Mental Health

New Technique Cuts Chocolate Fat in Half

By Staff Reporter | Update Date: Aug 15, 2012 11:08 AM EDT

For all you chocolate lovers out there, today must be your lucky day. 

A team of scientists from the University of Warwick have found a way to replace up to 50 percent of fat found in chocolate with a rather interesting ingredient - fruit juice.

The researchers said they have found a way to maintain all of those things that make chocolate 'chocolatey' but with fruit juice instead of fat. They took out much of the cocoa butter and milk fats that go into milk, dark, and white chocolate bars, substituting them with tiny droplets of orange and cranberry juice.

Researchers said the fruity mixture does not take away the chocolatey 'mouth-feel' given by the fatty ingredients because the new technique maintains the prized Polymorph V content, the substance in the crystal structure of the fat which gives chocolate its glossy appearance, firm and snappy texture but which also allows it to melt smoothly in the mouth.

However, researchers did note that the final product will taste fruity, but there is the option to use water and a small amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) instead of juice to maintain a chocolatey taste.

The study is published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry.

Stefan Bon was lead author on the study and he said the research looked at the chemistry behind reducing fat in chocolate, but now it was up to the food industry to use this new technique to develop tasty ways to use it in chocolate.

"Everyone loves chocolate, but unfortunately we all know that many chocolate bars are high in fat," Bon said. "However it's the fat that gives chocolate all the indulgent sensations that people crave - the silky smooth texture and the way it melts in the mouth but still has a 'snap' to it when you break it with your hand."

Bon and his team used food-approved ingredients to create a Pickering emulsion, which prevents the small droplets from merging with each other.

Moreover, their chocolate formulations in the molten state showed a yield stress which meant that they could prevent the droplets from sinking to the bottom. The new process also prevents the unsightly 'sugar bloom' which can appear on chocolate which has been stored for too long.

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