics. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of fructose sweeteners on the development of functional properties of MCG fat mimetic, such as rheological and textural behavior. Fat mimetics made from Microcrystalline cellulose gel (MCG) consist of colloidal microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) and were observed in five different concentrations (1, 3, 5, 7, and 10%). The amount of starch sweetener in the mixture with the fat mimetics was 20%. The effect of pure crystalline fructose and a mixture of crystalline-fructose and high-fructose corn syrup in a ratio of 1:1 was analyzed. Rheological parameters significantly decreased with the application of starch sweeteners. By adding a mixture of starch sweeteners, this decrease was further increased by 10%. At higher gel concentrations of 5, 7, and 10%, the dominance of the elastic modulus G′ was preserved. Texture parameters such as firmness, consistency, cohesiveness, and viscosity index were reduced accordingly. The presence of starch sweeteners significantly disrupted the networking of the three-dimensional structure of the MCG gel and the proper hydration process during the formation of fat mimetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the work is the possibility of applying microfiltration through a ceramic tubular membrane with 100 nm pore sizes to the steepwater obtained in the production process of corn starch. The dry matter content should be reduced in the steepwater permeate. Thus the consumption of the process water would be reduced, the nutrients from the steepwater could be exploited as feed and the wastewater problem would consequently be solved. The objective of the work was to examine the influence of the operating parameters on the permeate flux during steepwater microfiltration. The parameters that vary in the course of microfiltration, were the transmembrane pressur and flow rate, while the permeate flux and dry matter content of the permeate and retentate were the dependent parameters, constantly monitored during the process. Another objective of this study was to investigate the influence of static turbulence promoter on the permeate flux during steepwater microfiltration. Static mixers enhance permeate flux, thus the microfiltration can be performed longer. As a result of the statistical analysis, the optimal conditions for steepwater microfiltration were determined. The maximum value of the permeate flux without mixer (25 lm-2h-1) was achieved at a pressure of 2 bars and a flow rate around 100 lh-1. With the use of static mixer the flux is 2,5 times higher compared to the one obtained without the mixer. The dry matter content of the permeat after 2.5 hours of mucrofiltration was lowered by 40%.

The aim of this paper was to examine the impact of the manufacturing process on the textural characteristics and sensory properties of milk chocolate. The research was conducted on the samples of chocolate produced in a ball mill during 30, 60 and 90 minutes of refining, each of them being pre-crystallized at 26, 28 and 30°C. A chocolate mass of identical ingredient composition was also produced using a standard manufacturing process at the same pre-crystallization temperatures. Chocolate hardness was examined using a piece of equipment called Texture Analyser, measuring the stress intensity which leads to chocolate crushing. Sensory analysis was performed using the point scoring method. The new manufacturing process, i.e. the manufacturing of chocolate in a ball mill improves sensory properties and hardness of milk chocolate. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 31014]

The rheological and physical properties of the chocolate mass depend on the ingredient composition as well as the manufacturing process. For the purpose of this work, a milk chocolate mass of identical composition and raw materials was manufactured by using the two different manufacturing processes: a standard manufacturing process (SM) in five-roller mills including conching, and an unconventional manufacturing process in a ball mill (R1). The quality of both milk chocolate masses was examined by the comparison of thermal (differential scanning calorimetry analysis), textural properties (texture analysis), and the content of hard triglycerides (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy). The main goal of this work was to determine whether chocolate can be produced in a ball mill, using the manufacturing process which results in significant savings, without causing drastic changes to the chocolate physical properties. The new manufacturing process rationalises the standard method by combining two phases, namely conching, and refining into a single one. This results in reduced initial and maintenance costs, as well as costs of workforce and fuel, etc. The results have shown that the new chocolate manufacturing process has a positive impact on texture and thermal properties, while the content of hard triglycerides remains the same.

Spreads are confectionery products based on sugar, vegetable fat, cocoa powder, milk powder and other ingredients. Basic properties of these products are good spreadability in wide temperature range (from ambience to fridge temperature), rich creamy chocolate taste, and homogenous smooth structure without oil phase migration. Undesirable attribute of these products is their relatively high energy value (2300 kJ/100 g). In recent years, cocoa cream products with reduced energy values have become very popular among consumers and today they are present in the assortment of many confectionery manufacturers. One way to produce spreads with reduced energy value is the replacement of sugar (sucrose) with adequate sweetener. Maltitol is a low-energy poliol capable to qualitatively and quantitatively replace sucrose. Cocoa spreads with maltitol and with the combination of maltitol and sucrose (produced at different temperatures and mixer rotation speeds) have similar texture and rheological properties compared to the spreads with sucrose. The spreads with maltitol have about 15% lower energy value in comparison to the same product with sucrose.

Chocolate manufacture is a complex process which includes a large number of technology operations. One of the obligatory phases is milling, called refining, which aims at obtaining the appropriate distribution of particle size, resulting in the chocolate with optimal physical and sensory characteristics. The aim of this work was to define and optimize the process parameters for the production of milk chocolate by a non-conventional procedure, using the ball mill. The quality of chocolate mass, produced on this way, is determined by measuring the following parameters: moisture, size of the largest cocoa particle, yield flow, and Casson plastic viscosity. A special consideration of this study is the optimization of the types and amounts of emulsifiers, which are responsible for achieving the appropriate rheological and physical characteristics of the chocolate mass. The obtained parameters are compared with those which are typical for the standard procedure.