Desenvolvimento e Caracterização de Doce de Leite Diet Enriquecido com Fibras

Abstract

The demand for healthy foods has been growing in recent years, and one of the objectives of the food industry is to develop new products to meet consumer demands. Milk is considered indispensable in the human diet due to its high nutritional value, given the variety of essential micronutrients and macronutrients it contains. Dulce de leche is a milk-derived product obtained through the evaporation of milk with added sucrose until it reaches a characteristic consistency, flavor, and color, being elaborated in the form of a paste and/or bar (for slicing). However, excessive sugar intake is considered a significant risk factor for generating health problems and nutritional imbalances. An alternative is to substitute sugar with sweeteners, as they have a lower caloric value. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a formulation for a diet dulce de leche bar enriched with golden flaxseed, using only xylitol and sucralose as sweeteners, and to characterize it physicochemically. In addition to the diet dulce de leche, a dulce de leche bar with sucrose and golden flaxseed was prepared as a comparative parameter. The sweets presented a caramel-brown color, characteristic of dulce de leche. The values obtained in the analyses are presented for the sweet prepared with sucrose and for the diet sweet, respectively. The moisture content obtained for the sweets was 10.5% and 40.7%. Values lower than the parameters defined in current legislation were observed for lipids (0.702% and 0.471%), while for ash (3.18% and 4.27%) and for proteins (12.5% and 15.5%), higher values were obtained than those established in the legislation. The results for proteins are considered satisfactory since the legislation determines a minimum value for this parameter. The fiber content was considered significant (0.547% and 0.555%). The sweets presented high carbohydrate values (72.6% and 38.5%), representing a positive difference due to a reduction of approximately 53%. Intermediate values were obtained for water activity (0.697 and 0.899). In the texture evaluation, a significant difference was observed in the values obtained, indicated by the variation in added solids and moisture content. The diet dulce de leche bar with flaxseed addition obtained an acceptance index above 70% only for aroma and color. The other parameters obtained an acceptance index above 51%. For the sensory preference analysis, the dulce de leche bar made with sucrose was preferred by 86% of the tasters. Thus, despite the technological difficulty faced in sucrose substitution, this study indicates that its production is viable.