Evaluation of carob and rosehip powders as partial cocoa replacers in chocolate: nutritional and sensory impact

A key challenge in today's food industry is the formulation of innovative chocolate products that improve nutritional properties and sensory attributes by incorporating unconventional plant materials rich in high-value phytochemicals, while remaining economically sustainable. This study investigates changes in the proximate composition and sensory perception of chocolate by partially replacing cocoa with carob powder (CP) and rosehip powder (RP) as unconventional plant-derived materials rich in high-value phytochemicals. For this purpose, cocoa was replaced (w/w) by 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% CP, then by a mixture of 30% CP and 10% RP, 20% CP and 20% RP, 10% CP and 30% RP, and 40% RP, respectively. The chocolate formulas were prepared under laboratory conditions according to a manufacturing recipe applied on a small scale. The designed products were rated by twenty (20) trained assessors for sensory characteristics, including appearance, texture (mouthfeel), taste, flavor and overall acceptability on a 5-point hedonic scale. Changes in sensory attributes were assessed in relation to a control chocolate sample containing unsubstituted cocoa. Results showed that both the type and amount of cocoa substitutes affected the nutritional profile and sensory qualities, especially appearance, taste, and texture. The highest overall acceptability was recorded for chocolate formula fortified with 30% CP and 10% RP. Our research suggests that the partial replacement of cocoa with unconventional plant-derived materials, such as CP and RP, is a technological option for diversifying the range of chocolate products. This approach could also be an attractive sustainable solution to obtain chocolate formulations with sensory properties appreciated by consumers as well as enriched with high-value phytochemicals