Technological and quality parameters of reduced-calorie chocolates: a review

Abstract

The preference for healthier and convenience food products has resulted in a demand for reducedcalorie chocolate which has 20% fewer calories than conventional chocolate but the same brightness, aroma, flavour and hue. The fat replacers used in reduced-calorie chocolate are usually derived from vegetable oils and/or polysaccharides. The vegetable oils include palm oil, corn oil and soybean oil, while the polysaccharides include carrageenan, guar gum and locust bean gum. Gums are considered healthier than vegetable oils but result in a weaker texture. Therefore, vegetable oils are often used in combination with gums to improve the rheological characteristics of reduced-calorie chocolate. Sucrose substitutes include sugar alcohols, dietary fibres, syrups and natural/artificial sweeteners. Sucralose is by far the preferred artificial sweetener because of its stability at higher temperatures. The incorporation of fat and sugar replacers increases the viscosity and slipperiness of reduced-calorie chocolate. Also, reduced-calorie chocolate is more bitter and less sweet than conventional chocolate.