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Standardization of Optimal Level of Coconut Variants in Chocolates Based

on Consumer Acceptance

Article in Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal · April 2017
DOI: 10.12944/CRNFSJ.5.1.05

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Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Vol. 5(1), 36-42 (2016)

Standardization of Optimal Level of Coconut Variants in

Chocolates Based on Consumer Acceptance
V. Divya1*, D. Baskaran2 and K.S.Gnanalaksshmi3,
M. Abdul Reiinclude3 and M. Abdul Reiyas3

1
Student (M.Tech), College of Food and Dairy Technology, TANUVAS, Chennai, India, 600 052.
2
Dean, Faculty of Food Sciences, College of Food and Dairy Technology,
3
Assistant Professor, College of Food and Dairy Technology, TANUVAS, Chennai - 52,
TANUVAS, Chennai, India, 600 052.
Corresponding author Email: divsarivan@gmail.com

http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CRNFSJ.5.1.05

(Received: February 19, 2017; Accepted: March 22, 2017)

Abstract

A study was carried out to produce chocolates from coconut variants viz, coconut oil, coconut
cream and coconut milk as a substitute for cocoa butter. The chocolate prepared with 40% cocoa butter
was taken as control. The preliminary trials were conducted with different composition of ingredients for the
optimization of the level of substitution of coconut variants. Cocoa butter substituted at the levels of 10 %,
20 % and 30 % by coconut oil, coconut cream and coconut milk respectively were optimized based on the
consumer acceptance. The raw materials used in the fabrication of chocolate were subjected to analysed for
Peroxide value (PV), Acid Value (AV) and Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content and were found to have desirable
oxidative stability.

Keywords: Cocoa Butter; Coconut Oil; Coconut Cream; Coconut Milk;

Optimization: Consumer acceptance; oxidative stability

Introduction The popularity of chocolate appears to be mainly

owing to its potential to arouse sensory perception
The chocolate industry in India is one of and positive emotions2. Chocolate is perceived as
the major segments of the Indian confectionery, a comfort food which provides sense of goodness
which is at the pace of increasing demand. Food during depressive moods 3. Cocoa butter is an
retail industry and confectionery are the fastest important ingredient for chocolate making and is
growing sectors which would accelerate the growth used as the continuous phase in chocolate that
of chocolates in the country. Dark chocolate which support the non-fat ingredients4 and is responsible
has only 9% market share at present is expected for much of the snap, gloss, appearance, mouth feel
to be the fastest growing segment owing to the and flavour release typical for chocolates. Due to
numerous health benefits and increasing awareness the limited supply and the high demand, the price
among Indian consumers. Dark chocolates are is high and can fluctuate in time depending on the
found to be rich in antioxidants such as flavonoids, crop yield4. Hence alternatives to cocoa butter
epicatechin, catechin and procyanidins than in can be used which would fulfil the demands of
milk and other chocolates. The daily consumption cocoa butter fat and reduce the cost of production.
of dark chocolate is believed to prevent or delay Alternatives to cocoa butter have been developed
metabolic diseases, including cardiac disease1. by food researchers. Cocoa butter alternatives can
37 Divya et al., Curr. Res. Nutr Food Sci Jour., Vol. 5(1), 36-42 (2017)

