QUALITY PROPERTIES OF CHOCOLATE-COVERED DRIED PLUMS

The demand for functional confectionery products is continuously increasing due to growing consumer awareness of their health benefits. The aim of this research was to evaluate the technological, nutritional and sensory properties of dried plums coated with dark, milk and white chocolate. Stanley variety plums, harvested at technological ripeness from the Berovo region, were analyzed as fresh fruit and then processed into dried plums and chocolate covered dried products. Standard laboratory methods were used to determine moisture content, total dry matter, total acids, total sugars, L-ascorbic acid, total ash and dietary fiber. Sensory evaluation was performed by assessing appearance, taste, aroma, and texture. Drying method significantly increased the concentration of nutritional ingredients and the shelf life of the product. Compared to fresh fruit, dried plums had higher total dry matter (73.40 %), sugars (43.35 %), total acids (1.33 %), vitamin C (20.29 mg/100 g), total ash (2.77 %) and dietary fiber (3.09 %). The average fruit mass was 28.27 g with a yield of 92.41 %. Sensory scores showed that all chocolate coated samples were well accepted, where the dark chocolate coated samples achieving the highest scores across most attributes, especially aroma, taste and texture. The results highlight that chocolate covered dried plums, particularly those coated in dark chocolate, offer a promising direction for developing nutritionally valuable, functional desert products. This combination meets consumer demands for food products that balance health benefits with sensory appeal.