Quality Evaluation of Jaggery Chocolate Under Various Storage Conditions

Characteristics of developed jaggery chocolate under different storage conditions were investigated. Jaggery chocolates were prepared by standard method and packaged in different packaging materials subsequently subjecting the samples to different storage conditions, viz., incubator (40-45 degrees C), refrigerator (8-10 degrees C) and ambient conditions (25-35 degrees C). Moisture content, hardness, optical density and sensory properties of the stored jaggery chocolates were determined at an interval of 15 days during the 60 days storage period. During different storage conditions, moisture content, optical density and hardness of chocolates varied from 6.09 to 8.42%, 0.12 to 0.529 and 4.29 kgf to 11.58 kgf respectively. Results showed an initial increase in moisture content followed by decrease with increasing storage period. However, optical density, hardness and appearance increased gradually with the increase in storage period in all storage conditions. Quality of prepared chocolates was evaluated for its sensory characteristics on 1-10 scale. The colour, taste, texture, flavour and overall acceptability were found to be in range of 6-8.5.