Formulation optimization of emulsifier-based hydrated gel cake improver for α-crystal stabilization using D-optimal...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science

Background:

• Cake gel functionality degrades during storage due to fat crystal polymorphic transitions (α to β' phase).
• Distilled monoglyceride-based hydrated gels are common in bakery systems but susceptible to instability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate compositional control for enhancing polymorphic stability in cake gels.
• To determine the optimal levels of polyglycerol ester and polysorbate 80 for maintaining gel structure.

Main Methods:

• A D-optimal mixture design was employed to study formulations with varying polyglycerol ester, polysorbate 80, and water content.
• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze thermal transitions and crystalline organization.
• Samples were evaluated after 1, 30, and 60 days of storage.

Main Results:

• Fresh gels showed a coagel index near 1 and α-phase spacing around 4.1 Å.
• Gels without polyglycerol ester exhibited significant polymorphic conversion during storage.
• Formulations enriched with polyglycerol ester maintained the α-phase lamellar structure effectively.

Conclusions:

• Polyglycerol ester is crucial for preserving the polymorphic stability of monoglyceride-based cake gels.
• The optimal composition for stability at day 30 was determined to be 10% polyglycerol ester, 3.294% polysorbate 80, and 50.206% water.
• This research provides insights into stabilizing bakery ingredients through controlled composition.