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Recent dietary trends indicate a growing consumer preference for high-protein diets. Confectionery products are typically characterized by low protein content and high levels of fat and sugar, making them suitable matrices for protein enrichment. Collagen, a protein derived from animal by-products such as skin and bones, represents a highly valuable ingredient due to its recognized benefits for skin, nails, and other connective tissues.
This study investigates the incorporation of collagen derived from pork skin at different concentrations (10%, 12.5%, and 15%) for the enrichment of cocoa cream products. Particle size distribution in control (C) and collagen-enriched samples (CC10, CC12.5, and CC15) was analyzed using a Mastersizer 2000 (Malvern Instruments). Measurements were conducted with the Malvern Hydro 2000µP dispersion unit, with samples dispersed in sunflower oil prior to analysis.
The results demonstrated that increasing collagen concentration resulted in a progressive increase in the volume-weighted mean diameter, D[4,3], across all collagen-enriched samples, whereas the highest value (94.051 µm) was recorded for the raw material, pork collagen powder (CP). However, in the enriched cocoa cream samples, D[4,3] values did not exceed 30 µm. Considering that the optimal particle size range (15–30 µm) is associated with the absence of a gritty mouthfeel, the addition of pork collagen did not negatively affect the sensory quality of the produced samples.
Keywords: protein, pork collagen, cocoa cream products, particle size distribution, functional food products
Acknowledgment: This work builds on the TwInSol-CECs collaboration (101059867), which also fostered the participation of the Faculty of Technology Novi Sad in the T4I project consortium (101311065). Additionally, this work is supported by the Program of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (number: 451-03-34/2026-03/ 200134 , and 451-03-33/2026-03/ 200134).