be classified into three groups: (1) Cocoa butter Commercially available cocoa butter was used.
substitutes (2) Cocoa butter replacers and (3) Cocoa Cocoa powder. Cocoa powder containing about 12%
butter equivalents. The alternatives of cocoa butter fat, 57% carbohydrates, 19.6% protein and 33.2%
developed so far could not meet the exact demand fibre obtained from commercially available brand in
of cocoa butter. Hence it is necessary to conduct the market was used for the study. Cocoa powder
further research on this subject to discover the was added at the level of 20% to the developed
alternatives to cocoa butter fat that could be able to chocolates.
fulfil the demands of cocoa butter fat.
Icing sugar
Coconut is one of the ancient food ingots in Commercially available good quality
nature from the time immemorial, especially within icing sugar was used. Standard inclusion level of
Asian cuisine. Botanically, the coconut palm is a 40% of icing sugar was maintained for developed
monocotyledon and belongs to the order Arecaceae, chocolates.
family Palmae and the species is known as Cocus
nucifera Linn. It is promoted as a dietary supplement Lecithin
said to optimize health5. The supply and interest Lecithin was used as the viscosity modulator
in coconut consumption has increased during the in the preparation of chocolate. 0.5% of soy lecithin
last few years. It is from the flesh, coconut fat is was added in each variety of chocolate.
extracted6. Coconut fat consists mainly about 90% of
saturated fatty acids. The major fatty acids present in Coconut variants
coconut fat are lauric acid (12:0) with 46%, myristic Cold pressed virgin coconut oil (Lauric
acid (14:0) with 17% and palmitic acid (16:0) with acid - 53%, Palmitic acid - 8.5%, Oleic acid-
9%7 and is also totally devoid of trans-fatty acids 2.5%) obtained from private firm was used for the
which are now thought to be more harmful than preparation of chocolates. Coconut cream (95% of
saturated fatty acids8. coconut extract, fat - 29% of which 90% is saturated)
and Coconut milk (85% of coconut extract, fat - 25%
The food processing sector has not paid of which 75% is saturated) obtained from nearby
due attention to diversification and value addition market was used for the preparation of chocolates.
to coconut, coconut products and by products. The
introduction of medicinal and organic ingredients Experimental design
in the manufacturing of chocolates will lead to a The different percentages of cocoa butter
new trend and advancement in the traditional food and coconut variants viz., coconut oil, coconut
disciples9. The present work has been proposed with cream and coconut milk were formulated and
the main objective of producing low cost coconut chocolates were prepared with different percentage
substituted cocoa base chocolate prototypes without of substitution levels. The chocolate taken as control
compromising on its sensory attributes with partial was prepared with 40% cocoa butter, 40% sugar
replacement of premium priced cocoa butter using and 20% cocoa powder. The cocoa butter was
coconut fats viz., coconut oil, coconut cream and substituted up to the level of 40% with coconut oil,
coconut milk. This attempt would also favour the coconut milk and coconut cream, beyond which
coconut farmers in regaining the remunerative prices there was increase in viscosity of the chocolate mix
for coconut due to rise in demand for coconut base which made moulding and demoulding of chocolates
material as well as chocolate novelties that are difficult. The chocolates were prepared following
developed during the present research protocol. the steps given in Figure-1. The highly accepted
chocolate formulation derived using taste panel
Materials and Methods consisting of six untrained panelists was selected
Cocoa butter and optimised. The remaining blends were rejected
Cocoa butter is the chief ingredient in because the increased amount of coconut cream
chocolate making which contains 36-43% of and coconut milk showed increase in viscosity and
unsaturated fat (29-43% is MUFA, 0-5% is PUFA). poor crystallisation.
 Divya et al., Curr. Res. Nutr Food Sci Jour., Vol. 5(1), 36-42 (2017) 38

