Effects of polyols on the quality characteristics of sucrose-free milk chocolate produced in a ball mill

Sucrose-free milk chocolates containing different types of bulk (isomalt, xylitol and maltitol) and high intensity (Stevia) sweeteners were produced by using a ball mill. The main quality characteristics of the formulated chocolates were evaluated and compared with those of the conventional sample containing sucrose. The Casson model was the best fitting model for the rheological data. Casson viscosity and Casson yield stress were significantly affected by the type of bulking agent in chocolates formulated with xylitol (p < 0.05). However xylitol notably improved the overall acceptability according to the sensory analysis results. Chocolates containing the sucrose replacers demonstrated lower Tonset values and higher enthalpy than the control sample. Sucrose-free chocolates illustrated a higher degree of particle agglomeration. Bulk sweeteners meanwhile seem to have high potential for milk chocolate production with low calorie values by using the ball mill technique. Industrial applications: the production of sucrose-free chocolates with conventional methods requires a lot of time and energy. Recently, using alternative methods for chocolate production has been raising interest in many small industries. This study proposed a ball mill method for the preparation of sucrose-free milk chocolates with physiochemical properties almost ranging in the standard limit defined for chocolate. Although using the ball mill method presents a more cost-effective technique for chocolate production and provides shorter processing times for small chocolate industries, it seems to be less efficient in evaporating moisture than the conventional processing. Challenges are still ahead for upgrading this alternative technique to be efficient in evaporating more moisture during operation ending in a high quality product

Using encapsulated Nannochloropsis oculata in white chocolate as coloring agent

2-s2.0-85088562883Colored chocolate products have gained importance in recent years. This increases the importance of identifying potential natural colorants for chocolate technology. In this study, Nannochloropsis oculata microalgae which were grown by using tubular photobioreactor in two different forms (spray-dried and encapsulated by using a spray dryer and maltodextrin (50%)), were used in white chocolate composition (0.00–0.75 g) as a coloring agent. The color stability (?E) values for all sample groups were determined below the visibility level of 3.0 under accelerated shelf life conditions (25 °C/70% RH) for 28 days. The water activity, moisture and ash content, hardness, yield stress, plastic viscosity, and melting properties of white chocolate samples showed no significant differences (P &gt; 0.05) and the other quality characteristics were found to be acceptable. The chlorophyll-a content of white chocolate samples was between 9.60–22.9 ?g g?1. It was found that the sensory properties of the samples as appearance, texture, melting in the mouth, and odor were not affected by level of microalgae use (P &gt; 0.05). However, it was noteworthy that there was a decrease in taste and overall acceptability according to usage level of dried and encapsulated microalgae (P &lt; 0.05). As a result, it was determined that spray-drying technique is preferred for use of microalgae in chocolate composition. © 2020, Springer Nature B.V.Ege ÜniversitesiThe authors thank Ege University, Fisheries Faculty, where culture of algae has been carried out. The authors would like to thank the technical staff at the Yildiz Technical University and Tayas Food, R&D Department, for some analyses of white chocolate

Frequency of azole resistance in clinical and environmental strains of Aspergillus fumigatus in Turkey: A multicentre study

Objectives: Aspergillus fumigatus causes several diseases in humans and azole resistance in A. fumigatus strains is an important issue. The aim of this multicentre epidemiological study was to investigate the prevalence of azole resistance in clinical and environmental A. fumigatus isolates in Turkey. Methods: Twenty-one centres participated in this study from 1 May 2018 to 1 October 2019. One participant from each centre was asked to collect environmental and clinical A. fumigatus isolates. Azole resistance was screened for using EUCAST agar screening methodology (EUCAST E.DEF 10.1) and was confirmed by the EUCAST E.DEF 9.3 reference microdilution method. Isolates with a phenotypic resistance pattern were sequenced for the cyp51A gene and microsatellite genotyping was used to determine the genetic relationships between the resistant strains. Results: In total, resistance was found in 1.3% of the strains that were isolated from environmental samples and 3.3% of the strains that were isolated from clinical samples. Mutations in the cyp51A gene were detected in 9 (47.4%) of the 19 azole-resistant isolates, all of which were found to be TR34/L98H mutations. Microsatellite genotyping clearly differentiated the strains with the TR34/L98H mutation in the cyp51A gene from the strains with no mutation in this gene. Conclusions: The rate of observed azole resistance of A. fumigatus isolates was low in this study, but the fact that more than half of the examined strains had the wild-Type cyp51A gene supports the idea that other mechanisms of resistance are gradually increasing. © 2022 The Author(s) 2022