14A-3 |
Consumer acceptance of a processed chocolate-cheese emulsion product |
P. C. Coggins1, A. A. Glueck-Chaloupka1, M. L. TYNES1, S. L. Drake2, and J. A. Wilbourn1. (1) Dept. of Food Science & Technology, Mississippi State Univ., 207 Herzer Bldg., Campus Mailstop 9805, Mississippi State, MS 39762-9805, (2) Dept. of Food Science, North Carolina State Univ., Box 7624, Raleigh, NC 27695-7624 The United States cheese industry has grown rapidly over the last decade. In the year 2000, 8.25 billion pounds of cheese were produced and an estimated 31.2 pounds were consumed per capita. Cheese, a highly versatile dairy ingredient, is used in an array of formulated food products providing approximately 20 to 25 percent of the recommended daily calcium intake per ounce/slice. Chocolate provides fulfilling sensory experiences. Chocolate has begun to draw scientific attention for the potential health benefits provided by its antioxidant content. Our objective was to evaluate the consumer acceptance of a processed emulsion cheese product, formulated with chocolate that can be enjoyed as a snack to assist in the recommended daily intake of calcium, and determine its market acceptability. The general procedure for processed cheese food was used as the potential base formulation. Liquid sucrose and cocoa powder were added and mixed in between 79.4-85°C until an optimum texture was reached. The cheese food was held for four minutes at 85°C before pumped to the extruder and filled into individual shrink-wrap thermoform packages. Our results showed that the processed chocolate cheese emulsion received an overall score of 4.7 for flavor, 5.3 for texture, and 5.0 for overall acceptance based on a 9-point hedonic scale. A difference between the age groups for all attributes was noted (P<0.001). Individuals 26 and older preferred the chocolate cheese food to those 25 and younger. In addition, males preferred the flavor, texture and overall acceptance of the product to the females. No differences (P>0.001) were noted between U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens. Results suggest that a processed chocolate cheese emulsion food product has market potential as a nutritionally enhanced snack food for the dairy industry. The incorporation of chocolate into cheese provides a nutritious, calcium rich snacking alternative.
Session 14A, Dairy Foods: General developments in dairy technology I
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