Summary:
This postgraduate thesis deals with the design of innovative products through the macroencapsulation method. The need to use scientific chemical knowledge in cooking has triggered the creation of innovative products, having as basic materials honey and grape molasses.
Five different thickeners were used to create the new honey and grape products. Small and large-dimension pearls were produced by using sodium alginate and calcium chloride, agar, xanthan gum, gelatin and carob gum. The produced pearls are intended for simple consumption or accompanying variety of food and sweets. The addition of a quantity of essential oils (clove and herb mixture) to honey products with sodium alginate, agar, xanthan gum, gelatin and carob gum was also studied in order to determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial status of new products.
According to the literature, honey and grape molasses exhibit strong antioxidant activity. In comparison, the antioxidant capacity of the honey and staphylomelo (grape molasses) in produced samples was studied in order to determine the effect of thickener, in the raw material. The antioxidant capacity of all samples was estimated by DPPH and Folin-Ciocalteu methods.
Finally, tests were carried out to determine the shelf life of the produced products through microbiological analyses. The products were studied with regard to the total mesophilic flora using Nutrient agar while the fungal flora was tested in a substrate of a general nature Sabouraud agar and in a favorable substrate for aflatoxin-nourishing fungi, AFPA material (Aspergillus Flavus Parasiticus Agar). A microscopic examination (staining-observation) was followed.
Keywords:
Macroencapsulation, Honey, Grape Molasses, Spherification, Antioxidant ability