Treatments for the Armed Forces, defines the psychological

• Control-Chocolate was prepared with cocoa attitudes of “like” or “dislike” in a linear scale. In
butter (40%). this type of sensory analysis the chocolate was
• CO 10%-40% -Chocolates were prepared by assessed in 9 point scale. Numerical values ranging
substituting cocoa butter (40%) with 10% to from 1 (dislike extremely) to 9 (like extremely) were
40% of coconut oil. calculated and mean values were used. This test is
• C C 1 0 % - 4 0 % - C h o c o l a t e wa s p r e p a r e d by the most popular one for preference evaluation of
substituting cocoa butter (40%) with 10% to food products.
40% of coconut cream.
• C M 1 0 % - 3 0 % - C h o c o l a t e wa s p r e p a r e d by Statistical analysis
substituting cocoa butter (40%) with 10% to The data obtained were analysed statistically
30% of coconut milk. by applying one way ANOVA in SPSS software
(version 20.0) as per the standard procedure of
Analysis of oxidative stability Snedecor and Cochran, 1994.
The Peroxide value (PV), Free Fatty Acid
(FFA) content and Acid Value (AV) of cocoa butter Results and Discussions
(CB), coconut oil (CO), coconut cream (CC) and
coconut milk (CM) employed in the production of Analysis of Ingredients of chocolate for
chocolate were estimated by following the standard determination of oxidative stability
procedures of AOAC, 200010.
Peroxide value
Sensory evaluation From Table-1 the Peroxide value of cocoa
The Hedonic Scale Test, developed in 1947 butter was estimated to contain higher limit of 1.09,
at the Quartermaster Food and Container Institute which was found to be significantly differing from the

Fig. 1: Flow chart for preparation of chocolates

39 Divya et al., Curr. Res. Nutr Food Sci Jour., Vol. 5(1), 36-42 (2017)

coconut variants utilized in the substitution of cocoa range of 0.13 to 1.33%. The coconut oil used in the
butter. Amongst the coconut variants, Peroxide Value study had a very low value of free fatty acid content
was estimated to have markedly lesser value of below 0.5% implying the fact that it has undergone
0.39 meq.O2/kg for coconut oil followed by coconut very less oxidative changes. The free fatty acid
cream and coconut milk with 0.76 and 0.84 meq. content of coconut oil was well within the limits as
O2/kg respectively. The study revealed that coconut prescribed in APCC13 (Asian and Pacific Coconut
variants were subjected to the minimal level of Community, 2003) standards to be not more than
oxidative changes than the control cocoa butter 0.5% for virgin coconut oil. As per codex standards14
used in the fabrication of chocolate, which has (2008) the free fatty acid content of cocoa butter
provided valid information on the suitability of the should not exceed 1.75% and the present study
coconut variants for the substitution in the chocolate showed significantly lower values than the maximum
base. The results obtained were in agreement with limits. The free fatty acid content of coconut oil used
the results of Clercq and Dewettinck (2012)11 who correlated with the study of Dayrit et al. (2007)15
studied the cocoa butter from various regions and which was in the range of 0.13% to 0.43%. Thus
the peroxide value was estimated to be in the range all the ingredients used had good oxidative stability
of 0.85 to 4.31meq.O2/ kg. The materials used for and their oxidative values were within the prescribed
the current study was found to be highly stable in standards.
conformity with the findings observed by Moigradean
(2012)12. that a product with peroxide value between Acid Value
1 and 5, 5 and 10, and above 10 meq.O2/ kg were From Table-1 the acid value was estimated
classified respectively as minimally oxidative, to be high for cocoa butter which differed significantly
moderately oxidative and highly oxidative. (P d” 0.01) from the coconut variants utilized in the
substitution of cocoa butter. Though cocoa butter had
Free Fatty Acid content predominantly high acid value, the flavour defects
In Table-1 , the fatty acid content of cocoa were not appreciable in Taste panel evaluation.
butter and coconut variants were found to be in the Among the coconut variants utilized for the study,
Table 1: Estimation of Peroxide Value (PV), Free Fatty Acid (FFA) and Acid
Value (AV) of Cocoa butter and Coconut variants for the determination of
oxidative stability (Mean ± SE)@

Ingredients Moisture PV FFA AV

% meq.peroxide/Kg % mg KOH/g

Cocoa butter 1.00 1.09 ± 0.020d 1.03 ± 0.012d 2.04 ± 0.023d

Coconut oil 1.00 0.39 ± 0.017a 0.13 ± 0.009a 0.26 ± 0.018a
Coconut cream 65.00 0.76 ± 0.012b 0.33 ± 0.012b 0.66 ± 0.024b
Coconut milk 72.50 0.84 ± 0.023c 0.43 ± 0.012c 0.84 ± 0.024c
F value 157.04** 759.04** 1005.96**

