MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AERATED CONFECTIONERY

Mechanical properties, including an extensional modulus, penetration modulus and cut force, of an aerated confectionery nougat were measured instrumentally as a function of nougat density in the range 0.66–1.12 g/mL. Despite the fact that the material was not a true cellular solid, the properties were adequately modeled by the expression C₁(ρ-ρ_c)ⁿ with n = 3 as befits a closed-cell foam. The critical density, ρ_c, appeared to correspond to the density at random close packing for spherical air cells, i.e., an air cell fraction of ≈ 0.6.