Quality Characteristics of Single Origin Bean-to-Bar Dark Chocolate Prepared with Sugar Alcohols

Abstract

Some sugar alcohol sweeteners such as maltitol, sorbitol, and xylitol were tested as a sucrose substitute in a lowcalorie dark chocolate. The Arriba cacao bean, grown in Ecuador, was adapted to cope with a single origin beanto-bar chocolate. The cocoa mass was prepared by roasting (160C, 20 min), dehulling, and grinding of the bean. The chocolate paste containing all the ingredients was conched at 45C for 36 h and was tempered at 27°C. The functional nutrients including total polyphenol (1,100 mg%), total flavonoid(17 mg%), and crude fiber (9.89%) were identified from the chocolates. The water activities of the chocolates ranged from 0.23 to 0.26. Xylitol and sorbitol raised the spreadability of the chocolate pastes along with a lowered consistency. The appearance of pisiform fat globules appeared on the surface of the chocolate and became less frequent with added maltitol. Particle size of the chocolate ranged from 7.86 μm (maltitol) to 12.89 μm (sorbitol), predicting smooth mouthfeel in the products. The melting points (about 30C) and bloom resistance of the chocolates were less affected by the kind of sweeteners used. Demolding properties of the solid chocolate were improved by adding maltitol or sorbitol sweeteners. Sensorial acceptability of the chocolate sweetened with xylitol, which was comparable to that of sucrose, was the highest.