Improvement of nutritional and physicochemical proprieties of milk chocolates enriched with kale (Brassica olereacea var. acephala) and grape (Vitis vinífera)

Abstract Consumption of functional food has been growing recently, and products with healthier ingredients can influence the purchasing decisions. Studies have been shown that the development of chocolates with addition of functional ingredients can improve its nutritional properties. Considering it, the present study demonstrated that the addition of lyophilized kale and grape can modify physical, nutritional and physicochemical characteristics of the chocolates. The enriched milk chocolates showed higher values of dietary fibers and mineral content, which improved nutritional quality of the product when compared to plain milk chocolates. The results of the HPLC-DAD suggested the transference of phenolic compounds of kale and grape to the final enriched chocolates. The sensorial analysis indicated that differences among the formulated chocolates were indeed perceived and were well accepted. Thus, the addition of kale and grape in chocolates may be an alternative to improve the nutritional characteristics and the polyphenolic compound content in these chocolates.