Description

Abstract: Chocolate peanut spread (CPS) was developed using a constrained mixture design whereby peanut, chocolate and sugar were adjusted to 100% of the mixture. A processing variable, roast, was included and peanuts were roasted to three levels. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used and combinations of 29-65% peanut, 9-41% chocolate, and 17- 36% sugar, adding up to 100% at a medium roast were determined as optimum formulations. RSM was used to profile and characterize formulations of CPS. Relations between descriptive, consumer acceptance, instrumental texture/physicochemical and mixture/processing variables were determined using PLSR2. Formulations high in peanut, chocolate or sugar did not drive overall acceptability, especially high sugar formulations. Accelerated shelf-life testing was conducted at 30, 35 and 40