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The Food
Development Centre (FDC) was contracted by Prairie Lane Saskatoons Inc.
to assist in developing a line of Saskatoon fruit products including a
syrup, beverage, and jam, as well as reformulate their existing product,
Saskatoon Fruit Topping.
Saskatoon Fruit Topping:
Prairie Lane Saskatoons Inc.
requested FDC reformulate the Saskatoon Fruit Topping to omit sugar
(sucrose) and add High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) as the sweetener. The
new formulation also would not contain preservatives (the original
product formulation contained 0.1% sodium benzoate).
Due to the changes in the
product formulation, FDC conducted a 6-month shelf life study to
determine whether the changes affected the product stability. As well,
nutritional analysis was conducted to provide information for a new
nutritional label.
Product Formulation
Various sources of High Fructose
Syrup were identified including sweeteners derived from corn and
chicory. Although both functioned equally well in the product, HFCS was
determined to be the most economical and readily available. Therefore,
HFCS was included in the product formulation as the sweetener.
Since HFCS is a liquid sugar, it
was necessary to reduce the water in the product formulation to obtain a
flavour and viscosity similar to the original product. Sensory
evaluation determined that product formulated with HFCS was less sweet.
When presented to the client this level of sweetness was preferred.
Further trials were conducted and the HFCS content was eventually
reduced by an additional 10%.
A trial was conducted to
determine the acceptability of the product when the almond extract was
omitted. While the sensory panel identified the product as being
acceptable, the product containing almond extract was preferred. The
product without almond extract was found to be bland.
Due to concern that the lemon
juice (Realemon®) used in the formulation contained preservatives that
would have to be claimed on the label, an effort was made to source an
alternative lemon juice for the product. Non-preserved lemon juice
generally comes in a frozen format that has a limited shelf life when
thawed. This would require fast product turnover or a large production
size, which currently is not feasible. The client decided that despite
having to claim the preservative on the label they would continue to use
Realemon®.
Shelf Life
A six-month shelf life study was
conducted to confirm the stability of the product following the
formulation changes. Samples were stored in the dark (cardboard shipping
boxes) at room temperature (22-25ºC).
At monthly intervals, a trained
sensory panel was asked to evaluate the appearance, texture, odour, and
flavour attributes of the Saskatoon Topping.
During the testing period, the
colour of the product appeared to get darker. This observation was
confirmed with data obtained from physical colour analysis using the
Hunter Lab Colorimeter. The sensory panelists also determined that the
product became less viscous, the berries became softer in texture, and
had less “fresh berry” flavour over time. While the product’s sensory
quality declined, the opinion of the sensory panel was that the product
remained acceptable throughout the six-month testing period.
Microbiological testing was
conducted on the topping to confirm the safety of the product throughout
the six-month shelf life. No significant microbial growth (bacteria,
yeast, or mould) took place during the six-month testing period.
Product and Nutritional
Labeling
The list of ingredients for the
product label was changed to reflect the ingredient substitutions and
omissions. The “sugar” and “sodium benzoate” were removed, and
glucose-fructose (HFCS) was added according to product labeling
guidelines.
Due to formulation changes, it
was also necessary to re-submit samples for nutritional analysis. On
January 1, 2003, Health Canada announced new nutritional labeling
guidelines. Companies will have 3-5 years to comply with the new
legislation, depending on the volume of product sales. In the future it
will be necessary to conduct further nutritional testing to comply with
the new regulations.
Saskatoon Syrup:
Prairie Lane Saskatoons Inc.
requested the assistance of FDC to develop a Saskatoon syrup. Following
the successful development and scale-up of the product formulation and
processing conditions, FDC conducted a six-month shelf life study to
determine product stability. FDC also sub-contracted samples for
nutritional analysis to obtain information for the product label.
Product Formulation
Initial product trials involved
boiling a mixture of HFCS, saskatoon juice, and lemon juice to
concentrate the liquid to syrup. A target soluble solids of
approximately 60 brix was set. When cooked for long periods of time to
reach this target, volatile flavours were lost and sugars were
caramelized. The result was a “cooked flavour”, lacking the
characteristic fruity saskatoon flavour. In addition, cooking lead to a
darker, less acceptable colour. To improve the flavour and colour of
the syrup, 25% of the starting volume of juice was reserved for addition
after boiling. This improved the fresh fruity flavour. As well, the
HFCS was added after the reduction step to prevent caramelization of the
sugars.
While the flavour and colour of
the syrup was acceptable, when placed in the refrigerator the syrup
crystallized over time. In addition the syrup had a low viscosity.
Syrup with a higher viscosity was desired in order to reduce the amount
of absorption into products it would be used on.
