Characteristics of a Chocolate Beverage from Germinated Chickpeas

A chocolate flavored beverage was developed using germinated chickpeas (Cicer arietinum). The formulation included the legume at a level of 10% along with sugar, cocoa, salt, vegetable oil and water as main ingredients. Beverage prepared from germinated chickpeas showed reduced viscosity and improved consistency when compared with a control formulated from ungerminated chickpeas. A reduction of 15% in starch occurred during germination and probably accounted for most of the observed decrease in viscosity. The acceptability of the beverage was established by sensory evaluation. A paired preference test indicated no significant difference between germinated chickpea beverage and a commercial chocolate milk.     

Optimization of Gum Combination in Prebiotic Instant Hot Chocolate Beverage Model System in Terms of Rheological Aspect: Mixture Design Approach

Mixture design was used to investigate the effects of four different gums (xanthan gum, guar gum, alginate and locust bean gum) and their combinations on the rheological properties of a prebiotic model instant hot chocolate beverage (including 3.5% inulin) and to determine their interactions in the model beverage. Simplex centroid mixture design was applied to predict the physicochemical (soluble solids, pH, colour properties) and rheological parameters (consistency index (K), flow behaviour index (n) and apparent viscosity (η ₅₀)) of the samples. In the model, the optimum gum combination was found by simplex centroid mixture design as 59% xanthan gum and 41% locust bean gum, and the highest K value was 33.56 Pa s ⁿ . The increase of guar gum and alginate in the gum mixture caused a decrease in the K value of the sample.     

Solid Fat Content,Pre-Crystallization Conditions,and Sensory Quality of Chocolate with Addition of Cocoa Butter Analogues

The objective of this study was to determine how the addition of two cocoa butter equivalents and cocoa butter improver affect the physical and sensory properties of chocolate. The laboratory-made chocolate samples were tempered at three different pre-crystallization temperatures (25, 27, and 29°C), using different concentrations (3, 5, and 7%) of two commercial cocoa butter equivalents as well as commercial cocoa butter improver of the chocolate. The nucleation time of the chocolate mass primarly depended on pre-crystallization temperature while the value of maximum torque of chocolate mass were influenced by both, pre-crystallization temperature and concentration of fats. Sensory evaluation revealed that cocoa butter equivalents were acceptable in chocolate formulation without producing a negative impact on the sensory quality, while usage of improver required adjustment of raw formulations or process parameters. The results of the instrumentally measured hardness revealed that addition of cocoa butter improver significantly (p > 0.05) increased hardness of chocolate samples.     

Optimization of soy dessert on sensory, color, and rheological parameters using response surface methodology

Rheological behaviors of system were measured varying the concentration of sucrose (12–20 g), cocoa powder (0–4 g), and inulin (2–8 g) with fixed amount of starch and soymilk. The instrumental color based on the coordinate a* (redness), b*(yellowness), L* (lightness), C* (chromaticity), and h*(hue angle) were also analyzed. Sensory tests were done to assess what extent of rheological properties, visual color, and taste were accepted by the consumers. Response surface methodology was applied to optimize the rheological, chromatic, and sensory data. The consistency index (R² _adj =91%, p<0.01) and elasticity (R² _adj =97%, p<0.01) were related to the independent variables by quadratic model. The linear correlation between b* with hue angle (r=0.97) and chromaticity (r=0.98) were observed. Sensory analysis data showed that parameters differed significantly (p<0.05) with sensory acceptability coefficient (R² _adj =83%, p<0.01). Thus, response surface methodology used as an adequate approach for optimizing the dessert with best proportion of these components.     

An investigation on the appropriateness of chocolate to match tea and coffee

The aim of this study was to provide some recommendations for selecting a befitting tea and coffee to match chocolate with different cocoa contents. Three coffee samples (chocolate flavored, vanilla flavored and unflavored coffee), four tea samples (black tea, green tea, vanilla flavored tea and citrus flavored tea) and three chocolates (30%, 70%, and 99% cocoa) were hedonically rated by eighty regular chocolate consumers. The beverages were then paired with each chocolate, and the consumers were asked to indicate the hedonic liking of the resulting pairings, and to indicate whether the chocolate or beverage flavor dominated the pairing flavor. This study showed that liking of chocolate and coffee pairings and chocolate and tea pairings significantly varied (p < 0.001) across samples. Consumers preferred pairings with 30% cocoa and 70% cocoa chocolate to pairings with 99% cocoa chocolate. Overall, coffee is significantly (p < 0.001) preferred to tea as a chocolate partner.Chocolate and beverage pairing liking was biased by the liking of the beverage tasted alone, the liking of chocolate tasted alone, beverage type, chocolate type and the level of flavor match between chocolate and tea or coffee in a given pairing. When chocolate and beverage flavor balanced out in a given pairing, chocolate and coffee/tea pairings were significantly preferred by the consumers. A significant decrease in acceptance was observed when beverage or chocolate flavor dominated the flavor of the pairing, much more so when the chocolate flavor dominated the pairing flavor. However consumers don't enjoy any preferred chocolate with any preferred tea or coffee because some flavors match better than do others. Indeed, consumers formulate their hedonic responses taking into consideration what flavors go well together more than they rely exclusively on their hedonic judgments of the chocolates, the teas, and the coffees tasted alone.     

