Prediction of firmness and physical stability of low-fat chocolate spreads

The research was addressed to develop mathematical predictive models to be applied in the formulation of low-fat chocolate spreads. To this purpose, fats (palm oil, palm kernel fat and their blends) and oils (sunflower oil and extra virgin olive oil) with different physical properties were considered. The effect of lipid type and content on spread firmness and physical stability was assessed by measuring mechanical properties and oil release. Results were described by opportune mathematical models defined by using best-fitting analysis. The effectiveness of the models was finally validated considering the formulation of a chocolate spread having defined firmness and physical stability. The developed mathematical tools could support the choice of the lipid nature and concentration allowing the preparation of chocolate spreads with tailored nutritional properties. In the attempt to reduce fat content, the minimum lipid concentration required to obtaining a homogeneous spread can be predicted by the developed mathematical models.