The Carob as a Substitute for Cocoa in the Production of Chocolate: Sensory Analysis with Bivariate Association

This research evaluates the degree of consumer acceptance, and or preference, for the carob, a substitute product for cocoa in the production of chocolate. It also assesses its potential as a “functional food” for celiacs, diabetics and for those intolerant to caffeine. In order to assess the degree of consumer preference for the consumption of chocolate made using carob, sensory analysis coupled with face-to-face surveys of 192 Sicilian consumers, who ate chocolate on a regular basis, were conducted, from March to May 2017. The data were processed using bivariate association analysis. 12.7% of the subjects described the aftertaste of chocolate made using carob as unpleasant and the aftertaste of chocolate made using cocoa, as pleasant or very pleasant. However, 7.1% declared that the aftertaste of the chocolate containing cocoa as unpleasant, defining the aftertaste of the carob, as pleasant or very pleasant. Some subjects also expressed a liking for both types of chocolate, declaring that they were pleasant (16.7%) or very pleasant (38.9%). Chocolate made using carob flour offers several potential health benefits compared to traditional chocolate and could find use as a functional food. This has social and economic implications for agriculture and for the cultivation of carobs. The scientific studies on this transformed product are very few. No previous research has conducted a sensory analysis on such a large sample of subjects. This research work could help to encourage the consumption of a “new chocolate” and consequently lead to the production of carob chocolate by those companies that use the fruit for other purposes.