Ameliorate the Quality of Chocolate Spread by Using Orange Pectin as a Fat Substitute

Abstract

The objective was to improve the quality of low-fat chocolate spread using orange pectin as a fat substitute. Pectin was extracted from the dried orange peels as a byproduct (oven, microwave, and solar drying methods). The characteristics of a low-fat chocolate spread formulated by replacing 50% of the fat with orange pectin were determined. The rheological properties and quality characteristics of the chocolate spread were measured. Oven-dried pectin exhibited an increase in the anhydronic acid content (24.05%) and a decrease in the degree of esterification, while, the microwave-dried pectin had the highest charge particles which was -14. The exothermic temperature of chocolate spread increased from 237.65°C for the pectin standard to 253.92°C for pectin from the solar-dried orange peel. Substitution with pectin induced a higher viscosity than that of the control sample and improved the sensory properties of the chocolate spreads. In conclusion, high-molecular-weight pectin may be an appropriate way to produce high-quality functional food products.