Application of the microwave field in jelly products technology

The object of research is the agar-based chocolate-jelly cake technology. Due to the annual decrease in the production of natural jelly-forming agents and their high price, the possibilities of improving the qualitative change in their functional properties are being studied. In this connection, various methods of modification by gelling agents, both chemical and physical, are proposed. It is proposed to use the field of ultra-high frequencies (UHF) during the preparation of agar-sugar-treacle syrup in the "Chocolate-jelly" cake technology, as a result of which the consumption of gelling agents is reduced to 40 %. Microwave processing of the swollen gelling substance allows to reduce its consumption without introducing other components into the product formulation and without significant changes in the production process. It is shown that microwave treatment of a 1 % agar solution leads to an increase in the strength of the formed jellies by 40 %. It was found that microwave treatment leads to an increase in the melting temperature of the jelly in comparison with the untreated sample. It was revealed that hysteresis is observed at solidification and melting temperatures, the value of which ranges from 10 to 30 °C. Microwave treatment of a polysaccharide solution in a microwave field reduces the critical concentration of the transition of the molecular structure of the gel to the supramolecular one. Comparison of the enthalpies of melting of agar jelly after microwave treatment and jelly without finishing indicates that a larger number of hydrogen bonds are involved in the formation of a single node of the structure network. The improved technology of the "Chocolate-jelly" cake based on agar differs from the traditional one in that the dissolution by gelling agents is carried out under the action of a microwave field, which makes it possible to reduce the prescription amount of agar. The proposed method of processing a 1 % agar solution with an ultrahigh frequency field leads to the strengthening of the jelly structure, and due to this, the costs of gelling agents in the production of jelly products are reduced and leads to a decrease in its cost. The implementation of the plan will expand the range of jelly products and create competitive products in the confectionery market.