LWT - Food Science and Technology 141 (2021) 110894

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LWT
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/lwt

Development and characterization of two gelatin candies with alternative

sweeteners and fruit bioactive compounds
Roy Rivero a, d, Diego Archaina a, d, Natalia Sosa a, d, Carolina Schebor b, c, d, *
a
Laboratorio de Investigación y Servicios de Productos Apícolas, Facultad de Bromatología, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos, Argentina
b
CONICET – Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos y Procesos Químicos (ITAPROQ), Buenos Aires, Argentina
c
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Industrias, Buenos Aires, Argentina
d
CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The objective of this work was to develop sensory acceptable fruit-based alternative gelatin candies without the
Gelatin candies addition of free sugars, and with an improved nutritional profile. Two gelatin candies were developed containing
Sugar replacement orange (OC) and raspberry (RC) juices as a source of color, flavor and bioactive compounds. A propolis extract
Fruits
was added as a source of polyphenols and as natural preservative. The developed candies presented textural
Propolis
Sensory analysis
characteristics typical of commercial products. Sensory studies indicated that both formulations could be
outstanding alternatives for people looking for new options of lower calories candies. Children preferred RC
(82%) compared to OC (56%); while adults liked both formulations without significant differences. Candies
presented potential functional properties: total phenolic content of 491.9 ± 33.8, and 550.8 ± 84.7 mg GAE/100
g for OC and RC, respectively. Additionally, antioxidant capacity values were 1.60 ± 0.06, and 1.82 ± 0.08 mmol
Trolox/100 g for OC and RC, respectively. Candies were microbiologically stable during 90 days at 25 ◦ C.
Moreover, they showed a decrease in water content (4–5 g H2O/100 g), which caused slight textural changes
along storage. These variations, together with color changes (ΔE00 above 2) suggested the need of an opaque
hermetical packaging to protect the candies.

1. Introduction physicochemical stability to candies, and allows masking the bitter

aftertaste of other sweeteners (Sentko & Willibald-Ettle, 2012). The
Nowadays, the incidence of obesity has increased, mainly due to the mentioned sweeteners were used in the development of jelly candies
intake of sugary foods (Naughton, McCarthy, & McCarthy, 2017). Ac­ (Aranda Gonzales et al., 2015), and chewy candies (Bataglia da Silva
cording to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2015) sugar con­ et al., 2016).
sumption should not be higher than 10% of the daily caloric intake. According to Hastaoğlu, Can, and Vural (2018), children tend to
Consequently, the addition of low-calorie sweeteners is a good option to consume a large amount of sweets containing artificial colorants, which
replace traditional sugars (Jiamjariyatam, 2018; Spanemberg, Korze­ can lead to health disorders. Consequently, the incorporation of fruits
nowski, & Sellitto, 2019). The combined use of high intensity sweeteners into candies formulations could be an advantage, by providing both
and polyols is one of the most used strategies to reduce the sugar content natural colorants (Schweiggert, 2018), and beneficial bioactive com­
in foods (Buttriss, 2017; Di Monaco, Miele, Cabisidan, & Cavella, 2018). pounds, compared to traditional sweets that generally offer poor or no
Stevia is a natural sweetener widely used due to its high intensity nutritional input (Archaina, Sosa, Rivero, & Schebor, 2019; Vergara
(Putnik et al., 2020), high stability (Harismah, Mirzaei, & Fuadi, 2018), et al., 2020).
and for its synergism with other sweeteners (Mahato et al., 2020). On Recently, many researchers focused their work on the addition of
the other hand, polyols act both as sweeteners and bulking agents diverse alternative ingredients to soft and jelly candies: Soares Miranda
(Grembecka, 2015). In this context, the properties of maltitol are very et al. (2020) developed jelly candies with fruits and probiotics; Otálora,
similar to those of sucrose, being an excellent option for its replacement de Jesús Barbosa, Perilla, Osorio, and Nazareno (2019) produced
(Kearsley & Deis, 2012). Additionally, isomalt provides high gummy candies colored with Opuntia ficus-indica betalains; Kia,

* Corresponding author. CONICET – Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos y Procesos Químicos (ITAPROQ), Buenos Aires. Argentina.
E-mail address: [email protected] (C. Schebor).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2021.110894
Received 31 August 2020; Received in revised form 1 January 2021; Accepted 5 January 2021
Available online 12 January 2021
0023-6438/© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
R. Rivero et al. LWT 141 (2021) 110894

