Linking physicochemical properties and sensory data in fibre-enhanced chocolate-based systems

Sugar consumption is an increasingly significant public health concern, motivating the confectionery industry to explore alternative sweetening strategies in chocolate formulation. Chocolate is a mechanically complex fat-based suspension comprising sugar, cocoa, and milk solids, and is highly apprec...

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Main Author: Mouraka, Panagiota
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/81066/
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author Mouraka, Panagiota
author_facet Mouraka, Panagiota
author_sort Mouraka, Panagiota
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Sugar consumption is an increasingly significant public health concern, motivating the confectionery industry to explore alternative sweetening strategies in chocolate formulation. Chocolate is a mechanically complex fat-based suspension comprising sugar, cocoa, and milk solids, and is highly appreciated for its distinctive sensory properties and oral processing behaviour. These attributes contribute to consumer perceptions of chocolate as an ‘indulgent’, ‘restful’, and ‘luxurious’ treat. Importantly, many of these sensory qualities are linked to the presence of sucrose crystals, their size, solubility, and characteristic sweetness. The challenge lies in reducing or replacing sucrose without compromising the sensory experience or structural integrity of the final product. This thesis addresses this challenge through a comprehensive, multi-methodological research programme with two primary objectives: (i) to investigate the mechanical and sensory attributes of fat-based suspensions enriched with dietary fibres, and (ii) to explore ball milling as a modification technique to enhance the functional performance of fibres for sugar reduction in chocolate.
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format Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
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institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
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language English
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publishDate 2025
recordtype eprints
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spelling nottingham-810662025-07-31T04:40:26Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/81066/ Linking physicochemical properties and sensory data in fibre-enhanced chocolate-based systems Mouraka, Panagiota Sugar consumption is an increasingly significant public health concern, motivating the confectionery industry to explore alternative sweetening strategies in chocolate formulation. Chocolate is a mechanically complex fat-based suspension comprising sugar, cocoa, and milk solids, and is highly appreciated for its distinctive sensory properties and oral processing behaviour. These attributes contribute to consumer perceptions of chocolate as an ‘indulgent’, ‘restful’, and ‘luxurious’ treat. Importantly, many of these sensory qualities are linked to the presence of sucrose crystals, their size, solubility, and characteristic sweetness. The challenge lies in reducing or replacing sucrose without compromising the sensory experience or structural integrity of the final product. This thesis addresses this challenge through a comprehensive, multi-methodological research programme with two primary objectives: (i) to investigate the mechanical and sensory attributes of fat-based suspensions enriched with dietary fibres, and (ii) to explore ball milling as a modification technique to enhance the functional performance of fibres for sugar reduction in chocolate. 2025-07-31 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en cc_by https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/81066/1/Thesis_final%20submission_2025_PM.pdf Mouraka, Panagiota (2025) Linking physicochemical properties and sensory data in fibre-enhanced chocolate-based systems. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. chocolate sugar rheology sensory evaluation
spellingShingle chocolate
sugar
rheology
sensory evaluation
Mouraka, Panagiota
Linking physicochemical properties and sensory data in fibre-enhanced chocolate-based systems
title Linking physicochemical properties and sensory data in fibre-enhanced chocolate-based systems
title_full Linking physicochemical properties and sensory data in fibre-enhanced chocolate-based systems
title_fullStr Linking physicochemical properties and sensory data in fibre-enhanced chocolate-based systems
title_full_unstemmed Linking physicochemical properties and sensory data in fibre-enhanced chocolate-based systems
title_short Linking physicochemical properties and sensory data in fibre-enhanced chocolate-based systems
title_sort linking physicochemical properties and sensory data in fibre-enhanced chocolate-based systems
topic chocolate
sugar
rheology
sensory evaluation
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/81066/