Average Integral Assessment of Water Binding Capacity in Sugar-Containing Confectionery Products

Confectionary products must retain their freshness during the entire shelf-life period, and this quality should be considered at the stage of formulation design. As a result, moisture binding capacity of food products is an important research area. This research featured the average integral moisture binding capacity of sugar-containing materials to be used in confectionery products. The research featured two groups of products. The first included thick syrups of sugar, molasse, glucose, fructose, glucose+fructose, and isomalt with a moisture content of 17.2-19.8%. The second included starch hydrolysates, i.e., various starch molasses and glucose+fructose syrup with a humidity of 17.0-22.4%. To assess the water binding capacity, the authors appealed to the method developed by Prof. V.M. Arapov. A higher total relative equivalent of free water ω_total (U_1,U_2 ) increased the water retention capacity. A lower value of ω_total (U_1,U_2 ) correlated with a higher water activity Aw. In sugar syrup, Aw was 0.830 at ω_total (U_1,U_2 )=13; in sugar+molasse syrup, Aw was 0.701 at ω_total (U_1,U_2 ) =14.5; in low-sugar molasse, Aw was 0.745 at ω_total (U_1,U_2 )=16.5; in caramel acid molasse, Aw equaled 0.727 at ω_total (U_1,U_2 )=27.5; in isomalt syrup, Aw was 0.623 at ω_total (U_1,U_2 )=44.5; in high-sugar molasse, Aw was 0.680 at ω_total (U_1,U_2 )=46; in glucose syrup, Aw reached 0.548 at ω_total (U_1,U_2 )=48.5; in glucose+fructose syrup, Aw was 0.583 at ω_total (U_1,U_2 )=53; in fructose syrup, Aw was 0.499 at ω_total (U_1,U_2 )=61.5. The values of ω_total (U_1,U_2 ) of fructose syrup were 4.7...1.2 times higher than in other products. Prof. V.M. Arapov’s method rendered both qualitative and quantitative analysis of moisture in a food product. Sugar, sugar+molasse, and low-sugar molasse syrups with ω_total (U_1,U_2 ) as low as 16.5…13 had the best results in protecting confectionery products from water absorption. Fructose, glucose+fructose, glucose, and high-sugar molasse syrups with the value of ω_total (U_1,U_2 ) as high as 61.5…46 could prolong the shelf-life of the finished product. The method demonstrated a good industrial and commercial potential.