Langroodi, Ghasempour, and Ehsani (2020), developed gummy candies or reconstituted raspberry powder (powder:water 1:3) (10–30%); 4)
colored with a red beet extract; and Vergara et al. (2020), added guava dissolution of solids at 100 ◦ C stirring for 10 min; 5) addition of maltitol-
pulp in chewy candies. syrup (35–55%) and stirring for 5 min at 100 ◦ C; 6) addition of yogurt
Propolis is a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) natural product powder (3.0–5.0%), ethylmaltol and essences; 7) placing in silicon
made by bees, which has many beneficial properties (Salas, Zampini, molds and storage at 25 ◦ C for 5 h; 8) unmolding and packing in airtight
Maldonado, & Isla, 2018). Propolis is a source of antioxidant com­ bags.
pounds, whose activity is due to their free-radical scavenging capacity
(Yan, Zhong, Duan, Chen, & Li, 2020). Additionally, propolis antimi­
2.6. Minimum inhibitory concentration of propolis extract
crobial effect is connected with a direct action, by altering the perme­
ability of the cellular membrane, disrupting the membrane potential,
Different concentrations of propolis extract (0–7.5%) were studied.
reducing the production of ATP, and decreasing the bacterial mobility
The candies were packed and stored for 210 days at 25 ◦ C. A visual
(Przybyłek & Karpiński, 2019).
inspection of the samples (quintupled) was carried out daily, evaluating
Contemplating all this, the present work sought to develop two types
the presence or absence of macroscopic superficial mycelium according
of gelatin candies, applying combinations of different low-calorie
to Rivero et al. (2020).
alternative sweeteners, flavored and colored with fruit juices, and pre­
served without the addition of artificial preservatives. This study also
assessed the consumers’ sensory acceptance, and analyzed candies sta­ 2.7. Water content
bility during storage.
AOAC 950.46 method (AOAC, 2005, p. 409) was used. Results were
2. Materials and methods expressed as g water/100 g sample, as the mean ± standard deviation of
3 determinations.
2.1. Materials
2.8. Water activity (aw)
Propolis was provided by the Cooperativa Apícola of Gualeguaychú.
The ingredients for the gelatin candies (all food grade) were: plain It was determined using a Hygrolab C1 meter (Rotronic, Bassersdorf,
yogurt without sweeteners (La Serenisima, Buenos Aires, Argentina), Switzerland). Results were reported as the mean ± standard deviation of
raspberries (Rubus idaeus, var. Atumn Bliss), orange juice without added 4 measurements.
sugar (Cepita, Buenos Aires, Argentina), citric acid (RZBC, Anhui,
China), maltodextrin DE 12 (Givaudan, Buenos Aires, Argentina), stevia
(Dulsevia, Misiones, Argentina), isomalt (Beneo, Mannheim, Germany), 2.9. Texture profile analysis (TPA)
ethylmaltol (Perfumers Apprentice; Scotts Valley, US-CA), maltitol 65%
syrup (Ferromet, Buenos Aires, Argentina), synthetic essences (identical A universal test machine (Instron Corporation, Norwood, MA) with a
to natural): orange essence 186 (Sensory, Buenos Aires, Argentina) and 5 cm diameter stainless steel tip was used. The samples were compressed
raspberry essence 082 (Sensory, Buenos Aires, Argentina), unflavored 30% of their height, at 0.5 mm/s. Results were reported as the mean ±
gelatin (Royal, San Luis, Argentina). Commercial gelatin candy (CGC, standard deviation of 10 measurements.
Mogul, Buenos Aires, Argentina). All the used reagents were of recog­
nized analytical grade. 2.10. Color

2.2. Propolis ethanol extract (EEP) A handheld colorimeter MiniScan EZ (HunterLab, Reston, VA) was
used, and the coordinates of the CIELAB color space were obtained.
The propolis extract (EEP) was obtained by mixing crude propolis Global color difference (ΔE00) was calculated according to Luo, Cui, and
water:ethanol (30:70) with stirring for 30 min at 30 ◦ C, following Rigg (2001). The results were reported as the mean ± standard deviation
Archaina, Rivero, Sosa, and Baldi Coronel (2015) procedure. of ten measurements.

