This study compares the rheological, thermal, and textural characteristics of four types of chocolate—white, milk, ruby, and dark—produced by the same manufacturer. White, milk, and ruby chocolates contain 36% fat, while dark chocolate has 39%. Cocoa content varies from 28% in white, 33% in milk, 47% in ruby, to 70% in dark chocolate. Rheological properties were assessed with a rotational rheometer, while density was measured with a gas pycnometer. Particle size distribution (PSD) was evaluated using laser diffraction, and thermal properties were analyzed with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The DSC results indicated that enthalpy increased with cocoa content, whereby dark chocolate showed the highest value (55.04 J g⁻¹) and white chocolate the lowest (35.3 J g⁻¹). PSD followed a monomodal pattern; dark chocolate had the smallest particles, leading to the highest hardness. Density ranged from 1.2773 to 1.2067 g∙cm⁻³. The results from classical rotational rheological measurements were in accordance with oscillatory measurements. Rheological measurements confirmed that the Casson yield stress was the highest for milk chocolate (17.61 Pa). The viscosity values decreased with increasing shear rate for all chocolates. All chocolate samples showed strong shear-thinning behavior up to a 100 s⁻¹ shear rate. Oscillatory measurements showed the paste-like nature of all samples, i.e., storage modulus G’ dominates loss modulus G’’ at small shear stress values, and the complex modulus G*, which represents the stiffness, varied as follows: milk > white > dark > ruby. This study offers valuable insights into the properties of chocolates during production and storage, helping manufacturers anticipate key characteristics for new confectionery products.

In order to improve functional characteristics of standard milk chocolate (C) was enriched by the addition of whey protein concentrate (WPC) and whey proteins hydrolyzed by trypsin (H-WPC) in the amount of 6%. The chocolate samples were analyzed by determination of antioxidant capacity, particle size distribution, textural, rheological, and sensory properties. The obtained results revealed that chocolate enriched by whey protein hydrolysate (H-WPC) possesses higher content of total polyphenols (1007.8 ± 96.8 mg GAE/100 g), increased ability to inhibit ABTS radicals (66.30 ± 1.99%), and increased ability to inhibit DPPH radicals (56.34 ± 3.20%), compared to the standard milk chocolate (C) (877.1 ± 56.0 mg GAE/100g; 48.46 ± 2.11%; 48.07 ± 2.80%, respectively). The additional ingredients do not significantly affect the hardness and enthalpy of chocolates. The hydrolyzed whey proteins increase the viscosity of chocolate (11.81 ± 0.11 Pa·s) to a greater extent than non-hydrolyzed whey proteins (9.17 ± 0.09 Pa·s), relative to the control sample (3.53 ± 0.05 Pa·s). Regardless of the fact that the WPC sample has slightly better rheological characteristics and particle size distribution compared to the H-WPC sample, no major changes in the sensory characteristics of chocolate were observed. Based on the results, whey protein hydrolysate can be marked as an exceptional ingredient for improving the quality of chocolate.

This study compares the rheological, thermal, and textural characteristics of four types of chocolate—white, milk, ruby, and dark—produced by the same manufacturer. White, milk, and ruby chocolates contain 36% fat, while dark chocolate has 39%. Cocoa content varies: from 28% in white, 33% in milk, 47% in ruby, to 70% in dark chocolate. Rheological properties were assessed with a rotational rheometer, while density was measured with a gas pycnometer. Particle size distribution (PSD) was evaluated using laser diffraction, and thermal properties were analyzed with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DSC results indicated that enthalpy increased with cocoa content, whereby dark chocolate showed the highest value (55.04 J g⁻¹) and white chocolate the lowest (35.3 J g⁻¹). PSD followed a monomodal pattern; dark chocolate had the smallest particles leading to the highest hardness. Density ranged from 1.2773 to 1.2067 g cm⁻³. Results from classical rotational rheological measurements were in accordance with oscillatory measurements. Rheological measurements confirmed that the Casson yield stress was highest for milk chocolate (17.61 Pa). The viscosity values decrease with increasing shear rate for all chocolates. All chocolate samples showed strong shear-thinning behavior up to 100 s.1 shear rate. Oscillatory measurements showed paste-like nature of all samples, i.e. storage modulus G’ dominates loss modulus G’’ at small shear stress values, and that complex modulus G*, which represents the stiffness varied as follows: milk > white > dark > ruby.

