Abstract
In this study, phycocyanin obtained from Spirulina platensis extract was used at various concentrations as a natural blue color source in toffee-type soft candy, and the effect of various storage temperatures (4, 20, and 40°C) on the color stability was investigated. In addition, main quality parameters, such as water activity, texture, and sensory analysis, were determined in the samples stored for 3 months at 20°C, and thus the effect of phycocyanin addition on the product appeal was studied. According to the results, the addition of phycocyanin powder did not significantly affect water activity (p > .05). As expected, L*, a*, and b* values of the samples changed with the phycocyanin, and the ΔE values of the samples stored at 4, 20, and 40°C varied between 0.14-0.44, 0.84-2.76, and 2.63-7.90, respectively, during the entire storage period. The texture analysis outputs revealed that the use of phycocyanin did not cause any change in the textural properties of the samples (p > .05). Considering the sensory analysis, all studied concentrations scored high in terms of color liking, and the use of phycocyanin in toffee-type soft candy production resulted in a remarkable consumer appeal. Hence, the outcomes of this study show that if temperature control is performed in the production, the organoleptic properties of toffee-type candy products can be enhanced using phycocyanin and can meet consumer requests and demands.