2.3. Yogurt powder

2.11. In vitro digestion
The yogurt was frozen at − 24 C and lyophilized for 48 h in a Lab­
◦
The in vitro digestion assay proposed by Minekus et al. (2014) was
conco lyophilizer (Freezone 1, Kansas City, MO), operating at − 50 ◦ C
followed, including the oral, gastric and intestinal phases. After that, the
and 0.040 mbar. Lyophilized yogurt was manually grinded with a
samples were centrifuged at 10,000 rpm at 4 ◦ C for 10 min and the
mortar to obtain a powder.
supernatant was recovered.
2.4. Raspberry powder
2.12. Antioxidant capacity (AC)
Raspberries were thawed, processed with a commercial slow juicer
PE-HSJO2 (Hurom, Shanghai, China), the juice was collected, and the 4 g of gelatin candy were dissolved in distilled water at 35 ◦ C and the
obtained residues were processed 3 more times. The raspberry juice was mixture was filled up to 100 mL with distilled water.
added with 25% w/w maltodextrin, and spray-dried using a Mini Spray The TEAC test (Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity) was carried
Dryer B290 (Büchi, Flawil, Switzerland). The operating conditions were: out following the procedure of Archaina et al. (2015), using 2,2′ -azi­
air inlet temperature 170 ± 2 ◦ C, flow rate 8 mL/min, air pressure 3.2 nobis- [3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid] (Merck, Darmstadt,
bar and nozzle diameter 1.5 mm. Germany) to produce the radical free cationic ABTS•+. A Trolox (Merck,
Darmstadt, Germany) solution was used to construct a six-point cali­
2.5. Gelatin candies preparation bration curve (R2 = 0.9954). The results were expressed as mmol Tro­
lox/100 g, as the mean ± standard deviation of 4 replicates.
Process stages: 1) mixture of solids (gelatin (8.0–12.0%), isomalt For the evaluation of AC after in vitro digestion, the supernatant was
(10–15%), stevia (0.8–1.0%), and citric acid (0.5–1.5%)); 2) addition of diluted (1/25) and the results were expressed as mmol Trolox/kg of
EEP (6.5–10%); 3) addition of fruit components (orange juice (10–30%), candy.

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R. Rivero et al. LWT 141 (2021) 110894

2.13. Total polyphenols content (TPC) H2O/100 g, and a aw value of 0.324 ± 0.002. According to Kumar and
Mishra (2004), the low water content and water activity values of yogurt
The Folin Ciocalteu method was used according to Archaina et al. powder helps in storage, and favors its use as a food ingredient.
(2019) procedure. A standard curve of gallic acid (Merck, Darmstadt,
Germany) was obtained between 0 and 0.3 mg/mL (R2 = 0.9909). The 3.1.3. Raspberry powder
results were expressed as mg equivalent of gallic acid (GAE)/100 g, as The raspberry powder showed relatively good physical properties:
the mean ± standard deviation of 3 replicates. low values of aw (0.184 ± 0.001) and water content (5.5 ± 0.4 g H2O/
100 g), in agreement with data reported by Syamaladevi, Insan, Dha­
2.14. Sensory evaluation wan, Andrews, and Sablani (2012). Furthermore, the solubility of the
powder (82.2 ± 2.1%) coincided with that reported by Yousefi,
2.14.1. Internal panel Emam-Djomeh, Mousavi, Kobarfard, and Zbicinski (2015), for dried
The different candies prototypes (See supplementary material) raspberry powders. Regarding AC, the obtained value (6.38 ± 0.47
were evaluated by a sensory internal panel composed of 16 untrained mmol Trolox/100 g) was lower than that published by Bilbao-Sainz,
evaluators, with the aim of finding sensorially accepted formulations Thai, Sinrod, Chiou, & McHugh (2019) for lyophilized raspberry pow­
(Watts, Ylimaki, Jeffery & Elias, 1992). ders (11.14 mmol Trolox/100 g) without the addition of matrix.

