Is there a need for healthy chocolate?- systematic literature review and consumer research in Belgium and in Denmark
- Format
- MasterThesis
- Status
- publishedVersion
- Description
Chocolate has especially properties that help to protect human body against cardiovascular diseases; it increases HDL cholesterol and decrease blood pressure. Chocolate consumption also helps to reduce stress, elevates mood and reduces tiredness. Objectives: Analyze the relevance of a healthy chocolate based on consumer?s needs, expectations and perceptions. Methods: The present project studies three areas related to chocolate: Chocolate and its relation to health, Chocolate sensory characteristics and acceptance, and attitudes towards Chocolate. A systematically literature review has been part of this study together with consumer research based on a questionnaire. The questionnaire includes a sensory test of five different sugar-content chocolates. The questionnaire has been applied in Belgium and in Denmark among university students. A sample size of 215 participants has been part of this study. Results: There is a significant difference when comparing the consideration of dark chocolate as part of a healthy lifestyle among countries. 46.7% of the participants in Belgium consider dark chocolate part of a healthy lifestyle while in Denmark 68.2% does. Danes prefer to eat dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate, and Belgians prefer milk rather than dark chocolate. The liking of the five chocolate samples varies significantly among countries but not by gender. And as it has been found in the literature, there is a contrast when comparing the attitudes towards chocolate among gender. There is a tendency of women craving or feeling guilty after eating chocolate. Conclusion: Based on this project it can be concluded that there is a need for ?healthy? chocolate. The literature supports the health properties that chocolate consumption has and the consumers are willing to purchase a chocolate product with sugar and calories reduced.
El presente estudio exhibe el proyecto desarrollado como parte del programa de maestr?a: integrated food studies (IFS), en la Universidad de Aalborg. El proyecto cuenta con dos ?reas de estudio: la primera, una revisi?n sistem?tica literaria realizada en cuatro bases de datos para la b?squeda de temas relacionados con salud, caracter?sticas sensoriales y aceptaci?n, y actitudes hacia el chocolate. La segunda ?rea se enfoca en estudios hacia el consumidor, evaluaci?n de las caracter?sticas sensoriales de cinco chocolates con diferentes contenidos de az?cares. El estudio Attitudes to Chocolate Questionnaire ha sido parte del cuestionario. El presente proyecto ha sido parte de un acuerdo con Barry Callebaut, el principal fabricante del mundo de chocolate de alta calidad y productos de cacao. Salud p?blica y nutrici?n, uno de los pilares de IFS, ha sido el ?rea principal de estudio en este proyecto.
- Publication Year
- 2015
- Language
- eng
- Topic
- ALIMENTACI?N
CHOCOLATE
CARACTER?STICAS SENSORIALES
SALUD
- Repository
- Repositorio SENESCYT
- Rights
- openAccess
- License