The influence of different Jerusalem artichoke content on the moisture transfer processes in confectionery products

Relevance. Vegetables are essential for a healthy human diet and are the main sources of carbohydrates, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and other components. A key property of vegetables is their ability to enhance the digestibility of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, making enriching various products with vegetable and fruit powders a promising approach in nutrition. Vegetable raw materials or vegetable powders are often added to confectionery products recently. The authors demonstrated the effect of Omsky belyyJerusalem artichoke powder on the moisture transfer processes in foam-like confectionery products. Materials and Methods. We studied various Jerusalem artichoke tuber contents to investigate moisture transfer processes in foam-like confectionery products. Model pastille samples were prepared with varying amounts of ground Jerusalem artichoke powder Omsky belyy and a control sample without Jerusalem artichoke powder. Physicochemical and structural-mechanical methods were used. The organoleptic characteristics of the pastille were assessed according to GOST 6441-2014, moisture content was determined according to GOST 5900-2014, and water activity was determined according to GOST ISO 21807-2015. The strength of the samples was determined using a Structurometer ST-2 (Russia) with a Valenta indenter, according to the device instructions. Results. It was found that the addition of Jerusalem artichoke powder significantly affects the rate of moisture transfer processes during pastille storage. The highest moisture loss after 3 months of storage was observed for the control sample, while the lowest moisture loss was observed for the sample containing 2 % Jerusalem artichoke powder. Adding Jerusalem artichoke powder reduces the rate of moisture transfer by 1.5 to 2 times, which affects the shelf life of pastille products. The water activity of foam-like confectionery samples containing Jerusalem artichoke powder ranged from 0.762 to 0.720, indicating that Jerusalem artichoke powder retains moisture and maintains the soft, delicate consistency of the samples containing 2 % Jerusalem artichoke powder. However, additional microbiological monitoring is required.