Evaluation of chocolate as a source of dietary copper

Chocolate has frequently been proposed to be a valuable source of dietary copper, but data on the copper content of major contemporary chocolate brands are scarce. The copper content of 22 brands of chocolate, many of which are sold worldwide, is thus presented here. A reliable hot ashing procedure to determine the copper content of chocolate by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy is also described. It was found that the copper contents of the chocolates analyzed here varied in the range of 1.85 ± 0.10 to 16.50 ± 1.29 μg/g. There was a linear correlation of the copper content of chocolate to its cocoa content with a correlation coefficient R ² of 0.89, showing that the copper was largely contributed to the chocolate by the cocoa. The value of chocolate as a source of dietary copper is discussed.     

Enzymatically modified tea seed oil as cocoa butter replacer in dark chocolate

Cocoa butter replacer (CBR) was prepared by enzymatic interesterification of hydrogenated and solid fraction (SF) of tea seed oil at weight percent ratio of 30:70, using sn‐1,3 specific lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus. Dark chocolate samples were then prepared with the prepared CBR as a replacement for 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of cocoa butter (CB) and the effect of the replacement on hardness (as a key quality factor in chocolate) of the chocolate samples was investigated. Results showed that chocolate samples containing 5% and 10% of interesterified sample (EIS), had the closer texture to that of CB chocolate than other samples. The solid fat content (SFC) profiles also revealed that blending 10% of EIS with CB in chocolate formulation dose not affect the sharp melting point of CB. Based on the results taken from bloom formation, polymorphic structure and sensory evaluation, adding up to 10% of EIS in chocolate formulation reduces the bloom development without adverse affecting the desirable β crystal formation and sensory qualities in the chocolate samples.     

Process development of a chocolate-flavoured peanut–soy beverage

A new beverage product was developed utilising two protein‐rich oilseed sources, namely peanut and soy. Medium‐roasted peanut flour and chocolate flavour were incorporated to offer pleasant flavour profile. The peanut–soy combination would also improve essential amino acid profile, especially that of lysine, compared with an all‐peanut product. A pilot‐plant scale beverage‐processing protocol involved filtration, homogenisation and pasteurisation as the major operating steps. Beverage formulation employed a three‐component constrained mixture design. The low‐ and high‐bound constraints were determined for peanut (30.6–58.7%), soy (28.3–43.5%) and chocolate syrup (13.0–25.9%) based on lysine content, viscosity and visual stability index values of 51‐mg g^?1 protein, 36.9 mPa s and 1.00, respectively. The beverage formulation and processing protocol thus developed were the basis for further study on consumer acceptability of the new chocolate‐flavoured peanut–soy beverage.     

Application of alpha-tocotrienol for detection of palm mid-fraction in dark chocolate formulation

Following model studies, the detection of palm mid-fraction (PMF) added to cocoa butter (CB) in chocolate formulations was investigated. Different levels of PMF (0–25%, CB basis) were added to CB in chocolate. High performance liquid chromatography was then used to detect the presence of PMF in chocolate using α-tocotrienol as an indicator. The results, in line with the model studying indicated that increasing the amount of PMF added to CB resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the concentration of α-tocotrienol in chocolate; a linear plot (R ² = 0.9837) was obtained with standard error of 1.986. A validation test was conducted to verify the equation obtained from the regression analysis. The high R ²-value obtained indicated a good accuracy, reflecting a close relationship between experimental and theoretically predicted values. The applied indicator performed well beyond the level of the statutory limit of 5% PMF addition on a chocolate basis that verified the previously studied model.     

Flavor Chemistry of Cocoa and Cocoa Products—An Overview

Cocoa originates from beans of the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L.) and it is an important commodity in the world and the main ingredient in chocolate manufacture. Its value and quality are related to unique and complex flavors. Bulk cocoas (Forastero type) exhibit strong basic cocoa notes, whereas fine varieties (Criollo, Nacional) show aromatic, floral, or smoother flavor characteristics. About 600 various compounds (alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and pyrazines) have been identified as odor‐active components. The specific cocoa aroma arises from complex biochemical and chemical reactions during the postharvest processing of raw beans, and from many influences of the cocoa genotype, chemical make‐up of raw seeds, environmental conditions, farming practices, processing, and manufacturing stages. There has been much research on cocoa flavor components. However, the relationships between all chemical components that are likely to play a role in cocoa flavor, their sensory properties, and the sources and mechanisms of flavor formation are not fully understood. This paper provides an overview on cocoa flavor from a compositional and a sensory perspective. The nonvolatile and volatile chemical components of cocoa and chocolate flavor, and their sensory properties correlated to the main influences involved in flavor formation, are reviewed.     

