The effect of reformulation on quality changes in cream-filled wafers during storage

The food industry’s role in offering healthy, sustainable products is increasingly emphasized, yet the confectionery sector still struggles with excessive sugar and palm-oil use. One of the most widely consumed types of confectionery is cream-filled wafers. This study examined the quality changes of reformulated cream-filled wafers: sugar-reduced (WC), fat-reduced (WT) and fat-reduced with the addition of commercially available citrus fruit extract (WTE) during 13 months of storage at 18 °C. The reformulation and storage time significantly affected the quality of all cream-layered wafers, assessed based on the parameters of colour, water activity (a w ), texture, melting phase transitions, solid fat index, sensory analysis and microbiology. Cluster and principal component analyses confirmed sharp deterioration in all the quality parameters (except for microbial stability) after 10 months of storage. Replacing part of the sugar with rice starch resulted in higher a w values during the entire storage period, likely due to starch retrogradation releasing water. Multivariate analyses indicated that the fresh fat-reduced wafers with citrus extract (WTE) showed the best overall quality and microbial stability. Citrus extract reduced texture variability and enhanced oxidative stability, as no rancidity was detected throughout the storage period.