Protein-enriched chocolate and producing method thereof

Abstract

To provide a chocolate product exhibiting, while having increased protein content, excellent functional properties free from rough or sticky sensation at tasting in particular.SOLUTION: It is a protein-enriched chocolate that contains 20% to 40% of protein, which consists of legume protein or a mixture of legume protein and animal protein and has the Casson viscosity of less than 6 Pa s, and contains 5% to 20% cocoa butter and is produced according a method that includes the following steps: mixing the protein with a portion of the total amount of cocoa butter; grinding the mixture of protein and cocoa butter; separately mixing the remaining cocoa butter with the other ingredients of the protein-enriched chocolate; heating each of the two mixtures to melt them and obtain two homogeneous mixtures; and finally mixing the two mixtures together.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a chocolate product having an increased protein content and nevertheless exhibiting excellent organoleptic properties, in particular without a gritty or sticky sensation on tasting. The present invention also relates to a method for producing such a chocolate product. [Background technology]

[0002] Chocolate is a sweet confectionery made from cocoa beans which are washed, fermented, roasted, crushed and ground to obtain cocoa mass from which is extracted by pressing, on the one hand, a fat called cocoa butter, and, on the other hand, a press cake which is itself used to make cocoa powder.

[0003] The basic components of milk chocolate are cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar and various forms of milk compounds, i.e. milk itself or whole milk, semi-skimmed milk or skimmed milk and optionally cream, partially or totally dehydrated cream, butter or butterfat, partially or totally dehydrated, in addition to which lecithin and sometimes flavourings are added.

[0004] To produce chocolate, it is necessary to blend the various components, which is carried out in a kneader at a temperature of around 50° C., followed by grinding-refining, which breaks the chocolate into small pieces, conching and tempering. Conching is currently still a crucial step in the manufacture of chocolate. It makes it possible, among other things, to reduce the moisture content of the raw materials, promotes the production of aromatic compounds as a result of the Maillard reaction, which give chocolate its unique sensory characteristics, and distributes the fat around the dry phase, giving it a certain fluidity. Tempering involves bringing the cocoa butter into its most stable crystalline form, giving chocolate its shiny and smooth appearance, its hardness and its characteristic melting properties, as well as a longer shelf life. Typically, tempering is the step in the manufacture of chocolate in which the raw materials are heated to the appropriate temperature (for example 30° C. to 45° C.) and allows the chocolate to crystallize very finely, giving it its shiny appearance and its crispy and melting properties.

[0005] European Directive 2000 / 36 / EC permits the use of the name "chocolate" for products derived from cocoa and sugar containing not less than 35% total dry cocoa solids, including not less than 18% cocoa butter and not less than 14% dried defatted cocoa.

[0006] Nevertheless, it is possible to optionally add other ingredients, such as milk or vegetable proteins, up to a maximum of 40% of the total dry weight of the final chocolate.

[0007] Enriching chocolate with proteins meets the ever increasing nutritional expectations of consumers.Unfortunately, the above-mentioned conventional chocolate preparation methods, although they make it possible to obtain protein-enriched chocolate, suffer from a significant decrease in organoleptic properties compared to standard chocolate, in particular a grainy sensation when tasting and a strong protein taste, especially when soybean proteins are used.

[0008] The applicant has already provided a protein-enriched chocolate in EP 2531041. Example 1 therein provides a chocolate enriched with 16.4% pea protein. Its organoleptic properties are also considered to be excellent and in fact the control No difference is observed between the original and protein-enriched chocolates. Unfortunately, attempts to increase the protein content above 30% protein for the purpose of claiming a "protein enriched" product empirically result in a gritty sensation upon tasting.

[0009] In US Patent 4493853 it is proposed to enrich by adding a protein-rich processed cheese in a weight ratio of 10 / 10 to 15 / 10. In this case too there is no lack of organoleptic properties, but the enrichment does not exceed 20% protein (see claim 13). Moreover, this solution is not suitable for the growing number of vegetarian or flexitarian people. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] There is therefore a still unmet need for those skilled in the confectionery industry to provide a chocolate enriched with more than 20% protein by dry weight or having more than 20% protein by dry weight, preferably vegetable protein, and having organoleptic properties similar to those of standard chocolate, and in particular without a rough or dry sensation when tasting, and a process enabling it to be produced industrially. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] Thus, a first subject of the present invention is a protein-enriched chocolate containing 20% ​​to 40%, preferably 25% to 35%, by dry weight of protein, preferably vegetable protein, and even more preferably pea protein, relative to the total dry weight of the final protein-enriched chocolate, which is characterized in that it has excellent organoleptic properties, in particular without a rough or sticky sensation when tasting, and that the pea flavor is suppressed.

