Determination of the effects of the use of different additives on texture and color properties in diabetic delight production

In line with the developing food industry and increasing consumer demands, R&D activities are increasing day by day and new products are being introduced to the market. In this regard, it is thought that the diversity in special purpose foods is low and should be increased. The aim of this study is to determine and improve the texture properties of diabetic Turkish delight with reduced sugar content, prepared with sweeteners and in different formulations, in order to add diversity to the nutrition and diet of diabetic patients. Diabetic Turkish delight samples were prepared with the formulations created as a result of preliminary trials. Three different sets were created by using only guar gum, only xanthan gum and these two thickeners together as thickeners. There are three examples in each set, where the thickener is reduced proportionally as the inulin content increases. In the first examples, the inulin rate is 0% while the thickener rate is 0.6%. In the second samples, the inulin rate is 4.86% while the thickener rate is 0.4%. In the third example, the inulin rate is 9.30% while the thickener rate is 0.2%. Physical, chemical and sensory analyzes of Turkish delight samples prepared according to the formulations were performed. According to the results of these analyses, the sample made using 0.2% of guar gum and xanthan gum together and the amount of inulin being 9.3% gave the closest result to the control Turkish delight made with 100% beet sugar in terms of textural properties and general taste. The total sugar content of this sample was determined as 19.12%. Although it has been reported that although the sugar content is low, the sweetness level is high due to the sweeteners used, it has been determined that this does not make a significant difference in terms of general taste. The calorie value is calculated as 208 kcal. In the study, while the control sample had 473 kcal, as a result of the research, a Turkish delight with a 56% reduced caloric value (208 kcal) was obtained. When the sensory analysis data were evaluated, it was determined that the diabetic Turkish delight samples were darker in color than the control Turkish delight due to the date extract used in their content, but this did not have a statistically significant effect on the general appreciation. According to texture analysis data, it has been determined that the combined use of guar gum and xanthan gum creates a synergistic effect and gives more effective results on consistency compared to its use alone. In the produced diabetic Turkish delight samples, the use of inulin gave positive results despite the consistency problems caused by the use of sweeteners with half the sugar content. As the amount of inulin in Turkish delight decreases, the amount of gum increases proportionally. When the effects of inulin use and thickener type on the product are examined; It was observed that as the amount of inulin increased, the fat ratio increased due to the increase in dry matter. As the gum content increases, the moisture content in the product increases and accordingly, textural stickiness on the outer surface of the product increases. It has been observed that the use of xanthan gum reduces the hardness value. It was determined that the increase in the amount of inulin increased the color darkness and yellowness value of the product. When Delta E values were examined, a visible color change was observed in all diabetic Turkish delight samples. However, this did not have a significant impact on overall liking in sensory analysis.