Characteristics of Nutraceutical Chewing Candy Formulations Based on Fermented Milk Permeate, Psyllium Husk, and Apple By-Products

Egle Zokaityte; Karolina Siriakovaite; Vytaute Starkute; Paulina Zavistanaviciute; Vita Lele; Erika Mozuriene; Dovile Klupsaite; Pranas Viskelis; Romas Ruibys; Raquel P F Guiné; Elena Bartkiene

doi:10.3390/foods10040777

Characteristics of Nutraceutical Chewing Candy Formulations Based on Fermented Milk Permeate, Psyllium Husk, and Apple By-Products

Foods. 2021 Apr 5;10(4):777. doi: 10.3390/foods10040777.

Authors

Egle Zokaityte^{1

2}, Karolina Siriakovaite¹, Vytaute Starkute^{1

2}, Paulina Zavistanaviciute^{1

2}, Vita Lele^{1

2}, Erika Mozuriene^{1

2}, Dovile Klupsaite², Pranas Viskelis³, Romas Ruibys⁴, Raquel P F Guiné⁵, Elena Bartkiene^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Safety and Quality, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
² Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies, Faculty of Animal Sciences, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
³ Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Kauno Str. 30, LT-54333 Babtai, Lithuania.
⁴ Institute of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Agriculture Academy, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaicio Str. 58, LT-44244 Kaunas, Lithuania.
⁵ CERNAS Research Centre, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop nutraceutical chewing candy (CCN) formulations based on fermented milk permeate (MP) (source of galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and viable lactic acid bacteria (LAB)), psyllium husk (source of desirable hydrocolloids), and apple by-products (source of phenolic compounds). For CCN preparation, gelatin (Gel) and agar were tested; also, to provide CCN prepared using agar with a desirable hard texture, citric acid (cit) was changed to ascorbic acid. To select the optimal quantities of the ingredients, overall acceptability (OA) and emotions (EMs) induced in consumers by different CCN formulations were evaluated. Furthermore, viable LAB count during storage, texture, colour, and antioxidant characteristics were analysed. The highest OA (score 8.5) was shown for samples consisting of MP, psyllium husk (Ph), apple by-products (App), cit and xylitol (Xy); a very strong correlation was found between OA and the EM "happy" (r = 0.907**). After 14 days of storage, Gel+MP+Ph+App+cit samples showed a LAB count higher than 6.0 log₁₀ CFU g^-1; however, better antioxidant properties were found for the CCN prepared with agar. Finally, it can be stated that fermented MP, Ph, and App can be used for preparation of added-value CCN in a sustainable manner, and the recommended formulation is Gel+ MP+Ph+App+cit+Xy.

Keywords: antioxidant properties; apple by-products; emotions induced in consumers; milk permeate; nutraceutical chewing candy; overall acceptability; psyllium husk.