[0012] In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the protein-enriched chocolate containing 20% ​​to 40% by dry weight, preferably 25% to 35% by protein relative to the total dry weight of the final product, contains only vegetable proteins, even more preferably only pea proteins.

[0013] In an alternative preferred embodiment, the protein-enriched chocolate contains 20% to 40%, preferably 25% to 35%, by dry weight of protein relative to the total dry weight of the final protein-enriched chocolate, and contains a mixture of vegetable protein and animal protein, preferably of dairy origin, even more preferably whey protein, the vegetable protein / animal protein weight ratio being 40% to 60%, preferably 45% to 55%.

[0014] The protein-enriched chocolate according to the invention is also characterised by a Casson viscosity of less than 6 Pa·s, more particularly between 1 and 6 Pa·s, preferably between 3 and 6 Pa·s.

[0015] A second subject of the invention is a method for obtaining a protein-enriched chocolate as defined by the first subject of the invention, comprising the following steps: 1. A first mixture comprising: a portion of the total amount of cocoa butter used in the process, and A quantity of protein to obtain a final protein content of 20% to 40% by dry weight of protein, preferably 25% to 35% by total dry weight of the protein-enriched chocolate in the final product. producing a first mixture consisting of 2. The first mixture is milled in a mill suitable for refining chocolate, preferably a two-roll mill or grinding the mixture by passing it through a three-roll apparatus; 3. A second mixture comprising: chocolate in an amount representing between 30% and 50%, preferably between 35% and 45%, of the total dry weight of the protein-enriched chocolate, and The amount of cocoa butter remaining after using the amount from step 1 producing a second mixture consisting of 4. Heating the two mixtures to about 60° C. to obtain a melt of the mixture and a homogenous mixture of the two; 5. Intimately mixing the two mixtures at 60° C. for preferably 1 hour to 5 hours, more preferably 2 hours to 4 hours, even more preferably 3.5 hours; 6. cooling the temperature of the mixture obtained in step 5 to 50° C. and adding one or more emulsifiers, preferably vegetable lecithin; 7. Tempering the mixture; 8. Pouring the mixture into moulds, i.e. according to the application, preferably bar moulding or chocolate coating. wherein the total amount of cocoa butter is between 5% and 25%, preferably between 8% and 21%, and even more preferably between 11% and 17% by weight relative to the total weight of the protein-enriched chocolate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] In the present invention, "chocolate" should be understood as a more or less sweet food product produced from cocoa beans. The cocoa beans are fermented, roasted and ground to form a liquid cocoa mass from which a fat (called cocoa butter) is extracted. Chocolate consists of a mixture of cocoa mass, cocoa butter and sugar in various proportions, optionally with the addition of flavourings, such as vanilla or vegetable fats. European Directive 2000 / 36 / EC specifies the requirements for a composition to obtain the name "chocolate" or "milk chocolate" under the jurisdiction of the European Communities. The term "chocolate" in the present application includes chocolate (a product obtained from powdered cocoa products and sugar, containing at least 35% total dry cocoa solids, including at least 18% cocoa butter and at least 14% dried defatted cocoa), chocolate flakes, chocolate for glazing, gianduja hazelnut chocolate, but also milk chocolate.

[0017] For the purposes of the present invention, a "protein" is to be understood as a macromolecule formed by one or more polypeptide chains consisting of a sequence of amino acid residues linked to one another via peptide bonds. A protein is of plant origin when it originates from the extraction of a plant source, such as a legume. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "legume" is intended to mean any plant belonging to the families Caesalpiniaceae, Mimosaceae or Papilionaceae, such as alfalfa, clover, lupine, pea, kidney bean, broad bean, faba bean or lentil.

