Nutritional profile of white chocolate is discussed for its high contents of sugar and fat, without benefits provided by cocoa polyphenols present in milk and dark chocolate. Thus, fruit addition may increase its nutritional characteristics. In this study, white chocolates with freeze-dried and spray-dried açai (Euterpe oleracea) were developed and their sensory characteristics were mapped through quantitative descriptive analysis and consumers' acceptance. Samples were submitted to three different conching times (6, 12, and 18 hours). Quantitative descriptive analysis results suggest type of dehydrated açai had much greater impact over samples' sensory characteristics than conching time, freeze-dried açai samples having greater intensity of açai sensory features, while spray-dried açai samples showing predominance of white chocolate sensory characteristics. Conching time had impact over texture of freeze-dried açai samples, since assessors considered sample conched for only 6 h was significantly harder and less melting than samples conched for 12 and 18 h. Consumer’s acceptance analysis results showed that freeze-dried açai samples were more widely accepted by consumers for appearance, aroma, and texture, and exhibited segmentation of acceptance for flavor and overall liking, although freeze-dried açai samples conched for 12 and 18 h were more accepted than sample conched only for 6 h.

Margarine exhibits significant variations in composition, allowing it to cater to diverse consumer segments. This study aimed to characterize the physical and sensory attributes of margarine samples available in the Brazilian market. Twelve commercial samples from six different brands, encompassing 30% to 80% of lipid contents, were subjected to instrumental texture analysis and affective assessment. A total of 112 consumers participated in acceptance tests and Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) evaluations, while another group of 62 subjects performed Projective Mapping. Samples with lipid percentages exceeding 70% achieved the highest average acceptance scores for taste and overall impression. The brand with the lowest lipid content (30%) exhibited a stronger association with negative attributes, including rancid flavor and aroma, bitterness, and metallic flavor, resulting in lower average scores for aroma, flavor, texture, and overall impression. However, these scores were not statistically different from samples with 50% and 60% lipid content. Reducing lipid levels in fat-based products such as margarine poses a challenge to food manufacturers, as consumers generally perceive higher lipid percentages as indicative of superior flavor quality.

Conching is a processing stage of industrial chocolate manufacture that is essential to the development of the sensory and rheological properties of the finished product. It promotes the physicochemical changes leading to flavor, aroma, and flowability refinement by continuously heating, aerating, shearing, and homogenizing chocolate mass during an extended time length. Conching duration is a key processing parameter that depends on the type of chocolate, the quality of primary ingredients, the conche's configuration, and the desired sensory outcome in the chocolate. Shorter cycles are often beneficial to manufacturers, due to increased productivity and reduced energy consumption, but they may be insufficient to fully develop chocolate's desired sensory properties. The present study aimed to shed light on the trade-off between product quality and process efficiency by assessing if varying conching durations were associated with statistically significant differences in the sensory profile and consumer acceptance of milk chocolates with freeze-dried blueberry. Samples were produced under an alternative method of conching prior to ball mill refining, with times investigated being 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h, and were subsequently submitted to Quantitative Descriptive Analysis and consumer acceptance test. No statistically significant differences in either sensory profiles or consumer acceptance ratings of samples were observed, with the exception of hedonic values for aroma, indicating that a 6-h conching cycle was already enough to develop the sensory properties of the milk chocolate with freeze-dried blueberry. The feasibility of shorter conching times suggests a potential for energy saving and increased productivity in the production of milk chocolates following the conching prior to ball mill refining concept.

Despite the critical role of conching in the development of chocolate flow and sensory properties, objective knowledge about how individual operational parameters influence these outcomes remains limited. This gap constrains opportunities for manufacturers to increase productivity and lower energy consumption without impairing product quality. In this study, a fractional factorial design (FFD) was applied to systematically evaluate the main effects of conching parameters on the physicochemical, rheological and sensory properties of a model milk chocolate. The investigated independent variables were time (2 to 10 h), temperature (45 to 75°C), mixing speed (82 to 115 rpm) and fat content in the plastic mass (28% to 32 %) during the pasty conching stage, whereas a total of 52 response variables were assessed. Time and temperature significantly reduced Casson plastic viscosity and yield value, respectively, even though flow development was most efficient at the intermediate conditions of the investigated ranges (6 h, 60°C, 99 rpm and 30% fat). In contrast, higher fat contents in the plastic mass (32%) significantly increased flow parameters, likely due to reduced shear energy input, resulting in more viscous samples. These variations in rheology were reflected in the textural properties of the solid chocolates. The effects on most sensory attributes were relatively minor. Both time and temperature slightly increased the caramel flavour intensity, although higher temperatures contributed to the formation of particle clusters, potentially leading to a gritty mouthfeel. Despite the small sensory differences observed among samples, consumer acceptance remained consistently high across all trials, suggesting that any of the conditions within the tested ranges yielded high‐quality products. Rather than absolute optimisation, this study focussed on providing a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the main effects of processing variables on the quality of milk chocolates, a knowledge relevant to different industrial contexts and production scales.

Background: As consumers growingly demand healthier confectionery products, sugar‐free chocolates with added spices become interesting options to align with the permissible indulgence trend. This study explored the temporal sensory profiles and consumer acceptance of spicy sugar‐free dark chocolates formulated with varying levels of rebaudioside A in the stevia extract (500, 800, and 980 g kg⁻¹) and dehydrated Capsicum baccatum pepper (2.0, 3.5, and 5.0 g kg⁻¹).Results: Increasing the concentration of rebaudioside A enhanced the intensity of sweetness, while higher pepper concentrations resulted in increased spiciness intensity and duration. However, an exception was observed with the highest concentration of pepper (5.0 g kg⁻¹) combined with 980 g kg⁻¹ rebaudioside A, where a significant decrease in spiciness intensity and duration occurred. While the samples were generally well‐accepted, higher spiciness intensity and prolonged spiciness duration negatively impacted consumer acceptance.Conclusion: The findings suggest that higher sweetness intensities, induced by increased rebaudioside A concentrations, may modulate the perception of spiciness. Despite the negative impact of excessive spiciness on liking, the samples demonstrated good consumer acceptance overall, underscoring the potential of sugar‐free spicy dark chocolates in meeting health‐conscious consumer preferences while balancing sweetness and spiciness. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.