Development of a skim milk powder-based chocolate spread incorporated with foxtail millet and sucralose

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to develop a dairy-based functional chocolate spread using skim milk powder (SMP), foxtail millet flour and sucralose, with the objective of enhancing nutritional value and reducing caloric contribution from sucrose. Skim milk powder was incorporated as a dairy ingredient to provide dairy solids, creamy mouthfeel and desirable spread characteristics, while foxtail millet flour was used as a source of protein, dietary fibre and minerals. Sucralose was employed as a low-calorie sweetener for partial/complete replacement of added sucrose in the optimized formulation. Different levels of foxtail millet flour (8, 10 and 12%) were evaluated for optimization based on physicochemical and sensory characteristics. Subsequently, different levels of sucralose (0.1, 0.2, 0.25 and 0.30%) were evaluated in the optimized foxtail millet-containing spread. Sensory evaluation was conducted using a 9-point hedonic scale, while moisture, titratable acidity and pH were determined using standard analytical procedures. Among the foxtail millet treatments, 10% incorporation showed the highest overall acceptability without significant deterioration in the sensory attributes compared with the control. Further, 0.10% sucralose was found to be the optimum level based on sensory acceptability. Thus, skim milk powder-based chocolate spread containing 10% foxtail millet flour and 0.10% sucralose may serve as a promising dairy-based functional spread with improved nutritional characteristics and reduced dependence on sucrose.