Texture, color, and sensory changes occurring in chocolate bars with filling during storage

The impact of storage temperature (6, 12, 20, 30℃) and period (2, 6, 10, 18, 26 weeks) on the texture, color, and sensory characteristics of dark and milk‐filled chocolate bars was studied. Temperatures of 6 and 12℃ were the most suitable for bar storage; these samples were evaluated not to be significantly deteriorated by the storage period. The condition of samples stored at 20℃ started to deteriorate after 10 weeks in storage; the decline was observed mainly in meltdown rate and off‐flavors, resulting in low overall acceptability. This effect was more evident in dark chocolate bars. Keeping the bars at 24℃ for 24h immediately after production (retemperation) improved the bar resistance to fat bloom, even if the decrease in the sensory quality was observed at the beginning of the storage period.