Product development of passion fruit and citrus peel dark chocolate

Abstract

Fruit wastes, mainly the peels and the seeds are produced as by-products in large quantities due to the high consumption and industrial processing of the edible parts of the fruits. The utilization of fruit wastes such as fruit peels and seeds for food production serves as a means to reduce the environmental impact. This project aimed to develop dark chocolate by using passion fruit with seeds and orange peels as functional ingredients. Dark chocolate is well known for its high antioxidant activity, especially rich in healthpromoting flavonoids. Passion fruit seeds and orange peels are high in dietary fibre content. Thus, the addition of these ingredients could increase the dietary fibre content of dark chocolate. The effects of passion fruits with seeds and orange peels on the nutritive values, antioxidant properties, and sensorial properties of dark chocolate were evaluated. The passion fruit with orange peel dark chocolate contained 51.15% fat, 9.55% moisture, 8.04% protein, 3.56% ash, and 3.06% total dietary fibre. The sample contained significantly higher (p<0.05) dietary fibre (3.06±0.02%) than that of the control (0.93±0.10%). Sensory qualities (colour, surface smoothness, aroma, texture, melting property, and overall acceptance) of dark chocolate were evaluated by 35 panellists using a 9-point hedonic scale. The mean overall acceptance score of the sample was 6.91 out of 9 with an acceptance index of 77%. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of the sample (86.10±0.13%) was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of the control (61.10±0.13%). In conclusion, the development of passion fruit and citrus peel dark chocolate provides an alternative way to deliver health-promoting antioxidants and dietary fibre to consumers. The product has acceptable sensory quality and has a potential confectionery market.