Enhancing Nutritional Value in Gelatin-Based Confectionery Products Through the Incorporation of Cryoconcentrated Blueberry Juice

The objective was to analyze the effect of the cryoconcentrated blueberry juice (CBJ) as sugar and artificial colors substitute as well as a source of bioactive compounds in the development of gelatin-based confectionery products, in order to improve the nutritional value of these products. Blueberry juice was concentrated by centrifugal block freeze concentration until the juice reached 45°Brix. Two groups of gelatin-based confectionery products were prepared: gelatin and aerated gelatin. This study assesses the addition of CBJ (ranging between 10 and 30%) with different percentages of gelatin (2–10%) by analyzing its effect on mechanical and optical properties, bioactive compounds content (total polyphenol, flavonoid, and anthocyanin) and antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC). Color is an important attribute of food that influences consumer preference. All samples show slightly reddish color due mainly to the contribution of the color of anthocyanins, responsible for the blueberry pigmentation (optical parameter: L* 3.2, a* 21, and b* 5.5). The texture results of the interactions between the food matrix components. Regarding texture, the incorporation of the CBJ led gelatin and aerated gelatin samples with high hardness and gumminess, without significant changes in springiness. The incorporation of fruit juice rich in bioactive compounds can improve the nutritional value of the confectionery products. CBJ had the following phenolic content: total polyphenols of 2400 mg GAE/L, total anthocyanin of 280 mg C3G/L, and total flavonoids of 750 mg CEQ/L. As expected, the bioactive compound content and antioxidant activity increased significantly (P < 0.05) with the increase of CBJ incorporated within confectionery products. Our findings suggest that the enrichment of gelatin-based food matrices with CBJ proved to be useful in the production of confectionery products with higher nutritional characteristics without added artificial sweeteners and colors. Therefore, we propose the potential use of cryoconcentrated fruit juice as a functional ingredient to the development of food with improving nutritional value. University of Bío-Bío (Chile).