2.14.2. Rating of liking test

3.2. Gelatin candies formulation
Candies were evaluated by children and adults. Children’s panel: 77
consumers between 7 and 12 years old from the Scout Group No. 02
Sensory tests on the different prototypes were performed by an in­
“Ceferino Namuncurá” and the dining hall “La casa del niño San Martín
ternal panel (See supplementary material). Two sensory acceptable
de Porres”, both from Gualeguaychú (Entre Ríos, Argentina). Approval
products were attained (Table 1): Orange Candy (OC) and Raspberry
of the children’s parents/guardians was requested before the sensory
Candy (RC). A suitable taste was achieved through blends of various
assays. Adult’s panel: 80 assessors between 18 and 65 years old,
ingredients. The addition of fruit essences and ethylmaltol in low con­
including students, teaching and non-teaching staff from Facultad de
centrations was needed to highlight the flavors, in order to meet the
Bromatología, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos.
local taste of consumers. The developed candies were compared to a
A 7-point hedonic scale was used: 1) Dislike very much; 2) Dislike; 3)
commercial gelatin candy (Table 1), and the main difference was the
Dislike slightly; 4) Neither like nor dislike; 5) Like slightly; 6) Like; 7)
high content of sugar and syrups, and the lack of natural products
Like very much.
observed in the commercial product.
2.14.3. Sensory intensity test (JAR)
This test was performed by adult consumers, and the JAR (Just About 3.3. Inhibition of fungal growth
Right) scale evaluated sensory intensities on a scale from 1 to 3: 1) Less
than I like; 2) Just how I like; and 3) More than I like. Gelatin candies presented aw values higher than 0.6 suggesting that it
was likely to have deteriorating fungal growth during storage (Ergun,
2.15. Stability studies Lietha, & Hartel, 2010). In this case, citric acid and propolis extract were
included in the formulations to avoid/diminish the development of
OC and RC samples were packed in clear, hermetically sealed bags fungi. In order to determine if the chosen formulations would be stable
and stored for 90 days at 25 ◦ C under artificial light (C1) or darkness along storage, fungal growth was followed in candies containing
(C2). Condition C1: samples were exposed to light from two fluorescent increasing amounts of EEP (Fig. 1). To achieve fungal inhibition for a
lamps providing 7.20 ± 1.24klx measured at the light source and 0.38 ± period of 210 days, it was necessary to incorporate at least 6% EEP for
0.03klx measured at the point of exposure, with periods of 12 h lighting OC (Figs. 1A) and 7.5% EEP for RC (Fig. 1B). As 7.5% EEP was sensory
and 12 h of darkness. Condition C2: samples were covered with accepted by the internal panel, this concentration was set for both for­
aluminum foil. Sampling was carried out every 15 days (quintupled). mulations. Regarding the Argentinean legislation (CAA, 2018), the
maximum propolis intake should not be higher than 300 mg/day, and
2.16. Statistical analysis 150 mg/day, for adults and children, respectively. In this case, one
portion of gelatin candies (5 units = 15 g) contain 31 mg of propolis, a
The results were statistically evaluated by the analysis of variance value much lower than the maximum regulated dose.
(ANOVA) to determine significant differences between samples. The
analysis of the means was performed through the LSD Fisher procedure Table 1
at p < 0.05 using the software Infostat v.2008. Composition of the developed orange (OC) and raspberry (RC) gelatin candies
and a commercial gelatin candy.
3. Results and discussion
Developed gelatin candies Commercial gelatin candy

Ingredients (%) OC RC Ingredients (%)

3.1. Developed ingredients characterization
Maltitol syrup 52.2 40.7 Sugar and syrups 70–80
3.1.1. Propolis ethanolic extract (EEP) Water – 18.7 Water 10–20
Isomalt 12.5 12.8 Gelatin 3–8
A propolis extract (60% yield) with a resin content of 1.25 ± 0.03 g/ Stevia 1.0 1.0 Citric acid 1–3
100 mL, having an AC of 603 ± 142 mmol Trolox/100 g EEP was ob­ EEP 7.5 7.5 Polyols 0.5–1.0
tained. Comparing with other studies, Brazilian propolis exhibited Gelatin powder 10.8 8.6 Essence and 0.5–1.0
higher AC values between 849.2 and 877.46 mmol Trolox/100 g colorants
Reconstituted raspberry 5.2 Starch NA*
(Augusto-Obara et al., 2019). In contrast, propolis extracts from Buenos –
powder
Aires (Argentina) showed lower AC values, from 84.3 to 168.3 mmol Orange juice 10.9 – *NA= Necessary amount
Trolox/100 g (Fangio, Orallo, Gende, & Churio, 2019). Yogurt powder 4.02 4.57
Citric acid 1.0 0.9
3.1.2. Yogurt powder Ethylmaltol 0.05 0.05
Essence (orange or raspberry) 0.05 0.05
The yogurt powder presented a water content of 4.96 ± 0.13 g of

