Production of cocoa and carob‐based drink powders by foam mat drying

The effect of substitution of cocoa powder with carob and sucrose with stevia, on physical, chemical, and sensory properties of powder drink mixtures was studied. These powders were then subjected to foam mat drying to produce easily solvable instant powders and to determine the effect of the process on their physical, chemical, and sensory characteristics. The addition of carob flour to cocoa/sugar mixtures caused a decrease of cohesion index and mean cake strength, which is beneficial for powder handling. Foam mat drying process led to further improvement of physical properties. To obtain a mixture with good physical, chemical, and sensory characteristics, only a small part of cocoa powder can be replaced by carob flour (up to 10%). Overall, the foam mat drying process leads to formulation of a product with better physical and sensory characteristics and can be successfully applied for production of cocoa/carob/sugar drink powders. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Consumer demands for newly developed foods with natural, healthy ingredients is increasing nowadays. Carob flour represents a cheaper alternative to cocoa and due to the presence of naturally occurring carbohydrates represents a raw material with low glycemic index and therefore the exploration of its utilization in instant drink powders is of great significance. On the other hand, the industry seeks cheaper alternatives to spray drying and liophyilisation as the wide spread processes for instant powder production. The foam mat drying process is a simple and economical alternative to spray drying and freeze drying. The results of this study indicate that the foam mat drying process can be successfully used in the cocoa and carob drink powder production because it results in powders with better flow properties, which is favorable in the powder handling industries.