Nutritional Composition and Glycaemic Index of Milk Chocolate using Different Sweeteners

• Main Authors: Nurul Zaizuliana, Rois Anwar, Norshazila, Shahidan, Zarinah, Zakaria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Q Science (General); S Agriculture (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/6150/1/FH02-FBIM-18-19674.pdf; http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/6150/
• Institution: Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin

Palm sugar is a type of sugar that has been claimed to be a healthier alternative sweetener to sucrose because it contains minerals, vitamins, and antioxidant and exhibits low glycaemic index. Malaysian Tualang honey has been reported to provide significant nutritional and medicinal benefits. The substitution of the sugarcane used in the milk chocolate with these natural sweeteners is known to lowering the GI value of milk chocolate. In this study, the glycaemic index of the respondents after consuming the test chocolates (control, PS, H) and the proximate analysis of the chocolate were evaluated. One group of female students named Group A (n=10) were asked to consumed the control, PS and H chocolates after an overnight fasting. Blood glucose level were evaluated at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min. The result showed that the consuming the control, PS and H chocolates cause a slower rise in the respondent’s blood glucose level indicating low GI food. The proximate analysis revealed that both chocolates sweetened with palm sugar and honey had significantly higher moisture content but no significant different observed for fat and protein content compared to control. Chocolate sweetened with palm sugar also had significantly higher ash and crude fibre content compared to control.