Optimization of dark chocolate formulation with roasted coriander cake as cocoa substitute

Since worldwide demand for cocoa is predicted to exceed supply in the upcoming years, this study aimed to find a substitute for cocoa powder in dark chocolate formulation. In the first phase, Coriander cake, a by-product of extracting oil from coriander seeds, was roasted at 165 °C respectively for 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 min, and physicochemical characteristics (pH, aw, and color parameters), compositional properties, and total phenolic content were examined and compared to cocoa powder. Coriander cake roasted for 6 min was almost equal to cocoa powder and qualified for use in dark chocolate formulation. In the second phase, roasted coriander cake (RCC) was used as a partial replacement for sugar and cocoa powder. The physicochemical and rheological characteristics of RCC chocolates were evaluated. Appropriate mathematical models defined by using best-fitting analysis described results. According to the results, the fitted models illustrated a desirable coefficient of determination (≥90 %).The optimization of the variables indicated that using RCC 6.08 g, Sugar 14.68 g, and Cocoa 12.23 g produced the optimized RCC chocolate with the highest desirability while maintaining the quality characteristics without undesirable changes. The samples' flow behavior and physicochemical properties showed that RCC could be used as a cocoa substitute.

Cereal and Confectionary Packaging: Background, Application and Shelf-Life Extension

In both public and private sectors, one can notice a strong interest in the topic of sustainable food and packaging. For a long time, the spotlight for optimization was placed on well-known examples of high environmental impacts, whether regarding indirect resource use (e.g., meat, dairy) or problems in waste management. Staple and hedonistic foods such as cereals and confectionary have gained less attention. However, these products and their packaging solutions are likewise of worldwide ecologic and economic relevance, accounting for high resource input, production amounts, as well as food losses and waste. This review provides a profound elaboration of the status quo in cereal and confectionary packaging, essential for practitioners to improve sustainability in the sector. Here, we present packaging functions and properties along with related product characteristics and decay mechanisms in the subcategories of cereals and cereal products, confectionary and bakery wares alongside ready-to-eat savories and snacks. Moreover, we offer an overview to formerly and recently used packaging concepts as well as established and modern shelf-life extending technologies, expanding upon our knowledge to thoroughly understand the packaging's purpose; we conclude that a comparison of the environmental burden share between product and packaging is necessary to properly derive the need for action(s), such as packaging redesign.

Changes in Antioxidants and Sensory Properties of Italian Chocolates and Related Ingredients Under Controlled Conditions During an Eighteen-Month Storage Period

BACKGROUND

While there has been an increasing interest in the health properties of chocolate, limited research has looked into the changes of antioxidants occurring in the time span from production to the best before date, which was a period of 18 months in this study.

METHODS

Humidity, ash, pH, acidity, fiber, carotenoids, retinols, tocopherols, sugars, proteins, theobromine, caffeine, polyphenols, fats, the peroxide value, organic acids, and volatile compounds, along with the sensory profile, were monitored at 18-week intervals for 18 months under conditions simulating a factory warehouse or a point of sale.

RESULTS

At the end of the storage period, more polyphenols were lost (64% and 87%) than vitamin E (5% and 14%) in cocoa mass and cocoa powder, respectively. Conversely, a greater loss in vitamin E (34% and 86%) than in polyphenols (19% and 47%) was shown in the hazelnut paste and gianduja chocolate, respectively. The sensory profiling of cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and hazelnut paste revealed increases in grittiness and astringency, as well as decreases in melting, bitterness, and toasted aroma. Moreover, in the hazelnut paste and gianduja chocolate, oiliness increased with a toasted and caramel aroma. Furthermore, dark chocolate was more gritty, acidic, and bitter. Milk chocolate lost its nutty aroma but maintained its sweetness and creaminess.

CONCLUSIONS

These results should contribute an important reference for companies and consumers, in order to preserve the antioxidants and understand how antioxidants and sensory properties change from the date of production until the best before date.

Rheological behaviour of chocolate at different temperatures

The rheological behaviour of the chocolate at different temperatures was studied using a concentric cylinder viscometer with precision small samples adapter, temperature sensor and standard spindle. BIO chocolate (100% organic cocoa) has been used for the whole types of experiments. At the first, the range of temperature has been chosen 36 °C, 38 °C, 40 °C, 42 °C, and 44 °C. The shear deformation rate was established from the 0.1 s-1 up to 68 s-1. Rheological behaviour was non-Newtonian (plastic) with inconsiderable yield stress in all temperatures. The chocolate unambiguously demonstrated plastic behaviour and flow curves were fitted by the power law model (Herschel-Bulkley model), Bingham model, and Casson model with taking into account the coefficient of determination R2. The obtained results of rheological behaviour of chocolate can be best described as Casson fluid. Exactly coefficients of models can be used for modelling of flow velocity, volume flow, friction factor, Reynolds number, two dimensional and three dimensional velocity profiles and much more for flow in the real technical elements e.g. pipes, trough, tubes. Finally, temperature dependence of apparent viscosity of chocolate was also continuously measured in the range from 35 °C up to 62 °C. The apparent viscosity decreased in the temperature range. This decrease was fitted using power law equation. The knowledge of the plastic flow behaviour of chocolate is very important, because it is not quite common flow behaviour of foodstuffs.

Effect of cocoa fat content on wetting and surface energy of chocolate

The aim of this study was the quantification of the effect of the cocoa fat content on the wetting characteristics and surface free energy of different chocolate compositions. On the market, there are many different types of chocolate products which differ both in the sensory and physico-chemical properties together with their raw material compositions and the contents of the individual components. This paper focuses on differences in the use of different types of fats - cocoa butter, milk fat, equivalents or cocoa butter substitutes in chocolate products. Studied samples (prepared at Carla, Ltd. Company) were followed by static contact angles of wetting measurements and by calculated surface free energies. There were investigated the effects of fat content and used fat types of the chocolate products on their final wettabilities and resulting surface free energies. There was found a linear dependence between total fat content and the surface free energy, which was gradually increasing with increasing fat content. Additionally, there were performed TG DTG and NIR spectrometry measurements of the tested materials with the aim to determine the melting point of studied fats used, as well as to determine and identify individual fat components of chocolate products which may affect the resulting value of surface free energy.