Development of Sugar Free and Fortified Chocolates with D-Optimal Design Approach

Abstract

The increasing numbers of overweight or chronically obese individuals have led the market to produce sweet snacks and desserts that are low in calories, low in fat or low in sugar. Sugar replacers have low calorific value and lower glycaemic index as compared to sucrose which not only helps in controlling weight but also is safe for diabetics. The study is aimed to develop a sugar free chocolate by using a combination of various zero calorie sweeteners i.e., stevia, isomalt and erythritol through response surface methodology (RSM). The final run optimized by RSM consists of 21.9g cocoa butter, 5.1g erythritol, 0.10g stevia and 14.9g isomalt. Organoleptic evaluation of modified chocolates was evaluated using 9 point hedonic scale for the parameters like, appearance, color, aroma, taste, texture, mouthfeel, aftertaste and overall acceptability. The overall acceptability of sugar free chocolates was found to be 8.9. Further, the fortification of chocolates was done with the help of vitamins and minerals rich fruit powders such as beetroot powder, jamun seed powder and pink pithaya powder (dragon fruit). Vitamins and minerals analysis was performed for sugar free chocolate fortified with beetroot. Shelf-life study of sugar free chocolate fortified with beetroot was carried out.