Effecte of replacing sucrose and fat with date powder and soy flour on physical and chemical properties of dark low- calorie chocolate

Aside from its beneficial nutritional effects, chocolate causes but some problems for the consumer due to its high calorie. Use of good alternatives to fat and sugar is one of the ways to reduce these problems. Soya powder is a well-known product for its high content of protein, which as a result attracted much attention in food industry. There is also date, of main agricultural products of Iran, 60 to 80% of dry weight of which is related to sugar. This research aimed at examining the effects of replacing sacarose and fat with date powder and soya powder on physico-chemical and sensual properties of dark low-calorie chocolate. This research was carried out with 8 and 12 percent replacement of cacao butter with soya powder, and 22 and 28 percent replacement of sugar with date powder. Tests carried out include measuring percentage of fat, sugar, carbohydrate, protein, ash, calories, hardness, moisture, color and sensory test. The amount of hardness and moisture of the samples increased with increase of replacement values. Adding soya powder and date powder to chocolate increased fat and sugar value of the sample and resulted in decreased calorie and increased protein of the product.