Use of locust bean flour as a substitute for cocoa in the production of chocolate spread: Quality attributes and storage stability

The effects of locust bean (carob) flour (LBF) as a substitute for cocoa in the production, quality attributes, and storage stability of chocolate spreads were investigated. CON (4.5% cocoa), CF15 (3.0% cocoa + 1.5% LBF), CF30 (1.5% cocoa + 3.0% LBF), and CF45 (4.5% LBF) formulations were produced, and stored at 22 and 35 °C for 12 weeks. Appearance, odor, sweetness, color, and overall acceptability scores decreased with increasing LBF, but up to 3.0% LBF did not affect the scores compared to the CON. Replacing cocoa with LBF at a low level resulted in higher hardness and spreadability. Hardness, free fatty acid, and peroxide values (PV) increased, aw values generally decreased during storage, but PV was still lower than 10 meq O2/kg. As the LBF ratio increased, darkening occurred in the chocolates. Thus, up to 3% of LBF can be used as a cocoa substitute with minimal quality and sensory changes in the production of chocolate spread.