Food hydrocolloids are among the most popular ingredients in the food industry. They act as thickeners, gelling agents, emulsifiers, stabilizers, fat replacers, clarifying agents, flocculants, and foaming agents. In addition, these compounds are widely used in additive technologies, for production of biodegradable packaging and for encapsulation of biologically active substances, colorants and flavors. Depending on the source, food hydrocolloids are divided into four main categories: hydrocolloids of plant origin, hydrocolloids of animal origin, hydrocolloids of microbial origin, and chemically modified hydrocolloids of plant origin (synthetic gums). This review focuses on current trends and technological advances in the use of hydrocolloids to provide the required consumer properties of various food products. New research shows that some food hydrocolloids can significantly change the composition and structure of the intestinal microbiota and positively affect human health due to their physicochemical and structural properties. As hydrocolloids are increasingly used in various industries, this review on their functionality and nutritional value in food products may be of interest to researchers in developing innovative technological solutions. Given the significant achievements and rapid development of research in recent years, it can be predicted that the study of food hydrocolloids will be actively continued. The main areas will be: managing their interaction with food components, creating functional food matrices, studying the effect on cellular processes and the body as a whole, as well as assessing in vivo metabolism and safety.

The World Health Organization recommends reducing the intake of saturated fatty acids. However, a direct replacement of solid fats with liquid oils affects the technological and consumer properties of food. The research objective was to develop a hybrid gel with a dense structure based on oleogel and hydrogel to replace saturated fats in semi-finished confectionery products. The study featured samples of oleogel from sunflower oil and beeswax at a concentration of 10, 15, and 20% and hybrid gels prepared by mixing the oleogel with a 2% aqueous solution of sodium alginate at ratios of 99:1, 95:5, and 90:10. The samples were tested for strength, adhesive power, viscosity index, consistency, and Young modulus using a TA-XT Plus texture analyzer (Stable Micro Systems Ltd., UK). The water activity was studied using a water activity analyzer LabMaster (Novasina, Lab Master, Switzerland). The oleogel samples with wax concentrations of 20 and 15% demonstrated good adhesive strength. The best hybrid gel was the oleogel with 20% wax at the ratio of 95:5 to hydrogel. This ratio resulted in a considerable gel strength (≤ 408.222) while maintaining a dense and uniform texture (Young modulus ≤ 17.05) for a long time. The oleogels had low moisture content (Aw = 0.6 ± 0). The shelf life at 4–10°C was 6 months. The samples had good sensory properties, i.e., clear taste and smell, strong uniform structure and consistency, etc. The paper introduces a formulation for a semi-finished confectionery product with a hybrid gel instead of 30% cocoa butter substitute. Hybrid gels can be recommended as a substitute for cocoa butter or confectionery fats to reduce the amount of saturated and trans fatty acids. Such a replacement improves the consumer properties of semi-finished and finished products.

Bread is the most popular food ever. However, more and more people are abandoning traditional wheat bread in favor of bakery products with various functional additives. Crushed safflower seeds are an unconventional plant additive that is a source of complete vegetable protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids (including linoleic and linolenic acids), dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The present paper introduces a recipe of bread fortified with crushed safflower seeds and safflower oil. The authors studied the sensory and physico-chemical properties of the bread. The prototypes had a smooth surface without cracks and uniform porosity and demonstrated a light yellow color when fractured. The taste and smell were typical of this type of product, with a pleasant delicate flavor and aroma of the additive. There was a slight increase in the porosity, acidity, dimensional stability, and humidity, compared with the control sample. The article contains a technological scheme of production and the formulation of bread with the addition of crushed safflower seeds, as well as some optimal technological production parameters. The authors carried out a medical and biological evaluation of the effectiveness of the bakery products with the addition of seeds and safflower oil in the diet of people aged 18–29 with excess body weight. The conducted research proved the therapeutic efficiency of the developed product in hypocaloric diet for individuals with excess body weight. No tolerability problems or side effects were determined. An optimum method of treatment was developed. The results of the study make it possible to recommend bakery products with crushed seeds and safflower oil for the diet of overweight patients aged 18–29.