Replacing Fat with Soluble Cocoa Fiber

VALENCIA, SpainReplacing original fat with soluble cocoa fiber in muffins may help improve nutritional value, texture and shelf life, while having minimal effects on taste, according to a new study published in LWT - Food Science and Technology.

Researchers at the Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (CSIC) conducted a study examining the texture, composition, appearance, color and descriptive sensory analysis of low-fat chocolate muffins in which part of the oil ingredient (25%, 50% and 75%) had been replaced by soluble cocoa fiber and full-fat (no fat replacement) control sample to which cocoa powder had been added for comparison purposes.

The rheology of the batter was studied with a rheometer. The height of the baked product fell as the fat replacement percentage rose, but no weight loss differences were observed after 1-hour cooling. The texture of the fat replacement muffins showed lower values for hardness, chewiness and resilience than those of the control sample and retained greater moisture.

The chocolate color of samples with the highest level of fat replacement was scored similar to the full-fat control formulation indicating a good color development without adding cocoa powder. The sponginess and springiness of the samples with the lowest fat replacement were scored similar to the full-fat control formulation. In general, muffins containing cocoa fiber were increasingly more cohesive and more difficult to chew and swallow when higher level of cocoa fiber was added. A certain degree of stickiness and a bitter taste different from that of cocoa were found.