Isomalt protects vitamin C status of baked apple snacks, finds study
Published in LWT Food Science and Technology, researchers from Argentina assessed physical, chemical and sensory properties of baked apple snacks made using the sugar substitute isomalt and polysaccharide maltodextrin.
Findings showed isomalt protected the snack during baking.
“Its use had a protective effect on the apple tissue submitted to high temperatures since the snack had good quality attributes and also preserved the added ascorbic acid during the baking process,” the researchers wrote.
This meant the apple snacks could be baked at higher temperatures (140°C) for shorter times, they added.
Calcium, isomalt and maltodextrin pre-treatment
Granny Smith apples were used in the study – pre-treated with calcium lactate for two minutes before being chilled over ice and pre-treated with aqueous solutions of Isomalt (I) and maltodextrin (M) for 15 minutes.
“After the pre-treatments with I:M, moisture decreased on average four times (dry base),” the researchers said.
Ascorbic acid content retention after baking was also significantly higher when pre-treated with I:M – about 50% on average, which was valuable from a health perspective, they said.
“The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C covers an expanded range of values, from 40 mg/day to 3 g/day. Hence, a serving of 20 g of the snacks formulated with isomalt would nearly cover a demanding daily requirement of vitamin C.”
They also found a 2:1 isomalt-maltodextrin ratio maintained a constant ascorbic acid content during 120 days storage.
“This is an innovative food product since isomalt has hardly been used to formulate snacks,” they wrote.
Source: LWT Food Science and Technology
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2015.02.009. July 2015, Volume 62, Issue 2, Pages 1004-1010
“Baked snack from green apples formulated with the addition of isomalt”
Authors: MJ Tavera Quiroz, M. Urriza, A. Pinotti and N. Bertola