Table 2: Optimisation of substitution level of coconut oil in chocolate base

derived using taste panel (Mean ± SE) @

Parameters Control CO10% CO20% CO30% CO40% F Value

Color 8.46±0.021 8.43±0.032 8.42±0.018 8.44±0.027 8.45±0.022 NS

Flavour 8.28±0.030c 8.33±0.033c 8.13±0.033b 8.10±0.036b 7.96±0.033a 19.356**
Texture 8.58±0.030b 8.43±0.032b 8.14±0.034a 8.13±0.046a 8.15±0.042a 13.455**
Appearance 8.55±0.034c 8.45±0.025c 8.10±0.036b 7.98±0.030a 7.96±0.028a 66.930**
Overall 8.51±0.030c 8.41±0.030c 8.15±0.022b 8.03±0.055a 7.96±0.021a 52.967**
Acceptability
 Divya et al., Curr. Res. Nutr Food Sci Jour., Vol. 5(1), 36-42 (2017) 40

coconut oil was found to have the lowest acid value scores gave encouraging results that there was
followed by coconut cream and coconut milk. The no significant difference within the treatments
high amount of acid value in coconut cream and between the control and chocolate substituted with
coconut milk when compared to coconut oil can be 10% coconut oil. The sensory scores for flavour
attributed to the presence of moisture which had an of chocolate substituted with coconut oil at 10%
impact on the oxidative stability of the sample. The showed higher values than even the control which
lesser acid value of the coconut variants implies their was found to be highly acceptable among the
suitability to produce highly stable final products. The taste panel. The scores for overall acceptability of
results obtained were agreeable with the findings chocolate substituted with coconut oil at 10% were
observed by Depypere et al. (2009)16 which was in cognizance to the control and hence 10% coconut
between 1.54 and 3.05mg KOH/g. In the present oil substitution level was optimized to be superior on
study, the acid values of samples were between 0.26 all aspects of the parameters under consideration.
and 2.04 mg KOH/g.
The results obtained in the present study
Optimisation of Coconut substitutes in Chocolate were found to be in agreement with the studies
base. Optimisation of substitution level of conducted by El-kalyoubi (2011)18 which indicated
coconut oil in chocolate base derived using that the lower replacement rate of fat was close to
taste panel control sample and increasing the ratio of fat replacer
The sensory scores obtained for colour affected the rheological properties of chocolate.
of chocolates substituted with different levels of
coconut oil viz., 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% given Optimisation of substitution level of coconut
in Table-2 were found to be similar to the control cream in chocolate base derived using taste
and there was no significant difference (P d” 0.01) panel
between treatments in the study. The results were in The sensory scores for colour of chocolates
concomitance to the study conducted by Melo et al. substituted with different levels of coconut cream viz.,
(2009)17 which reported that the sensory attributes 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% from Table-3 indicated
did not exhibit marked changes for the newer that there was no significant difference (P > 0.05)
chocolate variants in the development of diabetic in the scores obtained between the control and
chocolates. treatments.

Optimisation of substitution level of coconut oil in The sensory parameters of flavour, texture,
chocolate base derived using taste panel. Table-2 appearance and overall acceptability given in Table-3
indicates that the attributes of flavour, texture, were found to be highly significant (P d” 0.01)
appearance and overall acceptability were found between the treatments at the substitution levels viz.,
to be highly significant (P d” 0.01) between the 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% with coconut cream and
treatments of different levels of substitution with no significant difference was observed between the
coconut oil viz., 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. The control and chocolate substituted with 20% coconut