[0018] In this specification, "pea" is considered in its broadest sense and specifically includes all wild species of "red pea" and "white pea" and all variants of "red pea" and "white pea", regardless of the use for which said species are generally intended (food for human consumption, animal feed and / or other uses). In this patent application, the term "pea" includes various pea species belonging to the Pisum genus, more particularly the sativum species and the aestivum species. Said variants are commonly known as "r mutants", "rb mutants", "rug3 mutants", "rug4 mutants", "rug5 mutants" and "lam mutants", and are described in detail by CL Heyd. The paper by ley et al., “Developing novel pea starches,” Proceedings of the Symposium of the Industrial Biochemistry and Biotechnology Group of the Biochemical Society, 1996, pages 77-87. Like all legume proteins, pea proteins consist mainly of three classes of proteins: globulins, albumins and "insoluble" proteins.

[0019] The term "protein-enriched chocolate" in the present invention should be understood as a chocolate containing 20% ​​to 40% by dry weight of protein, preferably 25% to 35% by total dry weight of the final protein-enriched chocolate.

[0020] The advantages of pea proteins are their good emulsifying properties, their lack of allergenicity and their low cost, which makes them an economical functional ingredient. Furthermore, pea proteins contribute favourably to sustainable development and their carbon impact is highly favourable, since pea cultivation is environmentally friendly and does not require nitrogen-based fertilisers as peas fix atmospheric nitrogen.

[0021] With particular reference to pea proteins, the invention is more particularly concerned with globulins (approximately 50-60% by dry weight of pea proteins) and albumins (20-25% by dry weight of pea proteins). Pea globulins are mainly subdivided into three subfamilies: legumins, vicilins and convicilins.

[0022] Thus, a first subject of the present invention is a protein-enriched chocolate containing 20% ​​to 40%, preferably 25% to 35%, by dry weight of protein, preferably vegetable protein, and even more preferably pea protein, relative to the total dry weight of the final protein-enriched chocolate, which is characterized in that it has excellent organoleptic properties, in particular without a rough or sticky sensation when tasting, and that the pea flavor is suppressed.

[0023] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the protein enriched chocolate containing 20% ​​to 40% by dry weight, preferably 25% to 35% by dry weight of protein relative to the total dry weight of the final protein enriched chocolate, contains only vegetable protein, even more preferably only pea protein.

[0024] In an alternative preferred embodiment, the protein-enriched chocolate contains 20% to 40%, preferably 25% to 35% protein by dry weight relative to the total dry weight of the final protein-enriched chocolate, and contains a mixture of vegetable protein and animal protein, preferably dairy protein, even more preferably whey protein, the vegetable protein / animal protein weight ratio being 40% to 60%, preferably 45% to 55%.

[0025] The term "organoleptic properties" is to be understood as all the stimuli that concern the sensory areas of taste, flavour and odour after tasting a food product.

[0026] Chocolate containing 20% ​​to 40% by dry weight, preferably 25% to 35% by dry weight of protein based on the total dry weight of the final product, when produced using conventional chocolate manufacturing processes, i.e. by including the protein from the beginning of the recipe together with all the other ingredients from the beginning of the process, has poor organoleptic properties when tasted, in particular roughness when tasted. The result is a chocolate with a strong pea taste along with a sticky or gooey sensation.

[0027] The chocolate produced by the method according to the invention has good organoleptic properties, in particular without a rough or sticky sensation when tasting, and the pea flavor is suppressed. The method according to the invention makes it possible to produce a chocolate that does not promote the appearance of a rough sensation. This chocolate is therefore unique and, to the applicant's knowledge, could not be prepared by the previous solutions, despite the intensive search by those skilled in the art.

[0028] This chocolate is obviously of interest not only for direct consumption but also for inclusion in various recipes, such as beverages, cakes, cereal bars, coating chocolates and filling chocolates. This list is in no way limiting and the chocolate according to the invention can be included in all industrial applications, mainly food applications. The chocolate that is the subject of the invention or that can be obtained by the process that is the subject of the invention is a dark chocolate, but it can also be a Gianduja hazelnut chocolate or a milk chocolate.

