Chocolate consumption is prevalent worldwide. However, in Portugal frequency of consumption is smaller when compared to other European countries, although dark chocolate is the most preferred type of chocolate. Recent food trends display that health, well-being, convenience and a pleasure tasting experience are very much correlated. As such, food research and food development become key areas. Imperial - Produtos Alimentares, S.A., as a company that invests in food innovation and and continuous food development, took the opportunity of matching consumer necessities and trends. Consequently, this thesis reflects the development of new products as chocolate tablets and chocolate dragées, namely chocolate tablets with inclusions of lime nuggets and crunchy cereal, and milk chocolate covered cereal. Development of these projects consisted of different stages until the final prototype was achieved. Among them, there was research regarding ideal raw material to be used and the in laboratory development itself. The final prototype was validated and approved under sensory analysis and tests, and whenever necessary, industrial-scale tests were also performed. As a final step, mandatory elements relating to labeling necessary for the product's packaging were developed. In conclusion, general and specific objectives set for this work were achieved, as projects that were elicited have been successfully implemented, with respective evaluation and approval. Additionally, improvement suggestions were defined as to positively contribute to the progress of future food and product developments that occur in the company.
Date of Award | 1 Mar 2024 |
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Original language | Portuguese |
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Awarding Institution | - Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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Supervisor | Sofia Alexandra Almeida Ferreira Vieira da Silva (Supervisor) |
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- Chocolate
- Chocolate tablets
- Chocolate dragées
- Food development
- Mestrado em Engenharia Alimentar
Investigação e desenvolvimento de tabletes de chocolate e produtos de confeitaria
Oliveira, A. C. D. C. (Student). 1 Mar 2024
Student thesis: Master's Thesis