Jelly formulated with different carbohydrate profiles: Quality evaluation

Jelly is a popular confectionery product but it has a high content of easily digestible sugars, namely 70–85%. Therefore, modern confectioners are trying to develop new formulations of jelly with reduced sweetness and sugar content. One of the ways to achieve that is to use starch syrup instead of white sugar. Another benefit of starch syrup is that it can slow down the drying and staling of jelly. We studied three types of starch syrup (low-conversion, confectionery, high-conversion), glucose-fructose syrup, and sugar-free jelly samples based on them. Jelly based on sugar and confectionery syrup was used as the control sample. The main quality indicators were analyzed against standard values; the sensory parameters were determined by the descriptor-profile analysis; and water activity was measured by using a HygroPalm Rotronic hygrometer. The microbiological safety of the experimental jelly samples was assessed after 12 weeks of their storage in plastic containers. The sample based on confectionery syrup had the most optimal profile, with moderate sweetness and taste richness, good jelly-like texture, viscoelasticity, plasticity, a color similar to that of the control, and no effect of wetting or stickiness. The samples based on starch syrup had a 1.4–2.4-fold decrease in easily digestible sugars and a 1.9–3.4-fold increase in polysaccharides, compared to the control. During storage, the samples based on high-conversion starch syrup and glucose-fructose syrup were less likely to dry out than the others, with their water activity decreasing to a greater extent. The microbiological analysis after storage showed the absence of pathogenic microorganisms and coliform bacteria in three out of the four jelly samples. Using various types of starch syrup and glucose-fructose syrup instead of white sugar allows for a greater range of jelly types with different carbohydrate profiles and a longer shelf life.