Oral processing preference affects flavor perception in dark chocolate with added ingredients.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Sensory Science
• Rheology

Background:

• Chocolate's unique sensory properties depend on its rheological behavior during oral processing.
• Incorporating functional or flavoring ingredients presents challenges due to potential alterations in chocolate's microstructure and properties.
• Understanding ingredient effects is crucial for maintaining consumer expectations in functional chocolate products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of water-soluble (ginger) and fat-soluble (menthol) ingredients on chocolate microstructure, mouthfeel, and flavor release.
• To analyze how different oral processing patterns (chewing preference, sucking preference, mixed preference) affect sensory perception.
• To determine the relationship between ingredient concentration, oral processing, and flavor perception in 72% dark chocolate.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of 72% dark chocolate samples with varying concentrations of ginger and menthol.
• Instrumental analysis of chocolate viscosity and hardness.
• Modified Qualitative Descriptive Analysis (MQDA) for sensory evaluation of texture and flavor.
• Classification of participants into chewing preference (CP), sucking preference (SP), and mixed preference (MP) groups.

Main Results:

• Low concentrations of ginger (0.5%) and menthol (0.1%) did not significantly alter chocolate's viscosity or hardness.
• Higher concentrations (2.5% ginger, 0.5% menthol) significantly changed instrumental properties compared to control chocolate.
• Sensory texture perception remained consistent across formulations and oral processing groups.
• Flavor perception was significantly influenced by both ingredient composition and individual oral processing behavior.
• The CP group perceived lower cocoa flavor intensity with lower flavoring concentrations compared to MP and SP groups.

Conclusions:

• Ingredient concentration is a key factor affecting chocolate's physical properties and flavor release.
• Oral processing behavior significantly modulates the sensory perception of flavor in functional chocolates.
• Tailoring ingredient levels and understanding consumer processing habits can optimize the sensory experience of functional chocolate.