Vegan and sugar-substituted chocolates: assessing fatty acids, methylxanthines, minerals, volatiles and sensory profiles

To satisfy the ever-increasing share of consumers who are lactose intolerant, vegan or require foods with less simple sugars,chocolate companies are constantly looking for new formulations. In the present research, the nutritional and sensory profileof two novel chocolates was evaluated. In the first, milk powder was replaced by coconut copra, almond and isolated soyprotein, and in the second dark chocolate-based, sucrose was replaced by coconut sugars, stevia and erythritol, resulting ina reduction in calorific value of about 8%. The substitution of milk powder with vegetal ingredients affected the chocolatemineral profile, with high iron and copper concentrations and less potassium, calcium and phosphorus. The vegan samplesshowed the presence of medium-chain fatty acids from coconut oil, mainly lauric acid. Esters, the group responsible forthe fruity aroma, represented mainly by benzaldehyde, furfural and vanillin, were prevalent in the vegan sample. The novelchocolate without added sucrose provides approximately 2182.6 kJ/hg registering a reduction in caloric value of more than8% compared to the standard sample. In addition, the presence of coconut sugar, with its low glycaemic index (35), madethe novel chocolate healthier than plain sucrose-containing dark chocolate.