FRUIT AND CEREAL BARS WITH HERB MATTE (Ilex paraguariensis) MICROPARTICLES

With the search for healthier foods, science and technology are studying ways to insert ingredients with bioactive properties into consumers' diets. Among the compounds that stand out in yerba mate, phenolic compounds are the ones that draw the most attention, due to their high antioxidant capacity. Another property attributed to yerba mate is its antimicrobial potential, enabling it to be applied in some products as a preservative. Encapsulation can be used with the purpose of protecting and releasing the compound of interest only in the proper place, where its properties will ensure beneficial effects. The objective of this work was to apply microparticles of yerba mate extract obtained by the ionic gelation method in a product from the confectionery area (fruit and cereal bars). The equipment used was an Encapsulator model B 390, under conditions of 100Hz, 2000V and 300mBar, obtaining wet particles. Part of these microparticles passed through the Labmaq FBD 1.0 fluidized bed drying process (50oC/30 min). The fruit bars were made in the bar plant of CEREAL CHOCOTEC/ITAL in 4 versions: standard, with liquid yerba mate extract, with wet microparticles and yerba mate and with dry microparticles of yerba mate. Characterization analyzes of the bars were carried out regarding moisture, water activity, color (Lab Hunter), phenolic compounds (Folin Ciocalteau), antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS and sensory acceptability tests (ABNT NBR ISO 11136:2016 and ABNT NBR ISO 8587:2015). Moisture and water activity values ranged from 9.12-13.49% and 0.574-0.687 for bars with extract and wet particles, respectively. All samples showed color between red and yellow. Improvement in phenolic compounds in relation to the standard sample was 140, 59 and 87% for the bar with extract, with wet particles and with dry particles, respectively. The increase in the average antioxidant capacity in relation to the standard sample was 325, 150 and 250%, for the bar with extract, with wet particles and with dry particles, respectively. In general, the samples of standard fruit bars, with extract and with dry particles showed acceptance percentages above 80%, while what the sample with wet particles showed 69% acceptance and 25% rejection by consumers. The addition of yerba mate microparticles in cereal fruit bars has proven to be technologically viable with gain in phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity, in addition to good sensory acceptance.