Improving chocolate flavor in poor-quality cocoa almonds by enzymatic treatment

Abstract: This paper proposes a method to enzymatically treat poor‐quality cocoa almonds (known as “slate”) to ensure the formation of chocolate flavor precursors. The production of flavor precursors improves the quality of these almonds, which are usually responsible for the low quality of the liquor produced. Proteases and carboxypeptidases from different sources were tested under various conditions. The different treatments were evaluated by chemical analysis (hydrolysis efficiency) and sensory analysis of the treated material compared to good‐quality cocoa almonds. The results show that it is possible, through the use of microbial enzymes, to generate the mixture of compounds that will release, after roasting, the characteristic chocolate flavor in poor‐quality almonds. However, it is necessary to optimize the conditions of enzymatic treatment to obtain better results and thus establish a process that can be used for industrial purposes for manufacturing cocoa and chocolate. Practical Application: The basidiomycete Moniliophtora perniciosa is the causative agent of witches’ broom disease (WBD) of the cocoa tree, whose seeds are the source of chocolate. It is the most important phytopathological problem of cocoa‐producing areas of the American continent, and has decimated the Brazilian cocoa industry. In Bahia (Brazil), M. perniciosa was identified in 1989 and, as a consequence of its spreading, the annual production of cocoa almonds dropped from 450000 to 90000 tons within 12 y, reducing export values from an all‐time high of about US$ 1 billion to 110 million. The high incidence of WBD incapacitates Brazil to produce enough cocoa almonds even for the internal market, leading the country to import low‐quality cocoa almonds mainly from African countries. Our work proposes an enzymatic treatment to increase the quality of that cocoa almonds and, consequently, to improve the quality of the chocolate produced and consumed in the country.     

Investigation of aromatic compounds in roasted cocoa powder

Most of the volatile compounds identified are highly significant in determining cocoa powder flavour, and this paper demonstrates that basic sensory perceptions (undesirable, bitter pungent, repulsive, fruity, nutty, floral, vegetal, and sweet chocolate) can be totally explained by aroma compounds with R²-adjusted values of 0.85 and greater. Samples from five geographical origins of cocoa bean were characterized by chemical compounds and sensory attributes. The aroma extracts were obtained by a two-step procedure involving (1) preliminary steam distillation under reduced pressure to evaluate the methylpyrazines generated in roasted cocoa powder by spectrophotometry (flavour index), and (2) Likens-Nickersons simultaneous steam distillation and solvent extraction method with added NaCl. The distilled compounds were separated by adsorption chromatography in six fractions depending on the polarity. A combined total of 114 compounds were detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 110 of which were identified. About 15 components in the mean milligrams per kilogram range (1.09–4.67 mg kg^–1) and 95 components in the mean micrograms per kilogram range (12–980 µg kg^–1) were quantified. The major components of cocoa aroma were 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, benzaldehyde, 2-phenylacetaldehyde, acetophenone, 3-methylbutyric acid, 5-methyl-2-phenyl-2-hexenal, ethyl phenylacetate, and 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone (mean greater than 1.30 mg kg^–1).     

Development of a Chocolate Flavored Peanut Beverage

Nine chocolate-flavored peanut beverages (CFPB) were prepared using peanut protein isolate as source of protein and analyzed for physical-microbiological-sensory qualities. The quality attributes such as color, aroma, viscosity, and flavor of CFPB were similar to that of commercial chocolate milk. The total aerobic populations of the beverage before and after refrigeration for 7 days were less than 10 and 200 colonies/g, respectively, and no coliform bacteria was detected in this product. Sensory evaluation and response surface methodology indicated that optimum formulation of CFPB was obtained by using 3.5% protein (from peanut protein isolate), 3.5% butter, 8% sugar, 0.7% cocoa powder, 0.1% stabilizer, and water. Consumer study of the CFPB revealed that all sensory characteristics were acceptable in the range of like to extremely like.     

