Vegan alternative for full cream milk powder in chocolate

Vegan melt-in-the-mouth chocolate is in demand

Milk chocolate is extremely popular due to its sweet taste and soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture. At the same time, the demand for vegan alternatives to animal products is growing. Consumers are increasingly opting against animal products for nutritional reasons such as allergies and intolerances as well as ethical and ecological considerations. From an economic point of view, it therefore makes sense to develop a comparable plant-based product of similar quality.

Challenges in replacing milk powder

Given the numerous technological properties of milk powder in chocolate, as well as the unmistakable milky taste, a plant-based alternative must meet a number of requirements to be considered suitable. The majority of milk alternatives currently on the market have both flavor and sensory deficits. Furthermore, making chocolate with a plant-based substitute requires a different processing method. Instead of milk powder, a combination of ingredients is used, which makes development challenging.

Production process of vegan melt-in-the-mouth chocolate

The aim of the project is to define the requirements for a vegan powder substitute for whole milk powder and to develop products with it. The effects of the drying process and the influence of the individual ingredients on the particle properties of the resulting powder will be investigated.

In advance, proteins, carbohydrates and oils from local raw materials are mixed together in a similar ratio to that of whole milk powder in water. The dispersions are then dried using various technologies. Finally, the powders are processed into chocolate using conventional methods and thoroughly characterized. The results show that it is possible to produce vegan whole milk powder for use in chocolate and that the drying technology has a significant influence on the properties.