Rheological characteristics of healthy sugar substituted spreadable strawberry product

Full replacement of sucrose with healthier sugars such as fructose and/or isomaltulose is possible in spreadable strawberry products. These products formulated with different sugars (sucrose, isomaltulose, sucrose-glucose, and fructose-isomaltulose) were rheologically analysed. Static tests characterized them as Herschel-Bulkley fluids. The values of the consistency index (k) and yield stress (tau(0) were influenced by the type of sugar, the elaboration method and the pectin levels; while the fluidity index (n) was not affected by the different sugars, but by the elaboration method and the levels of pectin. The dynamic tests permitted classification of some of the products as weak gels. The strength of the network A increased with the pectin level, while the coordination number z did not show a clear trend depending on the different process variables. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.