Properties of sucrose-free chocolates enriched with viable lactic acid bacteria

Chocolate formulated with isomalt and enriched with lactic acid bacteria Streptococcus thermophilus MK-10 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus 151, added in the form of powdered yoghurt, prepared by spray-drying is a sucrose-free, low-calorie product with functional properties. The technique of the production of chocolate sweetened with isomalt and containing live cells of the aforementioned bacterial strains has been established. Physicochemical and sensory properties of this product as well as survival of cells during 6-months storage at 4 and 18 °C have been determined. The isomalt-containing yoghurt chocolates displayed satisfactory sensory attributes. Their calorific value and consistency (hardness) were similar to those of control sucrose-free chocolates. The total acidity of yoghurt and standard milk chocolates was also similar, whereas yoghurt-containing dark chocolates displayed higher acidity. The characteristics of yoghurt-containing chocolates were a relatively low solid substance content (96.82–96.91% w/w), low Casson viscosity and yield value for milk chocolate masses, and enhanced rheological parameters for dark chocolate masses compared with control sucrose-free chocolates. Because the total number of lactic acid bacteria after 6-months storage at 4 and 18 °C was high (approximately 10⁷ cfu/g), the sucrose-free yoghurt-containing chocolates can be regarded as functional foods.     

The effect of high-pressure jet processing on cocoa stability in chocolate milk

Fat-free chocolate milk formulations containing skim milk, cocoa powder, and sugar were thermally treated and then processed using high-pressure jet (HPJ) technology from 125 to 500 MPa. The rheological properties and stability of HPJ-treated chocolate milks were compared with controls (no HPJ processing) prepared both with and without added κ-carrageenan. As expected, carrageenan-free chocolate milk exhibited immediate phase separation of the cocoa powder, whereas formulations containing κ-carrageenan were stable for 14 d. An increased stability was observed with increasing HPJ processing pressure, with a maximum observed when chocolate milk was processed at 500 MPa. The apparent viscosity at 50 s⁻¹ of HPJ-processed samples increased from ~3 mPa·s to ~9 mPa·s with increasing pressure, and shear-thinning behavior (n < 0.9) was observed for samples processed at HPJ pressures ≥250 MPa. We suggest that HPJ-induced structural changes in casein micelles and new casein-cocoa interactions increased cocoa stability in the chocolate milk. Because casein seemed to be the major component enhancing cocoa stability in HPJ-treated samples, a second study was conducted to determine the effect of additional micellar casein (1, 2, or 4%) and HPJ processing (0–500 MPa) on the stability of fat-free chocolate milk. Formulations with 4% micellar casein processed at 375 and 500 MPa showed no phase separation over a 14-d storage period at 4°C. The addition of micellar casein together with HPJ processing at 500 MPa resulted in a higher apparent viscosity (~17 mPa·s at 50s⁻¹) and more pronounced shear-thinning behavior (n ≤ 0.81) compared with that without added micellar casein. The use of HPJ technology to improve the dispersion stability of cocoa provides the industry with a processing alternative to produce clean-label, yet stable, chocolate milk.     

Effect of gum tragacanth on rheological and physical properties of a flavored milk drink made with date syrup

Date syrup as a nutritional additive and safe alternative to added sugar is one of the best choices for milk flavoring. In this study, a flavored milk beverage was formulated using date syrup for flavoring the product and gum tragacanth to obtain an acceptable mouth feel. Steady shear and dynamic oscillatory rheological properties of the samples contained 3 concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3%, wt/wt) of 2 types of gum tragacanth (Astragalus gossypinus and Astragalus rahensis) which at 3°C, were studied. Particle size distribution and colorimetric assays were determined by laser diffractometry and using reflection spectrometer, respectively. Sensory analysis was performed with 25 semitrained panelists, using a 5-point hedonic scale. The results showed that viscoelastic properties, flow behavior parameters, particle size, and color parameters (L^*, a^*, and b^*, where L^* represents lightness, a^* represents the redness/greenness quality of the color, and b^* represents the yellowness and blueness quality of the colors) were significantly affected by the concentration of the gum tragacanth and the severity of this effect was influenced by the type of gum. The use of appropriate type and concentration of gum tragacanth in date milk formulation can improve the texture and mouth feel by affecting on particle size and the flow behavior of this product.     

Effects of fat replacement and fibre addition on the texture,sensory acceptance and structure of sucrose‐free chocolate

Dietary fibre has been employed as a sucrose and fat replacement in chocolates and can influence the physical and sensory characteristics of the resulting product. Formulations of sucrose‐free chocolates were developed with the addition of inulin and β‐glucan concentrate as partial substitutes for cocoa butter using a mixture design. The effects of the combinations of the three ingredients provided for the design on the texture, microstructure and sensory acceptance of the chocolates were investigated. The substitution of cocoa butter for inulin or β‐glucan concentrate decreased the hardness of the chocolates. It was possible to replace 10 g of cocoa butter in a 100‐g control formulation with inulin and still maintain good acceptance, while this same substitution with β‐glucan resulted in less acceptable chocolate, with a mean score of 6.4 on a scale from 0 to 10. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the effects of fibre addition by observing the developed microstructure.