Effects of Microcrystalline Cellulose on Suspension Stability of Cocoa Beverage

The rheological properties and particle size distributions of cocoa beverage as well as aggregate structures of solid particles were studied to elucidate the effects of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) on suspension stability of solid particles in cocoa beverage. Fluidity curve, dynamic viscoelasticity, particle size distribution, and SEM observation were made for beverage samples containing 0.1–0.5 wt% MCC and 11 model samples with various combinations of six ingredients. This revealed that cocoa and MCC particles are highly cohered into an aggregate and the aggregated particles further interact weakly with the milk component, leading to stabilization of the whole system of cocoa beverage.