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R. Rivero et al. LWT 141 (2021) 110894

Table 3
Characterization of the developed gelatin candies (OC and RC), and a com­
mercial gelatin candy (CGC).
Determinations OC RC CGC

aw 0.768 ± 0.824 ± 0.700 ±

0.004a 0.004b 0.003c
Water content g/100 g 28.6 ± 1.29a 34.1 ± 1.77b 14.9 ± 0.98c
Texture Hardness (mPa) 0.066 ± 0.054 ± 0.077 ±
0.012a 0.009a 0.011b
Cohesiveness 0.896 ± 0.831 ± 0.707 ±
0.045a 0.023a 0.006b
Gumminess (mPa) 0.059 ± 0.045 ± 0.054 ±
0.009a 0.006a 0.009a
Chewiness (mPa) 0.057 ± 0.040 ± 0.047 ±
0.010a 0.005b 0.007ab
Elasticity 0.954 ± 0.911 ± 0.859 ± 0.15b
0.043a 0.019a
Adhesiveness − 0.004 ± − 0.003 ± − 0.004 ±
(mPa*s) 0.002a 0.001a 0.002a

Values with different letters in the same row, show significant differences(p <
0.05).

and Mutlu et al. (2018) for jelly candies. Regarding the textural char­
acteristics, there were no significant differences between the formula­
tions except in the chewiness that was lower in RC. When comparing
Fig. 1. Effect of EEP content on fungal growth in gelatin candies during storage with a similar commercial gelatin candy, the adhesiveness, gumminess,
for OC (A) and RC (B). Different letters on the bars show significant differences
and chewiness did not show statistical differences compared to RC and
(p < 0.05).
OC, while the commercial product presented lower hardness and higher
elasticity and cohesiveness.
3.4. Rating of liking degree The color (Table 4) observed in the two candies could be associated
with the different fruits used in their preparation. RC were darker
A descriptive statistical analysis was carried out in order to analyze samples due to the presence of raspberry powder which provided a
the semantics used by consumers in the rating of liking. In the case of lower L* than that given by orange juice. Also, OC showed much higher
adults, the highest number of responses were located in the liking b* values due to their natural yellow hue. Additionally, the candies were
classifications, mainly in the category “Like” (mode = 6) for both opaque due to the presence of yogurt powder.
candies with 74% and 81% consumers, for OC and RC, respectively. The potential functional properties of the candies were TPC (491.9 ±
Regarding children, the liking categories were represented by 56% 33.8 and 550.8 ± 84.7 mg GAE/100 g for OC and RC, respectively) and
consumers (mode = 6) for OC, and by 82% consumers (mode = 7) for AC (1.60 ± 0.06 and 1.82 ± 0.08 mmol Trolox/100 g for OC and RC,
RC. A two-way ANOVA analysis (Table 2) showed significant differences respectively). The TPC values of OC and RC candies were higher than
between the candies formulations (p < 0.01) for children, displaying those of other potentially functional candies: Cano-Lamadrid et al.
higher acceptance for RC. Meanwhile, for adults no significant differ­ (2020) reported TPC: 72–159 mg GAE/100 g for pomegranate
ences were observed between OC and RC degree of liking. juice-based candies, while Šeremet et al. (2020) showed TPC: 170–180
Based on this, both formulations could be good alternatives for adults mg GAE/100 g for white tea-based candies. Also, Rubio-Arraez, Bena­
looking for new options of lower calories products. However, in children vent, Ortolá, and Castelló (2018) developed watermelon jellies with
the perception of liking was different, possibly owing to multisensory isomaltulose or tagatose showing higher AC values (8.8 and 8.3 mmol
factors. On one hand, children do not perceive bitter and sweet flavors Trolox/100 g, respectively).
with the same intensity than adults (Mennella, Nolden, & Bobowski, The bioaccessible AC fraction after in vitro digestion was evaluated,
2018), and on the other hand, their attention is strongly influenced by obtaining 6.59 ± 0.87 and 9.71 ± 0.28 mmol Trolox/kg, for OC and RC,
intense colors (Brunk & Møller, 2019). Therefore, RC could replace respectively. Gelatin candies are simple food matrices from which
traditional candies for children, providing nutrients and phytochemicals antioxidant compounds could be easily released during the digestion
to their diet, without the incorporation of traditional sugars. process, thus providing a favorable antioxidant environment to the
digestive tract. The bioaccessible AC values were comparable with those
3.5. Candies characterization reported in lyophilized blackcurrant and yogurt candies, 6.9 mmol
Trolox/kg (Archaina et al., 2019).
Water activity and water content values (Table 3) were in the range
of those reported by Efe, Bielejewski, Tritt-Goc, Mert, and Oztop (2019),