[0029] As long as at least 12% of the energy value of a protein-enriched chocolate that is the subject of the present invention or that can be obtained by the process that is the subject of the present invention is provided by protein, this chocolate will be able to benefit from the claim "protein source". More particularly, as long as at least 20% of the energy value of a protein-enriched chocolate that is the subject of the present invention or that can be obtained by the process that is the subject of the present invention is provided by protein, this chocolate will be able to benefit from the claim "rich in protein".

[0030] The protein-enriched chocolate according to the invention is also characterised by a Casson viscosity of less than 6 Pa·s, more particularly between 1 and 6 Pa·s, preferably between 3 and 6 Pa·s.

[0031] The rheology of chocolate is important to obtain a high-quality product with a refined texture. Molten chocolate presents a suspension mainly composed of solid particles of sugar and cocoa, reduced in size to 30 μm by roller refining, in a liquid matrix mainly composed of cocoa butter. Rheologically, molten chocolate exhibits a non-Newtonian behavior, which is conventionally defined by the yield point and the viscosity. The yield point corresponds to the amount of energy required to start the chocolate flowing, and the viscosity is the resistance that a fluid exerts on the relative movement of its particles. These properties depend both on the composition of the chocolate and also on its production method. They obviously govern not only the ease of handling of chocolates (for example moving them through pipes or pouring them into moulds) but also their final intrinsic properties (for example melting in the mouth). It is therefore essential to control the rheological properties of chocolate. For this reason, the confectionery reference book “Guide technologique de la confiserie industrielle (Technological guide to industrial confectionery)” gives a viscosity value of 1000 mPa s, i.e. 1 Pa s, for a chocolate glazing containing 34-37% fat.

[0032] The standard method for measuring viscosity in chocolate production is the Casson method. It is described in the ICA46 standard published by the International Confectionery Association (ICA, formerly IOCCC). It is a method using concentric cylinders to measure viscosity at 2s -1 ~50s -1 A rotational viscometer that measures stress and viscosity at a shear rate of 5s -1 presents the combined use of a downward curve following >5 min of preliminary monitoring at 100 Hz and the Casson regression equation.

[0033] A second subject of the invention is a method for obtaining a protein-enriched chocolate as defined in the first subject of the invention, said method having the particular feature that the protein is added to cocoa butter and then the mixture (protein / cocoa butter) is ground and heated before being added to the other components that make up the protein-enriched chocolate. More specifically, the method that is the subject of the invention comprises a series of steps: 1. A first mixture comprising: a portion of the total amount of cocoa butter used in the process, and A quantity of protein to obtain a final protein content of 20% to 40% by dry weight of protein, preferably 25% to 35% by total dry weight of the protein-enriched chocolate in the final product. producing a first mixture consisting of 2. grinding the first mixture by passing it through a mill suitable for refining chocolate, preferably a two-roll or three-roll apparatus; 3. A second mixture comprising: chocolate in an amount representing between 30% and 50%, preferably between 35% and 45%, of the total dry weight of the protein-enriched chocolate, and The amount of cocoa butter remaining after using the amount from step 1 producing a second mixture consisting of 4. Heating the two mixtures to about 60° C. to obtain a melt of the mixture and a homogenous mixture of the two; 5. Intimately mixing the two mixtures at 60° C. for preferably 1 hour to 5 hours, more preferably 2 hours to 4 hours, even more preferably 3.5 hours; 6. cooling the temperature of the mixture obtained in step 5 to 50° C. and adding one or more emulsifiers, preferably vegetable lecithin; 7. Tempering the mixture; 8. Pouring the mixture into moulds, i.e. according to the application, preferably bar moulding or chocolate coating. and wherein the total amount of cocoa butter is between 5% and 25%, preferably between 8% and 21%, and even more preferably between 11% and 17% by weight relative to the total weight of the protein-enriched chocolate.

[0034] All the technical characteristics (nature and amounts) mentioned above for the various constituents also apply to the process that is the subject of the present invention.

[0035] The amount of the portion of cocoa butter used in step 1 is preferably 10% to 90%, 15% to 85%, 20% to 80%, 25% to 75%, 30% to 70%, 35% to 65%, 40% to 60%, or 45% to 55% of the total amount of cocoa butter used in the protein-enriched chocolate.

[0036] In one preferred embodiment, the protein in step 1 is a vegetable protein, preferably a vegetable protein derived from a legume, even more preferably a protein derived from pea.

