RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF LOW-FAT DULCE DE LECHE WITH ADDED XANTHAN GUM

Dulce de leche (DL), a typical jam of South America, is commercialized with diverse flow characteristics that corresponds to its different uses. In order to predict the adequate composition to obtain target rheological properties, low-fat dulce de leche (LF-DL) samples with different water (23.7-60.3%) and xanthan gum (0.173-0.555%) contents were prepared using skim milk (0% fat), sucrose (172.7 g/L) and glucose (28.98 g/L) following the traditional method, and their flow behavior was measured. Steady-state flow curves were modeled and the obtained Herschel-Bulkley's parameters were regressed as a function of water and xanthan gum contents; from this set of equations, an adequate composition to produce LF-DL with flow behavior similar to a premium commercial brand was predicted. The procedure was experimentally validated. A mathematical useful tool for the industry to calculate a suitable formulation to obtain a given type of LF-DL is presented.