TEXTURE OF SWEET ORANGE GELS BY FREE-CHOICE PROFILING

Texture of orange gels prepared with 15% fruit pulp, sucrose up to 55° Brix and five different gelling agents — kappa-carrageenan, kappa-carrageenan plus locust bean gum, alginate, gellan gum, and gellan, xanthan and locust bean gums — was studied by Free-Choice Profile (FCP) analysis. Maximum rupture force and deformation at rupture were also determined by uniaxial compression in an Instron texturometer. Generalized Procrustes Analysis applied to FCP data permitted differentiation between samples and informed on the textural attributes responsible for the observed differences. Sensory differences were in general in accordance with mechanical differences. However, carrageenan and gellan gum gels were differentiated with the sensory method applied but not with mechanical tests.