[0037] The mixture of cocoa butter and proteins from step 1 is composed of between 35% and 55% by weight, preferably between 40% and 50%, more preferably between 45% and 50%, of cocoa butter relative to the total weight of the mixture, and an amount of protein making it possible to obtain an enriched chocolate, i.e. a final content of between 20% and 40%, preferably between 25% and 35%, by dry weight of proteins relative to the total dry weight of the final product.

[0038] The term "cocoa butter" is used herein to refer to the semi-solid and cocoa butter obtained from the extraction of cocoa beans. It is understood to mean a mixture of semi-liquid fats and oils.

[0039] Step 2 will make it possible to finely grind the proteins by intimately mixing with the cocoa butter. Without being bound by any theory, it appears that such intimate grinding of a mixture consisting only of proteins and cocoa butter makes it possible to obtain a chocolate with good organoleptic properties, in particular without a gritty or sticky sensation on tasting, and with a reduced presence / taste of pea flavor.

[0040] "Three-roll" or "two-roll" equipment is well known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, a ball mill or any other equipment capable of reducing the particle size of the insoluble fraction may be used.

[0041] After mixing the components, the sticky product is refined by grinding. The objective of this operation is to refine the solid particles so that they are no longer perceptible to the palate. It has long been recognized in the chocolate industry that a size below 60 μm, and even more preferably below 30 μm, can eliminate the gritty sensation. This is true for standard chocolate production, but is no longer sufficient when one wishes to enrich the chocolate with more than 20% protein or when the final chocolate product contains more than 30% protein by weight. Depending on the equipment, one to three passes through a three-roll apparatus can be made to obtain the desired particle size.

[0042] By grinding the proteins and part of the cocoa butter separately, then the chocolate with the remaining cocoa butter, and then mixing these two mixtures, it is now possible to obtain a chocolate enriched with more than 20% protein and having excellent organoleptic properties.

[0043] The chocolate used in the second mixture in step 3 is a commercially available chocolate or a pre- or co-produced chocolate. It can be either dark chocolate or milk chocolate.

[0044] The prior art practice of producing the mix (mixing all ingredients together) even when passed through a three roll mill does not produce the standard sensory results seen with protein enriched recipes.

[0045] Step 3 consists of the preparation of a second mixture composed of chocolate in an amount representing between 30% and 50%, preferably between 35% and 45%, by weight of the final recipe of protein-enriched chocolate, and of cocoa butter in an amount remaining minus the amount used in step 1.

[0046] In an alternative method of this process, instead of finished chocolate (commercially available or prepared according to the invention), the components needed to produce chocolate are used after grinding in a grinding machine suitable for refining chocolate, preferably a two-roll or three-roll device.

[0047] Step 4 consists in heating and melting the two preceding mixtures under stirring in any vessel suitable for this purpose (for example a temperature-controlled mixing bowl). The chocolate may be commercially available and is preferably a dark chocolate. It may also be produced simultaneously according to conventional chocolate manufacturing procedures. Here, it is important never to directly introduce part or all of the protein, which would risk causing a deterioration in the organoleptic quality of the chocolate (especially the appearance of a rough or sticky sensation when tasting, accompanied by the release of a pea flavor).

[0048] Step 5 involves adding emulsifiers (preferably vegetable or soy lecithin and PGPR) to this same mixing bowl and then reducing the temperature to 50°C.

[0049] Step 6 consists of mixing to obtain a homogenous mixture, for example, for 30 minutes at 50°C.

[0050] Step 7 then concerns the tempering, which is carried out according to processes conventional in the art, either by hand on the marble or in dedicated automated equipment.

[0051] After tempering, the protein-enriched chocolate is introduced into molds selected for the desired shape and allowed to cool to room temperature. It can be used in chocolate coatings, bottom coatings or to constitute the chocolate shell of chocolate candies.

[0052] The invention will be better understood on reading the following non-limiting examples. EXAMPLES

[0053] Example 1: Production of chocolate according to the prior art - Prior art milk chocolate No. 1: Classic chocolate, not enriched with proteins, will serve as a reference material for the sensory tests. The process of Example 1 of WO 2011 / 095740 entitled "CONTROL: TRADITIONAL MILK CHOCOLATE" is used.

