Aplicação de perfil flash e perfil de textura para diferenciar chocolates

Abstract

Chocolate is the product obtained from the blend of cocoa derivatives, cocoa powder, cocoa powder and / or cocoa butter, with other ingredients containing at least 25% (g / 100g) of total cocoa solids. When cocoa butter is replaced with vegetable shortening and the solids content of cocoa is below 25%, the chocolate is renamed as hydrogenated or covered and may change its approval by consumers. As a consequence, there are sensorial, texture and melting variations. In order to evaluate the acceptance and the difference between chocolates that exhibit different composition, tests such as sensorial analysis and complementary tests such as the Texture Profile are usually performed. The present work had as main objective to characterize different commercial chocolates by analysis of Profile Flash and texture profile in order to assess whether differences in composition alter the texture or perception of consumers. Four samples of milk chocolate (LA) and four samples of half bitter chocolate (MA) were compared. The texture profile analyzes performed in the texturometer showed that samples MA1 and MA4 presented the highest values of hardness and higher melting points, while the AL3 and AL4 samples were the softest. For the parameters fracturability, adhesiveness, resilience, cohesiveness and elasticity, there was a significant difference between at least two samples, indicating that the difference in composition of the chocolates interferes directly in the texture of the same. The results of the flash profile analysis were submitted to analysis of common dimensions, whose results, in the form of a consensus and salient graph, made it possible to observe the direct effects of the variation of the type and quantity of fat of each chocolate. The samples were clearly segmented and identified by the evaluators, and two common dimensions (DC1 and DC2) were determined for both milk chocolate and bitter medium, being sufficient to explain more than 95.67% and 95.54% of the variance of the data, respectively. The relation of the common dimensions with the attributes of the evaluators was used for the sensorial description of the samples. For the milk chocolate category, it can be observed that the AL2 and AL4 samples presented characteristics of brown color, cocoa flavor and aroma, brightness and melting. However, they presented hardness characteristics, differing from the results obtained in the flash profile for these samples, since they presented to be the softest samples in this analysis. It was observed that a higher proportion of vegetable fat enhances the characteristic of greasy, residual taste, hardness and melting. While the samples that contain cocoa butter in their composition confer characteristics of chocolate flavor, melting and brightness. For the bitter chocolate category, it was observed that by analyzing the DC1, the samples MA4 and MA2 presented characteristics of brown color, cocoa flavor, melting and hardness. While the samples MA1 and MA3 presented characteristics of greasy, hardness, sweet and smell of cocoa. Analyzing the DC2, it was possible to observe that the samples MA2 and MA3 presented characteristics of cocoa scent, brown color, brightness and hydrogenated taste. While the samples MA1 and MA4 presented a characteristic of smell and taste of fat and softness, differing from the result obtained in the analysis of flash profile for these samples, since they presented to be the hardest samples in this analysis.