Valorization of carob by-product for producing an added value powder: characterization and incorporation into Halva formulation

The by-product generated from carob molasses processing is considered as an excellent source of dietary fiber and may be used as a functional ingredient in food industry. However, it presents a high value of water activity (similar to 0.98) which facilitates its microbiological contamination and rapid deterioration. So that, this study provides a solution for the valorization of this by-product and suggests the incorporation of the dried carob by-product into Halva to produce an added value product (Halva with carob powder). Thus, the present work focused on the characterization of carob powder and the optimisation of incorporation percentage of carob powder into Halva formulation. The characterization showed the absence of caffein in carob powder compared to cocoa's one. Besides, carob and cocoa powders had both a brown color. The former had lower fat and higher sugar contents compared to the latter. The optimization promoted the addition of 5% carob powder into Halva formulation according to the evaluation of hardness, sensory quality and exudative stability. Therefore, the new confectionary product could be considered as a promising nutritious and healthy foodstuff to consumers.

Automated summary

This study proposes a solution for the valorization of by-products generated from carob molasses processing. By incorporating dried carob by-product into Halva, a new value-added product (Halva with carob powder) can be produced. The study characterizes carob powder and optimizes the percentage of carob powder in Halva formulation. The new confectionary product can be considered as a promising nutritious and healthy foodstuff to consumers.