[0054] Example 2: Production of chocolate enriched with more than 30% protein by prior art processes - Prior Art Milk Chocolate No. 2 This example proposes to produce chocolate enriched with more than 30% protein by the prior art process (i.e. produced by mixing all ingredients, including the protein, from the beginning).

[0055] The ingredients used to produce the chocolate are summarized in the table below. The dark chocolate CHD-Q11-105 is a dark chocolate manufactured by BARRY CALLEBAUT and contains a minimum of 54.1% dry solids derived from cocoa. NUTRALYS® XF is a pea protein isolate sold by Roquette and contains about 85% protein. Instantwhey (450) whey is a whey manufactured by Fonterra and contains 80% protein. Noir absolu EBONY is a cocoa mass sold by Puratos, the addition of which improves the flavor of the chocolate. Soy lecithin is a natural emulsifier and is extracted from soybeans. ADMUL WOL 1403 is also an emulsifier. It is manufactured by Kerry and consists of polyglycerol polyricinoleate.

[0056] [Table 1]

[0057] The protocol for producing this chocolate, Prior Art Milk Chocolate No. 2, is as follows: 1. Mix all the components in Table 1 at 40°C. 2. Grinding (with three roll mill): Roll pressure: 1st pass; 20-30 bar, 2nd pass; 35-45 bar, 3rd pass; 55-60 bar. 3. "Conching": Temperature: 60℃, Time: 20 hours. 4. Cool to 50°C. 5. Temper and pour into molds.

[0058] Example 3: Production of chocolate enriched with more than 30% protein by the method according to the invention - Chocolate No. 3 This example proposes to produce a chocolate enriched with more than 30% protein by the method according to the invention (i.e. mixing and grinding a protein / cocoa butter mixture separately and then mixing it with chocolate made separately according to a conventional process).

[0059] The components and amounts used were as described in Example 2 above.

[0060] The protocol for producing this chocolate is as follows: 1. Mix the proteins (NUTRALYS® XF and whey) with half the amount of cocoa butter at 40°C. 2. Mix the remaining ingredients separately at 40°C except for soy lecithin and ADMUL WOL 1403 (emulsifier). 3. The two mixtures are milled separately (in a three-roll mill): roll pressure: 1st pass; 20-30 bar, 2nd pass; 35-45 bar, 3rd pass; 55-60 bar. 4. The two mixtures are heated separately at 60°C with stirring until a homogenous mixture is obtained, i.e. "conched". Conditions used for "conching": Temperature; 60°C, Time; 20 hours for the second mixture and 4 hours for the first one containing the protein. 5. Mix the two conched materials. 6. Cool to 50°C. 7. Temper and pour into molds.

[0061] It has already been observed that if, instead of the second mixture, ready-made, and therefore already conched chocolate is used, it is possible to reduce the conching time to just 4 hours.

[0062] Example 4: Production of chocolate enriched exclusively with vegetable proteins, more than 30%, by a prior art process - Prior art milk chocolate No. 4 This example proposes to produce chocolate enriched with more than 30% vegetable protein only by prior art processes (i.e. produced by mixing all ingredients, including the protein, from the beginning).

[0063] The ingredients used to produce the chocolate are summarized in the table below. The dark chocolate CHD-Q11-105 is a dark chocolate manufactured by BARRY CALLEBAUT and contains a minimum of 54.1% dry solids derived from cocoa. NUTRALYS® S85Plus-N is a pea protein isolate sold by Roquette and contains about 85% protein. Instantwhey (450) whey is a whey manufactured by Fonterra and contains 80% protein. Noir absolu EBONY is a cocoa mass sold by Puratos, the addition of which improves the flavor of the chocolate. Soy lecithin is a natural emulsifier and is extracted from soybeans. ADMUL WOL 1403 is also an emulsifier. It is manufactured by Kerry and consists of polyglycerol polyricinoleate.

[0064] [Table 2]

[0065] The protocol for producing this chocolate (prior art milk chocolate No. 4) is as follows: 1. Mix all of the components in Table 1 at 40°C. 2. Grinding (with three roll mill): Roll pressure: 1st pass; 20-30 bar, 2nd pass; 35-45 bar, 3rd pass; 55-60 bar. 3. "Conching": Temperature: 60℃, Time: 20 hours. 4. Cool to 50°C. 5. Temper and pour into molds.

