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Volume 16
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Functional Properties and Nutri-Economic Benefits of Carob-Based Versus Cocoa-Based Food Products: A Case Study †

by
Alexios Vardakas
1,2,
Dimitrios G. Lazaridis
1,
Maria Simoni
1,
Maria Lymperopoulou
1,
Maria Antikleia Stefanoglou
1,
Maria Argyro Kapranou
1,
Dimitra Tsoumani
1,
Maria Evangelia Giannoulou
1,
Christos Gouloumpis
3,
Panagiota Potsaki
3,
Olga I. Papagianni
3,
Ioannis K. Karabagias
1,
Olga Malisova
1,
Antonios E. Koutelidakis
3 and
Nikolaos D. Andritsos
1,*
1
Laboratory of Food Safety, Quality and Applied Biotechnology, Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Patras, 2 G. Seferi Str., GR-30100 Agrinio, Greece
2
GAEA Products S.M. S.A., 1st km Agriniou-Karpenissiou Rd., GR-30100 Agrinio, Greece
3
Laboratory of Nutrition and Public Health, Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, 10 Ierou Lochou & Makrygianni Str., GR-81400 Myrina, Greece
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
This paper is an extended version of the conference paper presented as an invited oral presentation in Vardakas, A.; Lazaridis, D.G.; Lymperopoulou, M.; Stefanoglou, M.A.; Kapranou, M.A.; Tsoumani, D.; Giannoulou, M.E.; Simoni, M.; Karabagias, I.K.; Malisova, O.; et al. Functional properties and nutri-economic benefits of carob-based vs. cocoa-based food products. In Proceedings of the 6th International Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences, Online, 9–11 December 2025.
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(17), 8739; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16178739
Submission received: 26 June 2026 / Revised: 14 August 2026 / Accepted: 1 September 2026 / Published: 2 September 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Food Bioactive Compounds: Safety, Quality and Nutritional Determinants)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Featured Application

Research and development of carob-based food products utilizes carob as the main ingredient; a cost-effective and caffeine-free alternative to cocoa with the same sweetness, but with enhanced potential functional properties compared with conventional cocoa-based products.

Abstract

Carob has traditionally been used as a nutritious alternative to cocoa. The present study evaluated the physicochemical, microbiological, nutritional, sensorial, phenolic, and antioxidant profile, along with the bioaccessibility of phenolics and antioxidants, of a developed carob-based spreadable product in comparison with two commercially available similar chocolate–hazelnut spreads popular in Greece. Moreover, the implemented food safety management system and the economic impact of the new product were also considered. The carob-based product was slightly more acidic (pH 5.3) and had an increased water activity (aw = 0.67) when compared to the commercial chocolate spreads. Consumer acceptability for the developed product was almost 80%, and it had a shelf-life of over six months. In terms of nutritional value, the product is suitable for vegans with no added animal protein and preservatives, while it is also low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and very low in sodium. Comparatively, the carob-based product exhibited higher total phenolic (TPC) but lower total flavonoid (TFC) contents and increased DPPH activity than the other two cocoa-based spreads (p < 0.05). Predicted bioaccessibility in the newly developed product was 67% for TPC (p ≥ 0.05) and 10% for total antioxidant capacity (TAC; p < 0.05). Market analysis indicates that there is a considerable margin of profit for the developed product against competition. Conclusively, this research demonstrates that carob-based food products with functional properties can constitute a suitable, promising alternative to conventional cocoa-based similar products.
Keywords: carob; cocoa; food product development; functional food; nutrition carob; cocoa; food product development; functional food; nutrition

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Vardakas, A.; Lazaridis, D.G.; Simoni, M.; Lymperopoulou, M.; Stefanoglou, M.A.; Kapranou, M.A.; Tsoumani, D.; Giannoulou, M.E.; Gouloumpis, C.; Potsaki, P.; et al. Functional Properties and Nutri-Economic Benefits of Carob-Based Versus Cocoa-Based Food Products: A Case Study. Appl. Sci. 2026, 16, 8739. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16178739

AMA Style

Vardakas A, Lazaridis DG, Simoni M, Lymperopoulou M, Stefanoglou MA, Kapranou MA, Tsoumani D, Giannoulou ME, Gouloumpis C, Potsaki P, et al. Functional Properties and Nutri-Economic Benefits of Carob-Based Versus Cocoa-Based Food Products: A Case Study. Applied Sciences. 2026; 16(17):8739. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16178739

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vardakas, Alexios, Dimitrios G. Lazaridis, Maria Simoni, Maria Lymperopoulou, Maria Antikleia Stefanoglou, Maria Argyro Kapranou, Dimitra Tsoumani, Maria Evangelia Giannoulou, Christos Gouloumpis, Panagiota Potsaki, and et al. 2026. "Functional Properties and Nutri-Economic Benefits of Carob-Based Versus Cocoa-Based Food Products: A Case Study" Applied Sciences 16, no. 17: 8739. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16178739

APA Style

Vardakas, A., Lazaridis, D. G., Simoni, M., Lymperopoulou, M., Stefanoglou, M. A., Kapranou, M. A., Tsoumani, D., Giannoulou, M. E., Gouloumpis, C., Potsaki, P., Papagianni, O. I., Karabagias, I. K., Malisova, O., Koutelidakis, A. E., & Andritsos, N. D. (2026). Functional Properties and Nutri-Economic Benefits of Carob-Based Versus Cocoa-Based Food Products: A Case Study. Applied Sciences, 16(17), 8739. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16178739

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