Determination of nutricional content in chocolates by NIR
Determination of nutricional content in chocolates by NIR
Can we estimate caloric content and nutritional composition of chocolates in real time?
We received a wide variety of samples: white, dark, filled, aerated. A lot of diversity, and that’s exactly where it gets interesting!
We started analyzing them using non-destructive NIR technology, exploring how internal variability impacts the spectral signal.
This is just the beginning, but the goal is clear: to better understand these products without altering them, and to open new possibilities for analysis.
What NIR can measure in chocolate
Based on recent peer-reviewed research, these are the parameters that NIR spectroscopy plus chemometrics can determine in chocolate and cocoa products, and where they fit in the production chain:1-5
| Parameter | What NIR provides | Production chain point |
|---|---|---|
| Fat / cocoa butter | Prediction, R2cv 0.981 | Cocoa beans (incoming) and finished product QC |
| Cocoa content (fat-free cocoa) | Prediction, R2cv 0.981 | Finished product QC and labelling compliance |
| Sucrose / sugars | Prediction, R2cv 0.921 | Formulation control and finished product QC |
| Theobromine and caffeine | Prediction, R2cv 0.94 and 0.761 | Finished product QC (taste markers) |
| Moisture | Prediction2,5 | Bean fermentation and drying, storage monitoring |
| Shell content in cocoa products | Rapid determination with FT-NIR4 | Raw material QC (beans, nibs, cocoa powder) |
| Fermentation level and genotype | Authentication (Vis/NIR classification)3 | Supply chain and bean sourcing |
| Adulteration (cocoa content, substitutes) | Detection and quantification5 | Incoming inspection and final product |
| Color, hardness, free fatty acids, peroxide value | Classification and regression2 | Storage and retail monitoring |
References
- Benes E, Matejka G, Fodor M. Near-infrared spectroscopy for comprehensive analysis of dark chocolate composition. Food Chemistry. 2025;469:142562. doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142562
- Abe-Inge V, Zaukuu JLZ, Mohammed L, Agbenorhevi JK, Oduro I, et al. Physico-chemical and chemometric analysis of milk chocolate sold in Ghana using NIR spectroscopy. Future Foods. 2024;100427. doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2024.100427
- Oliveira Pinto AS, Deryck A, Silva Lima GV, et al. Advances in the individual authentication of cocoa beans: Vis/NIR spectroscopy as a tool to distinguish fermented from unfermented beans and classify genotypes. Food Control. 2024;164:110559. doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2024.110559
- Drees A, Brockelt J, Cvancar L, Fischer M. Rapid determination of the shell content in cocoa products using FT-NIR spectroscopy and chemometrics. Talanta. 2023;256:124310. doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124310
- Teye E. Cocoa bean and cocoa bean products quality evaluation by NIR spectroscopy and chemometrics: A review. Infrared Physics and Technology. 2020;104:103127. doi.org/10.1016/j.infrared.2019.103127
Interested in what kind of information you can extract from your products using NIR? Would you like to analyze your samples in a non-destructive way?
We do not offer one-size-fits-all solutions, each application is unique, and we develop tailored approaches accordingly. We are passionate about data analysis and food science, and this field allows us to bring both together! You can contact us if you’re interested.
