IS THERE A NEED FOR "HEALTHY" CHOCOLATE?: SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONSUMER RESEARCH IN BELGIUM AND IN DENMARK

Vintimilla Alvarez, Maria Cecilia

4. term

Integrated Food Studies (cand.tech.), Master

2015

2015-06-04

67

This thesis examines whether there is a need for “healthy” chocolate by combining a systematic literature review with consumer research in Belgium and Denmark. The review covered four databases and included 60 studies on health effects, sensory properties, and consumer attitudes toward chocolate. Overall, the literature indicates that cocoa flavanols can improve cardiovascular markers (e.g., blood pressure and endothelial function) and that chocolate may influence mood and stress, while higher polyphenol content can increase bitterness and astringency. The consumer study used a questionnaire with a sensory test of five chocolates with varying sugar content (including reduced-sugar/no added sugar), health-belief items, and the Attitudes to Chocolate Questionnaire. A total of 215 university students in Ghent and Copenhagen participated. Results reveal clear country differences: 46.7% of Belgian participants versus 68.2% of Danish participants considered dark chocolate compatible with a healthy lifestyle; Danes preferred dark chocolate, whereas Belgians preferred milk chocolate. Liking of the five samples differed significantly between countries but not by gender, and, consistent with prior literature, women more often reported craving or guilt after eating chocolate. The study concludes there is a need for “healthy” chocolate: evidence supports potential health benefits of chocolate, and consumers are willing to purchase products with reduced sugar and calorie content.

Dette speciale undersøger, om der er behov for “sund” chokolade, ved at kombinere en systematisk litteraturgennemgang med forbrugerforskning i Belgien og Danmark. Litteraturgennemgangen omfattede fire databaser og resulterede i 60 inkluderede studier om chokolades sundhedseffekter, sensoriske egenskaber og forbrugeres holdninger. Samlet peger litteraturen på, at kakaoflavanoler kan forbedre markører for hjerte-kar-sundhed (bl.a. blodtryk og endotelfunktion), og at chokolade kan påvirke humør og stress, samtidig med at højere polyfenolindhold kan give mere bitterhed og astringens. Forbrugerundersøgelsen bestod af et spørgeskema med sensorisk test af fem chokolader med varierende sukkerindhold (herunder sukkerreducerede/uden tilsat sukker), spørgsmål om sundhedsopfattelser samt Attitudes to Chocolate Questionnaire. I alt deltog 215 universitetsstuderende i Gent og København. Resultaterne viser tydelige lande-forskelle: 46,7% af de belgiske deltagere mod 68,2% af de danske mente, at mørk chokolade kan indgå i en sund livsstil; danskerne foretrak mørk chokolade, mens belgierne foretrak mælkechokolade. Liking af de fem prøver varierede signifikant mellem landene, men ikke mellem køn, mens kvinder – i tråd med litteraturen – oftere rapporterede craving eller skyldfølelse efter at have spist chokolade. Konklusionen er, at der er behov for “sund” chokolade: den videnskabelige litteratur understøtter potentielle sundhedseffekter af chokolade, og forbrugere er villige til at købe produkter med reduceret sukker- og kalorieindhold.

[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]

Download PDF
View record in AAU Student Projects

Vintimilla Alvarez, Maria Cecilia:

• Poster - Is there a need for "healthy" chocolate?: Systematic Literature Review and Consumer Research in Belgium and in Denmark (2015)