Optimization Of Candy Processing Conditions for Sustainable Confectionery Products with Improved Sensory Properties

Candies represent an important area of the confectionery sector with products categorized depending on formulation and quality properties. Soft candies, made of sugar, glucose syrup, additives and gelling agent (e.g. pectin, gelatin, starch) are obtained by a process that includes boiling and concentration of the initial mix, the deposition in starch molds of the concentrated sugar solution and the final drying (stoving) for a time (24-72h) that depends on the gelling agent type, size of the candy and the desired moisture content. Drying is the step that determines the final moisture content and water activity (in general 0.5-0.7) affecting microbial stability and quality. This project aims to optimize and innovate the processing of gelatine-based jelly candies, and particularly the drying step, to enhance both product quality and process sustainability. The key process parameters (time, air temperature and relative humidity) and product properties (formulation shape, size), will be initially studied in the currently applied process and the corresponding physical (texture, thermal, colour), microstructural, chemical (moisture, physicochemical (water activity), and sensory quality properties of the candies determined. Optimisation of the drying to enhance quality properties and process sustainability by reducing energy consumption will be carried out by evaluating drying kinetics in experiments carried out in pilot drying chambers under varying process and product properties and by modelling and virtualisation tools.