Fusion of white compound chocolates with instant coffee or matcha-tea: Physical and chemical qualities

Abstract White compound chocolate, which lacks cocoa mass, typically contains low levels of phenolic compounds and exhibits limited antioxidant activity. This study aims to investigate the effect of instant coffee and matcha tea on the characteristics of white compound chocolate, particularly on phenolic and antioxidant activity, in addition to colour, texture, and water content. Instant coffee or matcha tea powder was added to white chocolate with varied concentrations (0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%). The obtained data were analysed with One-way ANOVA, and if there is a significant difference, the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at α = 0,05 is applied. The result shows that adding instant coffee powder and matcha tea powder affected the white compound chocolate’s physical characteristics. he whiteness index decrease from 73.74 to 41.92 depending on the concentration of the additional ingredient. Significant antioxidant activity and phenolic content improvements up to 18-fold and 5-fold, respectively, were observed in the white chocolate formulated with instant coffee and matcha tea powder. No significant alteration in the water content was detected. This research highlights the potential for the chocolate industry to innovate by developing new white chocolate variants enriched with instant coffee or matcha tea, offering improved functional properties.