[0066] Example 5: More than 30% vegetable protein alone according to the method of the present invention Production of enriched chocolate - Chocolate No. 5: This example proposes to produce a chocolate enriched exclusively with vegetable proteins, more than 30%, by the method according to the invention (i.e. mixing and grinding a protein / cocoa butter mixture separately and then mixing it with chocolate made separately according to a conventional process).

[0067] The components and amounts used were as described in Example 4 above.

[0068] The protocol for producing this chocolate (Chocolate No. 5) is as follows: 1. Mix protein (NUTRALYS® S85plus-N) with half the amount of cocoa butter at 40°C. 2. Mix the remaining ingredients separately at 40°C except for soy lecithin. 3. The two mixtures are milled separately (in a three-roll mill): roll pressure: 1st pass; 20-30 bar, 2nd pass; 35-45 bar, 3rd pass; 55-60 bar. 4. The two mixtures are heated separately at 60°C with stirring until a homogenous mixture is obtained, i.e. "conched". Conditions used for "conching": Temperature; 60°C, Time; 20 hours for the second mixture and 4 hours for the first one containing the protein. 5. Mix the two conched materials. 6. Cool to 50°C. 7. Temper and pour into molds.

[0069] It has already been observed that if, instead of the second mixture, ready-made, and therefore already conched chocolate is used, it is possible to reduce the conching time to just 4 hours.

[0070] Example 6: Comparison of the chocolates obtained in the above examples Five samples of "milk" chocolate, namely a reference material (No. 1), two products according to the prior art process (No. 2 and No. 4) and two using the method according to the invention (No. 3 and No. 5), were tasted blind by a panel of 20 experts in a sensory test. A commercially available protein-enriched chocolate, MyProtein®, enriched with 20% protein, was also tested.

[0071] The first test consisted of a triangular test, in which three samples were presented, two of which were identical.

[0072] 83% of the test participants were unable to distinguish between Chocolate 1 (reference material, low in protein) and Chocolate 3 (invention, enriched in protein).

[0073] The second study, also conducted blind, involved tasting and describing five samples.

[0074] Tasting is an operation that involves sensing, appraising and evaluating the organoleptic properties, and more particularly the organoleptic properties, of a product. Tasting requires sight, touch, smell and taste. For this tasting, the modifiers used were the same for the chocolates according to the prior art or the chocolates according to the invention (Chocolate 1 to 5): 1. Visual test: smoothness of the chocolate surface, moiré pattern and slight sheen. 2. Tactile test: surface smoothness, hardness. 3. Olfactory test: Sweet smell, fruity smell, extremely pleasant smell. 4. Taste test: Smoothness, smoothness in the mouth, creaminess, lack of grittiness, melts in the mouth.

[0075] Various sensory analysis tests have fully demonstrated that the skilled panel could not distinguish between the reference chocolate (No. 1) and the protein-enriched chocolates obtained by the method according to the invention (No. 3 and No. 5). However, a grainy appearance was noted for the chocolates obtained using the prior art process (No. 2 and No. 4) and for the commercial chocolate MyProtein®. Thus, the advantages of the present invention are demonstrated.

[0076] The invention will in particular allow people with allergies to milk proteins to enjoy a good, smooth chocolate just like its counterparts, which will also be useful for people who play vigorous sports or who want to limit their sugar and fat intake.

[0077] The examples of the present invention further show that it is possible to enrich with protein, so that Chocolates No. 3 and No. 5 contain more protein than the control chocolate and can therefore be labelled with the phrase "source of protein" or even "rich in protein" on their packaging.

[0078] The present invention is also advantageous from a rheological point of view: specifically, viscosity is a very important factor among chocolate makers.

[0079] Viscosity measurements were carried out at 40° C. using a Physica MCR 301 rheometer according to current standards for chocolate manufacturers (AIOCC standards).

