Abstract
In the present study, formulations of fruit snack (BF) from apples and oranges donated by Córdoba City Food Bank, Argentina were made. The fruits were physical-chemically characterized, and snack were elaborated from orange juice and the flour obtained from dehydrated and grounded apple slices. A multilevel factorial design was applied to evaluate the formulations in parameters such as: firmness, cohesiveness, chewiness, adhesiveness and elasticity. The mixtures included: orange juice, apple, preservative (INS 202), gelling agent (gelatin of 200 bloom) and non-nutritive sweetener. Apple flour was the most influential parameter (p<0.05). The output variables were firmness, nutritional value, and acceptability. The optimal formulation presented 24.7% apple flour, 61.8% orange juice and 16.1% gelatin. This snack showed 28.8% carbohydrates, 3.6% fibers, 11.3% proteins, 0.45% lipids and 164 kcal/100g of energy value. Acceptability by school-age children was greater than 57%. The results show as possible to recover fruits that have lost their commercial aptitude, transforming them into nutritious and pleasant foods for young consumers.