Chocolate: An overview of functional potential and recent trends in fortification

Chocolate is a delectable sweet enjoyed all over the world. Made from dried cocoa beans, through the process of roasting, grinding, and conching, chocolate is known for its taste and flavor. Although the sugar content of chocolate is limiting its reach to the health-conscious population, chocolate is endowed with immense medicinal benefits. The major ingredient of chocolate, cocoa, Theobroma cacao L., is a plant known as the “Food of the Gods” due to the abundance of polyphenols present in it. Processing conditions and parameters affect the polyphenol stability. Roasting process conditions affect the polyphenols of cocoa beans, especially the epicatechin and procyanidin. The variety of cocoa beans, quality and presence of fat, sugar, emulsifiers, drying time, and temperature are the important influencing factors affecting the polyphenol content of chocolate. Chocolate possesses antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti–inflammatory, and good mood food properties but it is also shown to be prebiotic and helps in alleviating the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and heart disease. The functional properties of chocolate can be enhanced by the addition of certain foods/ functional ingredients. This paper reviews the role of chocolate as a functional food, the effect of processing on polyphenols, and the recent developments in improving the functional properties of chocolates through fortification.