To improve the stability and
viscosity of the syrup, trials to incorporate cellulose gum were
conducted. Cellulose gum improved the viscosity of the syrup, however,
it was difficult to dissolve completely and the finished syrup had an
unpleasant “slimy” texture with undissolved particles.
The final product formulation
included Pectin AY 901 (a low methoxyl apple pectin). This pectin was
chosen in consultation with the ingredient supplier as the most suitable
form of pectin for producing syrup. This resulted in a stable product
with the desired viscosity.
The final brix of the saskatoon
syrup was 55, slightly less than the initial target set. There are no
guidelines for the composition of fruit syrup in the Food and Drug
Regulations. Therefore, we were satisfied with a product that remained
stable and had the targeted sensory characteristics (viscosity, colour,
fruit flavour).
Shelf Life
A six-month shelf life study was
conducted on samples stored at room temperature (22-25ºC) to determine
the stability of the product during storage.
At monthly intervals, a trained
sensory panel was asked to evaluate the appearance, texture, odour, and
flavour attributes of the saskatoon syrup.
During the testing period, the
colour of the product appeared to get darker and less red. This
observation was confirmed with data obtained from physical colour
analysis using the Hunter Lab Colorimeter.
The sensory panelists also
observed a slight decline in the berry flavour. Viscosity testing
showed a very slight increase in the thickness of the syrup that was not
detected by the sensory panel. While the product’s sensory quality
declined, the opinion of the sensory panel was that the product remained
acceptable throughout the six-month testing period.
Microbiological testing was
conducted on the topping to confirm the safety of the product throughout
its shelf life. No significant microbial growth (bacteria, yeast, or
mould) took place during the six-month testing period.
Product and Nutritional
Labeling
Samples were sublet for
nutritional analysis to provide a nutritional panel for the product
label. On January 1, 2003, Health Canada announced new nutritional
labeling guidelines. Companies will have 3-5 years to comply with the
new legislation depending on the volume of product sales. In the future
it will be necessary to conduct further nutritional testing to comply
with the new regulations.
Saskatoon
Beverage:
Prairie Lane Saskatoons Inc.
worked with FDC to develop a formulation and process for a saskatoon
beverage. Development work focused on producing a saskatoon “beverage”
since the Food and Drug Regulations state if labeled saskatoon “juice”
sweeteners or acidulants could not be added. These ingredients were
necessary to produce a palatable drink.
Product Formulation
Using saskatoon juice as the
starting point several trials were conducted to determine the
appropriate level of sweetness for the beverage. HFCS not only provides
sweetness but also a pleasant mouth feel.
Sensory testing of the product
found it to be slightly bland. To balance the sweetness and fruit
flavour with more tartness, citric acid was added to the formulation.
Trials were conducted to assess the suitability of using lemon juice in
the formulation but it was found that the citric acid imparted the
tartness desired without changing the flavour profile. Lemon juice gave
the product a distinct lemon flavour regardless of the usage level.
Saskatoon Jam:
Prairie Lane Saskatoons Inc.
worked with FDC to develop a formulation and process for a saskatoon
jam. Development work focused on producing a saskatoon “fruit spread”.
In order to label the product saskatoon “jam”, the minimum soluble
solids required is 66 brix. Due to the client’s desire to use HFCS as
the sweetener for the jam, this brix was unattainable.
Product Formulation
Lab scale trials were conducted
to determine a formulation for producing saskatoon jam. Suitable pectin
was chosen for the jam in consultation with the pectin supplier. AF
401-E, a high methoxyl apple pectin was selected to provide the desired
finished texture. Jam produced from saskatoons had good flavour and
colour, however, some sensory panelists did not find the texture
acceptable. The major contributor to the undesirable texture was the
seeds. At this time, the client has decided to discontinue work on the
jam and focus on producing a jelly.
Saskatoon Jelly:
Work has begun on behalf of Prairie
Lane Saskatoons Inc. to develop a saskatoon jelly. The jelly is to be
produced using juice. In consultation with the pectin supplier, a
pectin has been chosen. CF 501 is a high methoxyl citrus pectin that
has setting characteristics suitable to this application. To obtain a
typical jelly with the desired gel strength, further work must be done
to optimize the percentage of pectin in the formulation, and to
determine the optimum pH and brix level.
The formulation will include
saskatoon juice, sugar, HFCS 55, pectin CF 501, and citric acid. The
final soluble solids of the product must be 63 brix and the pH 3.0 in
order for the jelly to set. In addition, the Food and Drug Regulations
require a minimum of 62 brix if labeling a product as jelly.
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