[0080] Apparatus used: Forced strain rheometer with a coaxial cylinder structure (outer diameter 34 mm, inner diameter 32 mm) (PHYSICAC, 10 MCR 301, Anton Paar) ·Temperature: 40℃ Pre-shear: 5s -1 10 minutes Shear gradient: 1s in 3 min -1 From the 50s -1 to ·Shear retention: 50s -1 1 minute Shear drop: 50s in 3 minutes -1 From 1s -1 to

[0081] The results are presented after modeling the return curve (shear drop) according to the Casson method, which meets the requirements of the ICA46 standard.

[0082] The Casson viscosity (Pa.s) and yield point (Pa) are given in the table below.

[0083] [Table 3]

[0084] The above table clearly shows that the viscosity of the chocolate according to the invention is closer to that of the prior art chocolate No. 1. Therefore, it is easier for the chocolate maker to handle the ingredients during processing.

Claims

1. A protein-enriched chocolate comprising between 20% and 40% protein, said percentage being expressed by dry weight relative to the total dry weight of said protein-enriched chocolate, the protein comprises a legume protein or a mixture of legume protein and animal protein, A protein-enriched chocolate having a Casson viscosity of less than 6 Pa s, said protein-enriched chocolate comprising between 5% and 20% cocoa butter, said percentages being expressed by dry weight relative to the total dry weight of said protein-enriched chocolate; The protein-enriched chocolate is obtained by a process comprising the steps of: The following steps include: mixing said protein with a portion of the total amount of cocoa butter used in the process; grinding the protein / cocoa butter mixture; mixing the remaining cocoa butter separately from the protein / cocoa butter mixture with the remaining ingredients of the protein-enriched chocolate; heating each of the two mixtures to melt each mixture and obtain two homogenous mixtures; mixing said two mixtures.

2. 2. The protein-enriched chocolate according to claim 1, having a Casson viscosity of 1 Pa·s or more and less than 6 Pa·s.

3. 3. Protein-enriched chocolate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the legume protein is pea protein.

4. Protein-enriched chocolate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the protein contains a mixture of legume proteins and proteins of dairy origin.

5. A protein-enriched chocolate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the protein content of the protein-enriched chocolate is between 25% and 35%.

6. A protein-enriched chocolate comprising between 20% and 40% protein, said percentage being expressed by dry weight relative to the total dry weight of said protein-enriched chocolate, the protein comprises a legume protein or a mixture of legume protein and animal protein, 1. A method for preparing a protein-enriched chocolate having a Casson viscosity of less than 6 Pa s, comprising the steps of: said protein-enriched chocolate comprising between 5% and 20% cocoa butter, said percentages being expressed by dry weight relative to the total dry weight of said protein-enriched chocolate; mixing said protein with a portion of the total amount of cocoa butter used in the process; grinding the protein / cocoa butter mixture; mixing the remaining cocoa butter separately from the protein / cocoa butter mixture with the remaining ingredients of the protein-enriched chocolate; heating each of the two mixtures to melt each mixture and obtain two homogeneous mixtures; mixing the two mixtures; 23. A method for preparing a protein-enriched chocolate comprising:

7. 1. A method for preparing a protein-enriched chocolate containing between 20% and 40% protein, said percentage expressed by dry weight relative to the total dry weight of said protein-enriched chocolate, comprising the steps of:

1. A first mixture comprising: i. a portion of the total amount of cocoa butter used in the process, and ii. an amount of protein such that a final content of protein is obtained between 20% and 40% by dry weight relative to the total dry weight of said protein-enriched chocolate; producing a first mixture consisting of 2. Grinding the first mixture by passing it through a mill suitable for refining chocolate; 3. A second mixture comprising: i. an amount of chocolate representing between 30% and 50% by dry weight relative to the total dry weight of said protein-enriched chocolate, and ii. The amount of cocoa butter remaining after using the amount from step 1. producing a second mixture consisting of 4. Heating each of the two mixtures to about 60° C. to melt each mixture and obtain two homogeneous mixtures; 5. Intimately mixing the two mixtures at 60° C. for 1 hour to 5 hours; 6. Cooling the mixture obtained in step 5 to 50° C. and adding one or more emulsifiers; 7. Tempering the mixture; 8. Injecting the mixture into a mold wherein the total amount of cocoa butter is between 5% and 20% by dry weight relative to the total dry weight of the protein enriched chocolate.

8. A method according to claim 7 for preparing a protein-enriched chocolate according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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