One of the most economical ways of whey processing is the production of beverages, that represents a single process that exploits all the potential of whey as a raw material. Functional and sensory characteristics of whey based beverages are a criterion that is crucial to the marketing of products and win over consumers. The aim of this study was to determine nutritional and functional characteristics of fermented whey beverage with milk and commercial ABY-6 culture. The results showed that the applied starter culture can be used for the production of fermented whey based beverage with satisfactory nutritional properties. Addition of milk was important not only in the nutritional quality of the resulting product, but also improved the taste, the homogeneity and stability. Analysis of the chemical composition of fermented whey based beverage and nutritional information about it indicates that the product is a good source of protein and calcium. Fermented beverage contained 8.07 log (CFU/mL), showed antioxidant activity of at least 38.1% and the titratable acidity of 28.2?SH corresponding to the acidity of the product in this category.

Whey protein hydrolysates can be used in a wide range of applications because they offer numerous advantages compared to non-hydrolysed whey proteins. They are more heat stable, with improved foaming and emulsifying properties due to the presence of bioactive peptides of lower viscosity. Whey hydrolysates have improved absorption, digestibility, excellent nutritional and functional properties, and the ability to extend the shelf life of food products. Due to the large differences in the technological and other physicochemical properties of hydrolysates, the addition of whey protein hydrolysates into confectionery products is much more complicated. This research aims to determine the possibilities of enriching filled confectionery products with whey peptides obtained in two ways: through enzymatic hydrolysis of whey protein concentrate and fermentation (using microorganism Lb. rhamnosus ATCC 7469). Peptides were added to a fatty milk cream at a 5% concentration. The study was focused on assessing antioxidant activity, physical, rheological, textural, and sensory properties of three fat fillings: C (control without whey peptides), EWP (5% peptides from enzymatic hydrolysis), and MWP (5% peptides from whey fermentation). The Enzymatic hydrolysates increased DPPH radical inhibition by 32%, and fermented hydrolysates by 19%. Enzymatic hydrolysates also demonstrated superior inhibition of lipid peroxidation (IC50 value of 811.54 mg mL-1) compared to fermented hydrolysates (IC50 value of 178.36 mg mL-1). EWP showed the highest antioxidant activity. The addition of enzymatic hydrolysates increased filling firmness by 2.5 times, while fermented hydrolysates had reduced firmness compared to the control. Both types of hydrolysates did not adversely affect the size or distribution of the particles in the fat cream. Thixotropic properties of the fat filling remained unchanged post-incorporation. MWP exhibited the most optimal rheological characteristics with the lowest yield stress. The best sensory characteristics (better than the control sample) were found in the EWP.

Chocolate is a complex rheological system in which non-fat cocoa particles and sugar particles are enveloped by crystal matrix of cocoa butter. Physical properties of chocolate depend on ingredient composition, method of production and properly performed pre-crystallization phase. In this work, chocolate was produced in an unconventional way, i.e. in a ball mill applying variable refining time (30, 60 and 90 min) and pre-crystallization temperature in chocolate masses (26, 28 and 30?C). Two types of chocolate were produced: chocolate with 20% of powdered cow?s milk (R1) and chocolate with 20% of soya milk powder (R2). The quality of chocolate was followed by comparing nutritive composition, 23 polyphenol content, hardness of chocolate, solid triglyceride content (SFC) and rheological parameters (Casson yield flow (Pa), Casson viscosity (Pas), the area of the thixotropic loop, elastic modulus and creep curves). The aim of this paper is determining changes caused by replacing cow?s milk with soya milk powder in respect of nutritive, rheological and sensory properties, as well as defining optimal parameters: precrystallization temperature and refining time of soya milk chocolate in order to obtain suitable sensory and physical properties identical to those of milk chocolate mass. The results show that replacing powdered cow?s milk with soya milk powder affects the increase in nutritive value of soya milk chocolate. R2 chocolate mass showed the increase in essential amino acids and fatty acids. This chocolate mass also showed the increase in total polyphenols by 28.1% comparing to R1 chocolate mass. By comparing viscosity, yield stress, shear stress and the area of the thixotropic loop, it can be observed that R1 chocolate mass represents a more organized and simpler system than the mass with soya milk (R2), as it shows lower values for all the above mentioned parameters, regardless of the refining time and pre-crystallization temperature. Viscoelastic behavior of R2 is also evident, as a consequence of soya protein presence. In order to maintain optimal hardness as well as melting resistance of chocolate, in case of R2 chocolate mass it is necessary to apply pre-crystallization temperature of 26?C, while for the chocolate mass R1 it is 30?C.