Table 4
Table 2 Color parameters and photographs of the developed gelatin candies.
Two-way ANOVA analysis of the degree of liking data, considering OC and RC
formulations, and adults or children consumers. Chromatic coordinates OC RC

Statistical analysis Between formulations

Adults Children

F values 2.32 28.35

P 0.13 <0.01 L* 66.2 ± 0.5a 42.8 ± 2.0b
Critical F 3.96 3.97 a* 4.4 ± 0.2a 8.9 ± 0.3b
b* 33.8 ± 1.9a 4.2 ± 0.3b
If the values of F are higher than those of critical F, the samples are significantly
different for a p < 0.05. Different letters in the same row indicate a significant difference (P < 0.05).

4
R. Rivero et al. LWT 141 (2021) 110894

3.6. Sensory perception of attributes content (OC: 28%–23%; RC: 34%–30%) and aw (OC: 0.766 to 0.763; RC:
0.821 to 0.812). Only the water content varied significantly with the
Fig. 2 shows the attributes tested by the panel of adult consumers. type of lighting. Regarding texture, both formulations exhibited slight
The flavor attributes were perceived in a similar way in both candies, but significant increases of hardness (OC: 0.066–0.112 mPa; RC:
considering the acidity and bitterness at its right point, but with low 0.053–0.080 mPa), gumminess (OC: 0.059–0.093 mPa; RC:
sweetness. The perception of the last two attributes could be intimately 0.045–0.070 mPa) and chewiness (OC: 0.057–0.088 mPa; RC:
related, since the increase/decrease of one can induce the other to be 0.057–0.065 mPa) after 75 days. This behavior in the texture variables
perceived inversely (Di Pizio, Shoshan-Galeczki, Hayes, & Niv, 2019). could be due to the decrease in humidity. Kopjar, Pichler, Turi, and
Regarding texture, a high proportion of the consumers perceived OC Piližota (2016) suggested that minimizing moisture loss from gelatin
with high gumminess, while RC was mostly perceived as ideal. This candies is very important to maintain the structural quality of the
result did not coincide with the instrumental analysis of gumminess products.
(Table 3), probably because the consumers may have evaluated the Also, chromatic properties manifested significant changes over time,
gumminess differently than it is considered with the instrumental test. being more relevant in condition C1 (Fig. 3). Candies showed darkening,
Regarding color, OC were considered too light according to the taste probably caused by non-enzymatic browning and vitamin C deteriora­
of the consumers, while RC had the intensity just as expected for a tion in OC (Fig. 3A), and also to changes of the anthocyanins present in
raspberry candy. RC (Fig. 3B) (Odriozola-Serrano, Soliva-Fortuny, & Martín-Belloso,
2009). According to Keraitė, Sivakova, and Kiuberis (2017), the color
changes are perceived with the naked eye when 2 < ΔE00<10. There­
3.7. Stability during storage
fore, both formulations presented perceptible color changes after 40
days for condition C1 and after 60 days for condition C2, being more
The potential functional properties, and some texture variables
important for RC.
(cohesiveness, adhesiveness and elasticity) did not present significant
changes along 90 days at 25 ◦ C under artificial light (C1) or darkness
4. Conclusions
(C2). Furthermore, the addition of citric acid and 7.5% EEP guaranteed
microbiological stability during the stability study.
Two sensory acceptable candies showing an improved nutritional
The characteristics that significantly varied over time were water

Fig. 2. Intensity of the attributes studied during the characterization of the OC and RC. JAR scale: black bars: More than I like; gray bars: Just how I like, and white
bars: Less than I like.

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R. Rivero et al. LWT 141 (2021) 110894

Appendix A. Supplementary data

Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.

org/10.1016/j.lwt.2021.110894.

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