Effect of replacing gelatin in mousses on sensory and rheological properties

Chantal Gilbert, Sarab Sahi, and Sarah Chapman

Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association, U.K.

 c.gilbertcampden.co.uk

In the past few years numerous ingredients have been used in desserts as replacements for gelatin. CCFRA carried out a cross-departmental research project to gain an understanding of how these substitute ingredients work. The aim was to study how changing the type and levels of various stabiliser/emulsifier systems, along with changes to a major ingredient (sugar) would affect the rheology and sensory properties of mousses.

Two different types of commercially available gelatin replacers were selected and compared with gelatin. A full factorial experimental design was used, combining type of stabiliser (Gelatin, Replacer A, Replacer B), concentration (high, intermediate, low), and sugar (high, low), creating 18 samples of mousses. Descriptive profiling of the mousse samples was performed with a trained sensory panel. In addition, the rheology of the mousses was measured and correlated with the sensory texture attributes.

Statistical analysis of the sensory results showed that changing the type of stabiliser had an impact on almost all sensory attributes, whilst changing the sugar level had a lesser impact, with fewer attributes showing significant differences. Changing the concentration level within stabiliser mainly affected sensory appearance and texture attributes. The concentration of the different stabiliser/emulsifier systems was found to interact with both sugar and type of colloid used. All sensory texture attributes, except powdery texture, were significantly correlated (p<0.05) with at least one of the four rheology parameters. The gelatin-based mousses had a greater elastic character than the substitute-based mousses.

This work provides valuable information for technologists formulating dairy aerated desserts in understanding how changes in formulation and particularly changes in the hydrocolloids used will affect the sensory and rheology properties of desserts.

Key words: Sensory analysis, Sensory–Instrumental correlation, Texture, Gelatin substitute