# Physicochemical and Sensory Analysis of Apple Cream Fillings for Use in the Pastry Industry
## 3 Results & Discussion
than 0.18% are dramatically lower, with an average difference of 96.15%, confirming the much milder acidity in the product. These differences emphasize the impact of using dried apple powders and processed ingredients compared to fresh components, resulting in a less acidic product. Moreover, titratable acidity can be affected by polysaccharides either directly or indirectly. Some polysaccharides have acidic functional groups that contribute to the overall acidity. Such acidic polysaccharides are pectin, xanthan gum, carrageenanan, alginate, and glycosaminoglycan, which are natural polymers with carboxyl groups [33]. Polysaccharides can also go through different processes such as oxidation to affect the release of acids indirectly [34]. These differences in chemical and physicochemical properties emphasize the effect of ingredient choice and processing methods on the final product. While this study's samples are optimized for extended shelf life and convenience, their samples, made with fresh ingredients, offer a higher moisture content and likely a fresher taste. The higher fiber content (Figure 2b) in AP1 and AP2 (0.35-0.41%) is due to the inclusion of apple cubes, which are a natural source of dietary fiber, particularly pectin and cellulose and potato starch. The slight difference between AP1 and AP2 may be due to variations in the proportion of apple cubes. The powdered ingredients (potato starch, dextrose, etc. ), which are included in P.D. (0.04%), contribute to minimal fiber, resulting in a much lower fiber content. According to [PERSON] et al., 2020 [35] the total fiber content in dried apple samples without pre-treatment was equal to 1.74%, while the fiber content in potato starch ranges from 0.13 to 0.15% according to the variety [25]. The calorie profile of the three samples (AP1, AP2 and PD) in powder form was measured from the corresponding calorie profile of the raw materials. According to Table 2, it seems that the nutritional analysis of the AP1 and AP2 present similarities, while the increased potato starch and sugar content in PD led to higher amounts of carbohydrates and energy. The lower a\({}_{\text{w}}\) (Figure 2b) in AP1 and AP2 (0.379-0.387) is due to the inclusion of dried apple cubes, which have a lower moisture content compared to fresh apples. This reduces overall water activity, making the product more shelf-stable and less prone to microbial growth [5]. The target value of water activity for dried products remains less than 0.6, which is the threshold for the development of molds, yeast, and bacteria [36]. The slightly higher a\({}_{\text{w}}\) in PD (0.413) is due to the higher moisture content of the powdered ingredients and especially potato starch (28.00% compared to 16.19% in AP1 and 17.5% _w/w_ in AP2), sugar (63.00% instead of 31.00% in AP1 and 40.00% _w/w_ in AP2) and dextrose (6.00% in PD compared to 3.45% in AP1 and 3.00% in AP2). This makes PD slightly less shelf-stable compared to AP1 and AP2. The water activity of the fresh apple slices was equal to 0.988, while dried apple slices presented water activities between 0.316 to 0.386 according to the drying method used [37]. Another study [31], has mentioned the water activity values of 0.906 to 0.910 for fresh apples and the values of 0.345 to 0.650 for dried apples depending on the dried method used. There are similarities between reference values and present study values. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Nutriational Analysis (Mean Values/100 g)** & **AP1** & **AP2** & **PD** \\ \hline Energy (kcal) & 373 & 369 & 390 \\ Proteins & 1.06 & 1.00 & 0.02 \\ Carbohydrates & 89.2 & 87.2 & 96.5 \\ Fats & 1.78 & 1.20 & 0.03 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Where API and AP2 are apple cream fillings 1 and 2, respectively, while PD is the powdered recipe without dried apple.  
\end{table} 
Table 2: Nutritional analysis of the three samples AP1, AP2, and PD.