Protein stabilized fish oil microcapsules were incorporated into chocolates in order to design fortified product which could bear the nutritional claim "source of or high omega-3 fatty acids". Protein wall material (soy, whey and potato) influenced microcapsules and chocolate performance. Soy protein resulted in the smallest microcapsules with the lowest content of surface oil. Peroxide values were low even after 14 days of microcapsules storage. Incorporation of microcapsules into chocolate led to increase in Casson viscosity and breaking force as well as decrease in melting enthalpy, due to prevalence of particle-particle over fat-fat interactions. Increase in microcapsules concentration resulted in chocolate with poorer snap and higher tendency to fat bloom formation. Whey protein microcapsules, having the largest diameter, resulted in chocolate with the lowest breaking force and melting enthalpy and the highest whitening index. In general, microcapsules addition did not require chocolate production modification and led to sensory acceptable product.
Keywords: Chocolate; Fish oil; Microencapsulation; Proteins; Rheology; Texture.
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