Effect of Acidity Reduction and Anticaking Use on the Hygroscopic Behavior of Tamarind Pulp Powder

The high acid content in tamarind pulp can inhibit consumer sensory acceptance of its products and cause problems during lyophilization, resulting in a powder with high hygroscopicity, and which is prone to caking due to its hydrophilic nature. Tamarind pulp, in turn, has great nutritional potential, and stands out in relation to other pulps because of its functional attributes that are under investigation due to its low glycemic index. This study sought to characterize tamarind pulp and the effects of acidity reduction on hygroscopic behavior. Tamarind pulp powder was evaluated by analyzing moisture content, hygroscopicity, degree of caking, and adsorption isotherms, by fitting experimental data to the GAB, BET, Henderson, and Oswin mathematical models. The results demonstrated that all tamarind powder treatments resulted in low moisture content and hygroscopicity values, but a high degree of caking. The GAB model represented the best fit to the adsorption isotherms, with coefficients of determination (R2) between 0.97 and 0.99 and average errors (E) < 5.67 %, presenting a type III behavior, characteristic of foods rich in sugar, and it is recommended to store this product in environments with a relative humidity below 60 %

Alternative Protein and Fiber-based Cheese and Hamburger Analogues: Meeting Consumer Demand for Differentiated Plant-based Products

The importance of functionality in food has led to the development of a potential market for ingredients such as dietary fiber and alternative proteins, expanding their insertion in beverages and cheese and meat analogues. Alternative proteins include various production processes aimed at the plant, fermentative, and cell culture products. There is a worldwide trend of innovative products made by combining technologies to reach this market niche. Embrapa has developed plant-based products, such as milk, cheese, and hamburger analogues, based on babassu coconut and cashew nuts, freeze-dried cashew fiber, and alternative proteins, such as chickpeas, lentils, and the microalgae Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis). The babassu coconut cheese analogue was processed by crushing the kernels to obtain the water-soluble extract, pasteurizing, fermenting by mixed cultures and heating the water-soluble extract fermented with soy, starch, agar, and salt to form the dough, followed by packaging and storage at 4°C. The hamburger analogues based on freeze-dried cashew fiber, lentils, or chickpeas, and freeze-dried Spirulina microalgae were added with other ingredients used in traditional hamburgers, followed by molding and freezing at -18 oC. The hamburger analogue had a protein content of 14-18% on a dry basis, and the babassu coconut analogue was 4.17%, and both achieved a sensory acceptance of 7 on the 9-point hedonic scale. The products achieved purchase intention values of 3.7 and 4.0 respectively, showing market potential to meet the demand of consumers looking for functional and tasty foods

Microstructure and flow properties of lyophilized mango pulp with maltodextrin

ABSTRACT The present study had as objective to determine the flow properties and behavior of lyophilized mango pulp powder as a function of different concentrations of maltodextrin. In the samples of the powders contain 5, 10 and 15% of maltodextrin the angle of effective internal friction, wall friction angle, flow index and bulk density were determined. The microstructure was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The freeze-dried samples are characterized as having an amorphous structure, and the drying aid used modified the surface of the particles. The flow index was 3.19, 4.28 and 4.53 for samples containing, respectively, 5, 10 and 15% maltodextrin. Increasing the concentration of maltodextrin in the mango pulp decreased the effective angles of internal friction and wall friction. The bulk density of the powders increased with increasing concentration of maltodextrin for the samples containing 5, 10 and 15% of the maltodextrin, being equal to 597.8, 689.8 and 691.3 kg m-3, respectively. Thus, it was concluded that the addition of maltodextrin modified the shape of the particles, decreased segregation, affected the flow properties of the mango powders, facilitating flow and increasing their bulk density