Nano scale bigel using high pressures to increase the thermal stability and the nutritional value of chocolates made with brazilian cocoa butter

• Grant number: 19/09376-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2019
• End date: July 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Valdecir Luccas
• Grantee: Aline Cássia Figueira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimentos (ITAL). Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/50349-0 - Plan of institutional development in research of the Institute of Food Technology - ITAL (PDIp), AP.PDIP

Abstract

Due to the peculiarities of its chemical composition, especially the higher content of diunsaturated triacylglycerols, Brazilian cocoa butter has low heat resistance compared to butters from fruits grown in Africa and Asia, which makes it unsuitable for use in the manufacture of chocolates for commercialization and consumption in tropical climates. On the other hand, the technology of obtaining bigels, a mixture of hydrogel with organogel, has been the object of recent researches in order to improve the physical properties of foods or replace saturated fats and/or trans fats. The main objective of this research is to promote the structuring of Brazilian cocoa butter through the incorporation of bigels, produced at nano scale, at high pressures, using proteins and phytosterols as structuring agents. Additionally, it is also intended to incorporate dry extracts of polyphenols into the structured cocoa butter, allowing the use of this raw material in the production of milk and/or white chocolate with higher added value, heat resistant and with superior nutritional properties. The proposed research will bring benefits to several Brazilian states, especially for São Paulo State, which concentrates the largest number of chocolate industries, and for Bahia State, the largest producer of national cacao. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ALINE CÁSSIA FIGUEIRA; VALDECIR LUCCAS. Caracterização físico-química de manteigas de cacau nacional e comercial utilizadas no Brasil para fabricação de chocolate. Brazilian Journal of Food Technology, v. 25, 2022-10-03. (20/07015-7, 19/09376-0)