Worldwide, millions of people follow vegetarian and vegan diets for religious, ethical, environmental or economic reasons. Although these diets have touted health benefits, they may also lack essential nutrients such as B vitamins12 and d3, if not well planned or properly supplemented. Now, researchers are reporting ACS Food Science and Technology A strawberry-flavored gum packed with these vitamins, it’s formulated without any animal products so vegetarians and vegans can reach their Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).
Some essential vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins12, found exclusively in animal products, others can be obtained from other sources. For example, humans can make vitamin D3 When their skin is exposed to sunlight, many people don’t spend enough time outside to meet their vitamin needs. Therefore, it is primarily consumed through fish, eggs and organ meats, which are not consumed by vegetarians and some vegans. To avoid vitamin deficiency problems, people who follow a plant-based diet often take supplements, but keeping both B vitamins is challenging.12 and vitamin D3 in a pill due to their different solubility. One solution might be to put them in an emulsion-filled gel, like gummy candy. Previous researchers have shown that pectin, a plant-based polysaccharide, can be used as a gelling agent in animal product-free foods. So, Samantha Pinho and colleagues wanted to see if they could use only plant-based ingredients such as pectin to make gummy candies rich in B vitamins.12 and d3 which will be acceptable to consumers.
The researchers first combined citrate buffer, inulin, gum arabic, flaxseed oil and vitamin D to form an emulsion.3and separately form pectin gel, a type of pectin, dissolved in calcium chloride and B vitamins12 in a citrate buffer. Then, by rapidly stirring the emulsion into the pectin gel with sugar, the team created an emulsion-filled gel. After drying, the gel turns into a reddish sticky material. To develop it into a suitable food product, the researchers added a natural strawberry flavor and molded the gel into half-inch-wide candies. In sensory testing, 120 untrained panelists gave the gummies high scores for taste, color, smell and overall acceptability. About half of the panelists said they would buy Enriched Gum, with another 36% saying they might buy the product. The researchers say their findings pave the way for making food products more nutritious.