Water treated with ion ozone improves the technological qualities of food products. Therefore, ion-ozonated water was used in the work, and whole-grain flour from soft wheat of the Almaly variety and pumpkin powder were used as raw materials to improve the quality and nutritional value of the pasta. This study investigated the effects of ion-ozone concentration in ion-ozonated water C_io, water temperature t_w, pumpkin powder content C_pp and drying temperature t_d on various characteristics affecting the quality of pasta, including its organoleptic physical, chemical, and rheological properties. These characteristics were assessed by conducting multiple experiments, a total of 25 indicators were determined, such as humidity, acidity, cooking properties, deformation, and other basic quality indicators. To reduce the number of experiments and obtain a reliable assessment of the influence of individual factors on the quality indicators of pasta, methods involving the multifactorial design of experiments were applied. Data processing and all necessary calculations were carried out using the PLAN sequential regression analysis program. Consequently, our findings indicate that minimizing dry water (DM) loss in cooking water requires a dual approach: increasing ion-ozone concentration and optimizing pasta composition and drying conditions, specifically by reducing pumpkin powder content and drying temperature. As a result, it was established that to obtain high-quality pasta from whole-grain flour with high quality and rheological properties, it is necessary to use the following optimal production modes: ion-ozone concentration in ion-ozonated water C_io = 2.5 × 10⁻⁶ mg/cm³, water temperature t_w = 50 °C, pumpkin powder content C_pp = 3.0%, and pasta drying temperature t_d = 50 °C. The resulting pasta is an environmentally friendly product with a high content of biologically active substances.

The proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract plays an important role in strengthening the immune system. It is an undeniable fact that lactic acid microorganisms are necessary for the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, the source of which are mainly dairy products. However, there is a problem with the digestibility of lactose; therefore, alternative sources and carriers of probiotics are of particular interest. Due to its dietary and natural properties, protein marshmallow can serve as such a carrier. Therefore, the direction of this study is to identify the dependence of technological factors on the rheological properties of the product and the growth of lactic acid microorganisms in confectionery products enriched with lyophilised strains. According to the results of the study, the following was determined: the optimal technology to produce enriched Belevskaya pastille with a mixture of Lactobacillus acidophilus makes it possible to obtain a product with the necessary rheological properties, utilising a mass drying mode in a dehydrator at 50 °C for 16 h. The strains L. acidophilus M3 and L. acidophilus M4 were the most resistant to a high concentration of bile (40%) in the substrate. Based on the analysis of variance and the obtained regression equations, it was revealed that the growth of lactic acid microorganisms in the product was strongly influenced by the amount of ferment introduced (R² = 0.96). The level of penetration is influenced by factors such as the amount of probiotic starter introduced, the drying time and the interaction of drying time factors on the amount of starter added. The higher the level of penetration, the crumblier the product. The resulting functional product can be characterized as symbiotic since the main raw material of plant origin contains a large amount of fibre, which acts as a prebiotic, and the strain of microorganism, which acts as a probiotic. The data described in the article can be applied in the technological processes of similar products to regulate the structure of the product and vary the dosage of enrichment with probiotic starter cultures.

Iodine deficiency remains a major nutritional concern worldwide, and fermented dairy products are considered promising vehicles for iodine fortification. However, the chemical form of iodine may influence the physicochemical and microbiological stability of fermented dairy systems. This study aimed to compare potassium iodide and iodocasein as iodine sources for the fortification of a fermented dairy product and to evaluate their effects on product quality and iodine retention during refrigerated storage. Three formulations were produced: a control sample without iodine fortification and samples fortified with potassium iodide or iodocasein at a level of 25 µg iodine per 100 g of product. Samples were stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 7 days. Changes in pH, titratable acidity, syneresis, viscosity, viable counts of starter lactic acid bacteria, iodine retention, and sensory properties were evaluated during storage. The results showed that the iodine source significantly affected product stability. The potassium iodide-fortified sample exhibited greater post-acidification, increased syneresis, lower viscosity, and a more pronounced reduction in viable lactic acid bacteria during storage. In contrast, the iodocasein-fortified sample maintained physicochemical and microbiological characteristics closer to the control and demonstrated higher iodine retention. Fortification at the studied level did not significantly affect the basic composition or amino acid profile of the product. The findings indicate that iodocasein can improve iodine stability while preserving the quality characteristics of fermented dairy products, supporting its potential application in the development of iodine-enriched functional dairy foods.