Fibers for instant drink

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Material Science

Background:

• Functional beverages require careful formulation to maintain nutrient stability and desired texture.
• Dietary fiber hydration influences beverage viscosity and mouthfeel.
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is prone to degradation, especially at elevated temperatures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of temperature on dietary fiber sorption capacity.
• To quantify vitamin C degradation kinetics in aqueous solutions at different temperatures.
• To determine the optimal conditions for balancing vitamin C stability and fiber hydration in beverage formulations.

Main Methods:

• Experiments conducted at 25°C and 40°C over 90 seconds.
• Vitamin C degradation measured via UV-Vis spectrophotometry at 270 nm.
• Dietary fiber sorption capacity determined gravimetrically.

Main Results:

• Vitamin C degradation accelerated at 40°C compared to 25°C.
• Dietary fiber sorption capacity increased with temperature and time.
• An optimal balance between vitamin C retention and fiber hydration was observed around 60 seconds, with specific temperature-dependent optima.

Conclusions:

• Temperature control is crucial for beverage formulation to preserve vitamin C and achieve adequate fiber hydration.
• Optimal hydration times vary with temperature, suggesting 60s at 25°C or 30s at 40°C as potential compromises.
• Future research should focus on encapsulation and long-term stability studies for fiber-enriched beverages.