Effect of d-psicose substitution on gelatin based soft candies: A TD-NMR study

Confectionary gels are considered as composite gel systems composed of high amount of sugar and gelling agent such as gelatin or starch. d -Psicose is classified as a type of rare sugar, which is a C-3 epimer of fructose and has 70% of the sweetness of sucrose with a caloric value of 0.39 kcal/g. Utilization of d -psicose in food products is gaining particular interest due to its low caloric value. In this study, gelatin-based soft candies were formulated, and the effect of d -psicose substitution was explored on the quality of the products. For characterization of the soft candies, moisture content, water activity, color, hardness, and glass transition temperature of samples were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis was also performed to explain the crystallization tendency of jelly candies. Results showed that, the softest sample with the highest moisture content and the smallest crystallization tendency was the sample that included the highest amount of d -psicose. Time domain (TD) NMR relaxometry experiments were also conducted on gel samples, and three distinct proton populations were observed in the relaxation spectrum for all formulations. Spin–lattice relaxation times obtained through monoexponential fitting (T₁) were also obtained to explain some quality parameters.