Table 3: Optimisation of substitution level of coconut cream in chocolate base

derived using taste panel (Mean ± SE) @

Parameters Control CC10% CC20% CC30% CC40% F Value

Color 8.43±0.021 8.41±0.032 8.42±0.027 8.42±0.028 8.43±0.031 NS

Flavour 8.58±0.032c 8.01±0.034b 8.59±0.031c 8.10±0.037b 7.68±0.070a 64.909**
Texture 8.58±0.031c 8.11±0.035b 8.43±0.042c 8.01±0.033b 7.45±0.043a 180.345**
Appearance 8.55±0.034d 8.28±0.031c 8.52±0.022d 7.93±0.043b 7.56±0.033a 160.550**
Overall 8.51±0.031d 8.28±0.041c 8.45±0.026d 8.02±0.022b 7.51±0.032a 185.32**
Acceptability
41 Divya et al., Curr. Res. Nutr Food Sci Jour., Vol. 5(1), 36-42 (2017)

Table 4: Optimisation of substitution level of Coconut milk in chocolate base

derived using taste panel (Mean ± SE) @Parameters

Control CM10% CM20% CM30% F Value

Color 8.42±0.032 8.41±0.025 8.41±0.028 8.42±0.031 NS

Flavour 8.52±0.033d 8.06±0.035a 8.20±0.032b 8.31±0.030c 37.78**
Texture 8.58±0.032d 8.21±0.030b 8.06±0.034a 8.32±0.042c 47.01**
Appearance 8.55±0.034d 8.18±0.031b 7.95±0.043a 8.45±0.032c 31.20**
Overall 8.51±0.031d 8.28±0.037b 8.06±0.032a 8.38±0.022c 22.22**
Acceptability

@- Average of six trials (Different superscripts in a row differ significantly)

** - Highly Significant (P ≤ 0.01)
NS- Non significant (P > 0.05)
CO10%-40%-- Subscript indicates level of substitution of coconut oil
CC10%-40%-- Subscript indicates level of substitution of coconut cream
CM10%- 30%-- Subscript indicates level of substitution of coconut milk

cream within the treatments. The sensory scores have scored the highest among the different levels
for flavour, appearance and overall acceptability of of substitution and its scores were equivalent to
chocolate substituted with coconut cream at 20% the control with no significant difference. Hence,
level was found to be higher than at 10%, 30% chocolate prepared with 30% level of substitution
and 40% levels and thus 20% substitution level of was selected and optimized. The findings by Olu
coconut cream was optimized which had highest et al. (2013)20 disclosed that coconut milk at 30%
acceptability. substitution showed the peak acceptability which
was in agreement to the present study. The results
The present findings were found to be in of the current study concurred with the findings
accordance with the research findings observed by recorded by Farooqui et al. (2014)21 who has studied
Barnett (1978)19 that fat substituted at higher level the changes in sensory parameters of chocolate
increased the viscosity of chocolate mix which made prepared using coconut milk.
the demoulding of chocolate impossible.
Conclusion
Optimisation of substitution level of
coconut milk in chocolate base derived using The coconut processing industry remains
taste panel confined to only copra production, oil extraction
The sensory scores given in Table-4 and coir products. The present work would favour
obtained for the colour of the control and chocolates the coconut farmers in regaining the remunerative
substituted with different levels of coconut milk viz., prices for coconut due to rise in demand for coconut
10%, 20% and 30% showed that there existed no base material as well as the developed chocolate
significant difference (P > 0.05) between treatments novelties with different levels of substitution of cocoa
which revealed that the level of substitutions did butter with coconut oil (10%), coconut cream (20%)
not influence the colour of the chocolates. The and coconut milk (30%).
attributes of flavour, texture, appearance and overall
acceptability from Table-4 showed highly significant Acknowledgement
difference (P d” 0.01) between the control and the
treatments at different substitution levels of coconut We kindly acknowledge the help rendered
milk viz., 10%, 20% and 30%. The scores for these by College of Food and Dairy Technology and
parameters revealed that chocolate made with CAMPCO chocolate factory for carrying out the
the substitution of 30% coconut milk was found to analysis.
 42 Divya et al., Curr. Res. Nutr Food Sci Jour., Vol. 5(1), 36-42 (2017)

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