Effect of the incorporation of sugars and citric acid in low cocoa butter emulsions

• Published in: Journal of food engineering 2024-01, Vol.360, p.111722, Article 111722
• Main Authors: Caballero-Tovar, Andrés Felipe, Sandoval-Aldana, Angélica Piedad, Fernández-Quintero, Alejandro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cocoa butter; Cocoa products; Formulations; Microstructure; Rheology; Water-in-oil-emulsions
• ISSN: 0260-8774; 1873-5770
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2023.111722

Structuring water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions with cocoa butter represents an alternative to incorporating fruit juices in chocolate pastes, reducing the lipid content of formulations. This work studied the effect of sucrose, fructose, glucose, and citric acid as main components of concentrated passion fruit juice on droplet size distribution, zeta potential, rheological properties, and solidification and fusion behavior of W/O emulsions low in cocoa butter. Additionally, the influence of distilled monoglycerides in combination with polyglycerol polyricinoleate as a surfactant system was evaluated. Citric acid considerably improved the adsorption of the surfactant system at the interface. Moreover, distilled monoglycerides influenced the polymorphic formation of cocoa butter but did not reduce the viscosity of emulsions like polyglycerol polyricinoleate. •Potential application of fruit juice concentrate in reduced-fat chocolate.•Glucose and fructose contributed to reducing emulsion droplet size.•Citric acid influences the zeta potential of the studied emulsions.•The combination of surfactants decreased the polydispersity of emulsions.•The possibility of using liquid sweeteners in future chocolates broadens.