Sucrose-Free Milk Chocolate Sweetened with Different Bulking Agents: Effects on Physicochemical and Sensory Properties

In the present study, the effects of substituting sucrose with maltitol and xylitol as bulking agents in compound milk chocolate were examined in relation to their physico-chemical, rheological and sensory characteristics. Standard reference chocolate was made using sucrose. The Casson mathematical model was the best fitting model for predicting rheological properties. Compared with chocolate sweetened with sucrose, significant differences in Casson viscosity, yield value and hardness were observed for sucrosefree chocolates. Generally, there was no major difference between chocolate formulations containing high concentration of maltitol and conventional chocolate concerning the following parameters: moisture content, mean particle size and sensory properties. However, sucrose replacement with the high ratios of xylitol had higher moisture content, greater Casson viscosity and an increased flow behaviour index. These findings illustrate that it is possible to manufacture chocolate using high concentration of maltitol without affecting its important physico-chemical characteristics and sensory attributes.