This study developed nutraceutical soft candies enriched with anthocyanins from pomegranate and aronia, utilising both sucrose and a low-calorie sweetener system (erythritol and sucralose). The impact of fruit source, sweetener type, and storage temperature (4 °C and 20 °C for 90 days) on anthocyanin stability and antioxidant properties was investigated. Incorporation of aronia puree significantly increased total monomeric anthocyanin content (TMAC) to 74.01 mg C3G/100 g (sucrose-based, APS) and 67.88 mg C3G/100 g (low-calorie, APE), compared to pomegranate-only formulations (15.25 mg C3G/100 g and 11.49 mg C3G/100 g in PJS and PJE, respectively (p<0.05). This trend also applied to total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant properties. The choice of sweetener strongly influenced anthocyanin stability, with the low-calorie erythritol-sucralose blend providing significant protection. Kinetic analysis revealed longer half-lives (t_½, 85.99 days for APE and 52.80 days for APS at 4 °C). At 20 °C, low-calorie APE retained significantly higher TMAC (p<0.05). Antioxidant retention was primarily temperature-dependent, but it was enhanced by the low-calorie sweetener, especially in aronia puree-based candies, while the total phenolic content (TPC) remained relatively stable. These findings demonstrate that aronia puree and low-calorie sweeteners can synergistically enhance the nutraceutical quality of these functional confectionery products during storage.

functional confectionery; aronia; low-calorie sweetener; storage stability; anthocyanin; antioxidant properties

Aronia puree significantly increased anthocyanin and phenolic content, enhancing antioxidant activity. Sucrose-based soft candies exhibited higher anthocyanin content than low-calorie alternatives. At 20 °C, aronia-based low-calorie candies retained anthocyanins better than sucrose-based versions. Cold storage preserved anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity more effectively than storage at 20 °C.